Israel and Hizballah: 2006 and 2008

Posted by Matt in June 10th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Israel, Army, Balance Of Power, Bashar Al Asad, Capability, Conclusion, damascus, Deterrence, hezbollah, Hizballah, IDF, Imad Mughniyeh, Intelligence, Israel, Israeli Air Force, Israeli Defense Force, Nuclear Reactor, Point Of View, rockets, Syria

Almost two years have passed since Israel’s war against Hizballah in 2006, and the balance of power is far from positive from an Israeli point of view. One of the major remaining questions is that of deterrence. Although the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) performed disappointingly during the war, the army’s image and its deterrent capability [...]

Russia’s Dangerous Missile Game in Iran

Posted by Matt in May 25th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Iran, Missiles, Russia, Allies, Balance Of Power, Europe And The Middle East, Iran, Islamic Regime, Medium Range Missiles, Military Cooperation, Military Forces, Missile Development Program, Missile Technology, NATO, Nato Members, Persian Gulf Region, Russia, Russian Aid, Saudi-Arabia, State Sponsor, Strategic Alliance, tehran, Youtube

This report was published on Nov. 13, 1997. It shows that Russia was helping Iran with its missile development program.
From the article:
By providing advanced missile technology to the radical Islamic regime in Tehran, Russia is threatening vital U.S. interests and violating an international arms control agreement. Its assistance to Iran, the world’s foremost state sponsor [...]

An Underwater Threat

Posted by Matt in May 14th, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Military, Asian Countries, Balance Of Power, China Threat, Chinese Navy, Deep Water, East Asia, Fanfare, Hainan Island, Indian Ocean Region, Maritime Dominance, Military Power, prosperity, Remarkable Growth, Revelations, Sanya, Sea Routes, South China Sea, submarines, Trade Routes, U S Navy, Underground Facilities, world-war-II

As America and its allies focus their diplomatic energy on the Middle East and Afghanistan, China continues to alter the balance of power in East Asia with little fanfare and even less resistance. Consider recent revelations that China has built a massive new naval base in Sanya, on Hainan Island. The strategically located base, which [...]

FACTBOX: Diplomatic challenges facing Russia’s Medvedev

Posted by Matt in May 1st, 2008 | no comment

Published in Russia, Accession, Array, Balance Of Power, Balance Of Power In Europe, Bucharest, Diplomatic Challenges, Foreign Policy, Fragile Balance, Head Of State, Medvedev, Mentor, Missile Shield, Nato Enlargement, Novice, Policy Challenges, Russian President, Russian Security, Southern Flank, Soviet Ukraine, Thick Stack, Vladimir Putin, Western Military Alliance

Diplomatic novice Dmitry Medvedev will take over next week as Russian president with a thick stack of foreign policy challenges in his in-tray.
Here are some of the international issues that will confront Medvedev when he replaces his mentor Vladimir Putin as head of state on May 7:
NATO ENLARGEMENT
The Western military alliance agreed at its summit [...]

Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy

Posted by Matt in April 29th, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Energy, Oil, Russia, Alliances, Amazon Asin, Balance Of Power, Chindia, Communist Threat, Danger World, Energy Firm, Eurasian Energy, geopolitics, Harbinger, Industrial Societies, International Cooperation, International Landscape, Juggernaut, Michael Klare, Sources Of Energy, Takeover Bid, Unocal, Vital Natural Resources, World Leaders

An indispensable account of how the world’s diminishing sources of energy are radically changing the international balance of power
Recently, an unprecedented Chinese attempt to acquire the major American energy firm Unocal was blocked by Congress amidst hysterical warnings of a Communist threat. But the political grandstanding missed a larger point: the takeover bid was a [...]