A decade after the Syrian Jasmine Revolution’s unsuccessful struggle against Assad, the same revolutionaries defeated him in a week. What made the difference? Previously, Russian and Iranian military support propped up the regime. Now, those old allies are preoccupied elsewhere, depleted of their forces, and unable to provide the blood transfusions that once kept the […]
I visited the UNIFIL II mission in Lebanon in the spring of 2007 and already then the Hezbollah militiamen were irresponsive on urgings about disarmament or moving north of the Litani River as directed by the UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).Beyond the rules of engagement (linked to Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter) […]
A year after the October 7 massacre, Israel is stronger than ever, and its enemies are weaker than ever. Yet, as the shadows of wars cloud half of the world, politics lags behind weapons—except for Putin. A year after the brutal October 7 pogrom, the political situation surrounding Israel, the victim of the attack, is […]
The “force of reason” and the “reason of force” have been central to the relationship between ideology/religion and political/military power in Europe and the Mediterranean—and later the world—for millennia. The combined strength of the Aristotelian argument and the Macedonian phalanx enabled not only the rapid conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC […]
The Pope’s decision to declare October 7th a day of fasting is a farsighted warning on a historical level. The fast shows the world public opinion of three important facts: The terrorist violence of Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the recent missile attacks by Iran against Israel have distanced the prospect of a Palestinian […]
The recent attacks against Hezbollah reveal a significant evolution in the operational methods of intelligence agencies in response to hybrid threats that challenge the traditional boundaries between public and private, national and international. For this reason, a radical reform of the organization of other intelligence services is also needed towards a more integrated and multidisciplinary […]
The Israeli land operation in Lebanon is opening up new perspectives on the war in Ukraine and tensions with China. If Iran pulls back, peace in Ukraine could also become easier. As its hostages are still held in Gaza with no quick solution in sight, Israel is preparing for a land operation in Lebanon against […]
