Regions - Washington Institute For Defence & Security

12 Feb 22

Washington Institute press statement on the Terrorist Attacks in UAE

The Washington Institute for Defence and Security strongly denounced the terrible terrorist attacks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and other locations in Saudi Arabia on Monday, 17 January. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes, which killed three people and wounded six more. We extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families […]

12 Feb 22

Ukraine has joined the Baltic states in asking the OSCE about Russian army movements

Ukraine initiated an inquiry through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Friday in an attempt to force Russia to explain its enormous army buildup along the border, after a similar move by the Baltic states against Belarus failed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on Twitter Friday that Kyiv has activated the […]

10 Feb 22

China’s role in the Western Balkans – Trojan horse for the European Union or new challenge for the Washington administration?

Where are the first Beijing’s steps? It all has started with Chinese infrastructure loans, presented in the Western Balkans as investments of the People’s Republic of China. Then they went a step further, investing in important plants in the Western Balkans, not only important for economic development, but also for the energy sustainability of countries, […]

10 Feb 22

Prison Break: What al-Sina’a means for the War against ISIS in Syria

On January 20th, the al-Sina’a prison camp in Hasakah, northeastern Syria, home to thousands of ISIS detainees, was rocked by explosions and gunfire. Immediately after, over 200 armed fighters began a large-scale assault on the camp while inmates staged a riot inside. Prisoners and attackers overwhelmed the guards and seized control of large portions of […]

03 Feb 22

In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, the US will send troops to Eastern Europe

The Pentagon announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden has formally approved the deployment of 3,000 US troops to Poland, Germany, and Romania, in an effort to bolster NATO countries in Eastern Europe in the face of tens of thousands of Russian troops amassed along Ukraine’s border. According to US officials, the deployments to Eastern Europe […]

22 Dec 21

What does President Putin want?

President Putin has made it clear that he wants immediate talks to secure clear legal agreements that Nato will not expand eastwards. He has further alleged that Russian-speaking people in Ukraine continue to face prejudices and are not safe. Moscow is looking to prevent Ukraine joining NATO or the EU, not in the near future, […]

20 Dec 21

UAE Foreign Policy Diversification

The United Arab Emirates ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters last week, deepening economic and political ties with France through an arms contract worth 17 billion euros ($19.20 billion). The arms sale came during a visit by President Emmanuel Macron to Dubai, according to a statement by the Elysee cited by state-run […]

15 Aug 21

Biden approves the deployment of 1,000 extra troops to Afghanistan

In a statement released on Saturday, President Joe Biden authorised an additional direct deployment of 1,000 troops to Afghanistan. Biden said he authorized the deployment “to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel and an orderly and safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops […]

11 Aug 21

A British man has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia

German authorities said on Wednesday that a British man who worked at the British embassy in Berlin was arrested on suspicion of transferring documents to the Russian intelligence service in exchange for money. The man, named only as David S., had his apartment and business searched, according to German authorities, and he will be taken […]

10 Aug 21

Russia deploys new weaponry in a joint drill with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

In military drills that ended on Tuesday roughly 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, soldiers from Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan employed new Russian weaponry, flamethrowers, and surface-to-air missile launchers. As Taliban terrorists overran parts of Afghanistan’s northern provinces directly next to Central Asia, Moscow and its Central Asian ex-Soviet allies launched two separate […]