Since taking office as Iraq’s president in October 2022, Mohammed Shia’ Sabbar Al-Sudani has made, or at least formally announced, a battle against corruption the centerpiece of his domestic agenda. Its progress has been, to put it mildly, underwhelming despite this long-overdue attempt to address the most difficult and crippling issue that is literally eating away at every aspect of society. An entrenched sectarian and tribal system of power sharing does not reduce systemic corruption. Iraq still struggles with inefficiency, bureaucracy, widespread kleptocracy, and a robust patronage system despite its massive oil resources. The embezzlement of public funds has more or less become a national sport, from the highly politicized civil service system to the crisis-hit electricity industry, which recently received a whopping $13.5 billion. Attempts to develop a public administration more reportable for the Iraqi people have been hampered by the entrenched corruption, which is supported by numerous factions interested in maintaining the status quo…

At the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, it was as if a breakthrough had been made in hastening Sweden’s entrance to the North Atlantic Alliance. As previously disclosed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on the eve and during the summit that Ankara would be willing to expedite the consideration of Sweden’s NATO membership and link its decision to a similar procedure for Turkey’s EU entrance. In other words, whether satisfied with Stockholm’s approach to toughening anti-terrorist legislation and treatment of Kurdish separatists who have taken refuge…

Pakistan’s economy has experienced a severe downturn in the past year due to a combination of factors. Bad governance, IMF loans, the political instability, the trade imbalance, the devastating floods of 2022 in Pakistan, and the Russia-Ukraine crisis are some of the pivotal factors that have worsened inflation and unemployment in the country. Many industries have scaled down or terminated operations in the country, causing widespread unemployment. Inflation is projected to reach 33% by the end of the current fiscal year. Currently Pakistan imports far more…

On June 29, the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted the 13th Annual International South China Sea Conference in Washington, DC. The seminar was attended by politicians, representatives of the US Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defense, as well as experts and scientists from India, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines, who were ready to express their states’ positive and constructive position on their readiness to resolve disputes in the South China Sea by peaceful means, contributing to thereby maintaining peace and stability in the region…

For Washington, what it needs for its China policy to work is a unified stance, both domestically and internationally. For the past few years, Washington has been trying to achieve this very objective, but it continues to prove more and more difficult than it might have initially believed. In Europe, there is a clear sense that the continent’s interests will not be best served if it pisses China off. This thinking has led many in Europe to say “no” to the US policy of “decoupling” from China. But what about the US itself?…

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun- Erdene visited the United States on the invitation of US Vice President Kamala Harris from August 2–6, 2023. The Mongolian Prime Minister met with numerous members of the American political establishment during his tour, in addition to the leaders of numerous significant businesses and technology giants. In particular, aside from the Vice President of the United States Oyun-Erdene met with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Defense, NASA leadership, and officials from firms…

The use of the word “mosaic” in the comprehensive description of Sino-European interactions precludes an illustrative and simplistic (“explained via hand gestures”) interpretation. The phrase “remains complex” indicates that there is no current effort toward “simplification” of this statement. All of the aforementioned factors, which frequently contradict one another, remain in Europeans’ dealings with the Second World Power. These factors were validated in a number of subsequent events, which it makes…

Regarding Biden’s apparent slide into dementia, I have a real concern that it is quite deliberate, and I am alone in what have suspected for a long time. As, if it was for real, his acute signs of mental decline, would result in that his party would be most concerned, even to a greater degree than the opposition. Mental and physical health is paramount to anyone being able to serve those who elected them to public office. If true that Biden is not up for the job, The DNC (Democratic National Committee) would be looking for…

The Western nations are currently concentrating their efforts on preserving their dwindling supremacy by primarily retaliating against the actions of their biggest rivals, Russia and China. At the same time, they are eager to push for a new model of world order in which they could be in control. The idea of population control and the establishment of a “world government” are strongly promoted by them in this regard. The world’s demographics are changing: Europe is shrinking, China is shrinking, and India, a much younger country, is overtaking them as the world’s most populous power…

Due to the West’s disregard for Russian interests, Moscow withdrew from the Istanbul agreements; however, the issue of the grain deal is still up for discussion with Turkey and its NATO allies. Prior to President Erdoğan’s travels to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, he voiced hope for Russia’s return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative and indicated an impending meeting or telephone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the matter in general. In any case, Turkey has made it clear that it is aware of Russia’s position and is unhappy with the way the Western allies are handling the UN agreements…

Throughout history, there have been a few indelible transitions of militant groups to politics –this phenomenon can be labeled “politicization.” It is surprising to discern that most militant or insurgent groups do not end because of policing or military action. According to an examination of 648 terrorist organizations that existed between 1968-2006, the primary avenue for a terror group’s demise was found to be via the political process – this was true 43% of the time. Joining the political process is one of the seven key elements identified in the decline and ending of terrorist outfits…

In the run-up to the 15th BRICS summit in South Africa, the Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, told a gathering of BRICS naval brass of his country’s excitement over the current reshaping of the geopolitical landscape. Visiting Russia’s annual Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg, Admiral Lobese joined heads of state from the Republic of Congo, Mali, Eritrea, and Burkina Faso, who had just attended the Russia-Africa Summit last month. The parade, attended by 33 ships, four submarines, eight sailing vessels, and over 3,000 military personnel…