Iran Poised for Another Raucous Election

by Farideh Farhi December 25 marked the last day of registration for the February 26 joint elections in Iran for the parliament and the Assembly of Experts. Like the deadline for the Assembly of Experts registration two days earlier, the… Continue Reading

New Saudi Budget: The Good, the Bad, and the Potentially Ugly

by Thomas W. Lippman It hardly came as a surprise that the Saudi Arabian government budget for the upcoming fiscal year, approved by the cabinet the weekend after Christmas, projects a yawning deficit. Economic analysts knew it was coming; the… Continue Reading

The Origin of the New Species of Drone Operator 

by David Isenberg Back in April I wrote about growing involvement of private contractors in unmanned aerial systems.  Only half tongue-in-cheek I wrote: Yes, it’s PDCs—strange visitors from planets SAIC, BAE, CACI and others in galaxy Androneda—who came to Earth… Continue Reading