Russia Leads the Way to a PMC Future

by David Isenberg Something almost unprecedented has been happening in the world of private military contracting (PMC) over the past several months: the reemergence of an actual private military company. This company is putting the military back in the PMC.… Continue Reading

Turkey’s Plan to Expand Its Periphery

by Robert Olson On March 29, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu caused quite a stir during a visit to Jordan where he stated, “Turkey’s security zone starts from Latakia and passes through Aleppo, Mosul and Sulaimani (Sulaymaniya).” This confirmed that Turkey intends to expand its regional geopolitical and… Continue Reading

Nagorno-Karabakh: Chance for EU-Iran Engagement

by Eldar Mamedov What was feared for a long time happened on April 2. Severe clashes erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a disputed, Armenian-majority area legally part of Azerbaijan. The clashes, which claimed the lives of… Continue Reading

Rehabilitating Yemen

by James Spencer After two false-starts, and sub-rosa talks between the Saudis and the Houthis, the UN-led peace process in Yemen may be back on track. When a peace is finally made—currently still in the balance, since both sides seem to believe that they can still… Continue Reading