North Korea’s launch of a Hwasong-12 IRBM over Japan on 28 August, a second launch on 15 September (once again overflying Japan), and its test of what is either a boosted fission weapon or an …
Myanmar is in crisis. The Rohingya—a Muslim ethnic minority group in a predominantly Buddhist country—are under attack by the military, with many fleeing for their lives. This escalating conflict is threatening to undermine Myanmar’s ongoing …
The divisions in the EU are likely to be exacerbated by the outcome of the Austrian election in October. The probable result will add to current tensions over illegal immigrants and provide more encouragement to …
Australia is to have an Intelligence Czar. For the politicians, the Czar is the answer to the single phone call question: the Czar will be charged with giving the answers—and will be answerable. The …
I was privileged to be in the audience last month for an address by former Prime Minister Paul Keating. I have long been an admirer of Mr Keating for his vision and courage while in office, …
Welcome back to our weekly digest of current affairs. To get the difficult bit out of the way first, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation has published a diagram showing the seismic signals of the six …
I’d like to thank Rolando Ochoa for his response to, and overarching support for, my recent research report on Mexican organised crime (MOC) in Australia and the ASEAN region. Before responding to Ochoa’s specific comments, …
In August, a Jakarta court jailed 28-year-old Dian Yulia Novi for seven-and-a-half years for plotting to carry out a suicide attack outside the Presidential Palace during the changing of the guard, an event that is …
The recent Commonwealth Bank money-laundering and terrorism-financing scandal provides a couple of important lessons. It highlights the vital role that the private sector plays in fighting crime and terrorism and protecting national security, and it …
Earlier today, the Australian peacekeeping memorial on ANZAC parade in Canberra was formally dedicated by the Governor-General, in a ceremony commemorating 70 years of Australian engagement in peacekeeping. The memorial is long overdue: Australian military, …
The beat Guns versus Irma Hurricane safeguarding seems to have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous in Florida. After a Facebook event titled ‘Shoot at Hurricane Irma’ caught the attraction of thousands, the Pasco …
Military men and women love their sports metaphors (no matter their nationality, from my experience); invariably, whatever the mission, goal or enemy, it can be described by sport. So, in that vein, let’s continue our …
The ADF’s SEA 5000 ‘Future Frigate’ program faces two important but distinct challenges. The first concerns capability: the plan is to build a new class of warships to replace the Anzac class from the mid-2020s, …
RAAF chief Leo Davies recalls sitting in a classroom learning to fly the F111 bomber. ‘You had to learn every nut, every bolt, every system, every emergency checklist, every pressure’, Air Marshal Davies tells The …
John Coyne’s recent ASPI report, Santa Muerte, are the Mexican cartels really coming?, is a welcome and timely addition to what is a growing area of interest for Australia’s security. Its main thrust is that …
I can’t let John Blaxland’s recent Strategist piece ‘Pine Gap at 50’ (and his comments on the recent Background Briefing program) go without comment. Although I’ve written widely on Pine Gap—mainly in partnership with Desmond …
It looks increasingly likely that President Trump will not certify to the US Congress that Iran has met its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action when it comes time to do so in …
Sea state British shipbuilder BAE systems announced that, if it’s successful in its Sea 5000 bid, it will provide work for more than 1,000 apprentices and graduates in South Australia. The Early Careers Program is …
Last month in The Strategist, Mark Gilchrist put down a wager that computers will ‘be unable to provide any greater certainty than a team of well-trained and experienced analysts who understand the true difficulty of …
During a speech at the National Press Club in August, the political leader of the Tibetan diaspora, Lobsang Sangay, speculated that China may use the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to seize territory in the …