Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17). It will, of course, be an important and solemn day for the families of the 38 Australians killed. For Australian …
There’s a degree of cynicism surrounding the government’s Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) for the future submarine project. That’s to be expected; the process was forced upon the government in the turmoil of an internal leadership …
This week kicks off with news that the UN GGE on Cybersecurity has produced a consensus document after their most recent meetings at the UN HQ in New York. In what’s a nice win for …
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) report Organised crime in Australia 2015 is derived from criminal intelligence, but it’s more useful to understand it as persuasive communication. In my recent post, I highlighted a similar report …
The ANZUS study released this week by SDSC in conjunction with CSIS (PDF) says a lot of interesting things about the US alliance, but it seems to evade the hard issue at the heart of …
In early June, Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia returned to Jakarta, five weeks after being recalled following the executions of Australian citizens Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. While the embassy and its work in Indonesia continued …
Sea State In a move that’s shocked the Asia–Pacific and rattled the US, Thailand’s military government has announced that it will purchase Chinese submarines. There are several likely reasons for this decision, which effectively moves …
At the launch of ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre in 2013 I fielded a question from the audience: ‘What will help advance and grow the nature of the discussion on cyber security within Australia?’ My …
The political and military environment in Afghanistan remains extremely challenging. While recent international attention has been drawn to the rise of the ‘Islamic State’ group in Iraq and Syria and by the Greek financial crisis, …
Last week, negotiators attempted a final push for a nuclear agreement with Iran. While points of disagreement remained, both sides haven’t walked away from the negotiations. But what happens once both sides agree to a …
On 15 December last year The Daily Telegraph produced a special lunchtime edition that featured the front-page headline: ‘Death Cult CBD Attack: IS takes 13 hostages in city cafe siege’. The edition generated complaints to …
At the ASPI land power conference a few weeks ago, the PM promised an enterprise-level naval shipbuilding plan based around a rolling-build program. This will bring joy to the hearts of the burghers of South …
China’s economy may be facing its 1929 moment. Or this may be only the painful burst of a big bubble. Will it become a cascading catastrophe or just a crashing correction? Pay your money and …
This week’s best reads, podcasts and videos starting in 3, 2 … Where did the idea for the Japanese submarine option (aka ‘Option J’) come from? Rex Patrick draws up a speculative history of the origins …
I read David Connery’s recent Strategist contribution, ‘Adding to the picture: The UK’s serious and organised crime threat assessment’, with much interest. David made some excellent points in relation to the post prosecution management of …
Developments in the South China Sea (SCS) have significant implications for India’s strategic interests and its role in the Indo-Pacific. Yet New Delhi has traditionally maintained a safe distance from direct commentary on issues like …
Getting China right is a key challenge for Australian foreign policy. It’s not easy to do given our tendency to scare ourselves witless with overblown assessments of Chinese power. Foreign observers who know China well …
The Beat Mafia influencing Australian business and politics: part 2 The ABC/Fairfax investigation into organised crime in Australia has hit the international news, with Italian prosecutor Nicola Gratteri warning that increased focus on terrorism allows …
ASPI’s recent report, Gen Y Jihadists: Preventing Radicalisation in Australia, recommends engaging schools in a practical discussion about Middle Eastern politics, terrorism and counter-radicalisation. This follows news that the federal government is considering a deradicalisation …
Trilateralism is on the rise across the Asia–Pacific as states seek safety in numbers, diversifying their relations in response to an increasingly uncertain regional security environment. On 8 June 2015, senior foreign affairs officials from Australia, …