After the 13 November terrorist attacks in Paris that left 130 dead, I wrote a commentary entitled ‘We Are At War’— and faced considerable criticism from readers, Europeans and non-Europeans alike. How dare I use …
While watching the new Batman v Superman movie, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the plot and current dynamics between the US, China and North Korea. No really, hear me out. The gist of …
Washington in 2010—one year into the Obama administration, still mired in the fallout of the global financial crisis and troubled by Afghanistan and Iraq—didn’t provide fallow ground for new commitments in the Asia–Pacific. A new …
In a joint statement on 4 August 2015, Tony Abbott and Kevin Andrews (then respectively Prime Minister and Defence Minister) committed to a continuous build of warships in Australia, stating: ‘It’s the first time that …
Indonesian president Joko Widodo’s strategy for reinforcing state sovereignty and strengthening maritime integrity is being tested with the latest incursion by Chinese fishing boats into Indonesian waters off the Natuna islands. Indonesian Minister for Fisheries …
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) continues to dominate headlines this week, as the Apple v FBI case ends, a Chinese national admits to stealing US military secrets and seven Iranian hackers are indicted. As …
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has long been envisioned as a foundation stone for stability, security, and increased prosperity in Asia. But with uncertainty plaguing the political systems of Burma, Malaysia, and Thailand, ASEAN …
The importance of the ‘rules-based global order’ as a defence priority appears as frequently in the 2016 defence white paper as ‘self-reliance’ did in the 1987 DWP. It’s the leitmotif of the publication. Multiple challenges from state …
The US presence in the Indo–Asia–Pacific is transforming, and Australia has a major interest in how it unfolds. That transformation is driven in large part by China’s rise, and has several important features. First, US …
Sea State Tensions in the South China Sea continue to escalate, with around 100 Chinese ships detected in Malaysian waters near the Luconia Shoals on 24 March. In response, Malaysia sent its Maritime Enforcement Agency …
Continued Chinese maritime ‘gray zone’ aggression in the South China Sea (as well as further afield) requires that Australia make strategic choices now to avoid being militarily dominated or economically marginalised by Beijing in the …
Southeast Asia is feeling the pressure from Asia’s big beasts. ASEAN, as a middle-power grouping, might be glad of a bit of extra middle-power heft from the likes of Australia and New Zealand. The strategic …
Team Strategist will be enjoying a four day break over the Easter long weekend and will be back on Tuesday with our usual considered debate and analysis. Until then, we’d recommend Tom Hanson’s take on why the …
This week marked an exciting and debate-worthy turning point in the relationship between the United States and Cuba, as Barack Obama became the first US president to visit the island nationsince Calvin Coolidge did so …
This week’s terrorist attacks in Belgium—claimed by the Islamic State show the terrible consequences of intelligence failures, and the tremendous challenges that face European countries as they attempt to protect public safety and social cohesion …
The Beat Documentary: gangster turned lawyer defending criminals in Spain Vice has released a 45 minute documentary looking at one of Britain’s most notorious reformed criminals, Jason Coghlan, who was jailed in 1999 for armed …
‘In 30 years of practice I don’t think I’ve seen a legal brief that was more intended to smear the other side with false accusations and innuendo, and less intended to focus on the real …
In my previous post, I recommended Australia develop a networked Theatre ASW (TASW) capability—including building its own Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS)—as an essential capability in the face of likely Chinese PLA-N operations in our …
In offering his condolences and support to Belgium in the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks in Brussels, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has assured Australians that we’re in a much stronger position than our European …
Barack Obama’s visit to Cuba is the first by a US president since Calvin Coolidge went in 1928. American investors, expat Cubans, tourists, scholars, and scam artists will follow in Obama’s wake. Normalization of the …