The world US President Donald Trump has lifted sanctions on Turkey following a promise that it would cease fighting in northern Syria. Vox argues that Trump’s stance on Syria is the clearest articulation of his …
The Australian government loves to hate on big tech. In recent years, successive governments have admonished the industry for its alleged role in hiding the communications of terrorists, its resistance to assisting police, its lacklustre …
The impeachment process instigated by the US House of Representatives has the potential to produce significant international consequences. As the administration’s attentions and energies are absorbed by the process, there’s a real danger that the …
The Chinese Communist Party leadership is using the decisions made by the premier of Victoria to engineer a split between the federal government and the states and territories on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt …
Our two grumpy defence strategists, Michael Shoebridge and Marcus Hellyer, discuss the US withdrawal from Syria, debate Vladimir Putin’s role, and grapple with the complex issue of returning Australian foreign fighters. Continuing our coverage of …
Building on its long history as a forward operating base, Darwin is ready to support our future submarine operations. Though it’s commonly seen as unsuitable as a home port for submarines, that doesn’t disqualify Darwin …
The beat Police use of tasers scrutinised in Western Australia The ABC investigated the use of tasers by police in Western Australia using data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The investigation was prompted …
One of Asia’s oldest democracies may be in jeopardy. Sri Lanka’s presidential election next month is expected to bring to power another member of the Rajapaksa family, whose affinity for authoritarianism, violence and corruption is …
ASPI releases today the second issue of its Strategist Selections series, pulling together a collection of 36 of my Strategist posts on nuclear strategy. I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of Kim Beazley, whose …
The Australian government could soon outline a package of measures to support the ‘critical minerals’ industry that may include assistance with base project funding. Department of Industry, Innovation and Science chief Heather Smith told a …
While relations with Timor-Leste remain strained over Australia’s 2004 bugging of its cabinet office, the young nation, on half an island just 720 kilometres from Darwin, has asked China to help train its navy. The request …
Recent events in Syria have naturally raised two questions: Who lost the country? And where might the international community go from here? The first one is easier to answer. Looking back, Syria has probably been …
When you consider the complexity of the Moro Islamic insurgency in the southern Philippines and the diverse motivations of the groups involved, it’s all too easy to be pessimistic about the prospects for a peaceful …
Media coverage and public discussion of alleged breaches of the laws of war by Australian special forces is heavily focused on individual personalities. Little attention has been paid to longstanding collective, structural and cultural drivers, …
Sea state The Japanese government says it won’t join the US-led coalition in the Strait of Hormuz, though it will send its own forces to the area. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japan plans …
US President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw American troops from almost all of Syria, clearing the way for a Turkish offensive against the Kurds, is an unconscionable betrayal of a strategic ally. One would …
In a 1974 article in Aeroplane Monthly, a former Royal Air Force maritime patrol pilot wrote this about his experience flying in World War II: During a period of 1,200 operational hours flown over a …
In previous pieces in this series I discussed the range limitations that are inherent in the design of tactical fighter aircraft. This includes the F-35A currently being acquired by Australia to constitute the core of …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s successful US visit should not be regarded as a ‘set and forget’ box-ticking exercise. Rather, it should be viewed as a sound basis for the government to pursue Australia’s national interests …
The Chinese folk saying ‘lift a rock only to drop it on one’s own feet’, or its English equivalent, ‘to shoot oneself in the foot’, perfectly describes the self-defeating inclinations of dictatorship. And nothing exemplifies …