The core belief system of Australia’s approach to international affairs for 75 years is the cause that can barely speak its own name. Whisper it softly: ‘liberal internationalism’, an aspiration big enough to encompass democracy …
The war in Vietnam is widely perceived to have been the first television war, fought not only on the battlefield but also in the living rooms of America (and Australia). If that thesis is correct, …
The world The decades-old Iranian–Saudi rivalry ramped up this week after Saudi Arabia accused Iran of supplying arms to the conflict in Yemen and using Hezbollah to exert political influence in Lebanon. The Lebanese prime …
The 31st ASEAN Summit and its related meetings, including the East Asia Summit, start today and will run through 14 November. Lost in the hoopla over Trump’s attendance and the ongoing tension in the Korean …
In 2008, when the United States’ National Intelligence Council (NIC) published its volume Global Trends 2025, a key prediction was tighter energy competition. Chinese demand was growing, and non-OPEC sources like the North Sea were …
In the first week of his marathon Asia tour, Donald Trump has made state visits to Japan, South Korea and China. Knowing that he can be easily swayed by over-the-top hospitality, China has even billed …
Earlier this week I finished drafting a paper on the Korean peninsula crisis for a talk in Japan next week. I concluded, somewhat glumly, that the prospect of a deal between the US and the …
The beat Meth and cocaine plot foiled Cooperation between NSW State Crime Command, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexico’s federal police has thwarted a plot to import drugs into …
US President Donald Trump is spending nearly two weeks in Asia, visiting Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Putting China at the center of the trip makes sense, because it constitutes the most …
The deaths of US servicemen in Niger and the UN Security Council’s consideration of the regional G5 force have given prominence to the Sahel states—Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. Solutions to their deep …
Mike Clifford’s passing last week was horribly premature for a man with so much enthusiasm to do good things and with a love of bringing people together to learn and solve common problems. Losing his …
A UK blog, the Thin Pinstriped Line, has produced a piece about the Royal Marines titled ‘The Corps huh, What is it good for?’ Given Australia’s considerable investment in amphibious capability, a discussion about the …
With the recent fall of Raqqa, Dair ez-Zor and now al-Qaim, the military defeat of Islamic State (IS) is at hand. For strategists, it is thus timely to question whether the three years of war …
Over the last few weeks, media around the world have been saturated with stories about how technology is destroying politics. In autocracies like China, the fear is of ultra-empowered Big Brother states, like that in …
A year after his election, US President Donald Trump is making his first official visit to Asia. The 12-day tour of five countries—Trump’s longest foreign trip so far—will, according to official briefings, focus on easing …
A century ago today, Lenin’s Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace to replace the social-liberal interim government of Russia that was established after the February Revolution. The coup was dubbed the October Revolution because it took …
Sea state The Australian government has brought forward the decision on upgrading the RAN’s anti-ship missile defences due to regional volatility. The RAN will upgrade the Nulka active missile decoy system on the Anzac-class frigates …
Donald Trump sows a great deal of uncertainty, but there’s every indication that he’ll see less of the Australian prime minister than did his two immediate predecessors, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Consider …
Welcome to The Strategist Six, a feature that provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. As both an international affairs specialist …
US President Donald Trump is arriving in Asia at a moment when the region’s security situation is practically white-hot. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, recognising that the world’s ‘center of gravity is shifting to …