RUSI in the News 23 May - 27 May
Radio
BBC Radio 4 - Today
“It’s certainly important to start thinking ahead about what might happen, where might the fighters go who aren’t captured or killed? In order words they may go to Libya to try to set up shop there. They’re likely to go into Europe and try to cause trouble there to demonstrate they’re still powerful.”
Karin von Hippel for BBC Radio 4 - Today, May 25
BBC World Service
“Islamic State will need to lose Raqqa and Mosul around the same time because those are the two Headquarters in the region for the Caliphate.”
Karin von Hippel for BBC World Service, May 25
Op-Ed
Ennahda move may set a good regional example
Tunisians have accomplished something monumental in the past five years – a political space where very different political groups can feel safe under the rule of law, and under the shade of a constitution that was established by consensus. The entire Arab world needs a lot more of that.
H A Hellyer for The National, May 26
Two lessons the West needs to learn in the wake of the EgyptAir crash
Caution and care needs to be at the forefront of our considerations in fighting terrorism as well -- but we also must recognize that how we respond to the security threats is immensely important.
H A Hellyer for Market Watch, May 26
Also for Morning Star, May 26
EgyptAir Plane
BBC Breakfast
“There is a huge amount of mystery surrounding this, and we still have to keep an open mind. The reports of smoke are not giving the definitive evidence one way or another whether this was terrorist or mechanical.”
Margaret Gilmore for BBC News 24, May 21
Royal Navy in Libya
Royal Navy ship to patrol off the coast of Libya in battle against ISIS arms-smugglers in dramatic escalation of British role
“I think ultimately the ships will come up against small vessels, at worst manned by criminals or terrorists. It is possible you could see them in firefights.”
Raffaello Pantucci for The Daily Mail, May 27
Also for I0L, May 27
Also for This Is Money, May 27
Saudi Arabia-Iran
Saudi Arabia has a new plan to stop Iran's economic rise
The Saudis can’t do much to block Iran at the global level, he said, but they’re “applying pressure on Iran wherever they are able to do so, to limit its political and economic influence.”
Shashank Joshi for The Washington Post, May 26
Also for Proactive Investors, May 27
Syria
Concerns grow about abuses, war crimes in Syria
"People are fighting for territory and political control in a way that they weren't two years ago. The stakes are just much higher than they were.”
Michael Stephens for The Daily Hunt, May 25
Iraq
Trapped in Fallujah, thousands of civilians risk becoming collateral damage
“Ultimately the key will be to not have the Hashed go in and secure Fallujah but other units of the ISF that are more amenable to the local population there," said Michael Stephens, head of the Royal United Services Institute in Qatar.
Michael Stephens for The National, May 25
Georgia Defence and Security Conference
Georgia’s 10th Defence and Security Conference opens today
Organisations participating in the conference include the US Atlantic Council, British Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
RUSI Conference for Agenda, May 24
Nuclear
Plans to upgrade the US nuclear arsenal are fueling a new arms race
"All of the nuclear weapons states under the Non-Proliferation Treaty are in the process of modernizing their nuclear arsenals.”
Andrea Berger for The Nikkei Asian Review, May 26
North Korea
Korea Targets North’s Military Links in Africa
Iran and Uganda are among a small group of “resilient” customers of North Korea’s military goods and services, according to a recent study by Andrea Berger.
Andrea Berger for Intellasia, May 26
UK Special Forces
Special forces to protect the 2,200 mile Tour de France course
So how will officials keep the event safe? "It's very difficult, is the simple answer”, ”but what I would suggest is that they can focus on certain locations in particular.”
Raffaello Pantucci for KWWL, May 25
Sino-India
India watches anxiously as Chinese influence grows
“The Indian government is very careful about the way it handles the China rhetoric, and it isn’t ready to come out arms swinging against OBOR, but it is sitting with its arms folded making it very clear that it will not endorse the project if it doesn’t like the way it was put together as a Chinese fait accompli.”
Shashank Joshi for FT Chinese, May 24
Turkey
DS Centre for Policy Studies discusses future of Turkey-US relations in Istanbul
RUSI Conference in The Daily Sabah, May 23