Security

Saying Goodbye to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

It was probably not the way he imagined it would go down.  On August 28, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced he would step down due to health reasons. This came as a shock to many, considering it was just days after he broke the record for the longest uninterrupted tenure as the nation’s leader.  […]

The Thorn in Japan’s Side: Okinawa & The Relocation of the Futenma Base

On August 8th, the governor of Japan’s Okinawa prefecture passed away.[1] A polarizing figure, Governor Takeshi Onaga was well known for leading efforts to reduce U.S. military presence in Okinawa. Most notably, he opposed the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to Henoko in Nago City.[2] In July 2017, Onaga even […]

The Future of Net Neutrality

“After more than a decade of debate and a record-setting proceeding that attracted nearly 4 million public comments, the time to settle the net neutrality question has arrived.”  (1) Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, published an article on Wired.com announcing his proposed plans to settle the net neutrality debate. Net neutrality contends […]

Know Thy Enemy: Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century

“It’s the great irony of our Information Age – the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy.”[1] Referring to the 2010 hacking attacks on Google and several other companies in various industries, President Obama demonstrates the new type of threat that the world is […]

The Cost of Asylum: The Syrian Refugee’s Plight in Germany

Germany faces a uniquely delicate situation due to a recent influx of refugees. Since 2011, Syria has been immersed in a civil war that has rivaled any in recent years, with up to 200,000 people dead and at least 4.5 million internally displaced.[1] The crisis has forced millions from their homeland, which has created an […]

Setting Alight the Molotov Cocktail: The Kashmir Question

“It is an irony of history that by a combination of fortuitous circumstances a tiny nation of Kashmiris has been placed in a position of great importance, where it can be instrumental in making or marring the future of so many.” – Prem Nath Bazaz (1967) Hindustan’s partition into Pakistan and India precipitated problems and […]

US Policy in the Middle East

On Tuesday September 16, 2014, Professor Joel Migdal gave a guest lecture at Northeastern University about his new book Shifting Sands-The United States in the Middle East. His presentation focused on the four main ideas throughout the book: the United States’ global role post World War II, the transition of main powers in the Middle […]

Safety at a Price: The Effect of Israel’s Security Culture on Palestinians in the West Bank

From the 25-foot tall concrete barrier wall to the hundreds of military checkpoints, Israel employs a pervasive security culture in the West Bank. Since Israel’s controversial creation, it has faced numerous security risks, from terrorist attacks to foreign invasions, all of which potentially pose a threat to Israel’s sustained national security. These external risk factors […]