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# Tactics Institute for Security and Counter-Terrorism

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## Posts
- [Tactics Institute Urges Immediate Action to Combat Disinformation Threatening African Stability](https://tacticsinstitute.com/press-releases/tactics-institute-urges-immediate-action-to-combat-disinformation-threatening-african-stability/): As the impact of disinformation on African societies escalates, Tactics Institute calls for urgent measures to counter the alarming threat posed by digital campaigns to regional stability, security, and freedom. A recent report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) has revealed a disturbing surge in disinformation campaigns across the continent, with Russia emerging as the primary source of misinformation. Tactics Institute urges immediate action to combat disinformation and safeguard regional stability and peace in Africa.
- [Pentagon Polygraphs Dozens of Top US Military Officials Over Media Leaks](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/pentagon-polygraphs-dozens-of-top-us-military-officials-over-media-leaks/): In an extraordinary escalation of the Trump administration’s crackdown on unauthorized disclosures, US government investigators subjected roughly 50 members of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests in August 2026, seeking to identify who leaked classified details about dwindling US weapons stockpiles to the news media. 
- [Pentagon Shuts Off Mobile Ad IDs Amid Middle East Troop-Tracking Fears](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/pentagon-shuts-off-mobile-ad-ids-amid-middle-east-troop-tracking-fears/): The U.S. military’s decision to disable mobile advertising identifiers on government-issued devices marks a critical inflection point in modern force protection, revealing how commercial data markets have become an unexpected front line in the Middle East conflict. This move, confirmed across multiple service branches in early September 2026, underscores a stark reality: adversaries no longer need sophisticated cyber operations to track American troops when location data is readily available for purchase.
- [ISIS suspect killed in Istanbul: Sultanbeyli operation foils attack plot](https://tacticsinstitute.com/eurasia/isis-suspect-killed-in-istanbul-sultanbeyli-operation-foils-attack-plot/): Turkish security forces killed a 21‑year‑old ISIS‑linked suspect during a counterterrorism operation in Istanbul’s Sultanbeyli district after he opened fire on police; one civilian was injured in the exchange. The incident, described by authorities as the foiling of an attack plot, has quickly become a focal point for assessing how Türkiye’s counterterrorism apparatus is adapting to a threat environment that, while diminished from its 2015–2017 peak, remains operationally active in urban centers.
- [USS Abraham Lincoln Rust Stirs Debate Over America’s Strained Carrier Force](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/uss-abraham-lincoln-rust-stirs-debate-over-americas-strained-carrier-force/): After completing what could be called one of the most difficult deployments of a modern American aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln is now in Thailand; however, it was not the operational performance of the ship which grabbed the world’s attention but its state. Photos have shown significant rust stains, damaged paint and some marine growth on different parts of the 1,100-foot-long nuclear Nimitz-class carrier. 
- [Norway Seizes Russian Ship to Enforce $4.2 Billion Naftogaz Claim](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/norway-seizes-russian-ship-to-enforce-4-2-billion-naftogaz-claim/): Norwegian authorities have detained the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov in the Arctic port of Barentsburg, Svalbard, as part of Ukraine’s effort to enforce a multibillion-dollar compensation award against Russia. The operation was launched at the request of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz, which is seeking payment for assets it says Russia unlawfully seized after occupying and annexing Crimea in 2014.
- [Black Sea Shipping Under Drone Attacks: Makeshift Defences Signal a New Maritime Reality](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/black-sea-shipping-under-drone-attacks-makeshift-defences-signal-a-new-maritime-reality/): The Black Sea has become one of the world’s most dangerous commercial waterways, where tankers and cargo ships now cross the Bosphorus draped in tyres, water tanks and netting in a desperate bid to survive an escalating campaign of drone attacks. What began as sporadic strikes on military and energy targets has evolved into a sustained assault on civilian shipping and port infrastructure, forcing merchants, insurers and seafarers to adapt with low-cost, improvised countermeasures that would have seemed outlandish in peacetime. The image of a burning, abandoned Russian cargo ship drifting to a Turkish beach is no longer an anomaly but a symbol of a conflict that has redrawn the risk map for global trade.
- [Germany’s LORA Test: A New Chapter in European Long‑Range Strike](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/germanys-lora-test-a-new-chapter-in-european-long-range-strike/): In the freezing seas between Ireland and Iceland, the German frigate unleashed a missile that Europe has argued about for decades but never used in war: a ballistic missile. Early on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, 1–2 September 2026, the German Navy conducted a successful test launch of the Israeli missile LORA (Long Range Attack) in the North Atlantic, describing it as a historically significant milestone in the development of a new approach to defense. Conducted in great secrecy, this missile test is anything but silent. A missile system that can fly more than 500 km (about 310 miles), the naval LORA will provide Germany with a precise standoff capability that is currently lacking.
- [USS Abraham Lincoln’s Pattaya Stop: R&R, Record Strain, and a City’s Calculated Gamble](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/uss-abraham-lincolns-pattaya-stop-rr-record-strain-and-a-citys-calculated-gamble/): While the docking of the USS Abraham Lincoln in eastern Thailand is portrayed by the authorities as a routine port visit, the circumstances under which the vessel and its flotilla have been deployed give added layers to the story. Following many months at sea and a combat tour in the Middle East, the nuclear aircraft carrier and two support ships are to dock at the Laem Chabang Port from 2-6 September 2026 with about 5,000 American sailors and Marines coming to the Pattaya area to take some rest and relaxation. While the Thai government and business people perceive an opportunity to boost the revenue in a dull year of tourism, police and social activists are preparing for a potential fallout for the reputation of Pattaya due to a massive influx of foreigners into the sex tourism destination.
- [Niger Mutiny 2026: Inside the 24-Hour Revolt and Russian Intervention](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/niger-mutiny-2026-inside-the-24-hour-revolt-and-russian-intervention/): For roughly 24 hours in late August 2026, Niger’s capital, Niamey, became the epicenter of the most serious internal challenge yet to the military junta that seized power in July 2023. What began as a localized rebellion by aggrieved soldiers at a key air base near the international airport quickly escalated into a multi-front assault on sensitive government sites, including areas around the presidential palace and the state broadcaster. 
- [CIA-Backed In-Q-Tel Helped German Drone Firm Quantum Systems Break Into US Market](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/cia-backed-in-q-tel-helped-german-drone-firm-quantum-systems-break-into-us-market/): German drone maker Quantum Systems secured an early foothold in the United States with decisive help from In-Q-Tel (IQT), a venture capital firm established and backed by U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA. The case, reported as an exclusive by Reuters on August 31, 2026, underscores how U.S. capital and intelligence-linked networks continue to shape Europe’s defence technology landscape even as Berlin and Brussels push for greater strategic autonomy.
- [US Revises China Hack Claims: What the Correction Reveals About the QTFY Campaign](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/us-revises-china-hack-claims-what-the-correction-reveals-about-the-qtfy-campaign/): There has been a quiet change in the US public story of the major Chinese cyber espionage operation in which, at first, the story went that a number of top government agencies had been “hacked”, while now the story is that these were “targeted” agencies with only some being successful in breaching their defenses. The change does not make any difference to the main accusation, that a Chinese group has been operating a sustained intrusion operation against the US government and critical infrastructure for years on end, but it draws a finer distinction between attempts and successes.
- [Russia claims it has captured three villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Sumy regions](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/russia-claims-it-has-captured-three-villages-in-ukraines-donetsk-and-sumy-regions/): The declaration made by Russia’s Defense Ministry on 29 August 2026 announcing that their troops have taken control of three more towns in Ukraine follows a familiar trend seen during the third year of conflict; however, it happens at a time when every inch of territory in Donetsk and every weak link in the Sumy border becomes extremely significant symbolically and operationally. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the troops seized control of Khrapivshchyna in Sumy Oblast, as well as two other towns – Novoandriivka and Rubizhne – in the Donetsk region, presenting their advances as being due to the “decisive” offensive actions of its “North” and “Center” groups of forces. Western news agencies such as Reuters pointed out immediately that they couldn’t confirm independently the above claims. 
- [US Military Laser Strike on Cartel Drones Marks New Border Era](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/us-military-laser-strike-on-cartel-drones-marks-new-border-era/): The U.S. military’s use of a high-energy laser to destroy three Mexican cartel drones near the southern border is more than a tactical counter-drone success; it is a signal that Washington is willing to deploy directed-energy weapons operationally against non-state actors in a domestic security context. Coming after years of experimentation, legal debates, and limited field tests, this incident crystallizes a shift from “counter-drone trials” to “counter-drone operations” along one of the world’s most scrutinized frontiers.
- [US, South Korea, Japan to Hold North Korea-focused Nuclear Missile Drill](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/us-south-korea-japan-to-hold-north-korea-focused-nuclear-missile-drill/): The United States, South Korea, and Japan are set to conduct a high-profile, North Korea–focused nuclear missile–defense exercise in early September, underscoring a deepening trilateral security architecture even as Pyongyang escalates its missile campaign and dismisses recent U.S. gestures of restraint. The drills, part of the annual Freedom Edge exercise, will unfold in international waters near Jeju Island from September 7–11, 2026, and are framed by Seoul and its allies as a defensive response to the North’s advancing nuclear and ballistic-missile capabilities.
- [USS Theodore Roosevelt heads to Middle East as Trump bets sanctions will win Iran war](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/uss-theodore-roosevelt-heads-to-middle-east-as-trump-bets-sanctions-will-win-iran-war/): The US is about to launch yet another nuclear-powered carrier in the Middle East region despite the fact that President Donald Trump keeps saying that the economic muscle of the country, not just its military capability, will finally determine the fate of this months-old confrontation with Iran. This happens against the backdrop of the imminent departure from San Diego of the USS Theodore Roosevelt to operate in the region for a period of no less than seven months, thus replacing the USS George Washington.
- [North Korea Vows Immediate Retaliation After US Clears $125M Missile Sale to South Korea](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/north-korea-vows-immediate-retaliation-after-us-clears-125m-missile-sale-to-south-korea/): Pyongyang has sharply escalated its rhetoric after Washington greenlit a new arms transfer, framing it as proof of enduring U.S. hostility and pledging a “serious, immediate and powerful response.”
- [China’s South China Sea Build-Up: New Installations on Yagong and Antelope Reef ](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/chinas-south-china-sea-build-up-new-installations-on-yagong-and-antelope-reef/): In the disputed South China Sea, there is a new and fast developing construction campaign taking place by China that is focused on the Paracel archipelago. The new construction effort includes not only an artificial island on Antelope Reef but also several strategically important installations on neighboring Yagong Islet. What makes this construction effort particularly significant is the fact that it is following years of quiescence on the Paracels. The new development appears to be aimed at increasing military and coercive pressure in a highly disputed maritime passageway. Given its speed, scale, and design, it seems that China does not limit itself to improvements of existing facilities but tries to build a system of air, naval, and surveillance assets which might complicate scenarios for Taiwan and the wider Indo-Pacific.
- [UK Drone Factories May Face Attacks, Kremlin Adviser Warns](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/uk-drone-factories-may-face-attacks-kremlin-adviser-warns/): British drone factories could face a “semi-military” response from “unknown sources,” a Kremlin adviser has warned, in the latest escalation between Moscow and London over Britain’s military support for Ukraine.
- [US Army Apache Crashes Rise Amid Transmission Safety Concerns](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/us-army-apache-crashes-rise-amid-transmission-safety-concerns/): The U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache attack-helicopter fleet is facing an unprecedented safety challenge, with accident rates rising sharply as the service investigates a potentially serious transmission problem affecting some aircraft.
- [Burnham Pledges UK Missile Blueprints During First Ukraine Visit](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/burnham-pledges-uk-missile-blueprints-during-first-ukraine-visit/): Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Monday for his first overseas visit as British prime minister, carrying a political and industrial pledge designed to reshape Britain’s military support for Ukraine. The central announcement is that London will allow European missile manufacturer MBDA to release classified information on British-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile, enabling France and Ukraine to move towards local assembly of the weapon.
- [Iran Permits Iraqi Oil Tankers Through Hormuz in Targeted Diplomatic Move](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/iran-permits-iraqi-oil-tankers-through-hormuz-in-targeted-diplomatic-move/): In the high-stakes arena of Middle Eastern energy geopolitics, even a narrow exception can signal a major shift. On Saturday, August 22, 2026, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran had
- [From Shells to Skies: North Korea Adds Drone Unit to Russia’s War Effort](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/from-shells-to-skies-north-korea-adds-drone-unit-to-russias-war-effort/): A new stage in the conflict in Ukraine is unfolding after reports that North Korean drone operators are already on Russian territory, and this means that North Korea is no longer a mere ammunition provider and infantry force provider but has become actively involved in the Russian aerial offensive. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine says a new batch of North Koreans consists of 400 drone operators and 1,000 engineers and deminers in addition to the 8,500 soldiers already in Russia, most of them based in the Kursk region, according to Kyiv's assessment. In this context, it is important to note that both capitals emphasize the strength of the relationship between them in public. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told his North Korean counterpart that both countries are striving to build a "new and righteous world order."
- [Australia Charges Dual Citizen Over Alleged Ukraine Intel Transfer to Russia](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/australia-charges-dual-citizen-over-alleged-ukraine-intel-transfer-to-russia/): Australia has charged a 27-year-old dual Russian-Australian citizen with attempting to engage in intentional foreign interference after allegedly seeking to provide information about Ukrainian military personnel, units, locations and operations to people he believed were connected to Russian intelligence.
- [North Korea missile test fires despite US move to trim South Korea drills, “changes nothing”](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/north-korea-missile-test-fires-despite-us-move-to-trim-south-korea-drills-changes-nothing/): North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Thursday, August 20, 2026, hours after Seoul and Washington confirmed they would cut short their annual joint military drills—yet Pyongyang dismissed the U.S. move as changing nothing about what it calls the exercises’ “provocative, aggressive nature.” 
- [Israel Warns Turkey Against Dangerous Adventures in Syria After Abu al-Duhur Strike](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/israel-warns-turkey-against-dangerous-adventures-in-syria-after-abu-al-duhur-strike/): Israel’s recent airstrike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase has ignited a sharp diplomatic and security crisis between Jerusalem, Ankara, and Damascus, exposing how fragile the regional balance remains even as new alliances form. At the heart of the episode is a stark Israeli warning against what it calls “dangerous adventures” by Turkey in Syria, paired with Damascus’s firm denial that any Turkish military buildup was planned. The incident underscores how competing security doctrines, historical mistrust, and great‑power politics continue to collide in the Levant.
- [U.S.–South Korea Drills Cut Short: What Trump’s Surprise Order Means for Alliance](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/u-s-south-korea-drills-cut-short-what-trumps-surprise-order-means-for-alliance/): The annual joint Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea were supposed to serve as one of the key pillars of deterrence in Korea, an 11-day exhibition of readiness concluding on August 27, 2026. However, the exercises became the first real test of the new Trump administration’s alliance management strategy in Asia. Just before the start of the joint exercise, President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" the joint exercises due to cost considerations, "my very good relationship with gentleman of Korea," and South Korea's refusal to join the effort against Iran. 
- [Israel Abu al‑Duhur Airstrike: Escalation, Diplomacy, and Syria’s Fragile Order](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/israel-abu-al-duhur-airstrike-escalation-diplomacy-and-syrias-fragile-order/): In the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, 2026, eight Israeli airstrikes pounded the Abu al‑Duhur Military Airbase in Syria’s Idlib province, a target that sits at the intersection of battlefield geography and high‑stakes diplomacy. Syrian state media said the strikes damaged runways and storage facilities but caused no casualties, a detail that underscores the precision of the operation and the political messaging embedded within it. 
- [Russia Threatens UK Over British Drones Used in Strikes](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/russia-threatens-uk-over-british-drones-used-in-strikes/): Russia has warned Britain that it will face “consequences” after reports that Ukrainian forces used drones manufactured by British companies to attack military and industrial targets deep inside mainland Russia. The warning has intensified an already dangerous confrontation between Moscow and London, while highlighting the growing reach of Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign and the increasingly direct role of Western-made weapons in the war.
- [Iranian Drones Target Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister: Escalation in Erbil](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/iranian-drones-target-iraqi-kurdistan-prime-minister-escalation-in-erbil/): The early‑morning drone strikes that hit Erbil on 17 August 2026 were not just another entry in a long ledger of cross‑border attacks. They were a signal. By directing explosive‑laden UAVs at the private office of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and the residence of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency (Parastin), the attackers moved beyond the usual pattern of hitting opposition camps or peripheral military sites. This was a direct challenge to the political and security nerve center of the Kurdistan Region, and it underscores how the wider regional war is increasingly being projected onto Iraq’s semi‑autonomous north.
- [US military expands Latin America campaign after deadly boat strikes](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/us-military-expands-latin-america-campaign-after-deadly-boat-strikes/): The United States is preparing to take its controversial anti-drug campaign in Latin America from the sea to the land, expanding a military operation that has already killed at least 221 people aboard suspected drug-trafficking boats.
- [Trump’s Hormuz Territory Claim Exposes a Dangerous U.S.–Iran Power Struggle](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/trumps-hormuz-territory-claim-exposes-a-dangerous-u-s-iran-power-struggle/): President Donald Trump’s declaration that he intends to make the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory has transformed an already dangerous confrontation with Iran into a far broader dispute over sovereignty, international law and control of one of the world’s most important energy routes.
- [China Lodges Formal Protest Over Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine Moves on WWII Surrender Anniversary](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/china-lodges-formal-protest-over-japans-yasukuni-shrine-moves-on-wwii-surrender-anniversary/): On the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, a well-worn diplomatic fault line in East Asia flared open once again. Chinese authorities announced that Beijing had lodged a formal protest with Tokyo after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited it in person. In a sharply worded response, China’s Foreign Ministry said it
- [Taiwan Mobile Internet Slowdown Tests Civilian Readiness for War](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/taiwan-mobile-internet-slowdown-tests-civilian-readiness-for-war/): Taiwan briefly reduced mobile internet speeds across the north on Thursday as part of a new civil-defense experiment designed to test how society would function during a major emergency. The 30-minute exercise, held from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. local time, coincided with air-raid sirens, traffic restrictions and instructions for residents to move indoors or enter designated shelters.
- [Putin’s First Kuril Islands Visit: A Strategic Signal to Japan and the West](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/putins-first-kuril-islands-visit-a-strategic-signal-to-japan-and-the-west/): On Thursday, August 13, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever personal visit to the Kuril Islands, stepping onto the volcanic soil of Iturup—one of the four southernmost islands in the chain that Russia administers but Japan also claims. The trip, which came after Putin oversaw Russian Pacific Fleet military exercises in the Far East, included tours of local infrastructure and brief interactions with residents, drawing an immediate and strong diplomatic protest from Tokyo. In a move laden with symbolism, Putin’s presence on Iturup underscored Moscow’s resolve to maintain control over the disputed archipelago while relations with Japan remain at a post–Cold War low.
- [Kuwait Arrests ISIS-Linked Citizen Over Alleged Vital Facility Plot](https://tacticsinstitute.com/middle-east/kuwait-arrests-isis-linked-citizen-over-alleged-vital-facility-plot/): Kuwaiti security authorities say they have foiled an alleged ISIS-linked terrorist plot targeting a vital facility and arrested a Kuwaiti citizen before the suspected attack could be carried out. The announcement was made by the Interior Ministry on Wednesday, August 12, after an operation conducted by the State Security Service.
- [Putin Threatens to Seize EU Vessels Over Russian Ship Detentions](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/putin-threatens-to-seize-eu-vessels-over-russian-ship-detentions/): Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize European vessels if the European Union proceeds with plans to detain Russian merchant ships and sell their cargoes. The warning, delivered on Wednesday during a visit to a Russian warship involved in Pacific Fleet exercises, represents one of Moscow’s most direct maritime retaliation threats since European governments intensified enforcement against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
- [Russia Uses North Korean Missiles in Ukraine, Zelenskyy Claims](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/russia-uses-north-korean-missiles-in-ukraine-zelenskyy-claims/): Ukraine says Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles in an overnight attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, marking the latest escalation in Moscow’s military cooperation with Pyongyang. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the barrage killed six people in Zaporizhzhia and wounded 19 others, while Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least nine civilians and injured dozens.
- [Turkey’s PKK Peace Law Opens a Fragile Path to Disarmament](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/turkeys-pkk-peace-law-opens-a-fragile-path-to-disarmament/): Turkey’s parliament has approved a landmark legal framework designed to advance the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative and create a pathway for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to disarm, dissolve and reintegrate eligible members into society. The 12-article law, passed on August 10 by 468 votes to 88, with six abstentions, is the most significant legislative step in Ankara’s latest effort to end a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984.
- [South Korea-US Military Drills Test Response to Evolving North Korea Threats](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/south-korea-us-military-drills-test-response-to-evolving-north-korea-threats/): South Korea and the United States will conduct their major annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise from August 17 to 27, as the allies adjust their defence planning to what officials describe as North Korea’s evolving military capabilities. The 11-day exercise will involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops and will combine conventional military training with preparations for drone attacks, GPS disruption, cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid warfare.
- [Russian Forces in Syria Lose Control of Key Mediterranean Bases](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/russian-forces-in-syria-lose-control-of-key-mediterranean-bases/): Syria and Russia have agreed to reorganize Moscow’s military presence along Syria’s Mediterranean coast, ending the arrangement under which Russian forces exercised exclusive control over the country’s two most important foreign military facilities.
- [Saudi Arabia–Türkiye–Pakistan Defence Pact Reshapes Regional Security](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/saudi-arabia-turkiye-pakistan-defence-pact-reshapes-regional-security/): Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have signed a landmark defence agreement in Makkah, committing to treat an armed attack against any one of the three countries as an attack against all. The agreement, signed on Friday, August 7, comes as the Middle East faces widening conflict, missile and drone threats, and growing uncertainty over the reliability of traditional security partnerships.
- [Putin NATO Attack Risk: U.S. Intelligence Warns of Limited Assault](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/putin-nato-attack-risk-u-s-intelligence-warns-of-limited-assault/): Russian President Vladimir Putin could attempt to test NATO’s commitment to collective defence through a limited assault on one of the alliance’s member states, according to new U.S. intelligence assessments reported by The Wall Street Journal. The assessments reportedly examine a range of scenarios, from cyberattacks and sabotage to the deployment of unidentified armed groups and a small-scale land incursion on NATO’s eastern flank.
- [Nigeria Rescues 308 Abducted Citizens in Major Security Operation](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/nigeria-rescues-308-abducted-citizens-in-major-security-operation/): Nigerian security forces have rescued 308 people abducted in separate attacks in Kwara and Niger states, in an operation the government has described as the country’s largest single-day rescue mission conducted by joint security forces.
- [North Korean Missile Unit Deepens Russia’s War Support](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/north-korean-missile-unit-deepens-russias-war-support/): North Korea’s military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine has entered a potentially more dangerous phase. Pyongyang has already supplied Moscow with artillery ammunition, missiles, launchers and troops. But the reported deployment of a North Korean missile unit to western Russia suggests that North Korea is moving beyond the transfer of weapons and personnel and may now be providing an organised operational capability.
- [Taiwan Military Drills Test Response to Chinese Attack](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/taiwan-military-drills-test-response-to-chinese-attack/): Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military drills have begun at a moment of intensified pressure from China, and this year’s exercise is being framed as one of the island’s most realistic preparations yet for blockade and invasion scenarios. For Taipei, the message is clear: Taiwan wants to show that it can defend itself, sustain operations under attack, and keep government and society functioning even if Beijing escalates beyond routine military intimidation.
- [Crimea Shooting Highlights Russian Military Strain](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/crimea-shooting-highlights-russian-military-strain/): A Russian soldier’s deadly shooting in occupied Crimea is more than an isolated act of violence. It sits at the intersection of a long and contested history: Crimea’s imperial past, Russia’s 2014 annexation, the peninsula’s current militarization, and a broader pattern of discipline and morale problems inside the Russian armed forces.
- [Japan Military Build-Up Plan Deepens Amid Regional Threats](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/japan-military-build-up-plan-deepens-amid-regional-threats/): Japan’s latest defence white paper shows a government preparing for a much tougher regional security environment, while also trying to recast military expansion as a driver of economic strength. The report presents the country’s accelerating defence build-up not simply as a response to threats from China, Russia and North Korea, but as part of a broader national strategy to reinforce deterrence, modernise industry and strengthen its global partnership.
- [Denmark’s Draft Shift Signals Hard Power](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/denmarks-draft-shift-signals-hard-power/): Denmark’s decision to launch its extended military conscription program is more than a manpower adjustment. It is a political and strategic signal that Copenhagen is preparing for a harsher security environment shaped by Russia’s war in Ukraine, rising Arctic pressure, and renewed transatlantic friction over Greenland.
- [BAE’s All-British Fighter Jet Turns to American Engine ](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/baes-all-british-fighter-jet-turns-to-american-engine/): The new Brontanax combat drone was supposed to embody a distinctly British aerospace story: designed in the UK, built with British industrial know-how, and presented as a sovereign answer to the RAF’s future combat-aircraft needs. Instead, the headline development is that the “all-British” platform will fly with an American engine, after a reported clash between BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce over cost and pricing.
- [North Korea’s NATO Fuel Warning Exposes Wider Security Rift](https://tacticsinstitute.com/analysis/north-koreas-nato-fuel-warning-exposes-wider-security-rift/): North Korea’s latest attack on NATO is more than a routine propaganda swipe. By accusing the alliance of preparing for war through a sweeping expansion of military fuel infrastructure across Europe, Pyongyang is once again trying to frame NATO’s logistical planning as offensive intent, while also inserting itself into a broader narrative about security links between Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Reuters reported that North Korea, in a commentary carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, said NATO’s fuel plan showed the alliance was becoming “a more aggressive military bloc.

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## Team
- [Vaso Kollia](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/vaso-kollia/): Vasso Kollia studied Political Science and European Policy in Essex University. Her research interests include EU integration and foreign policy, political theory and ideology, As a policy analysts she has worked for a number of think tanks and has worked with corporates on government relations consulting. She served in two Greek governments as Secretary General for Youth Policy (2004-2007) and State Secretary on Gender Equality (2013-2015).
- [Molly Daunt](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/molly-daunt/): Molly graduated with a BA Honours in Classics at Oxford before completing a fellowship at Princeton, specialising in Middle Eastern foreign policy and counter-terrorism. She is now completing her MA in Middle Eastern Studies with Intensive Arabic at SOAS and is soon to publish a research paper on the use of ‘proxy-war rhetoric in the Yemeni Civil War. She has traveled widely, participating in a number of archaeological excavations, and working as a criminology volunteer against human rights abuses in Durban, South Africa.
- [Elif Eyuboglu](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/elif-eyuboglu/): Elif Eyuboglu is enrolled at the International Relations program of Koç University, specialising in security studies. As part of the Erasmus program, she spent a year at the Univeritat Auronoma, Barcelona. She has worked as an intern for the Embassy of Turkey in Tokyo and the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute. She is the youngest member of the International Relations Council of Turkey and the Women in Foreign Policy Association in Turkey.
- [Bárbara Matias](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/barbara-matias/): Bárbara Matias has a career spanning many countries and missions. She recently served as NATO Programme Officer to the training mission in Iraq and the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Relief Crisis Center's Team Lead on NATO-EU coordination. She was previously based in Kosovo working on the dialogue with Serbia and the Western Balkan EU enlargement. Her international background also includes work at EUROJUST, the Portuguese diplomatic missions in Austria and Sweden, and human right research at a Greek refugee camp. Bárbara was a Fulbright graduate scholar at Columbia University, where she completed an MA in Human Rights Studies and was invited to be an undergraduate lecturer/teaching assistant. She speaks 6 languages, is a regular contributor to several think-tanks on foreign affairs, and committed to the project of European Integration.
- [Michal Vit](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/michal-vit/): Michal Vit is an Assistant Professor at the Metropolitan University of Prague and Visiting Professor at South-East European University (NKM). He obtained his doctorate in 2017 from Masaryk University and the University of Leipzig. Previously he was associated with the Institute for European Policy (IEP), Berlin and the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy. He is a University of Konstanz and University of Vienna fellow. His research interests are EU Enlargement and Justice and Home Affairs policies.
- [Areti Vasmada](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/areti-vasmada/): Areti Vasmada holds a BA in International and European Studies. As a researcher she contributed to the review of the "Common Defense and Security Policy on EU's Budget for the years 2021-27" review, published by the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. She was the first prize winner of the 2019 NATO Debates Championship organised by the George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. She recently completed her intership at the UNESCO Chair for "Women, Peace, and Security."
- [Gwendoline Tarcy](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/gwendoline-tarcy/): Gwen speaks French, Russian, and English. She holds an MA in International Relations with a specialization in geopolitical analysis and CIS and East Partnership area studies expertise. Her recent research focuses on Gazprom as a foreign policy stakeholder.
- [Ritesh Kotak](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/ritesh-kotak/): Ritesh Kotak is a cybersecurity analyst and consultant. He has a decade of experience working with Canadian police agencies, co-leading the creation of the Cyber-Crimes unit and the Research and Innovation portfolio focusing on digital transformation. He has also worked on several international assignments. Ritesh transitioned to the private sector where he worked with different Fortune 500 tech companies on global projects related to cybersecurity, investigations and next-generation IoT applications for Smart Cities projects. In 2018, Ritesh was selected by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for their Emerging Leaders Executive 6 Program. In 2017, he completed an MBA with distinction at the University of Edinburgh with an exchange at Peking University in Beijing, China. He also holds a BBA from the University of Toronto.
- [Atdhe Lila](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/atdhe-lila/): Mr. Atdhe Lila holds an advanced LL.M degree in Law and Digital Technologies from the University of Leiden. His field of expertise varies from Privacy & Data Protection, Cyber Law and Security to EU Law and Regulatory approximation. He has worked as a Senior Legal Officer for the Government of Kosovo, where he assisted in drafting national laws/regulations and helped in EU legal approximation. He has also been a member of research teams primarily focusing on Disruptive Technologies, their risks and how to regulate them, harmonized with Cyber-Security and online privacy. Mr Lila has been employed by companies from all over the world including Germany, the UK, the US and Brazil.
- [Ioanna Iliadi](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/ioanna-iliadi/): Ioanna Iliadi is a military journalist working across traditional and digital platforms and Editor in Chief of ArmyVoice.gr. She is based in Athens.
- [Octavian Manea](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/octavian-manea/): Octavian Manea is a journalist specialized on Euro-Atlantic security affairs. He is based in Bucharest.
- [Dr. Nickolay Kapitonenko](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/dr-nickolay-kapitonenko/): Nickolay Kapitonenko, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. He’s also a Director to the Center of International Studies, and an associated expert with the International Center for Political Studies. He has been invited as a visiting professor to the University of Iowa, and was teaching at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Since 2015 Mykola has been co-editing UA: Ukraine Analytica. Mykola is an adviser to the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy.
- [Georges Estievenart](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/georges-estievenart/): Director of the EMCDDA: 'We help politicians take better decisions' Founding Director of the European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addictions (Lisbon).Senior Researcher at the Institute Prospective and Security in Europe (Paris). Teacher on Drugs, Organized Crime and the European Union (Institute of Political Sciences, Paris, 2006-to date).
- [Christine Bruneau](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/christine-bruneau/): She is expert in the Africa affairs and worked on a number of projects in the continent. She is President of the association “Women of tomorrow”, she invents a contemporary feminism. Bruneau is also deputy mayor of Boulogne-Billancourt plays on all fronts. A woman on the ground, imbued with values ​​but refusing any partisan spirit, she Americanized her political approach.
- [George Scutaru](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/george-scutaru/): General director of the New Strategy Center (Bucharest, Romania), a think tank in security and foreign affaires field. George started his professional career in journalism, including a period as a press correspondent to Moscow. He is former Romanian MP, when he worked as Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Committee on Defence of the House of Deputies, member of the Romanian Parliament delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and former national security advisor to the Romanian President
- [Alexandre Vautravers](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/alexandre-vautravers/): Since 2015, Alexandre Vautravers has been a senior advisor at the Department of Security (DSES) of the State of Geneva. He has been responsible for drafting the security strategy and setting up the Security Advisory Council (CCS). He is currently responsible for matters relating to police organization, reform and strategy. Colonel of the General Staff and deputy commander of the 1st Mechanized Brigade, Alexandre Vautravers has been editor-in-chief of the Revue militaire suisse (RMS+) since it celebrated its 150th anniversary of uninterrupted publication in 2006.
- [Christiano Zagari](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/christiano-zagari/): Christiano ZAGARI, Scholar, Founder of Semestre Europe (Italy)EU and International Affairs specialist. Editor and founder of the magazine Semestre Europeo (2010-2013). Former Nato Defence College fellow. Many experiences in international public and private bodies. PHD in International Relations.
- [Aymeri de Montesquiou d’Artagnan](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/aymeri-de-montesquiou-dartagnan/): He occupied a number of positions in the French senates including the Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Armed Forces, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Secretary of the delegation for the planning and sustainable development of the territory, Member of the Senate Foresight Delegation, Chairman of the France-Iran Inter-Parliamentary Group, President of the France-Kazakhstan Group. He was also the Chairman of the delegation for relations with China and Chairman of the delegation for relations with the Gulf States
- [Michelle Guillaume-Hoffnung](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/michelle-guillaume-hoffnung/): President of the Guillaume-Hofnung Institute for Mediation (IMGH), Michèle Guillaume-Hofnung is a senior professor of Law at Paris-Sud University, former vice-president of committee for the Human Rights and Ethical Issues at CNF/UNESCO, expert in ethics for UNESCO, vice-president of RED éthique a partner with the Cercle Éthique des Affaires (ethical think-tank for Business), and member of the UN liaison committee dedicated to decade of the education decade for Human rights.
- [Eleni Panayiotou](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/eleni-panayiotou/): Eleni Panayiotou is a Media Professional with over 15 years of experience, specialising in online and radio journalism. Has worked in defence journalism for online media and was Project Co-ordinator for DefenceMatters.org.
- [Dr. Angelos Kaskanis](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/dr-angelos-kaskanis/): Angelos Kaskanis holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Black Sea Studies of the Democritus University of Thrace. His field of research is Security Studies and the impact of International Terrorism in Southeastern Europe and the Caucasus. He has worked as a Research Assistant with the Municipality of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in Komotini; as a Project Assistant in Youth NGOs in Ankara; as a Project Coordinator for Youth NGOs in Athens and as a Project Coordinator with Save the Children/under UNHCR mandate in the islands of Kos and Leros, during the Humanitarian Crisis. He has also participated/co-organized several workshops in more than 20 countries that focus on Religious Extremism, Radicalization, Safety, and Security in Southeastern Europe, European Identity and Greco-Turkish Relations. Awards of academic excellence include scholarship from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation. He speaks Greek, English, Russian, German, and Turkish.
- [Thomas Charles](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/thomas-charles-2/): Thomas Charles is the Director of Tactics Institute For Security & Counter Terrorism. Mr Charles has a background in the UK parliament and has worked on Security and Counter Terrorism issues within the UK and European Contexts, with focuses on international relations and community-based security.
- [Yavor Raychev](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/yavor-raychev/): He is the author of several publications on terrorism, radicalization and hybrid war as well as the co-author of a book on women in the Islamic State. Yavor is a PhD student in international relations at the University of Granada. He has a Master’s degree in international relations from the University of Linköping. He works in the field of security, terrorism, foreign policy, international relations and hybrid war.
- [George Vișan](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/george-visan/): He leads the security a program of Romania Energy Center (ROEC), a think tank that deals with energy and international relations issues. His expertise is European security, international security and Black Sea issues. George Visan holds an MA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Bucharest and has been published in various Romanian and international publications.
- [Martin Sokolov](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/martin-sokolov/): He has worked on various security analysis projects in the context of the Sofia Security Forum, the Centre for the Study of Democracy, and the George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies. Mr. Sokolov’s research is focused on hybrid threats, radicalization, and strategic communication. Mr. Sokolov holds an MA in International Relations and International Organizations from the University of Groningen and a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Hull.
- [Brigadier General Metodi Hadji-Janev](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/brigadier-general-metodi-hadji-janev/): is a military security analyst and an Associate Professor at the Military Academy General Mihailo Apostolski in Skopje, of the University of “Goce Delcev” in Stip, and an adjunct faculty member at Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University (ASU).
- [Alec Mally](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/alec-mally/): He is currently Director for Global Economic Affairs at Foresight Strategy and Communications, an Athens-based consulting firm, Director at the Institute for Regional Dialogue and Strategy (IPEDIS) an Athens-based think tank, as well as adviser for the Repower Greece public diplomacy initiative (www.RepowerGreece.com).
- [Dr. Galyna Zelenko](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/dr-galyna-zelenko/): Dr Zelenko is also Political Analyst and Head of Department of Theoretical and Applied Political Science of the I.Kuras Institute of Political and Ethno-National studies of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. She specializes in political transition in the CIS, historical institutionalism, and electoral processes. Dr Zelenko holds a BA in History from the State Pedagogical Institute; an MA in Political Transitions from the Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies (NAS), and a PhD from the I. Kuras Institute of Political and Etho-National studies. She speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish.
- [Christos Sarris](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/christos-sarris/): Sarris is the founder of Elusive Technologies, a high-end security research firm providing business-to-business and business-to-customer cybersecurity and risk management services to clients in the Eurozone economic area. In his role as a Chief Information Security Officer he leads cybersecurity research and threat analysis to develop a comprehensive portfolio of adaptive, risk-based behaviour models of cyber-attacks through the innovative application of machine learning Artificial Intelligence and anomaly detection techniques. His passion is to make cybersecurity debates accessible to wider non-technically savvy audiences. He also contributes to voluntary work to the Safe and Secure Online initiative.
- [Dr. Safet Music](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/dr-safet-music/): Music holds a PhD in religious extremism from the University of Serajevo. He also holds a BA in Security Studies, an MA in international law and terrorism as well as an MA in inter-religious studies and peace-building. He has also received training in NATO centers of excellence on terrorism and cybersecurity.
- [Tatyana Dronzina](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/tatyana-dronzina/): Dronzina is a lecturer at the department of Political Science of St. Kliment Ohridski, University of Sofia, Bulgaria. She is doctor habil and a full professor with research interests in the field of terrorism (specifically female suicide terrorism, gender and terrorism) and radicalization (specifically jihadist radicalization). Her publications in Bulgarian, English, Spanish, Russian, and Kazakh are based on ongoing field research in Central Asia and the Balkans.
- [Professor Felipe Pathé Duarte](https://tacticsinstitute.com/team/professor-felipe-pathe-duarte/): is Assistant Professor at the Higher Institute of Police Sciences, Internal Security. He is also Fellow at the Oxford University Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington D.C.

## Authors
- [Paul Attenborough](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/paul-attenborough/): Paul Attenborough is a specialist on economics and development with a background as an economic advisor having conducted many feasibility, research and economic appraisals for Government and commercial projects in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, Eastern Europe as well as East and West Africa.  He hold a degree in Physiology and Psychology from Oxford and an MBA from Cranfield, studied at SOAS and is currently registered for a PhD at the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham where he is looking at the Political Economy of Development in the Levant.
- [Filotas Niarchos](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/filotas-niarchos/): Filotas Niarchos graduated from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the University of Athens and completed his postgraduate studies at Queen Mary University of London in the field of international relations and politics. His master's thesis was on 'The Rise of Nationalism in the Balkans: The Case of Serbia - Croatia and Greece - Skopje'. He specializes in CSR, public relations and the environment. He has worked in the corporate affairs department of two of the largest telecommunications companies in Greece, and is the product development manager at the Nanotechnology company AMEN New Technologies.
- [Vasundhara Sirnate](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/vasundhara-sirnate/): Vasundhara Sirnate is a political scientist and journalist. She was formerly the Chief Coordinator of Research at The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, India and a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic Council, Washington DC. She is also the creator of the India Violence Archive, a citizen’s data initiative aimed at recording collective public violence in India.
- [Giorgio Cafiero](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/giorgio-cafiero/): Giorgio Cafiero is the CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington, DC-based geopolitical risk consultancy. He is also an adjunct fellow at the American Security Project.
- [Nasuh Sofuoglu](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/nasuh-sofuoglu/): Nasuh holds an MA in International Relations at the University of Sussex and is currently a PhD candidate in International Relations at the Kadir Has University. He mainly focuses on Security Studies and International Relations Theory.
- [Tony Willis MSc MBA](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/tony-willis-msc-mba/): Tony Willis  is UK based security and counter terrorism expert. He worked in the field of self protection training for over 20 years, he holds have an MSc in Counter Terrorism and a strong understanding of delivering in the corporate sector where for many years I worked at a senior level in large corporations regularly travelling on business.
- [Julian Richards](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/julian-richards/): Julian Richards is a Professor of Politics, and Director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS) at the University of Buckingham, UK. Prior to co-founding BUCSIS in 2008, Julian spent 17 years working for the British government in security and intelligence analysis and policy. He is the author of four books and numerous articles and chapters on various aspects of intelligence, global security, cyber-threats and issues concerning terrorism and counter-terrorism strategy. He has acted as a periodic advisor to the UK’s parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee on various aspects relating to intelligence policy and strategy; and is a frequent commentator in national and international media on a range of security issues.
- [Alexandros Sarris](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/alexandros-sarris/): Alexandros Sarris is a Senior Lecturer in International Law at Erasmus University College in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Alexandros has been trained in Europe and United States in International Law, International Negotiations and International Dispute Settlement with special focus in international conflicts that include among others Natural Resources, State Sovereignty, Responsibility of States and the implementation of International Agreements of all kinds.
- [Erwin van Veen](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/erwin-van-veen/): Erwin van Veen is a Clingendael Senior Research Fellow specialising in the relation between political order and tools of coercion, especially the role of hybrid armed groups in processes of state development. Erwin leads a team of five experts that researches conflict dynamics in the Middle East for ministries of foreign affairs, NGOs and international organisations. The team focuses on Syria, Iraq, Palestine and the Kurdish question with due attention to Iranian, Turkish and Saudi foreign policy. His previously served as peacebuilding and conflict specialist at the OECD (2010-2013), security and development advisor at the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-2010) and human resource business advisor at Shell (2003-2005).
- [Douglas London](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/douglas-london/): Douglas London is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Douglas is a retired, decorated, 34-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Clandestine Service. He has served as CIA Chief of Station, Director of National Intelligence Representative, and the President’s senior intelligence representative. He served across the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central Asia and a CIA subject matter expert on Iran, Counterterrorism, and Weapons of Mass Destruction.
- [Maysam Behravesh](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/maysam-behravesh/): Maysam Behravesh is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Lund University, Sweden, and an Analyst with the US-based geopolitical risk consultancy Gulf State Analytics (GSA). He worked as an intelligence analyst and security policy advisor in Iran from 2008 to 2010, and has published widely on Middle East security in academic, policy and media platforms.
- [Ilan Berman](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/ilan-berman/): Ilan Berman is Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense, and provided assistance on foreign policy and national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices. He has been called one of America's "leading experts on the Middle East and Iran" by CNN. Mr. Berman is a member of the Associated Faculty at Missouri State University's Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. He also serves as a columnist for Forbes.com and the Washington Times, and as the Editor of The Journal of International Security Affairs.
- [James Pierson](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/james-pierson/): A journalist and author, James worked for over 10 years in Current Affairs television and documentaries, researching and producing films for Channel 4 Dispatches, PBS Television and National Geographic. In print, he’s penned articles for the Times Educational Supplement and the Times Higher Educational Supplement. James also has PR experience, working for three years as a Political Officer for Slough Borough Council where he advised local councillors on policy implementation and media relations.
- [Alexandra Watson](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/alexandra-watson/): Alexandra Watson is a freelance journalist covering U.S. politics and world news. She has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in communication arts. Her experience has involved working for the United Nations and NBC News. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and two children.
- [Christopher Morris](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/christopher-morris/): Christopher Morris currently works for the university of Portsmouth, having previously worked for the institute of policing at Staffordshire University where he developed and taught range of courses. He has scholarly experience across law, social science and international relations. His research is centred around religious violence and international law. Having completed his PhD examining the ISIS conflict  in 2019, Chris has gone on to explore a range of topics exploring the impact that religious ideology has on the use of force.
- [Hannah Wallace](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/hannah-wallace/): Hannah Wallace has an MSc in Middle East politics from SOAS. She has worked for various NGOs and think tanks on issues relating to counter-terrorism, organised crime and regional security, with a particular focus on the Middle East. She also writes for a number of publications including The New Arab and The Jerusalem Post.
- [Sidgi Kaballo](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/sidgi-kaballo/): Associated professor at Ahfad University in Omdurman.
- [Ben Hunter](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/ben-hunter/): Ben Hunter is a risk analyst at Northcott Global Solutions. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development & Security from the University of Leeds, and also taught English at Al-Ahlia and Al-Afhad universities in Omdurman, Sudan. He's interested in African and Middle Eastern politics, and motivated to try and understand how state-society formations function in a context of endemic violence.
- [Omer Faruk Sen](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/omer-faruk-sen/): Researcher at the University of Missouri whose work focuses on emerging powers, the surge of autocratic regimes, and Turkish political economy
- [Eleni Panayiotou](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/eleni-panayiotou/): Eleni Panayiotou is a Media Professional with over 15 years experience, specialising in online and radio journalism. Eleni sas worked in defence journalism for online media and was Project Co-ordinator for DefenceMatters.org. She is Commissioning Editor of Tactics Institute.
- [Brigadier General Metodi Hadji-Janev](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/brigadier-general-metodi-hadji-janev/): Brigadier General Metodi Hadji-Janev is a military security analyst and an Associate Professor at the Military Academy General Mihailo Apostolski in Skopje, of the University of “Goce Delcev” in Stip, and an adjunct faculty member at Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University (ASU). BG Hadji-Janev specializes in legal aspects of countering asymmetric, cyber, and hybrid-based threats, with an emphasis on critical information infrastructure and critical infrastructure protection. He has served as a co-director of four NATO SPS projects at NATO’s Center of Excellence Defense Against Terrorism in Ankara (2011-2014) and as an academic course advisor designed for EUROCORPS in Strasburg (2015). BG Hadji-Janev is a graduate of the Macedonian Military Academy and the United States Air Command and Staff College. He also holds MA and PhD degrees in Law from “Justinian-I” in Skopje. In 2018 BG Hadji Janev was awarded the Legion of Merit Award by the US Defense Secretary, James Mattis, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements as a Macedonian Defence attaché in Washington DC.
- [Ruslan Trad](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/ruslan-trad/): Security analyst with over a decade of experience with MENA, Balkans, and Turkey area studies expertise. He is the co-founder of De Re Militari Journal and author of “The Murder of a Revolution” (2017, on Syria) and co-author of “The Russian Invisible Armies” (2020, on mercenaries).
- [Ioannis Nikitas](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/ioannis-nikitas/): Greek national security expert, General Manager at the Center of Strategic Studies and Director of the Defense Review Media Platform.
- [Athanasios I. Bozinis](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/athanasios-i-bozinis/): Assistant Professor of Global Political Economy of the University of Macedonia, specialising in Biosecurity. He was a Technology and Global Affairs Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) of the University of Oxford and an Associate Fellow of EU Policies for New Technologies and Hybrid Threats at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe) - Johns Hopkins University.
- [Dr. Angelos Kaskanis](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/dr-angelos-kaskanis/): Angelos Kaskanis holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Black Sea Studies of the Democritus University of Thrace. His field of research is Security Studies and the impact of International Terrorism in Southeastern Europe and the Caucasus. He has worked as a Research Assistant with the Municipality of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in Komotini; as a Project Assistant in Youth NGOs in Ankara; as a Project Coordinator for Youth NGOs in Athens and as a Project Coordinator with Save the Children/under UNHCR mandate in the islands of Kos and Leros, during the Humanitarian Crisis.
- [Verity Hubbard](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/verity-hubbard/): Verity Hubbard has a Master's Degree in Russian & Eastern European Politics from University College London and a BA in Theology from the University of Oxford. Verity has previously worked as a Security Analyst monitoring conflicts in the MENA region. She has also worked in think tanks in both London and Brussels as well as in the UK Parliament
- [Florian Schmitz](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/florian-schmitz/): Florian Schmitz, born 1980, is a German journalist and writer, based in Thessaloniki, Greece. He works as a foreign correspondent for Deutsche Welle and the public broadcasters of Germany. He focuses on Greece and the Balkans, minorities, human rights, and Europe.
- [Gwendoline Tarcy](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/gwendoline-tarcy/): Researcher with Tactics Institute For Security & Counter Terrorism
- [Dr. Jeffrey A. Stacey](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/dr-jeffrey-a-stacey/): Dr. Jeffrey A. Stacey was a State Department official in the Obama Administration. He is author of “Integrating Europe” and the forthcoming “Rise of the East, End of the West?” A lead UN consultant at present, he resides in Washington, D.C.
- [Michée DARE](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/michee-dare/): Michée DARE has worked for over five years as an economics and defence journalist.Michée i s the author of over one hundred articles on economic and defence topics. His articles are published by the largest African magazines including Jeune Afrique, AfriMag, Ressources magazine, Mining and Business Magazine, Afrique Agriculture and Forbes Afrique. Michée DARE is also a Phd student at Centre D’Études Diplomatiques et de Strarégie (CEDS), Paris. His research focuses on the evaluation of defence and security policies in West Africa, regionalisation processes, DDR processes, peacekeeping processes, as well as state-building issues.
- [Arvea Marieni](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/arvea-marieni/): Strategy and Innovation Advisor and Manager specialising in EU China environmental cooperation. International Corporate Affairs Manager with Brainscapital Srl (brainscapital.it) and Principal Consultant with GcM Consulting Srl (gcmconsulting.it).
- [Jamie Thomson](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/jamie-thomson/): Jamie Thomson has MAs from the University of Oxford and King’s College, London. Jamie is currently Senior Risk Analyst with Northcott Global Solutions. His previous experience includes the British Army (including security sector reform in Basrah, and police liaison in Banja Luka) and the security industry in both Dubai and London.
- [Chris Arning](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/chris-arning/): Chris Arning specialises in semiotics and cultural insight and he has 20 years experience working as a thinker, planner, qualitative researcher, and commercial semiotician. He was Head of Semiotics at Flamingo Research and set up Creative Semiotics - a boutique brand consultancy - in October 2010. Chris is co-founder of Semiofest, a Celebration of Semiotic Thinking and founded LinkedIn’s Semiotic Thinking Group. He has worked for clients as diverse as Radio Centre, Netflix, BMW Mini, GSK, Huawei, Ricola and UKTI. Chris led a highly strategic Humour analysis project for the BBC, one of his regular clients, which created a strong taxonomy now being used across the organisation; including for commissioning new comedy podcasts.
- [Vasyl Filipchuk](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/vasyl-filipchuk/): Foreign policy and Europe expert based in Ukraine. Mr Filipchuk is an acclaimed analyst, sought-after public speaker and participant in Chatham House and Wilton Park events. He is an experienced diplomat and author of the European Integration Strategy of Ukraine, approved by Presidential Decree in June 1998.
- [Dr Oleksandr Lytvynenko](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/dr-oleksandr-lytvynenko/): Director of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Ukraine. He holds the title of superannuated major-general and state official of the 2nd rank and is Merited Scientist and Technologist of Ukraine, and has received the Honorary Award of the President of Ukraine: the anniversary medal “25 years of Independence of Ukraine”.
- [Dr. Nickolay Kapitonenko](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/dr-nickolay-kapitonenko/): Nickolay Kapitonenko, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. He’s also a Director to the Center of International Studies, and an associated expert with the International Center for Political Studies. He has been invited as a visiting professor to the University of Iowa, and was teaching at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Since 2015 Mykola has been co-editing UA: Ukraine Analytica. Mykola is an adviser to the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy.
- [Octavian Manea](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/octavian-manea/): Octavian Manea is a journalist specialized on Euro-Atlantic security affairs. He is based in Bucharest.
- [Ioanna Iliadi](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/ioanna-iliadi/): Ioanna Iliadi is a military journalist working across traditional and digital platforms and is currently Editor in Chief of ArmyVoice.gr. She is based in Athens.
- [Andrej Matisak](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/andrej-matisak/): Andrej Matišák works as a journalist and Deputy Head of the Foreign Desk in Pravda. He is based in Bratislava.
- [Sarah Raine](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/sarah-raine/): Based in Berlin, Sarah’s research focuses on the interplay between the rise of Asia and the future of transatlantic relations, with a particular emphasis on the responses of European powers.
- [Thomas Charles](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/thomas-charles-2/): Director of Tactics Institute For Security & Counter Terrorism. Mr. Charles has worked on Security and Counter Terrorism issues within the UK and European contexts particularly on the community impact of threats. He is also a commentator and writer on European and International affairs and an accomplished public speaker. Mr. Charles earned his B.A. in Politics and Economic & Social History with honors from the University of Leicester and his M.A. in International Politics from the University of Sheffield.
- [Fabrice Pothier](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/fabrice-pothier/): Fabrice Pothier is a French political expert and part of Emmanuel Macron's La République En Marche as well as a Chief Strategy Officer at political consultancy, Rasmussen Global. He is a former NATO director of policy planning and founding director of Carnegie Europe, an organisation which became one of Europe's leading think-tanks on foreign policy and strategic issues. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabrice_Pothier
- [Elif Eyuboglu](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/elif-eyuboglu/): Elif Eyuboglu is enrolled at the International Relations program of Koç University, specialising in security studies. As part of the Erasmus program, she spent a year at the Univeritat Auronoma, Barcelona. She has worked as an intern for the Embassy of Turkey in Tokyo and the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute. She is the youngest member of the International Relations Council of Turkey and the Women in Foreign Policy Association in Turkey.
- [Ritesh Kotak](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/ritesh-kotak/): Ritesh Kotak is a cybersecurity analyst and consultant. He has a decade of experience working with Canadian police agencies, co-leading the creation of the Cyber-Crimes unit and the Research and Innovation portfolio focusing on digital transformation. He has also worked on several international assignments. Ritesh transitioned to the private sector where he worked with different Fortune 500 tech companies on global projects related to cybersecurity, investigations and next-generation IoT applications for Smart Cities projects. In 2018, Ritesh was selected by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for their Emerging Leaders Executive 6 Program. In 2017, he completed an MBA with distinction at the University of Edinburgh with an exchange at Peking University in Beijing, China. He also holds a BBA from the University of Toronto.
- [Atdhe Lila](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/atdhe-lila/): Mr. Atdhe Lila holds an advanced LL.M degree in Law and Digital Technologies from the University of Leiden. His field of expertise varies from Privacy & Data Protection, Cyber Law and Security to EU Law and Regulatory approximation. He has worked as a Senior Legal Officer for the Government of Kosovo, where he assisted in drafting national laws/regulations and helped in EU legal approximation. He has also been a member of research teams primarily focusing on Disruptive Technologies, their risks and how to regulate them, harmonized with Cyber-Security and online privacy. Mr Lila has been employed by companies from all over the world including Germany, the UK, the US and Brazil.
- [Yavor Raychev](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/yavor-raychev/): He is the author of several publications on terrorism, radicalization and hybrid war as well as the co-author of a book on women in the Islamic State. Yavor is a PhD student in international relations at the University of Granada. He has a Master’s degree in international relations from the University of Linköping. He works in the field of security, terrorism, foreign policy, international relations and hybrid war.
- [George Vișan](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/george-visan/): He leads the security a program of Romania Energy Center (ROEC), a think tank that deals with energy and international relations issues. His expertise is European security, international security and Black Sea issues. George Visan holds an MA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Bucharest and has been published in various Romanian and international publications.
- [Martin Sokolov](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/martin-sokolov/): He has worked on various security analysis projects in the context of the Sofia Security Forum, the Centre for the Study of Democracy, and the George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies. Mr. Sokolov’s research is focused on hybrid threats, radicalization, and strategic communication. Mr. Sokolov holds an MA in International Relations and International Organizations from the University of Groningen and a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Hull.
- [Aymeri de Montesquiou d’Artagnan](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/aymeri-de-montesquiou-dartagnan/): He occupied a number of positions in the French senates including the Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Armed Forces, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Secretary of the delegation for the planning and sustainable development of the territory, Member of the Senate Foresight Delegation, Chairman of the France-Iran Inter-Parliamentary Group, President of the France-Kazakhstan Group. He was also the Chairman of the delegation for relations with China and Chairman of the delegation for relations with the Gulf States
- [Michelle Guillaume-Hoffnung](https://tacticsinstitute.com/authors/michelle-guillaume-hoffnung/): President of the Guillaume-Hofnung Institute for Mediation (IMGH), Michèle Guillaume-Hofnung is a senior professor of Law at Paris-Sud University, former vice-president of committee for the Human Rights and Ethical Issues at CNF/UNESCO, expert in ethics for UNESCO, vice-president of RED éthique a partner with the Cercle Éthique des Affaires (ethical think-tank for Business), and member of the UN liaison committee dedicated to decade of the education decade for Human rights.