Syria’s chain reaction: the 11-day blitz that unravelled Assad
The speed of the regime’s collapse was startling, but it should not have been. Beyond the general dynamics of government collapse, something else was happening.
David Kilcullen
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Surprise attack shifts Mid-East sands again
Fresh fighting in Syria may revive terror threats in the West, including Australia.
Could Israel’s calculus for war be shifting to escalation?
A broader regional conflict would recast Israel as a victim surrounded by multiple enemies, reversing the current dynamic and possible regaining moral legitimacy.
Cracks in the facade of Taliban rule
On the surface the Taliban seems strong, but three years since the fall of Kabul the regime is more fragile than it appears.
Cauldron of political discord bubbles over
American flags are suddenly flying from cars in heavy Democratic areas. These may merely signify a short-term surge of sympathy, but there is a tension boiling just below the surface.
Iran assault a tectonic shift in Mid-East conflict
Israel’s integrated air and missile defence systems face heavy challenges by saturation strikes.
The bloody reality of fighting an embedded enemy
Just like the fierce nine-month battle to remove Islamic State terrorists from Mosul, there was no way for Israel to remove Hamas from power without mounting a full-scale ground invasion.
China’s missile program is a wake-up call to the nation
China’s PLA is the world leader in developing anti-ship ballistic missiles. Trying to change Beijing’s calculus should be a high priority in Canberra.
A year on, covert resistance against the Taliban steps up
Infighting is absorbing the regime’s energy as non-violent protest and armed rebellion grow.
Zawahiri’s Kabul life proof of Biden’s folly
Clearly the notion that al-Qa’ida would not re-establish itself in Afghanistan was fantasy.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/david-kilcullen