The Doha peace talks which began in September 2020 and appear to be making progress will resume after a holiday break, according to a Qatari government official. Some other countries volunteered to host the talks, but these countries withdrew, citing the coronavirus pandemic. As late as early December 2020, it appeared the Doha talks might break down, mostly because of …
Ex-Marine Found Guilty in Scheme to Overthrow Haiti’s Government
34-year-old Jacques Yves Sebastien Duroseau told investigators he wanted to “defeat the thugs that have been creating a little bit of part of the instability in Haiti” and become its new president. According to prosecutors, beginning in April 2019, Duroseau worked with a partner, identified as T.H., to procure fake deployment orders. When the pair arrived in Port au Prince, …
Reformist Kuwaiti Political Figure, Son of Former Emir, Passes Away
Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Sabah, who was once a front-runner to become the next leader of the Persian Gulf country, died of natural causes. He was 72. The former crown prince often spoke out against government corruption and pushed for greater openness. Nasser also backed large, expensive projects which were designed to diversify Kuwait’s economy. He felt these two areas …
How Might a Biden Presidency Affect Private Military Contractors?
Now that the General Services Administration has certified the former Vice-President as the winner of the November election, Biden is beginning to assemble his White House team. That team is expected to include DoD veteran Michèle Flournoy as Defense Secretary. This appointment, if it happens, would not be controversy-free. Some moderate Democrats see Flournoy as a bridge-builder who can erase …
Dutch Join International Coalition in Iraq
Now that the coalition has shifted to an advisory capacity in the war-torn country, The Netherlands has agreed to participate in the country’s rebuilding. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has worked to limit forign influence in Iraq. Nevertheless, al-Kadhimi has been open to foreign advisory assistance and infrastructure support. The Dutch are also concerned about the security situation in Iraq. “ISIS …