When Emma Sky, a British civilian, volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, her assignment was only supposed to last three months. She went on to serve there longer than any other senior military or diplomatic figure, giving her an unrivaled perspective of the entire conflict. Ms. Sky became a tireless witness to American efforts to transform a country traumatized by decades of war, sanctions, and brutal dictatorship; to insurgencies and civil war; to the corrupt political elites who used sectarianism to mobilize support.
In his newest book, Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917 – 1947, Bruce Hoffman, the director of the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, provides a landmark history of the battles that led to the creation of Israel. Based on newly available documents from Britain’s National Archives, Anonymous Soldiers brilliantly re-creates a crucial period in the establishment of Israel, chronicling three decades of growing anti-colonial unrest that culminated in the end of British rule and the U.N.
Ever since reports of abusive tactics surfaced in the early 2000s, the efficacy of interrogation methods used by the U.S. military and intelligence services has been an issue of contention. Over the past 15 years, the debate has focused largely on whether or not abusive tactics were necessary to elicit intelligence. The discussion has been largely among politicians, with little input from scientists who have relevant data, or from practitioners who can speak to the efficacy of ethical, science-based methods that treat detainees with respect. Until now.
In his new book, Once Upon A Revolution: An Egyptian Story, Thanassis Cambanis tells the inside story of the 2011 Egyptian revolution by following two courageous and pivotal leaders—and their imperfect decisions, which changed the world. In January 2011, in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, a group of strangers sparked a revolution, but had little more than their idealism with which to battle the secret police, the old oligarchs, and a power-hungry military determined to keep control.
On January 22, 2009, just days after becoming president, Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13492, ordering the closure of the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Yet nearly six years later, while some detainees have been transferred to other locations, the prison remains open and 127 men are still being held. In fact, Sunday, January 11, will mark the 13th anniversary of the prison’s creation.
Following the Arab Spring protests in 2011, North Africa experienced one disruptive event after another, which spilled over into the Sahel. Tunisia’s dictator fell and the country held elections, Egypt overthrew Mubarak only to have the Muslim Brotherhood led government ousted, the United States intervened in Libya which has since devolved into an ongoing armed conflict, and jihadists took over two-thirds of Mali which they later lost in a French intervention.
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada amidst 21st Century Western values, Mubin Shaikh seemed to fit in with other peers his age – attending public school, joining the Canadian Army cadets, and partying just like everyone else. Though he attended an Islamic madrassa at night, it wasn’t until an acute identity crisis at age 19, that Shaikh recommitted himself to Islam. Then, a chance encounter with the Taliban in Pakistan and exposure to Canadian extremists took him down the militant jihadi path.
Featuring a number of contributors to this book including Konstantin Kakaes, 2013 Future Tense Fellow; Christopher Swift, Adjunct Professor of National Security Studies at Georgetown University, Attorney with Foley & Lardner, LLP; Rosa Brooks, Senior Fellow at New America, former Counselor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Tara McKelvey, Features writer for the BBC; and Peter W. Singer Strategist and Senior Fellow at New America.