Articles
International Media
I took part in a really fascinating discussion by Gintaras Radauskas in Cybernews over the future of Elon Musk’s Starshield, particularly his obligations towards the Pentagon in Taiwan in light of the recent Congressional pressure to make satellite services available to US troops. The article discusses Musk’s dilemma in balancing his current business interests with China with contractual obligations as a US defense contractor; my quotes focus on potential US legal and political leverage and also the national security importance of telecommunications independence by the USG.
Quoted along with 4 different specialists in Sky News Arabia about the latest development of China sending a naval fleet for “guard operations” in the Gulf of Aden. I address how Beijing is exploiting weaknesses in US policy, shortage of Tomahawk missiles, Election 2024 polarization, and various competing concerns and interests to project power far beyond the South China Sea and its own regional sphere of influence, to strengthen its relations with Middle East States, to advance its own geopolitical interests, to limit US foothold and range of operations, and to challenge the US on multiple fronts. Other great points made in the article concern the very likely PRC coordination with Iran as to the scale and scope of its operations, and much else.
Quoted in London-based Oman media Muwatin about the public reconciliation efforts between Bahrain and Qatar, years after the conclusion of the Al-Ula Agreement, normalizing relations between Doha, KSA, UAE, and Egypt. Among other analysts and regional voices, I discuss the political underpinnings of the original agreement, the factors pushing Bahrain to agree to reconciliation, and why these formal diplomatic steps are unlikely to fully resolve underlying issues. The article also discusses the renewed prospects for the building of a "Bridge of Love" connecting Bahrain to Qatar, which would be the longest bridge in the world, amidst a history of delays and political challenges.
Quoted among various energy specialists in Darrell Proctor’s article in POWERMAG about Japan’s struggle to move away from its dependence on coal amidst its quest for decarbonization while balancing environmental and energy security concerns. I discuss Japan’s foreign fossil fuel dependence and why in trying to cut out oil and gas, it ends up importing or using more coal instead.
US Media
Quoted in USA Today Special Edition (Adam Stone’s “Biohazard Battleground,” p. 28) about the DOD’s collaborative effort aiming to stop a biological threat. The article discuss the innovative DOD biohazard strategy, Posture Review, which includes the initiative to create a Biohazard Council, an interdisciplinary forum that would address the efforts to implement reforms to the Biodefense Posture Review, and help coordinate commands and services among various DOD stakeholders.
I join an array of digital rights activists and democracy supporters quoted by Arshad Mehmood in The Media Line on the continuing ban of “X”/Twitter in Pakistan as the constitutional crisis over the allegedly rigged elections continues. Many of Imran Khan’s political party elements used social media to drive support; additionally, Internet outages on election day limited access to crucial information regarding the process. The “Old Guard” coalition is accused of taking measures to shut Khan, a populist, whose party unexpectedly came in first, out of government, first by imprisoning him under a questionable pretext, and then taking various measures to exclude his supporters from the coalition or even from the basic ability to campaign.
Quoted among a panel of cybersecurity and AI professionals in an in-depth article by Franklin Okeke at Technopedia, which discusses the most recent AI-linked cyberthreats uncovered by leading US big tech companies, the new (and very creative) methods used by adversarial foreign state-linked threat actors, such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, to infiltrate systems and gather intelligences, and the best practices to thwart ethics abuses and nefarious activities fueled by technology Innovation. Fascinating reading for those following the latest developments in cybersecurity and AI.
TV Video Appearances and Podcasts
“Join News9Live’s Neha Khanna to delve into the growing troubles for President Joe Biden as he faces a possible rematch with Donald Trump. Both Biden and Trump emerged victorious in the Michigan primaries, but Democrats staged a significant protest vote against Biden’s stance on Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Amidst these developments, speculation rises about potential replacements for Biden, with Michelle Obama emerging as a top contender according to recent polls. Stay tuned for all the latest updates and analysis on the evolving political landscape ahead of the U.S presidential elections.”
I joined the News9Live “Global Lens” program to discuss the results of the Michigan primaries with a panel of speakers from India. I explained why it’s erroneous to believe that the Jewish voters have some sort of an exceptional political or financial hold over the parties, why Biden’s position against Hamas is driven by US interests rather than "Jewish influence", and also discussed why the Arab American and Muslim American voting bloc in Michigan which tried to send Biden a message of dissatisfaction with Gaza policy by voting not committed, is not likely to abstain or in any way give advantage to Trump (or any other Republican) in general elections. I also underscored that it is a mistake for Biden to shape the policy based on the most progressive voters, and that both candidates would be most successful at expanding their base by courting moderate voters and independents instead. Finally, I talked about how migration/border security policy could make more of a difference than the fighting among Democrats over Israel and Hamas, and how Biden has an opportunity to take advantage of the House GOP recalcitrance by making sweeping restrictions through an executive order, which could undermine the entire Trump-centric Republican political strategy for the elections.
“In this episode, we discuss Navalny’s death, developments in Russia, the US, and China’s Panda Diplomacy & more with top geopolitical analyst Irina Tsukerman.”
I joined The KAJ Masterclass LIVE with Khudania Ajay to discuss a whole range of salient global issues in depth. We talked about the significance of Alexei Navalny’s death, who he was, the optics of the battle over funeral arrangements with his mother, and the international community response. We talked about the impact of the frozen addition US military aid on Ukraine’s combat capabilities and how Russia is benefit from these limitations. We discussed Putin’s growing hegemonic ambitions and his meddling with Moldova, and what that could mean for NATO and the rest of Europe. We looked into the European and other priorities at the Munich Security Conference, discussed takeaways, and why Western powers just don’t get many of the underlying issues they are struggling with. We analyzed the incident involving the recruitment of Indian nationals to fight in Ukraine and why that backfired on Russia. We looked into economic warfare and assorted farmer’s protests in India, Netherlands, Poland, France and elsewhere, distinguishing legitimate grievances and concerns from foreign and domestic political manipulations. We took a look at the messy outcome of the recent elections in Pakistan in the context of a long history of corruption allegations, political strife, and failure of civic and democratic institutions. We grappled with understanding the continuity of China’s targeting of the US and Taiwan with spy balloons and the significance of the potential return to “Panda diplomacy”. And we pondered the recent G20 ministerial, whether US is really isolated over the Israel/Gaza issue, and what diplomatic techniques it could and should deploy to deepen and strengthen its relations with India and other countries over various priority issues in foreign policy.
- I appeared on Azerbaijan’s SVS TV to discuss the latest anti-Baku EU Parliament resolution which calls for cutting off EU energy cooperation of Azerbaijan in case of aggression towards Armenia. It also calls for an increase of EU observers in Armenia and for sanctions against President Aliyev’s top officials. I explained that it’s not just the Armenian lobbies who have an interest - and the means- in attacking Azerbaijan, just as the peace process with Yerevan is finally moving forward, but also Baku’s leading oil and gas rivals, Russia and Iran. I also explained why such resolutions are largely symbolic and why the MEPs behind them don’t actually want these attacks to have a real impact. I disclosed 4 potential ways to counter or respond to these campaigns and why otherwise, they are likely to continue.
The Washington Outsider Report on the Coalition Radio
-Ep. 131
Don’t miss the latest episode of The Washington Outsider Report on Coalition Radio with CIMSEC: Center for International Maritime Security: and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) analyst Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, discussing all sorts of security and other maritime challenges pertaining to the Caribbean (and a bit about Latin America as well).
Learn why US has kept SOUTHCOM as a relatively low priority in terms of resources and why that should change
Find out whether the Monroe Doctrine is really dead and what could be a more functional alternative for today’s political reality
See about the geopolitical interests of major threat actors such as China, Russia, and Iran
Learn how the Caribbean geography has kept the region as a hub for trade and all sorts of exchange, as well as piracy and more recently drug smuggling
Find out why US is lagging behind in terms of attracting investments and exercising soft power influence in the region - and what can be done to counter malign influences more effectively
See how Venezuela and Cuba, as well as the gang-ridden Haiti, are creating security vulnerabilities and what that means for US interest
Learn more about why despite relative inactivity, there are so many joint military exercises with the US and what that portends about the near future of maritime security in the Caribbean
What should US policy be concerning corruption, democracy, and regional stability?
.... and so much more!