Ten people with reported ties to the Islamic State were arrested in Russia over the weekend. The planned attacks come in the wake of Russia’s recent bombardment of Syria, and this development adds confidence to the statement that Russia’s internal security has suffered as a result of their involvement in the Syrian Civil War. Continue reading
Muslim protests against the Christian governor of Jakarta show that ISIS has risen in popularity and will continue to be a concern in Indonesia even as it weakens in Iraq and Syria. Continue reading
Four US states will feature gun legislation initiatives on their respective ballots in this year’s upcoming Presidential election. Given that the 2012 Presidential election saw only one state feature such an initiative on its ballot, this spike may suggest that recent mass shootings have instigated coordinated state level initiatives for policy change. Continue reading
A recent report from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Korea’s spy agency, indicated that public executions have increased this year under Kim Jong-un, compared to last year. It can be stated with low confidence that the stability of the North Korean government has the potential to be negatively impacted by the executions. Continue reading
With the joint operation to clear the Islamic state from its territorial control of Mosul in full swing, a prominent Iraqi Kurdish leader has signified that the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) will pressure Baghdad for its independence following the battle. This seems to signify that, despite cooperation between the KRG and the Iraqi Government in their joint endeavor to clear ISIS from Mosul, the autonomous Kurdish government is still intent on seeking an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. Continue reading
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