U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Diplomatic Security _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For immediate release Washington, D.C. October 12, 2022 Former aide to retired Iowa U.S. Rep. Jim Leach named as head of threat operations at U.S. Department of State Paul Houston, who has spent a lifetime overseas, was named the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director of... Continue Reading →
The Meridian Summit & Tackling Washington, D.C.
This weekend, a group of Patterson students travelled to Washington, D.C. to attend the Meridian Summit at the United States Institute of Peace. This was the first in-person Summit since COVID-19, and this year, the focus was primarily on issues facing cyberspace. The Summit was split into two locations: the Main Stage and the Innovation... Continue Reading →
The South China Sea, Chinese Aggression, & Alleged Assault: The Fall Simulation
On October 7th & 8th, the Patterson School and the Army War College participated in the annual negotiation exercise. This exercise consisted of several countries working together to overcome issues facing the South China Sea. The countries that participated in this simulation were the United States, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan. The... Continue Reading →
Kidnappings, Assassination Attempts, Military Coups, and a Humanitarian Crisis: Patterson Students Take on the Crisis Simulation
On February 24 & 25, the Patterson School held its annual crisis simulation. With the help of Patterson faculty, former Patterson students organized a simulation to conduct the first in-person crisis simulation since the pandemic began. Below is a summary of the simulation. The simulation consisted of five teams: Venezuela, Peru, China, Colombia, and the... Continue Reading →
Mosque Attacked by Pakistani Taliban
Written by Allan Millward February 5, 2023 Tragedy has struck Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan after a suicide bomber blew up a mosque killing more than 80 people and injuring around 217. The mosque was situated inside a police compound and attended mostly by law enforcement officials. Conflicting messages from the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP)... Continue Reading →
Bolsonaro Involved in Coup Against Brazil?
Written by Ciara Perez February 5, 2023 On January 26, Brazilian magazine Veja released audio of Senator Marcos do Val, formerly a close ally of Bolsonaro, in which he claimed that the former president had been plotting a way to remain in power and overturn the election. The audio was released after the senator denied... Continue Reading →
Pro-Western Candidate Defeats Oligarch in Czech Republic Presidential Election
Written by Ash Breedlove February 5, 2023 On January 28th, General Petr Pavel was elected president in the Czech Republic. Pavel is a former army chief and NATO official who has been vocal about his pro-Western views. Pavel’s opponent, billionaire Andrej Babis, spouted populist rhetoric in his campaign and portrayed Pavel as a warmonger for... Continue Reading →
Algeria Enjoys a European Embrace
Written by Jesse Moore February 5, 2023 Energy-hungry Europeans are keeping an ineffective regime afloat. Despite recent rows with Spain and its dark colonial past with France, relations between Algeria and major European powers are on the mend. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune last month, highlighting Algeria’s importance for... Continue Reading →
Scarcity, Protests, and the Many Intrigues Before Nigeria’s General Elections
Written by Osetemega Iribiri February 5, 2023 In November 2022, Nigeria's outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari, unveiled the newly designed naira denominations of N1000, N500, and N200 introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said significant cash withdrawals from financial institutions would be monitored and scrutinized. He affirmed that the... Continue Reading →
Mozambique: Global win & domestic setback
by Osetemega Iribiri Ambassador Pedro Comissário Afonso Source: Sputnik International Mozambique was inaugurated into the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member on January 24 when its ambassador, Pedro Comissário Afonso, installed its national flag with other members outside the council chambers. The country won the election in June 2022 to serve for two years, giving... Continue Reading →
Egypt’s Unfortunate Anniversary
by Jesse Moore Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Source: CNN The tenth anniversary of the coup that brought Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to power is approaching. Unfortunately for Egyptians, it won’t be an occasion for celebration. In the most populous Arab country, 60 million people live below or slightly above the poverty line. Russia’s invasion of... Continue Reading →
Ukraine Secures Modernized Tanks
by Ash Breedlove German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Source: BBC On January 25th, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Germany would send fourteen Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, allowing other nations with these German-made vehicles to send them as well. Poland has been lobbying Berlin for permission to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine for months. Along... Continue Reading →
Political Protests in Peru
by Ciara Perez Peru has been facing political protests since December 7, 2022, when President Pedro Castillo was ousted from power after an attempt to avoid impeachment by dissolving Congress. His actions resulted in impeachment, and his vice president, Dina Boluarte, stepped in, making her the sixth president in six years. Following this change in... Continue Reading →
Kazakhstan Announces Parliamentary Elections
by Allan Millward Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Tokayev Source:RFE/RL Almost a year after deadly anti-government riots engulfed the country, President Tokayev dissolved Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament, the Majjlis, and called for an election on March 19, 2023. The legislative election was initially slated for 2025 but was pushed up in response to last year's protests.... Continue Reading →