By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 21 February 2026 (IDN) — Terrified by the likelihood of losing the Republican majority in the House and facing the prospect of impeachment, Trump is determined to steal the midterm election by any means, however menacing or unconstitutional they may be, to deprive the Democrats of their nearly assured […]
Iran Crisis Exposes the Impotence of America’s Neoliberal War Machine
By Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK | 20 February 2026 (IDN) — After some delays, the United States is dispatching a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, from the Caribbean to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and threaten Iran. This is the third Atlantic crossing […]
Situation Report – Horn of Africa No. 705 – 19 February 2025
SITUATION REPORT – HORN OF AFRICA & NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
No. 705 – 19 February 2026
A ‘Wrecking-ball’ Smashing the International Order
By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK | 19 February 2026 (IDN) — The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC), held from February 13–15 in Munich, Germany, convened global leaders at a moment of mounting geopolitical strain. Long regarded as a premier forum for international security dialogue, this year’s conference unfolded against the backdrop of what its organizers […]
Iran, War, and the Illusion of Control
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 18 February 2026 (IDN) — As U.S.–Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program continue under the shadow of possible military action, both Washington and Tehran must weigh carefully the potentially catastrophic regional consequences of failure. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced President Trump during their recent meeting that now is […]
Human Rights and the U.S. Presidency
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 18 February 2026 (IDN) — Jimmy Carter liked to think of himself as a human rights president. Many of us believed he heralded a new spring. Spring is coming again now. Snowdrops and crocuses are pushing through the frost; daffodils are preparing to bloom; trees along the Potomac will […]
Europe Now Needs the Courage to Pursue Peace
A call for peace on the 4th anniversary of the war in Ukraine By Harald Kujat, Michael von der Schulenburg* BRUSSELS | 16 February 2026 (IDN) — The world is currently experiencing one of the most profound geopolitical upheavals since the end of the Second World War – an upheaval in which the European Union […]
Russia Optimising Partnership With Burkina Faso
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW | 16 February 2026 (IDN) — Russia and Burkina Faso have moved quickly to finalise a number of key documents forming the bedrock of their future strategic partnership. The agreements span multiple agencies, signalling concrete progress on understandings reached by both leaders, including during President Ibrahim Traoré’s visit to Russia […]
From Exile to Power: Bangladesh Votes for Change and Reform
By Raghav Kumar* SYDNEY | 15 February 2026 (IDN) — The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats in the 13th general elections, reports Hindustan Times. India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China were swift to congratulate BNP’s leadership while emphasizing the elections’ peaceful, transparent nature. BNP’s decisive victory […]
After New START: Ban the Bomb
Why nuclear abolition must replace deterrence and treaty illusion By Ramesh Jaura* This article first appeared on rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 14 February 2026 (IDN) — The New START treaty expired on 4 February 2026, marking what many see as a dangerous shift in global security. The last accord limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals—together nearly 90 […]