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OPI Seminar: Tech & Security
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Vibe Hacking: An Emerging Cyber Threat
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Airstrikes on Drug Traffickers in the Caribbean
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Ukraine’s Abducted Children: Humanitarian Impact and the Road Ahead
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MS-13 Unmasked: Anatomy of a Decentralized Network
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Promoting Evidence-based Policy and Good Governance

Cyber Security & Info Technologies

Oct 1 , 2025

Op-Ed

Vibe Hacking: An Emerging Cyber Threat

AI has become a buzzword in the tech world, often incorporated into many new products or services – even into things you would not expect, such as toasters and toothbrushes. It has the potential to enhance human knowledge, advance technology, and contribute to building a brighter future. However, it is

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Defense & Security, Americas

Sep 22 , 2025

Op-Ed

Airstrikes on Drug Traffickers in the Caribbean

Introduction In September 2025, the United States conducted a series of airstrikes against suspected drug traffickers operating off Venezuela’s coast, marking the first publicly known instance of U.S. airstrikes being used against traffickers at sea outside a traditional warzone. The strikes reflect a sharp escalation in counternarcotics operations. This article

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Cyber Security & Info Technologies

Sep 17 , 2025

Webinar

OPI Seminar Program on Tech & Security

Orion Policy Institute (OPI) will be hosting an online seminar program on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, between 10 am – 12:50 pm EST to discuss the latest trends and strategies shaping the modern landscape of technology and international security. Register here. The seminar schedule is as follows: 10:00 am –

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Democracy & Human Rights, Europe & Central Asia

Sep 10 , 2025

Op-Ed

Ukraine’s Abducted Children: Humanitarian Impact and the Road Ahead

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Three years after Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the war continues to have devastating consequences for civilians. A quarter of Ukrainians have fled the country, and millions more have been internally displaced. Furthermore, nearly 13 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. As the attacks continue, the lives

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Africa

Sep 5 , 2025

Policy Brief

Betting on Addis Ababa: Meloni’s African Strategy Between Realpolitik and Risk

At a time when Ethiopia is experiencing domestic instability, Rome is doubling down on its support for Abiy Ahmed — a bold move that combines opportunity with significant political risk. The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit on 27–28 July 2025 — which marks her second trip in two years

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Crime & Justice, Terrorism & Extremism, Americas

Sep 2 , 2025

Research Report

MS-13 Unmasked: Anatomy of a Decentralized Network

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Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and transnational criminal organization (TCO) by the U.S. federal government, has its origins in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. At that time, El Salvador was engulfed in a civil war between the government and leftist guerrilla forces, most notably the

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Democracy & Human Rights, Africa

Aug 19 , 2025

Research

Women and the Path for Peace in Africa: Ethiopia

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Ethiopia today is characterized by growing fragmentation and eruptions of violence since the catastrophic Tigray war. The civil war, which lasted from 2020 to 2022, has claimed more than 500,000 soldiers and 360,000 civilians, making it one of the deadliest conflicts since the end of the Cold War. Beyond the

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Democracy & Human Rights, Terrorism & Extremism, Middle East

Aug 17 , 2025

Op-Ed

Another Kurdish Resolution Process Underway: Between Hope and Contradictions

This article was first published in the Manara Magazine.   Another fast-track Kurdish peace process[i] is underway in Turkey. Is it aiming to resolve the decades-old Kurdish issue or pull together a minimum winning coalition for Erdoğan to maintain his rule? The peace process has already led to the Kurdistan

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Latest Research

Americas, Indo – Pacific

May 14 , 2025

Policy Brief

The US and China Looking for a Way Out of the Tariff Wars

The trade war between the United States and China has reached a turning point after April 2025. Beginning in April with the US imposing tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods and China responding with 125% duties on American products, trade among the world’s two top economies has de

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Middle East

May 12 , 2025

Policy Brief

Gulf Arab Engagement with Russia

Last month, the Emir of Qatar and the Sultan of Oman visited Moscow, where they met with President Vladimir Putin. These visits to the Kremlin highlight Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members’ efforts to deepen ties with Russia across geopolitical, security, energy, economic, and diplomatic fronts. Such engagements affirm Moscow’s enduring

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Africa

May 6 , 2025

Policy Brief

Sudan’s Civil War and the Gulf Chessboard

Similar to other current global crises – such as those in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Democratic Republic of Congo – the conflict in Sudan appears difficult to resolve through negotiations. There are two main factors contributing to this difficulty. First, both parties view the conflict through a zero-sum

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Middle East

May 5 , 2025

Policy Brief

Why Does Saudi Arabia Welcome Nuclear Talks?

In 2002, when the People’s Mojahedin Organization, the exiled opposition group of the Islamic Republic of Iran, revealed the hidden aspects of Iran’s nuclear industry development in a hotel in Washington, the international community, including the Arab countries of the region and the Persian Gulf monarchies, felt fear and vulnerability

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Cyber Security & Info Technologies

Apr 25 , 2025

Policy Brief

An Analysis of ATM and Point-of-Sale Skimming

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ATM and POS skimming is a recurring societal problem, especially with the changing technological world. Recently, police discovered ATM skimming devices at convenience stores in York County and Lancaster County[1]. In Philadelphia, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were compromised due to skimming devices[2]. Although these are three macro-level events,

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Middle East

Apr 8 , 2025

Policy Brief

Omani Diplomacy and Prospects for Trump’s Presidency

Oman, an oasis of peace and stability in the turbulent Middle East, largely attributes its foreign policy’s success to its neutrality. Omani diplomacy has the potential to help President Donald J. Trump fulfill his 2024 campaign pledge to become a peacemaker in the Middle East. Omanis stress that their neutrality

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