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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

Defense & Security, Europe & Central Asia

Mar 27 , 2025

Policy Brief

The Importance of Controlling Bagram Air Base to US Interests in Afghanistan and Surrounding Areas

Recently, the U.S. has expressed the importance of who controls the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. In President Trump’s first cabinet meeting since returning to office, he and Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, discussed the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent loss of Bagram Air Base. In the meeting,

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Europe & Central Asia

Mar 21 , 2025

Policy Brief

Iran’s Foreign Affairs in the Caucasus

Iran has different foreign policy goals for various parts of its geographical periphery. The Caucasus is a matter of national security, internal stability, and international trade. Iran is not the only country with strategic interests in the Caucasus: Turkey and Russia seek to have an established presence in the region.

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Middle East

Mar 12 , 2025

Policy Brief

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Policy Shift: A New Peacemaker in the Middle East?

Saudi Arabia’s “positive neutrality” foreign policy doctrine is serving Riyadh’s interests. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has shrewdly navigated international crises, projecting the kingdom to the “forefront of world statecraft.” This has been underscored by the important Saudi role in hosting and/or mediating talks on ending

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Terrorism & Extremism, Africa

Mar 6 , 2025

Policy Brief

Islamic State in Somalia: A Global Threat and Efforts to Counter the Militants

On February 01, 2025, the United States (U.S.) conducted an airstrike against the Islamic State.[1] This was the first major military operation under the new administration in the U.S. But what is more interesting is that the target of the attack was in northern Somalia; the semi-autonomous region of Puntland

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Africa

Mar 1 , 2025

Policy Brief

From Paris to Ankara, Moscow and Budapest: Chad’s Search for New Partnerships

On 30th January, the French troops stationed in Chad completed their withdrawal. For the first time in more than sixty years, France had no soldiers on Chadian soil. This withdrawal is in line with similar actions in other countries with historical links to France, such as Niger, Mali and Burkina

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Middle East

Feb 18 , 2025

Policy Brief

Role for Gulf States in Syria’s Reconstruction

The longer-term geopolitical ramifications of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other armed groups overthrowing Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December have yet to be fully realized. Yet, a little more than two months into Syria’s post-Ba’athist period, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members and Turkey have, at least so far, emerged as

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