Geopolitics

Taking Stock of WikiLeaks

By George Friedman Julian Assange has declared that geopolitics will be separated into pre-“Cablegate” and post-“Cablegate” eras. That was a bold claim. However, given the intense interest that the leaks produced, it is a claim that ought to be carefully considered. Several weeks have passed

Geopolitical Journey, Part 5: Turkey

By George Friedman We arrived in Istanbul during the festival of Eid al-Adha, which commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael on God’s command and praises the God who stayed his hand. It is a jarring holiday for me; I was taught that it was Isaac whom God saved. The dist

Geopolitics, Nationalism and Dual Citizenship

By George Friedman Geopolitics is central to STRATFOR’s methodology, providing the framework upon which we study the world. The foundation of geopolitics in our time is the study of the nation-state, and fundamental to this is the question of the relationship of the individual to the nation-state.

The Kyrgyzstan Crisis and the Russian Dilemma

By Peter Zeihan STRATFOR often discusses how Russia is on a bit of a roll. The U.S. distraction in the Middle East has offered Russia a golden opportunity to re-establish its spheres of influence in the region, steadily expanding the Russian zone of control into a shape that is eerily reminiscent of

Germany, Greece and Exiting the Eurozone

By Marko Papic, Robert Reinfrank and Peter Zeihan Rumors of the imminent collapse of the eurozone continue to swirl despite the Europeans’ best efforts to hold the currency union together. Some accounts in the financial world have even suggested that Germany’s frustration with the crisis could c

Europe, Nationalism and Shared Fate

By George Friedman The European financial crisis is moving to a new level. The Germans have finally consented to lead a bailout effort for Greece. The effort has angered the German public, which has acceded with sullen reluctance. It does not accept the idea that it is Germans’ responsibility to s

Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Resurgence

By Lauren Goodrich This past week saw another key success in Russia’s resurgence in former Soviet territory when pro-Russian forces took control of Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz revolution was quick and intense. Within 24 hours, protests that had been simmering for months spun into countrywide riots as t

China: Crunch Time

By Peter Zeihan The global system is undergoing profound change. Three powers — Germany, China and Iran — face challenges forcing them to refashion the way they interact with their regions and the world. We are exploring each of these three states in detail in three geopolitical weeklies, highli

Round up the Usual Suspects

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou claims “unprincipled speculators” have threatened to bring about a new global financial crisis by attacking Greek debt. At its recent sale of 10-year bonds Greece paid a 3.0% premium over Germany to borrow for a decade. But, according to Mr. Papandreou, it

The Meaning of Marjah

By Kamran Bokhari, Peter Zeihan and Nathan Hughes On Feb. 13, some 6,000 U.S. Marines, soldiers and Afghan National Army (ANA) troops launched a sustained assault on the town of Marjah in Helmand province. Until this latest offensive, the U.S. and NATO effort in Afghanistan had been constrained by o