Posts By: Jacob Charles

Spreading instability

Lina Kolesnikova warns that political and social instability will continue to spread across the Middle East and North Africa, and argues that civil society could play a key role in pushing back Islamist hegemony   Last year, four Arab countries – Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen – joined the sad list of failed states whose… Read more »

Blocked in

Rolf Gebhardt and Norman Gregory examine the problem obstructing vehicles present to IEDD officers attempting to defuse a VBIED, and outline a new vehicle-moving system which could save valuable time and even lives   Each new terrorist attack committed around the world, and each renewed statement by international terror groups about their intentions to continue… Read more »

Inside explosive effects

Dr John Wyatt examines how stand off solutions and blast mitigation can be designed into vulnerable buildings to protect personnel and property from the explosive effects of VBIEDs The use of explosives by terrorists, extremists or individuals has not abated despite increased security measures and procedures. The current threat level in the UK is “Substantial”… Read more »

Instability Africa

John Chisholm looks deeper into the unrest spreading across the continent, and asks to what extent Western policies are sowing the seeds for long-term instability   While the world focuses on the headline-grabbing issues in Ukraine and the increasingly brutal behaviour of ISIS, Africa is still bedevilled with internal dissent that challenges governments whose authority… Read more »

March of the caliphate

Anthony Tucker-Jones charts the alarming expansion of the Islamic State terror group   Osama bin Laden, the late leader of al-Qaeda, dreamed of the return of the 7th Century Islamic Caliphate that once stretched across the Middle East and North Africa. Such aspirations were a dream in the face of the realities of geopolitics –… Read more »

Collaborative EOD

Chanan Levin discusses the latest challenges faced by EOD operatives working in urban areas, and calls for an international IED database to share research and experience   In recent years, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have become more widespread. As terrorist networks grow internationally, extremists from around the world turn to the Internet to learn how… Read more »

Ballooning surveillance

Timothy Compston finds out why aerostats are making their mark in the on-going battle to secure borders and critical infrastructure from a wide array of threats and to thwart drugs smugglers on land and sea   Although drones are very much in the news at the moment, aerostats are one family of aerial systems which… Read more »

Regional Threat Watch: Africa

Extremist groups proliferate Valerie Kong explores the threat posed by national and international extremist groups across Africa   Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) The resurgence of the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) franchise and affiliated groups in the Sahel region will continue to be a threat, given opportunities emerging from deteriorating states in… Read more »

On the airwaves

Steve Pearson assesses the communications systems available to the emergency services during major incidents and asks whether they can provide effective command and control   At a recent meeting between this writer and Kevin Roberts, the Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, he explained that, while he was at the Pentagon advising on how Brand… Read more »

Beyond dot tracking

Giles Peeters examines the developments in satellite tracking of high valued cargo through hostile environments, and highlights emerging capabilities which ensure far greater security   One of the most challenging elements of any first responder scenario is maintaining cargo security as it’s transported to and from an operation. Whether it’s keeping track of ISO containers… Read more »