After a brief period of high expectations and progress following last year’s presidential election, Somalia continues to face familiar obstacles. President Hassan Sheikh’s government urgently needs to develop long-term policies and set realistic objectives. But consumed by the stalled war against Al-Shabaab, it has struggled to do so.
Campaigning has officially begun for Indonesia’s Feb. 14 presidential election, a race in which the two frontrunners are likely to face off in a runoff round. But even before the official campaign season got underway, President Joko Widodo’s dynasty-building efforts introduced no small amount of intrigue and controversy to the race.
From a military perspective, Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 was a remarkable achievement. As a strategic move, however, the attack may jeopardize much of what Hamas has achieved in its almost 40 years of existence. That raises the question of whether this attack was a miscalculation, or whether there was something more to it.
