The Americas

Despite the destruction left behind on The Bahamas, predominantly on Abaco and Grand Bahama islands, Hurricane Dorian provided a stark example of how Armed Forces from the Caribbean, and larger regional and global powers, can come together to provide initial relief and helped set the stage for civilian organizations to follow on and provide long-term humanitarian aid.

Whilst not an easy task, the potential establishment of a US national space forces serves as a cautionary reminder that space is no longer the unknown, but a tangible domain for human exploration and exploitation.

Rather than simply being name changes, the appointments of Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Gina Haspel may signal the beginnings of a shift in White House foreign policy stance.

With the 2020 Democratic primary field looking to be incredibly large, there are a whole host of potential stances that candidates could take. Furthermore, the unpredictability of Trump means that the Democrats could be forced to shift onto new ground.

From his gung-ho use of Twitter through to his policy proposals that have aimed to radically change the scope of US and world affairs, it is clear that Trump has set about doing things in his own way without regard for criticism, difficulties or consequences.

RealClear Defense has published HSC senior fellow Rowan Allport's call for the US to adopt a Aegis-based homeland missile defence system as part of its strategy for defeating the threat from cruise and ballistic missiles.

That there is a need to rebuild the US Navy is disputed by few in the mainstream. Initially at least, readiness needs to be prioritised by beginning to clear the many years of deferred maintenance that have undermined the fleet. But in the longer run, building up both numbers and capabilities matter.

The signing of a peace agreement between the State and the FARC will open the door to the transitional road to peace. To complete the transition successfully it will require an ad hoc legal structure that can accommodate the demands of the FARC for demobilizing its members.

Since a 2006 crackdown by the Calderon government against drug cartels operating within Mexico, some estimates put the death toll as high as 120,000.[1] Despite staggering statistics such as these and multiple acts of public brutality, the conflict - and its severity - remains a relative unknown in the West.

Whilst both Vietnam and the US suffered a massive trauma as a result of the conflict between the two countries, the status the war occupies today in these nations is more as a set of personal tragedies, rather than a cultural and institutional monolith that defines the relationship between them. If handled correctly, enhanced collaboration could offer the prospect of massive and almost cost-free foreign policy benefits for both countries.