Hannah Gurman

Ten Years and One Month Later

When I look back on the news cycle over the last two months, I think of 9/11 and floods. On the morning of Aug. 28, I turned on the television and watched as the local newscaster showed the Hudson River lapping against the top of the concrete bulkhead, threatening to rush into the streets of … Continue reading “Ten Years and One Month Later”

The CIA’s Selective Secrecy

From the coups that ousted Mohammed Mossadegh, Jacobo Arbenz, and Salvador Allende in the Cold War to the waterboarding of suspected terrorists in the Global War on Terror, the CIA has built a solid reputation as an extralegal agent of international sabotage and murder. Since the agency’s creation in 1947, successive U.S. presidents and their … Continue reading “The CIA’s Selective Secrecy”

War Fatigue and the Uncritical Critics of War

From Iraq to Afghanistan to Libya, the first decade of the 21st century has solidified the U.S. reputation as the energizer bunny of war. While these conflicts continue to rage on, there are a growing number of signs that even the United States has a limit to how much war it is willing to wage. … Continue reading “War Fatigue and the Uncritical Critics of War”

Bigger than Blackwater: Arming the UAE

The International Defense Exhibition, otherwise known as IDEX, has been held bi-annually in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 1993. It is the largest defense expo in the Middle East and North Africa and one of the biggest in the world. But far from being a one-off, it highlights the UAE’s growing stature as a … Continue reading “Bigger than Blackwater: Arming the UAE”

Will US Use Punjab Governor’s Death as Pretext for More Drone Attacks?

On Tuesday morning, the reports of Salman Taseer’s assassination topped headlines around the world. Taseer, the governor of Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province, had been killed by one of his own security guards in a market in Islamabad. The assassination comes amidst mounting political chaos in Pakistan, marked by the instability of the government’s ruling coalition and … Continue reading “Will US Use Punjab Governor’s Death as Pretext for More Drone Attacks?”