Research Papers

By Habib Al-Badawi Introduction: From Shadow Diplomacy to Historic Breakthrough The escalating conflagration in Sudan has commanded international attention since April 2023, when a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into full-scale civil war. Yet the emergence of Massad Boulos as U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa …

The Boulos Factor: Shadow Diplomacy and the Quest for Peace in Sudan Read More »

Authored By: Prof. Habib Badawi, Mr. Ali Kassab ABSTRACT This study examines the December 2024 collapse of the Syrian regime as a case of intelligence-led displacement—regime change achieved through covert paralysis of command structures rather than military defeat. Within eleven days, a government that survived thirteen years of civil war ceased functioning without decisive battle, …

SILENT REGIME CHANGE: INTELLIGENCE-LED DISPLACEMENT AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE SYRIAN REGIME Read More »

By Habib-Al Badawi Introduction: The End of an Era The  November 2025 National Security Strategy represents the first comprehensive articulation since the Cold War’s end of an American vision that explicitly abandons ideological frameworks shaping global posture for three decades. The document positions the United States not as the architect of “liberal order” but as …

American Grand Strategy in the Post-Hegemonic Era: From Universal Order to Hemispheric Primacy Read More »

By Habib Al Badawi When Killing Becomes Commerce: The Milan Investigation as Moral Reckoning The Siege of Sarajevo remains one of the starkest illustrations of systematic violence against civilians in late twentieth-century Europe. Beneath the familiar narrative of snipers and shelling lies a more disturbing layer: the Milan investigation reveals that killing civilians in Sarajevo …

Hunting Humans:  The Paid Killers of Sarajevo and the Milan Investigation Read More »

Prof. Habib BadawiDepartment of History, Lebanese University, Beirut, LebanonEmail: [email protected] | [email protected]: 0000-0002-6452-8379 | Scopus Author ID: 58675152100 Mr. Daniel AyoubDepartment of History, Lebanese University, Beirut, LebanonEmail: [email protected] The Horn of Africa occupies a unique strategic position at the intersection of Africa, the Middle East, and critical maritime trade routes connecting Europe and Asia. Comprising …

Contemporary Geopolitical Competition in the Horn of Africa: Strategic Resources, Maritime Control, and Great Power Rivalry Read More »

A Case Study in Values-Based Leadership and Democratic Renewal By Professor Habib Al-Badawi In October 2025, Kimi Onoda walked into Tokyo’s Imperial Palace for her cabinet inauguration wearing a gleaming silver dress that immediately sparked social media speculation (Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, 2025). Was it borrowed? A fashion misstep? Within hours, she responded on …

Kimi Onoda: Authenticity as Authority in Contemporary Japanese Politics Read More »

By: Prof. Habib Badawi & Dr. Nicholas Howard Introduction: The Paradox of Hegemonic Strength The transformation of American global leadership presents a fundamental paradox that challenges conventional wisdom about hegemonic power and its exercise. While the United States retains overwhelming material capabilities, its capacity to build and maintain international coalitions has demonstrably diminished. This study …

From Fox to Wolf: U.S. Hegemonic Transformation, Domestic Democracy, and Strategic Alliances in East Asia Read More »