Philippine Navy Adds to Regional Arms Build-Up

Published on Jan 24, 2014 by Luke Hunt

The Philippine navy hopes to add two more warships to its fleet as Southeast Asian countries continue to expand their militaries in response to the Chinese government’s increasingly assertive territorial ambitions in the South China Sea, also known as the West Philippine Sea.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Getting the Free Syrian Army on Message

Published on Nov 9, 2013 by Luke Hunt

By LUKE HUNT / IstanbulIn an up-market hotel tucked away in Cihangir, the bohemian quarter of Istanbul, sits a barrel-chested American known to a few in media circles for his work in 30 countries. His name is a guarded secret and his job as a media advisor has included senior brass in the United States military, militants and jihadists.He knows his business and avoids industry cliché’s and buzz words while opting for a minimalist approach. His clients are not journalists nor are they media savvy. Nearly all are difficult, activists in some shape or form and his latest mission is no exception, it’s the Free Syrian Army (FSA).“It is about communications and messages,” he said after a brisk early morning....

Afghanistan: Politics and Football add Fresh Meaning to 9/11

Published on Oct 3, 2013 by Luke Hunt

This article first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / KabulThe sound of gunfire rang out across Kabul. Mobs were rampaging through the streets. Foreign and Afghan troops, fearing the capital was under attack, reached for their guns as civilians scampered for cover.It was September 11, the 12th anniversary of the al-Qaeda strikes on New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, and across Afghanistan security was tight and tensions high.The mood quickly brightened when troops realized their reaction was misguided. While bombings and firefights were being reported from the countryside, Kabul was not under attack – it was a false alarm. Afghanistan had just defeated old rivals India 2-0, winning the South Asia Football Federation Championship.Such a victory was unprecedented....

The Philippines: Counting the Costs in Zamboanga

Published on Sep 30, 2013 by Luke Hunt

In the Philippines, authorities are counting the costs of the damage inflicted by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) following its pointless raid on Zamboanga in the country’s troubled south and the lengths to which the emergency services had to go, to protect the innocent.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Misuari Costs MNLF Any Goodwill After Zamboanga Debacle

Published on Sep 20, 2013 by Luke Hunt

By storming the Southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, veteran fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) tipped popular perceptions upside down. For more than 15 years MNLF had been seen as a moderate group in a land dubbed as the alphabet soup of insurgents.Read more from Luke Hunt at The Diplomat..