The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

Lightning illuminates a house after a tornado touched down in Jefferson County, Ala., damaging several houses, Friday, Dec. 25, 2015, in Birmingham, Ala. A Christmastime wave of severe weather continued Friday. Death Toll Reaches 17 After Severe Storms in South - ABC News 10 Tuareg Fighters Killed in Mali By Suspected Islamists The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein’s. - The Washington Post Top Rebel's Death in Syria Reshuffles Deck Ahead of Talks - ABC News 2 killed in Chicago police officer-involved shooting - CNN.com Egypt Convicts 2 Officers Over Deadly Abuse of Detainees IS Leader Says 'Caliphate' Well, Mocks Saudi-Led Alliance - NYTimes.com German Officials: Better Control of EU Borders Needed A hug and high tea - Modi makes surprise visit to Pakistan | Reuters Police fatally shoot 2 while answering domestic call on West Side - Chicago Tribune Owl attacks officer, causes car crash - CNN.com Off-Duty Police Sergeant Arrested in

AP-Times Square Poll: Shootings Weighed on Americans in 2015 - ABC News More women choosing to arm themselves | Fox News Video At least 60 people charged with terrorism-linked crimes this year — a record - The Washington Post Obama's agenda breaks through in 2015 - POLITICO In Final Year, Obama Seeks to Stave off Lame-Duck Status - ABC News British diplomat praises Obama's presidency - POLITICO ISIS in 2015: How the Militants Fared - NBC News Assad again controls Damascus thanks to Russian air strikes and intelligence Syria war: Yarmouk camp evacuation 'on hold' - BBC News Turkish PM says pro-Kurdish HDP 'rooted in violence', cancels meeting | Reuters Kurdish group TAK claims responsibility for Istanbul airport attack | Reuters The 29 craziest things that came out of candidates' mouths in 2015 - POLITICO GOP Debates: The Wild Untruths You Missed While Donald Trump Was Talking - POLITICO Magazine Donald Trump: Relying on, Trying to Control Free

Russia will collapse ... REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin "There will not be an uprising against Moscow, but Moscow's withering ability to support and control the Russian Federation will leave a vacuum," Stratfor warns. "What will exist in this vacuum will be the individual fragments of the Russian Federation." Sanctions, declining oil prices, a plunging ruble, rising military expenses, and increasing internal discord will weaken the hold of Russia's central government over the world's largest country. Russia will not officially split into multiple countries, but Moscow's power may loosen to the point that Russia will effectively become a string of semi-autonomous regions that might not even get along with one another. "We expect Moscow's authority to weaken substantially, leading to the formal and informal fragmentation of Russia" the report states, adding, "It is unlikely that the Russian Federation will survive in its curren

CIA to make sweeping changes, focus more on cyber ops: agency chief | Reuters Citing Paris Attack, CIA Director Criticizes Surveillance Reform Efforts | Foreign Policy Intelligence Design: Putting the CIA’s Reported Reorganization in Context | The National Interest The CIA gets a makeover - The Washington Post CIA plans major reorganization and a focus on digital espionage - The Washington Post cia reform - Google Search cia reform 2015 - Google Search cia reorganization - Google Search cia restructuring - Google Search President’s Daily Brief - Google Search directorate of digital innovation - Google Search cia mission centers - Google Search cia reshuffle - Google Search cia reform brings results - Google Search

Afghan Forces Still Battling Taliban Over Southern District - The New York Times Failure in Afghan police search may have led to US deaths near Bagram Air Field - Middle East - Stripes Russia, Taliban share intelligence in ISIS fight - CNN.com Security Experts and Officials Diverge on ISIS as Hacking Threat - The New York Times Turkish Internet Servers Hit By A Barrage Of Cyberattacks Turkey Accuses Russia of Hacking Government Websites ADL Chief: Iran Has Gotten Worse on Terror, Abuses, Anti-Americanism Since Deal | The Tower Arch terrorist Samir Quntar’s two secret Iranian controllers died with him В Израиле по запросу США задержали гражданина России :: Политика :: РБК Syria 'Ready to Participate’ in Peace Talks Christians Hold Subdued Service in Violence-Wracked Bethlehem China establishes rival to World Bank - Telegraph 8 Shades of Crisis — Russia Economic Nightmare Year | News | The Moscow Times Russian investigators target Kremlin critic and Anglo-American finan