Navanti’s data collection and analysis are based on networks of on-the-ground researchers from all walks of life: journalists, academics, and humanitarian workers, to name a few. Our analysts also keep abreast of open source reports to inform their work. Below, these analysts have summarized and contextualized the most important pieces they have read and listened to over the past month.
London-based digital news outlet the Middle East Eye (MEE) published at the beginning of summer 2021, an article entitled “Top secret Tunisian presidential document outlines plan for ‘constitutional dictatorship.’” The article alleges that Tunisian president Kais Saied and a group of individuals in his inner-circle were conspiring to seize full power in the country by enacting a constitutional national emergency linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving Saied near far-reaching powers. The Middle East Eye cites its claim to a document it states was leaked from Tunis.
Water-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (WBIEDs) have been in use as an asymmetric warfare tactic since at least the early 1970s. The most famous incident involved the successful detonation of a bomb-laden skiff against the USS Cole on October 12, 2000. Since then, few notably successful WBIED attacks have occurred which would threaten the maritime status quo of military and civilian transit. Nevertheless, growing Iranian influence has precipitated the use of WBIEDs amongst many of their terrorist proxies abroad, most notably the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas/Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. There is evidence to suggest that while few WBIED attacks by Iranian proxies have proven successful, increasingly sophisticated and now unmanned WBIEDs will continue to develop as a mainstay of tactical options amongst members of the Iranian Threat Network (ITN).