(By Khalid Masood) The strategic environment of the Persian Gulf has long been predicated on the technological superiority of Western-supplied air defence systems, forming the bedrock of the security architecture for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. This paradigm was fundamentally challenged on September 9, 2025, when an Israeli military strike successfully penetrated the airspace…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction In the covert world of espionage, the most dangerous weapons are often not guns or missiles, but charm, trust, and conversation. The curious case of Catherine Pérez-Shakdam, a French journalist-turned-Islamic convert, is not merely a tale of betrayal — it is a piercing indictment of the modern vulnerabilities in national security….
(By Khalid Masood) In June 2025, the United Kingdom marked a historic milestone in its intelligence history with the appointment of Blaise Metreweli as the first woman to lead the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Set to assume the role of Chief, codenamed “C,” in October 2025, Metreweli, at 47, succeeds Sir Richard Moore, who steps…
