Defence
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Early warning
From airport misery to warring neighbours, Monocle looks at the organisations, countries and people destined to hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in 2008.
Iron in zion
Hezbollah rockets have forced Israeli towns to be abandoned. In response, Israel is building Iron Dome, an anti-missile shield that could change the pace of diplomacy in the region and beyond.
Horn of plenty
A tiny Muslim nation in a hostile region, Djibouti is perfectly positioned to monitor Islamist militants. That’s why the US army is here and, thanks to a hearts-and-minds programme, is welcome to stay.
Final frontier
The Tajik-Afghan border is one of the world's most dangerous, central to the heroin trade. Can it be tamed? The US, EU and China are trying to help – but why?
Accidental empire
The Pacific islands are a new diplomatic battleground for China, the US and Taiwan. But it is Australia running police forces and propping up governments, raising the question: is it running an accidental empire?
Japanese MSDF
Under its post-war constitution, Japan is not allowed a navy, army or air force, only Self Defence Forces. Yet, today, the country has one of the largest, most sophisticated fleets in the world with…
