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About Oliver Scanlan

Oliver Scanlan lives in Parbatipur, Bangladesh where he works for a local NGO which advocates for indigenous peoplesâÛª rights. He has studied Chinese and spent a year studying in Beijing, which inspired his twin passions for global affairs and tricky languages. He is an intern for oD's terrorism and security section.

Articles by Oliver Scanlan

Friday 29th July

Libyan rebel military chief assassinated

Oliver Scanlan, 29 July 2011
The commander of Libyan rebel military forces has been murdered in Benghazi. Israeli President Shimon Peres is reportedly engaged in clandestine talks with Palestinian representatives. In Afghanistan, 23 people have been reported killed by roadside bombs. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Friday 15th July

Spectre of US-China tensions as budget crisis continues

Oliver Scanlan, 15 July 2011
The US’s most senior military officer criticises China military posture as deficit deadlock continues. Afghan civilian casualties reach record high. Hizbollah strikes a defiant tone over Lebanon’s gas reserves. All in today’s security update…
Friday 1st July

Tensions rise between Israel and Hizbollah after Hariri indictiments

Oliver Scanlan, 1 July 2011
All eyes are on the Hizbollah-dominated Lebanese government as the UN indicts senior members over the Hariri killing. Referendum begins on Morocco’s revised constitution. US applying pressure on Syrian opposition to engage with Assad. All this and more, in today’s security briefing…
Friday 3rd June

Yemen on the verge of collapse

Oliver Scanlan, 3 June 2011
Endemic violence continues across Yemen as tribal forces contest with loyalist troops for control of the capital. Nato extends its campaign in Libya as high level defections from the Gaddafi regime continue. A former Mossad chief criticises the Israeli government’s security posture. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Saturday 14th May

Bin laden ‘revenge’ suicide bombing kills 80 in Pakistan

Oliver Scanlan, 14 May 2011
Eighty people die in the first Bin Laden revenge killing by the Pakistani Taliban as coalition leaders consider expedited troop draw down. Libyan rebel leaders are in Washington to seek US recognition and financial support. Colombian rebels are implicated in assassination attempts against political rivals of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Monday 2nd May

Israeli Foreign Minister urges boycott of PA – Hamas government

Oliver Scanlan, 2 May 2011
Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman calls on the International Community to boycott potential Hamas – PA government. Syrian crackdown intensifies as demonstrators continue to defy the regime. Clashes continue between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed border region. All this and more, in today’s security briefing…
Friday 22nd April

Armed drone attacks sanctioned in Libya

Oliver Scanlan, 22 April 2011
The United States begins using drones in Libya as Europe sends in military advisers. Syrian regime appears increasingly vulnerable as Assad ends 48 years of emergency rule. Communal violence continues in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Friday 25th March

Confusion continues as NATO assumes leadership of Libya no-fly zone

Oliver Scanlan, 25 March 2011
NATO’s assumption of command over the Libya no-fly zone increases confusion over the aims of the allied campaign against Gaddafi. Davis incident has potentially eviscerated US intelligence operations in Pakistan. Jerusalem faces its first terrorist attack in six years. All this and more, in today’s security briefing.
Saturday 26th February

International commission calls for inquest into Bangladesh ethnic violence

Oliver Scanlan, 26 February 2011
The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission calls for an impartial commission of inquiry to investigate ethnic unrest in Bangladesh’s restive Chittagong Hill Tracts region. Libya stands on the brink of civil war as the international community begins to respond. Iranian warships have docked at a Syrian port as Israel accuses Iran of making a ‘provocation’.
Friday 11th February

Contested narratives and security implications as protests continue across the Arab world

Oliver Scanlan, 11 February 2011
Western commentary is divided as Obama rebukes Mubarak’s intransigence. Hizbollah and Iran laud the protesters as the PA and Hamas join other Arab governments in clamping down on displays of support. Israeli security policy is in disarray in the face of international pressure and domestic strife. All this and more, in today’s security briefing…
Friday 21st January

Little optimism as Turkey hosts Iran nuclear talks

Oliver Scanlan, 21 January 2011
Expectations are low in latest round of Iranian nuclear talks. US threat to redeploy military forces instrumental in Beijing clamping down on Pyongyang. South Sudan set to ‘overwhelmingly’ vote for independence. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Sunday 16th January

Hariri returns to Beirut as Lebanon teeters on the brink of chaos

Oliver Scanlan, 16 January 2011
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri returns to Beirut in the face of opposition demands that he remain in exile. Years of political repression in Tunisia may be at an end as President Ben Ali flees the country. Iraqi soldiers shoot US counterparts, wounding three. All this and much more, in today’s security update…
Saturday 1st January

The year in security

Daniel C Giacopelli, Oliver Scanlan, and Luke Heighton, 1 January 2011
openSecurity's briefings team highlight a selection of security developments from the past year and the clues they hold for 2011.
Friday 17th December

China seeks to calm Pakistan over closer India ties

Oliver Scanlan, 17 December 2010
China seeks to allay Pakistan’s concerns over closer ties to India. India is implicated in mass human rights abuses of Kashmiri detainees. EU foreign ministers keep pressure on Israeli over settlements and Gaza. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Friday 10th December

Burma implicated in nuclear weapons construction

Oliver Scanlan, 10 December 2010
The Myanmar military government is allegedly attempting to gain nuclear weapons with the aid of North Korea. Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia. A major new pipeline is set to be agreed on by central and south Asian leaders in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. All this and more, in today’s security update.
Friday 26th November

Korean peninsula on ‘the brink of war’

Oliver Scanlan, 26 November 2010
On Friday, the official news service of North Korea accused the US and South Korea of pushing the peninsula to the brink of war. Israeli armed forces have been witnessed demolishing a mosque and other buildings in the occupied West Bank. Nouri al-Maliki has been asked by the Iraqi President to form a new government as bomb blasts across Iraq kill nine and injure over fifteen. All this and more, in today’s security update.
Friday 19th November

Confusion over US-Israel settlement deal

Oliver Scanlan, 19 November 2010
The US and Israel deadlocked over settlement negotiations. The speaker of the Lebanese National Assembly has said the Israeli withdrawal from Ghajar does not mean the end of resistance. French President Sarkozy is under increasing pressure to speak out over his complicity in using funds from arms sales to Pakistan to fund a Presidential campaign. NATO chiefs meet at a crucial summit in Lisbon. All this and more in today’s security update…
Friday 29th October

Hizbollah chief urges Lebanese to boycott Hariri investigation

Oliver Scanlan, 29 October 2010
Hassan Nasrallah calls for a boycott of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. A diplomatic row between China and Japan over disputed island territories flares up at an Asean summit. Iran has agreed to renew negotiations over its nuclear programme. Gunfire breaks out along the border between North and South Korea. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Friday 22nd October

Israeli-Palestinian peace will isolate Iran, suggests Peres

Oliver Scanlan, 22 October 2010
Israeli President calls for Israeli-Palestinian peace as a means to isolate Iran. As the US and Pakistan foreign ministers meet to agree a new arms package, it is reported that the US will severe military aid to Pakistan army units implicated in committing atrocities in the Swat valley. Six Pakistan troops are killed in a roadside blast on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. All this and more, in today’s security update…
Friday 15th October

Arab League may seek direct UN recognition of Palestinian state

Oliver Scanlan, 15 October 2010
Members of the Arab League may seek direct United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state as Netanyahu approved further settlement construction in East Jerusalem. The US expresses its concerns over UK defence cuts. Aid workers are kidnapped in Somalia. All this and more, in today’s security update…
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