Get Tough on Saudi Nuclear Plans

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Journal of Political Risk, Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2026

By Anders Corr

Nukes should be a no-go for authoritarian countries, including Turkey and Egypt.

Decommissioned Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the Titan Missile Museum, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Arizona. Source: Stephen Cobb.

Decommissioned Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the Titan Missile Museum, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Arizona. Source: Stephen Cobb.

Saudi Arabia wants to build nuclear power plants using U.S. technology. This would be a boon to the U.S. civil nuclear energy industry and limit Russian and Chinese nuclear cooperation with Riyadh. The deal is expected to endure 30 years and yield tens of billions in revenues to U.S. companies. Westinghouse Electric Company would likely benefit from at least some of the contracts that result. China has for years outcompeted Westinghouse in exports, so a win in Saudi Arabia would be a win for the United States.

However, there is a nuclear weapons proliferation risk, especially with Saudi Arabia. The authoritarian country and U.S. ally is suspected of seeking nuclear weapons, including through reported nuclear weapons cooperation with Pakistan. According to Tim Willasey-Wilsey, who worked as a diplomat for the British government, “Saudi Arabia had helped fund Pakistan’s nuclear programme since the early 1970s, and Pakistan had reciprocated by providing troops to defend the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.” Willasey-Wilsey was informed in 2010 that “two nuclear-armed aircraft (probably Mirage IIIs at the time) with Pakistani air and ground crews would be placed at the disposal of the Saudis at moments of crisis.” Continue reading →

How a $0.03 Nitrile Glove Could Shut Down America’s Reindustrialization

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A Nitrile Butadiene Rubber production facility in the countryside, surrounded by grassy land, with steep hills in the background.

Blue Star NBR’s nitrile butadiene rubber facility in Wytheville, Virginia, May 2023. Photo courtesy of the author.

Journal of Political Risk, Vol. 14, No. 2, February 2026

By Scott Maier 

The U.S. spent more than $200 billion to establish a thriving domestic semiconductor industry. It  recently took urgent action to secure critical minerals and rare earth metals for defense, AI, and other critical technological applications. It took these actions because it is unsafe to continue relying on a foreign adversary, China, for critical goods and the raw materials used to produce them. 

What all of the above items have in common is that nitrile gloves are required in their manufacturing process. While most people associate nitrile gloves with doctors and nurses, healthcare represents only 30% of their use. The majority of gloves, 50%-60%, are used in an industrial setting. All of the  critical manufacturing areas where the Department of War is supporting reshoring efforts require  workers to wear gloves: critical minerals, rare earth elements, composite materials, batteries,  industrial magnets, and energetics (TNT, C4 and other explosives). 

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Securitizing the Critical Minerals Supply Chain

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An image of a large open-pit mining site with layers of soil and rock, featuring a large excavator extracting minerals.

A bucket-wheel excavator operating in a large open-pit mine, December 2012. Source: Pixabay.

Journal of Political Risk, Vol. 13, No. 9, September 2025

By Yan Bennett

For the purpose of securing American access to critical mineral supply chains and countering Chinese dominance in the sector, members of the Senate introduced the Critical Minerals Security Act in March of this year. During both his administrations, President Trump has made critical minerals a key component of his national policy. These developments show the strategic importance of critical minerals in the American economy and toward national security. 

 

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Boy Scouts and National Security: More Than Just Merit Badges

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A Boy Scout Troop walking on the deck of an aircraft carrier during the day.

Boy Scout Troop 1571 touring the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) in 2018, docked at Naval Base Kitsap–Bremerton, Washington State. Photo courtesy of the author.

Journal of Political Risk, Vol. 13, No. 8, August 2025

By Roan Aidane

Given geopolitical unrest and fluctuating enlistment rates of youths within the armed services, it is worthwhile to recall an institution that has a track record of effectively preparing youth for the American military while building America’s civic capacity: Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America, BSA). Scouting America stands as an underutilized resource in national security and military readiness. The death of the bills, H.R. 5622 in the House and S. 4499 as part of the “Youth Lead Act,” in the 118th Congress, underscores the undervaluation of Scouting America as an organization critical to U.S. national security.

 

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The Persistent Crisis of Gender-Based Violence: A Political Risk Lens

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Journal of Political Risk, Vol. 13, No. 7, July 2025

Ni Una Menos march in Buenos Aires on 3 June 2024.

Ni Una Menos march in Buenos Aires on 3 June 2024. Credit: Prensa Obrera via Wikimedia Commons

By Stephanie Wild

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25 served as a reminder of the global crisis of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and femicide. These issues are not confined to private tragedies but reflect broader governance failures and social instabilities, making them a critical political risk. High rates of SGBV and femicide weaken public trust in institutions, destabilize communities, and impose significant economic costs, all of which threaten national and regional stability.

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