Bessma Momani
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bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani
@bmomani.bsky.social
3.1K followers 1K following 330 posts

Professor at the University of Waterloo and Senior Fellow at CIGI, interested in International Affairs and Geopolitics of Technology.

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Political science 34%
Economics 31%
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bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 7d
My latest op-ed in Globe and Mail on AI race between China and US. Trump’s war on talent in universities and international scholars may kill what pwas US has had www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: In the roiling cold war for AI supremacy, the U.S. has let China back in the race
Decisions by the Trump White House – particularly ones dissuading the world’s top AI talent from going to America – have allowed China to assert itself
www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

chrisdornan.bsky.social
Christopher Dornan @chrisdornan.bsky.social · 14h
If the US moves militarily on Greenland, Denmark invokes NATO Article 5, and the rest of the alliance responds to the US, the first thing the Europeans will have to do is seize ever US military base on their soil. There are more than 40 of them, six airforce bases in the UK alone.

Reposted by Bessma Momani

carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 14h
It’s just kids playing Risk now. 🤡

Reposted by Juan Cole, Bessma Momani

simongandrew.bsky.social
Andrew Simon @simongandrew.bsky.social · 14h
“How does the University presume to ‘help solve the world’s problems’ by eliminating the very programs through which to understand the world’s problems?” An unsettling and important article on UNC’s decision to close six global centers. www.newsobserver.com/opinion/arti...
UNC history professor: My school is withdrawing from the world
The proposed closures at UNC threaten programs that brought $28M in external funds, undermining Carolina's global mission and faculty and student opportunities.
www.newsobserver.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

ninajankowicz.com
Nina Jankowicz @ninajankowicz.com · 14h
I am a victim of deepfake porn. The technology has reached ubiquity since I was targeted in 2022.

How many more women and girls need to bear their scars to the world before someone with real power in the tech industry stands up for us?

(Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 15h
Aka ‘extortion’
paleofuture.bsky.social Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 15h
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America…”
Trump: I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States! I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately. It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 309 ReTruths 991 Likes 1/6/26,3:46

Reposted by Bessma Momani

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 15h
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Trump planned to buy Greenland rather than invade it. It’s not for sale, European leaders say.
Rubio Tells Lawmakers Trump Wants to Buy Greenland
President Trump has said since his first term that he wants to acquire Greenland, and he asked aides for an updated plan on Monday. European leaders rejected the president’s assertions.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Alan Richardson, Bessma Momani

paleofuture.bsky.social
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 15h
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America…”
Trump: I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States! I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately. It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 309 ReTruths 991 Likes 1/6/26,3:46

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Bessma Momani

joncooper-us.bsky.social
Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 1d
As of Monday, all of Venezuela’s ruling officials aside from Maduro appear to have remained in their posts, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who controls the police and was known as one of Maduro’s most fearsome enforcers.
Opinion | Don’t Call It Regime Change. This Is Something Else Entirely.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Christian Odendahl, Bessma Momani, Nicolai von Ondarza

bmcwilliams.bsky.social
Ben McWilliams @bmcwilliams.bsky.social · 1d
It's happened again. European electric vehicle sales set a new monthly record, breaking 30% of total sales for the first time. German and French growth is steady, while a sharp jump in Italy coincides with new incentivi statali

Reposted by Bessma Momani

markmackinnon.bsky.social
Mark MacKinnon @markmackinnon.bsky.social · 1d
Canada should be first in line to sign such statements.
joenoonan.bsky.social Joe Noonan @joenoonan.bsky.social · 1d
Greenland: new statement from France, Germany, Spain, UK, Poland, Denmark.
6 January 2026 Joint Statement on Greenland Statement by President Macron of France, Chancellor Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Frederiksen of Denmark on Greenland. Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security. NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up. We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland-is part of NATO. Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them. The United States is an essential partner in this endeavour, as a NATO ally and through the defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 195 1 Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Anna O. Law, Will Jennings , and 8 more

profsaunders.bsky.social
Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 1d
What is just crazy about this, aside from the need for this statement at all, is that Greenland already IS in the US sphere of influence. It's far cheaper for the US, in material, security, and reputational terms, to have Denmark continue administering Greenland and work within NATO on security.
nvondarza.bsky.social Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 1d
Joint Statement of major EU/NATO countries on Greenland, together with Denmark:

Reposted by Bessma Momani

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com

“The history of science is indeed a graveyard of theories, but the fact that science keeps changing is a mark of its strength,” writes the philosopher Elay Shech.
Opinion | Science Keeps Changing. So Why Should We Trust It?
Naïve faith and wholesale pessimism are not your only options.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Michael A. Clemens, Bessma Momani, Aviel Roshwald , and 2 more

zacheverson.com
Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 1d
🚨 "Canada, for several months now, has been developing a military strategy for how they will respond if there is an incursion over their southern border...that is now a real thing that the Canadian military is thinking about. Didn't use to be."

– @economist.com's Hal Hodson

(Sorry, no 🎁🔗 avail.)
Donald Trump says America will “run” Venezuela. What happens now? | The Economist Insider
Donald Trump says Venezuela’s people are “free again”, now that its dictator has been removed. But freedom remains far from certain. Join Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, Edward Carr, deputy...
www.economist.com

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Fabián Muniesa, Bessma Momani , and 1 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d
Marina Corina Machado was just on Hannity's show effusively kissing up to Trump, including offering to share the Nobel Prize with him

Reposted by Bessma Momani

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funded NPR, PBS and hundreds of local radio and TV stations across the U.S. for more than a half-century, said on Monday that its board of directors had voted to dissolve the organization because Congress cut off its federal money.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting Votes to Shut Down
Executives debated whether to allow the corporation to lie dormant after federal funding ended last year, but decided against it.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Bessma Momani

zjmontague.bsky.social
Zach Montague @zjmontague.bsky.social · 1d
The 1st circuit upholds one of the earliest permanent injunctions against the Trump administration last year, barring NIH from capping indirect costs in federal grants for medical research across a vast number of universities and hospitals.
Appeals Court Upholds Prohibition on Trump’s Medical Research Cuts
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

aljazeera.com
Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 1d
The three biggest US oil companies have so far not had any meetings with the government, contradicting Trump's comments.
Trump administration sets meetings with oil companies on Venezuela: Report
The three biggest US oil companies have so far not had any meetings with the government, contradicting Trump's comments.
www.aljazeera.com

Reposted by Shibley Telhami

bmomani.bsky.social
Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 1d
Miller on CNN now: “ obviously, Greenland should belong to the United States” wow!

Reposted by Kori Schake, Kim L. Scheppele, Bessma Momani

chadbourn.bsky.social
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 1d
So there was a deal: “Rodríguez, a canny political operator, was envisaged as head of a transitional government in secret talks that her politician brother, Jorge, led with Washington last year about a post-Maduro future.”
The woman with Donald Trump’s nod to lead Venezuela
Washington has built its transition plans around vice-president Delcy Rodríguez, a canny operator close to the oil industry
www.ft.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

rolandparis.bsky.social
Roland Paris @rolandparis.bsky.social · 1d
For those Canadians cheering on Trump's military action in Venezuela, it might be worth recalling that you live in a country that Trump wishes to bend to his will through "economic force" and in a region that Trump says the US must "dominate."

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 6 more

brandonfriedman.bsky.social
Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 2d
This is designed to have a chilling effect on all retired service members. The message is that if you speak out, you risk your retirement pay.
jimlaporta.bsky.social Jim LaPorta @jimlaporta.bsky.social · 2d
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Sen. Mark Kelly will face administrative action

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, Steve Peers, Steven French , and 8 more

jimlaporta.bsky.social
Jim LaPorta @jimlaporta.bsky.social · 2d
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Sen. Mark Kelly will face administrative action

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Juan Cole, Bessma Momani

proftalmadge.bsky.social
Caitlin Talmadge @proftalmadge.bsky.social · 2d
US seems to have no plan to deal w/ powerful Venezuelan security forces, who can threaten/thwart political leaders if they comply w/ US demands. Authoritarian politics 101 & major reason US approach could lead to military escalation and/or civil conflict.
www.wsj.com/world/americ...
Venezuela’s Men With Guns Remain the Ultimate Power After Maduro’s Ouster
Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino command Venezuela’s police and military, and represent a wild card for Trump.
www.wsj.com

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Jan W. Mueller, Elizabeth Saunders , and 32 more

ericumansky.bsky.social
Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 2d
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.

“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Although Machado ultimately said she was dedicating the award to Trump, her acceptance of the prize was an “ultimate sin,” said one of the people. “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” this person said.

Reposted by Bessma Momani, David Darmofal

acyn.bsky.social
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 2d
Trump: Don’t ask me who is in charge because I’ll give you an answer and it will be very controversial.

Reporter: What does that mean?

Trump: We’re in charge.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Michael A. Clemens , and 16 more

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Trump in a single gaggle on Air Force One just threatened:

-- a second strike against Venezuela
-- Cuba
-- Mexico
-- Colombia
-- Iran
-- Greenland (which in turn would be an attack on the EU and Denmark)

Reposted by Bessma Momani

alexusherhesa.bsky.social
Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · 2d
Brazilian state of Santa Catarina passes a law requiring students to pass a drug test before being permitted to enroll at a state university.
Universidades públicas exigirão exame toxicológico na matrícula 2026 | A TARDE
Assembleia Legislativa aprova PL que exige exame toxicológico de alunos no ingresso de universidades estaduais. Entenda a regra e o pacote de projetos conservadores.
atarde.com.br

Reposted by Jan W. Mueller, Bessma Momani, Prokla Redaktion

quinnslobodian.com
Quinn Slobodian @quinnslobodian.com · 2d
Printing this on a small index card to hand out every time I am asked why tech billionaires supported the current administration:

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Simon Lester

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
Q: Back in 2016, you criticized the US being involved in regime change and nation building. You stance has changed on that

TRUMP: This isn't a country on the other side of the world. This is Venezuela. It's in our area. The Donroe Doctrine

Reposted by Juan Cole, Bessma Momani

elisethomas.bsky.social
Elise Thomas @elisethomas.bsky.social · 2d
Guess we're just done with pretending this is about fentanyl? www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/u...