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The Era of Shadow Wars

The assassination of Iranian scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was not the first death in the unofficial state of conflict between Iran and Israel yet its methods fit into a wider global strategic shift in the nature of war and peace that it might come to symbolise.
This shift was set out well in an important speech that hasn’t perhaps had the attention it deserved by the UK Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, in September of this year. Speaking at “Policy Exchange” General Carter launched the Integrated Operating Concept. As the most senior official in the UK military his was not a academic description of the world but rather the framing by which one of the world’s largest militaries plans to operate in future.
He set out how the era of war and peace is no more. This is largely due to the huge cost of conventional conflict and the unlikelihood of success certainly for smaller states facing military behemoths like the USA. As General Carter explained; “none of our rivals can afford to go to war as we define it. They want to win below that threshold”.
So if war is never to be declared, militaries such as the UK have to be prepared – via the integrated operating concept – of adopting what General Carter cited as a posture of “competition” as an addition to “the traditional deterrence model of comprehension, credibility, capability and communication”.
Moving from a policy of deterrence where States focus on building up military capabilities of even game changing weapons like nuclear missiles, to accepting that conflict may occur in a perpetual sense at a level of competition brings us back to the killing of Fakhrizadeh.
Whilst there has been no official acknowledgment of who committed the assassination analysts point to a State actor. Indeed, reports emerged some days after the incident that was originally reported as gunmen ambushing the vehicle to the attack being conducted by a satellite-controlled machine-gun with "artificial intelligence" according to a Revolutionary Guards commander.
If, and it is a big ‘if’, it is true that AI killed Fakhrizadeh it would fit into a pattern of increased reliance of standoff weaponry by the larger global military actors to pursue their national security strategies. The rise and rise of the armed drone is a case in point and whilst there is debate about the legality of the US using drones to kill its enemies anywhere across the globe it is increasingly a reality.
Great military powers justifying to themselves an embrace of ‘shadow wars’ or lethal competition below the level of official conflict comes with a host of consequences. It is of course a challenge to international law and norms. If states don’t even acknowledge that they conducted lethal action, then who is accountable to any collateral damage that occurs in the attack? If civilians are killed by mistake or due to their proximity to a military target, what methods of redress do their families have?
Using AI would appear to take tactics around remote warfare to a whole new level. At least armed drones have pilots who make the decision to fire a missile and take a life. Human beings are accountable for those actions/ Are we nearing a point in which AI and algorithms could replace them and what would that mean for our global security architecture.
Also is General Carter in a sense admitting that we are entering an era of ‘forever wars’ in which there will never be a conclusion or an end but rather is a never-ending struggle? This changes the way we see the narrative of war and peace – as a historical view - versus a world of endless competition.
It raises lots of questions about consistency. Many have speculated about what would have happened in Iran was linked to an AI assassination of an Israeli scientist inside Israel. We still await a sense as to if Iran will respond to the attack and if so how. In a sense the lack of predictability makes the world more dangerous and the lack of clear rules as to what constitutes conflict or what definitions of acceptable versus unacceptable competitive acts are. In a sense we are writing a new unofficial rule book as we go and the Fakhrizadeh killing may represent a significant chapter in the story of ‘Shadow Wars’ in and of itself.
by: James Denseiow
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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