Bessma Momani

@bmomani.bsky.social

3.4K followers 1.1K following 450 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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Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 8d

My latest op-ed: The warning signs are before us and we are woefully unprepared for the Hiroshima moment in AI-enabled cyberattacks.
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Opinion: AI’s Hiroshima moment may be near

Without government oversight, a catastrophic disruption of internet-connected infrastructure is on the horizon

www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 1h

Iran's most prominent human rights activist says Iranians are suffering seven months into the war and paying the price for the conflict.

Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi tells AP Iranians are paying the price for war

Iran's most prominent human rights activist says Iranians are suffering seven months into the war and paying the price for the conflict.

bit.ly

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Shibley Telhami @stelhami.bsky.social · 1h

Widespread sexual violence in Ukraine war, most cases tied to Russia, says UN report, which documents 1,004 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence between February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and July 2026.
www.reuters.com/world/widesp...

Widespread sexual violence in Ukraine war, most cases tied to Russia, says UN report

Violations included gang rape, rape, genital mutilation and the use of electric shocks on men's genitals with a Soviet-era field telephone known as a "tapik."

www.reuters.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 1h

" [W]e have made the human conversation the expensive option and the machine conversation free, and we are surprised at what researchers...then choose.”

But of course, the machine conversation is not free. It comes at the cost of our common life together..."

www.thecrimson.com/article/2026...

Artificial Education | The Harvard Crimson

Machine conversation is not free. It comes at the cost of our common life together as teachers, learners, and researchers, colleagues, mentors, and friends.

www.thecrimson.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 1h

In the last decade, the IDF prosecuted one (1) soldier for unlawfully killing a Palestinian in the occupied territories. Elor Azaria served 9 months in prison.

Today Israel's president, Yitzhak Herzog, pardoned him and expunged his criminal record.

A clear message of 100% impunity.

Reposted by Daniel W. Drezner, Bessma Momani

Faytuks Network @faytuksnetwork.bsky.social · 2h

A French military source told Le Monde that France is already carrying out undisclosed conventional military responses to Russian hybrid attacks. Asked whether Paris could retaliate militarily without making it public, the source replied: “That is already happening.”

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 8h

Germany is preparing hospitals for a possible Russian escalation with NATO, Bloomberg reports.

Berlin estimates up to 1,000 casualties a day could require medical care.

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Amarnath Amarasingam @amaramarasingam.bsky.social · 17h

"Pentagon investigators have discovered that flawed intelligence, outdated imagery and an overreliance on AI contributed to a missile strike that killed 123 children in Minab." www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

Inside the US ‘Kill Chain’ That Destroyed an Iranian School

Pentagon investigators have discovered that flawed intelligence, outdated imagery and an overreliance on AI contributed to a missile strike that killed 123 children in Minab.

www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by David H. Kaye, Bessma Momani, Ryan Goodman

Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 23h

Trump doesn't even bother to come up with a pretext. He doesn't like their coverage, so he's banning them, that's it. But note his enthusiasm at the end for "the free press." Maybe he means the Free Press.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Q: You posted that you intend to ban CNN, Politico, and MS Now from the White House. Every president takes an oath to uphold the Constitution, which includes the First Amendment. How do you justify this?

TRUMP: Because they're fake news. There may be others to join them.

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Toronto Star @thestar.com · 23h

Theo Moudakis on Trump’s perceived exclusion from the European Union

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 23h

"For years, the prevailing narrative has been that privacy is dead and pervasive surveillance is just the cost of admission for existing in the digital age. The Flock backlash shows that people aren’t apathetic about their privacy."

Opinion | How Flock Cameras Became the Enemy (Gift Article)

The campaign against Flock shows that fighting to protect personal privacy isn’t a lost cause.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

NPR @npr.org · 23h

An informal network of dialogues at think tanks and universities is bringing together experts from the U.S. and China to talk about the shared perils of AI — and possible paths forward. n.pr/4yQlMKB

When Trump and Xi meet they will discuss AI. 'Track Two' talks are already buzzing

An informal network of dialogues at think tanks and universities is bringing together experts from the U.S. and China to talk about the shared perils of AI — and possible paths forward.

n.pr

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Alexander Lanoszka @lanoszka.bsky.social · 23h

"Sensitive F-35 fighter jet technology was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong this summer, sparking an inquiry on Capitol Hill and raising the possibility that China could have access to key components of the highly classified weapon system." www.politico.com/news/2026/09...

Hill investigates after F-35 parts diverted to Hong Kong

The incident raises the possibility that top secret weapons technology may have been exposed to a foreign adversary — including China.

www.politico.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Philip Nel, Bessma Momani

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Reposted by Daniel W. Drezner, Bessma Momani

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING

President Trump claims he is banning CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House.

Reposted by Bessma Momani

CNN @cnn.com · 1d

Exclusive: An AI-assisted intel report, circulated across the US military during the Iran war, nearly triggered an operation but was false, sources say. https://cnn.it/4y9MBJO

Reposted by Jonathan A. Foley, Juan Cole, Bessma Momani , and 3 more Jonathan A. Foley, Juan Cole, Bessma Momani, Juan Rocha, Henry Jones, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 1d

OpenAI and Microsoft admitted LLMs are predatory tech built on “an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions,” and the “largest theft of labor in human history.” An internal Microsoft document said AI has created a “doom loop” that is killing “the entire web.” www.404media.co/doom-loop-op...

‘Doom Loop’: OpenAI and Microsoft Admits LLMs Are Destroying the Web and Built on Theft

"Millions of people around the world will soon consider large models ‘hoovering up’ all their work to be an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions."

www.404media.co

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Shobita Parthasarathy @shobitap.org · 2d

In my new Expert Voices column @science.org, I argue that the Trump admin's science strategy (as written in Kratsios' Science: A Golden Age)--which gives more authority & funding to the private sector to direct the research enterprise--will harm science, and further erode its public accountability.

Escaping a downward spiral for science and public accountability

In late July, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), released Science—A Golden Age, setting forth a strategy to revitalize US research and innova...

www.science.org

Reposted by Scott L. Greer, Bessma Momani

Science Magazine @science.org · 2d

Researchers have filed a new lawsuit alleging that the U.S. National Institutes of Health is illegally censoring research grants. https://scim.ag/4gY2aOr

Researchers file First Amendment challenge to NIH grant screening

Lawsuit argues that Trump policy of purging politically sensitive terms from research projects violates free speech

scim.ag

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 2d

The U.S. "War on Terror" death toll is at least 4,500,000

Costs of War research examines the human toll of U.S. military operations and spending, for U.S. service members, veterans, military contractors, and allies; and for civilians killed and displaced.
An estimated over 940,000 people were killed by direct post-9/11 war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan between 2001-2023. Of these, more than 432,000 were civilians. The number of people wounded or ill as a result of the conflicts is far higher, as is the number of civilians who died "indirectly," as a result of wars' destruction of economies, healthcare systems, infrastructure and the environment. An estimated 3.6-3.8 million people died indirectly in post-9/11 war zones, bringing the total death toll to at least 4.5-4.7 million and counting.

Reposted by Lindsay M. Tedds

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 2d

Dear Canadians. Please watch this and smile from cheek to cheek. I thought this was a joke but nope it’s an EU MEP with words of joy about us 😊

White Rose Resistance @whiteroseresistance.org · 2d

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Global Project Against Hate and Extremism @globalextremism.bsky.social · 2d

Elon Musk’s political influence increasingly intersects with far-right and extremist movements worldwide. He has backed Germany’s AfD, endorsed Marine Le Pen and Vox, praised Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele. His activity shows how Musk's platform can amplify authoritarian politics across borders.

Beyond AfD: Tracking Elon Musk’s Support for the Global Far Right

Elon Musk is backing the far right across multiple continents. From Germany’s AfD and France’s Marine Le Pen to Spain’s Vox, Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the tech billionai...

globalextremism.org

Reposted by Bessma Momani

Randi Weingarten 🖇️📚✊🇺🇸 @rweingarten.bsky.social · 2d

The @aft.org was part of a coalition that successfully sued to stop this visa rule. Clearly the judge saw this attack on higher ed for what it is - an attempt by Trump to push a political agenda on colleges & universities, at the expense of research & education. www.highereddive.com/news/4-year-...

4-year visa cap for international students halted by federal judge

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor paused the highly contested rule just a day before it would have taken effect.

www.highereddive.com

Reposted by Bessma Momani

John Ismay @johnismay.bsky.social · 2d

“In 2025, Israel bought nearly eight times as many one-ton bombs from the United States as it did from 2012 to 2015.” Using public government data to report, w/ @halbfinger.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/w...

Why Israel Wants More One-Ton Bombs From the U.S.

The Trump administration plans to deliver 60,000 of the powerful munitions at a time when opposition is growing in Washington to arms sales to Israel.

www.nytimes.com

Bessma Momani @bmomani.bsky.social · 2d

I double dare you to….

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Europe if Canada associates closer with the EU

Reposted by Bessma Momani

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 2d

A building damaged by Israeli strikes collapsed suddenly in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people.

Over one-fifth of buildings in Gaza assessed by a refugee council in March were not structurally sound, but residents said they had nowhere else to go. https://wapo.st/46YipoO

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Europe if Canada associates closer with the EU

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