By: William Haynes, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Established under President Barack Obama in 2014, the Vulnerabilities Equities Process (VEP) is an interagency framework used to determine whether the US government and its contractors should disclose software and hardware vulnerabilities to the public and private sector or foreign allies.[i] Prior to this, government agencies often … Continue reading Balancing Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Between Operational Capability and Public Disclosure
Month: March 2017
Damming the Mekong: Environmental Degradation and the “Build First, Talk Later” Approach
By: Trisha Ray, Columnist Photo Credit: Mongabay The Mekong River, in particular the proliferation of Chinese dams along it, has become a source of conflict between the upstream countries of China and Laos and downstream countries of Cambodia and Vietnam. The basis of this conflict is the environmental impact of hydropower projects on the river’s … Continue reading Damming the Mekong: Environmental Degradation and the “Build First, Talk Later” Approach
The DRC’s Perfect Storm: A Nation on the Brink of Civil War
By: Shannon Mizzi, Columnist Photo Credit: MUN Planet The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is simultaneously experiencing a tense political crisis, a deep economic downturn, and increasing unrest in its notoriously unstable eastern provinces, where over 40 armed rebel groups (both domestic and foreign) operate.[i] This “perfect storm” of factors threatens to push the … Continue reading The DRC’s Perfect Storm: A Nation on the Brink of Civil War
Libya Could Be the Trump Test for US-Russia Cooperation in the Middle East
By: Yasmin Faruki, Columnist Photo Credit: Middle East Eye President Trump has no issue cooperating with Russia in the Middle East. Just earlier this year, he suggested cooperating militarily with Russia in Syria, despite the fact that the United States and Russia have fundamentally different objectives in the region.[i] Though it seems Trump has backed … Continue reading Libya Could Be the Trump Test for US-Russia Cooperation in the Middle East
Reply to ‘Why Aren’t Terrorism Experts Looking Right?’
By: Professor Bruce Hoffman, Director of the Center for Security Studies, Georgetown University Photo Credit: Federal Bureau of Investigation In “Why Aren’t Terrorism Experts Looking Right?” two cherished alumnae of the Security Studies Program take umbrage that the conference on “What the New Administration Needs to Know About Terrorism and Counterterrorism,” jointly held with the … Continue reading Reply to ‘Why Aren’t Terrorism Experts Looking Right?’
Why Aren’t Terrorism Experts Looking Right?
By Guest contributor Camille Pease Photo Credit: ThinkProgress As two recent alumnae of the Georgetown University Security Studies Program, we paid close attention to the recent joint conference and follow up report between Georgetown and the University of St Andrews on ‘What the New Administration Needs to Know About Terrorism & Counterterrorism.’ Our disappointment that … Continue reading Why Aren’t Terrorism Experts Looking Right?
Iranian Support for Kurds Threatens US Security Interests; Here’s How the US Can Respond
By: Christopher Moede, Guest Contributor Photo Credit: The Daily Beast Complex relationships among state and non-state actors in the Middle East require due diligence for the United States to effectively employ the full range of its national instruments of power. These interests, protected through a nuanced application of diplomatic, informational, military, and economic power, lead … Continue reading Iranian Support for Kurds Threatens US Security Interests; Here’s How the US Can Respond
Russia’s Information Warriors Don’t Care If We Disprove Their Lies
By: Sam Skove, Columnist Photo Credit: The Economist The Kremlin has successfully used digital media to stoke conflict in Russian-speaking communities abroad, ranging from Ukraine to Germany. The West and its allies have responded with a variety of measures, chiefly aimed at providing informed counterpoints to Russia's misinformation. However, one RAND study indicates that merely … Continue reading Russia’s Information Warriors Don’t Care If We Disprove Their Lies
NATO Without America: A Grim Prognosis
By: Patrick Savage, Columnist Photo Credit: CNBC Statements made by candidate and now-President Donald Trump on the US commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have caused much consternation throughout the alliance over the past year. President Trump has previously suggested that US support for NATO should be conditional on nations paying their fair … Continue reading NATO Without America: A Grim Prognosis
Unconventional Assassinations: Why the Assassination of Kim Jong-nam Has Greater Implications
By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist Photo Credit: New Straits Times On February 13, 2017, Kim Jong-nam, the older half brother of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, was assassinated in a Malaysian airport in Kuala Lumpur.[i] He was attacked by two women, Doan Thi Huoung and Siti Aisyah, who were said to have doused their hands … Continue reading Unconventional Assassinations: Why the Assassination of Kim Jong-nam Has Greater Implications