Armed police at London Bridge responding to multiple stabbings by Usman Khan, a paroled and ‘deradicalized’ terrorist, on November 29, 2019. Photo Credit: Dominic Lipinski/AP. London’s recent knife attacks highlight the challenges of current deradicalization programs. On November 29, 2019, Usman Khan stabbed to death two practitioners at an event near London Bridge that was … Continue reading The Deradicalization Dilemma
Author: Krystel von Kumberg
Russian Counterinsurgency Doctrine During The Second Chechen War 1999-2009
Russian troops in action during the Second Chechen War. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons. The Bear subjugating the Wolves Before the Russian people became a nation, Russia was an empire. This has severe implications for the Kremlin’s counterinsurgency doctrine, as Russia can best be described as a state-nation rather than a nation-state. Given Russia’s unique identity, … Continue reading Russian Counterinsurgency Doctrine During The Second Chechen War 1999-2009
The Russo-Turkish Alliance: With Friends Like These…
Putin and Erdogan inspect Turkish troops in Ankara. Photo Credit: The Kremlin. In the Erdogan-Putin era of great power chauvinism, geopolitical ambitions run rampant. The ambiguous Russo-Turkish alliance, however, sits on shaky ground. Moscow and Ankara were rivals for years in the Syrian conflict, openly providing support to opposing sides. But the countries are now … Continue reading The Russo-Turkish Alliance: With Friends Like These…
The Fluctuation of Radicalization and the Fluidity of Extremist Belief-Systems
A group of white nationals marching. Photo Source: Mykal McEldowney/AP. Radicalization is difficult to fully grasp because of its complex historic milieu, geographic peculiarities, and individualistic idiosyncrasies. Frank Furedi, a sociologist best known for his work on the psychology of fear, argues that a government’s portrayal of radicalization usually has a “fantasy like character,” designed … Continue reading The Fluctuation of Radicalization and the Fluidity of Extremist Belief-Systems
In Historic Trilateral Summit, the U.S., Russia, and Israel Focus on Mutual Interests
Official photograph of US, Russian, and Israeli officials. Photo Credit: Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90. National Security Advisor John Bolton met with his Russian and Israeli counterparts, Nikolai Patrushev and Meir Ben-Shabbat, on June 24, 2019. An Israeli defense source on Al-Monitor described the historic trilateral summit as “a crazy event…fifty-two years after Jerusalem’s liberation, we are bringing … Continue reading In Historic Trilateral Summit, the U.S., Russia, and Israel Focus on Mutual Interests
Spinning the Syrian Conflict: The Battle to Brand the White Helmets and the Future of Information Warfare
The White Helmets walk through debris in a rebel-held neighborhood of Aleppo. Photo Credit: AFP. By: Krystel Von Kumberg, Columnist Information is a contested resource in today’s world. Perception has become the center of gravity, as humanity’s increasing interconnectedness means that controlling communications is critical to the pursuit of strategic objectives. The cyber domain presents the … Continue reading Spinning the Syrian Conflict: The Battle to Brand the White Helmets and the Future of Information Warfare
The Crumbling of Arms Control and the Premise of “Equal Security”
U.S. President, Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev signed the treaty on 8 December 1987. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Bob Daugherty By: Krystel Von Kumberg The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed in 1987 by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, eliminating intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, is being erased. [i] Leaving the … Continue reading The Crumbling of Arms Control and the Premise of “Equal Security”
The Nonpolar Order; Lessons from Syria
A man stands atop a building looking at the destroyed Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, 2015. Photo Credit: Bulent Kilic/APF/Getty Images. By: Krystel Von Kumberg, Columnist Richard Haass’ theorem of nonpolarity can critically explain the complex dynamics that have brought-about the dozens of actors exercising different levels of power in Syria, … Continue reading The Nonpolar Order; Lessons from Syria
The Security Repercussions of Brexit and the Possibility of “Irexit”
Competing Brexit demonstrations last week outside Parliament. Photo Credit: Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By: Krystel Von Kumberg, Columnist In June 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union: 51.9% to 48.1%. [i] The key issue with the referendum is that the United Kingdom has historically been ruled by Parliament, not through direct democracy. … Continue reading The Security Repercussions of Brexit and the Possibility of “Irexit”
The False Genealogy of Terrorism: How Islamic Extremists and Their Critics Misconstrue the Roots of Jihadist Ideology
Islamic State fighters march in the Syrian city of Raqqa in an image posted on a militant website on Jan. 14, 2014. Photo Credit: Associated Press By: Krystel Von Kumberg Though Islamic terrorism is not a rootless phenomenon, it also should not be viewed as a legitimate enterprise based on a coherent doctrine. Extremist groups, … Continue reading The False Genealogy of Terrorism: How Islamic Extremists and Their Critics Misconstrue the Roots of Jihadist Ideology