Riverine Command Boats (RCB) 802 and 805 participate in a bi-lateral exercise with Kuwait naval forces in the Arabian Gulf. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Torrey W. Lee. Iran's ongoing attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and its escalatory strike on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities in Abqaiq have jolted … Continue reading The Lack of a US Response to Iran’s Brazen Actions may be its Most Escalatory Move Yet
Author: Taylor Clausen
A Nuclear (em)Powered Middle East: Why the United States Cannot Afford a Counterterror Only Approach to the Region
The Barakah nuclear power plant in United Arab Emirates is seen in an undated photo released by the state-run WAM news agency. Photo Credit: Arun Girija/Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation/WAM/AP By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist The most recent National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy heralded the return of great power competition. Before the documents’ release, Elbridge … Continue reading A Nuclear (em)Powered Middle East: Why the United States Cannot Afford a Counterterror Only Approach to the Region
Israel’s Election and Deterrence in the Gaza Strip
Illustrative image of a kite with a Molotov cocktail prepared to be flown by Palestinians during clashes with Israeli security forces on the Gaza Israeli border east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip on April 20, 2018. Photo Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90. By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist This week, Israelis will go to the … Continue reading Israel’s Election and Deterrence in the Gaza Strip
A Stolen Election in the DRC – Where does US Policy Go From Here?
Outgoing president Joseph Kabila adorns incoming Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi (right) at his inauguration on January 24, 2019. Photo Credit: Jerome Delay/AP By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist It has been two months since the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential election, and nothing has gone according to plan. For the past year, the United States’ foreign policy in … Continue reading A Stolen Election in the DRC – Where does US Policy Go From Here?
Force for Hire: The Private Market for Special Operations Forces
Photos Credit: US Navy By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist Uniformed military forces today are widely considered to be the primary individuals tasked with employing the use of state-sanctioned force. However, in the history of warfare, the soldier has rarely had this monopoly. Mercenaries – today called private military contractors - have continuously been employed by states … Continue reading Force for Hire: The Private Market for Special Operations Forces
Avoiding a Self-fulfilling Prophecy In Iraq
Members of the Abbas combat squad, a Shiite militia group, carry a picture of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani during a parade in Basra, Iraq, on September 26, 2015. Photo Credit: Nabil Al-Jurani/ AP By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist The Trump administration recently issued a warning to the new government of Iraq, stating that if Iranian-aligned politicians … Continue reading Avoiding a Self-fulfilling Prophecy In Iraq