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

The DoD’s “New” Plans for ISIS

By: Andrew Swick, Columnist Photo Credit: The Washington Post Last week marked the expiration of the Pentagon’s 30-day planning period to develop new options for the military to employ against the Islamic State (ISIS). On Monday, in a meeting of the National Security Council Principals Committee, Defense Secretary James Mattis presented several proposals resulting from … Continue reading The DoD’s “New” Plans for ISIS

Mosul After ISIL: The Stability Challenges Ahead

By: Andrew Watts, Columnist Photo Credit: Yahoo The four-month operation to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is at a critical juncture. As the Iraqi-led security forces push through the neighborhoods west of the Tigris, the civilian-led push to return the neighborhoods on the eastern bank to a state … Continue reading Mosul After ISIL: The Stability Challenges Ahead

Containing NATO: Russia’s Growing A2/AD Capability in the Mediterranean

By: Emily Kangas, Columnist Photo Credit: US Naval Institute On January 20, 2017, Russia signed a long-term agreement with Syria to expand their naval and air base in Tartus and Latakia, respectively.[i] Though the agreement was arguably signed under the auspices of supporting counterterrorism, the base expansions will bolster Russia’s regional military presence in scope … Continue reading Containing NATO: Russia’s Growing A2/AD Capability in the Mediterranean

Weekend at Bibi’s? Survival of the Two-State Solution

By: Nate Subramanian, Columnist Photo Credit: TIME During the heady days of the 2016 US presidential campaign, television personality and businessman Donald Trump signaled his support for continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and promised to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.[i] Those comments raised the possibility of a US … Continue reading Weekend at Bibi’s? Survival of the Two-State Solution

Should We Worry About Iran’s Ballistic Missiles?

By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist Photo Credit: International Business Times The latest series of Iranian tests have drawn international scrutiny to Iran’s ballistic missile program. Reports of a new Iranian missile test began as early as January 29, 2017.[i] On Wednesday, February 1, 2017, Iran claimed to have test launched a medium-range ballistic missile.[ii] The missile … Continue reading Should We Worry About Iran’s Ballistic Missiles?

The Yemen Raid: Uncertain Implications for US Counterterrorism Policy and Decision-making

By: Nicole Magney, Columnist Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times The United States has been involved in counterterrorism (CT) efforts in Yemen for years, but the special operations raid on an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) compound on January 29 in Al-Bayda governorate indicates a significant shift in the US CT approach in the country. … Continue reading The Yemen Raid: Uncertain Implications for US Counterterrorism Policy and Decision-making

Avoiding the Next War

By: Doug Livermore, Columnist Photo Credit: New York Times While much remains for the world to do to bring about the ultimate destruction of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a world in which ISIS no longer exists could pose a larger challenge to the United States and the region writ large. Without … Continue reading Avoiding the Next War

Islamist Terrorism: An Existential Threat to the United States?

Photo Credit: The Daily Beast By: Cillian Muldoon, Associate Editor for the Middle East The threat posed by Islamist terrorist organizations, like al-Qa‘ida (AQ) and ISIS, can most aptly be framed by considering that terrorism’s primary objective rests less on the immediate damage inflicted by an attack, and more on the reaction—by policymakers, societies, and … Continue reading Islamist Terrorism: An Existential Threat to the United States?

Deal or No Deal: What Should Be the Fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action?

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 has been labeled one of the Obama Administration’s culminating achievements in foreign policy and nonproliferation. Despite the successful negotiation and implementation of this agreement by all parties last year, political divisions in the United States … Continue reading Deal or No Deal: What Should Be the Fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action?