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
Category: Middle East & North Africa
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
Degraded Not Defeated: A Proposition for Forming a New US Security Strategy for Syria
The fall of the ISIS caliphate on March 23, 2019 marks a shift in Syria and the U.S. counterterrorism strategy for the future. Photo Credit: Reuters By: Adrienne Thompson, Columnist On March 23, 2019, US backed Kurdish forces defeated ISIS’s last occupied Syrian village. Subsequently, President Trump announced the liberation of 100% of ISIS territory … Continue reading Degraded Not Defeated: A Proposition for Forming a New US Security Strategy for Syria
The Risks of Repatriating—Or Not—ISIS Foreign Fighters from the West
Islamic state fighters and their families walk as they surrendered in the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria March 12, 2019. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Rodi Said. By: Emily Burchfield, Columnist With ISIS declared territorially defeated in Syria,[i] the U.S. and Europe must focus on what to do with captured foreign fighters. President Trump urged … Continue reading The Risks of Repatriating—Or Not—ISIS Foreign Fighters from the West
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
Regime Change and Counterterror in the Trump Era
U.S. and SDF forces at al-Tanf base in southeastern Syria. Al-Tanf is one of the places where American troops are expected to remain despite the U.S. drawdown, though the scope and timeline for the withdrawal is still unclear. Photo Credit: Military Times By: Jodi Brignola, Columnist The Trump Administration’s stance on regime change is similar … Continue reading Regime Change and Counterterror in the Trump Era
How the Gulf States’ Investments are Destabilizing the Horn of Africa
An Ethiopian farmer watches as his farmland is confiscated and reworked by foreign investors. Photo Credit: Deutsche Welle By: Jordan Abu-Sirriya, Columnist In December of 2018, diplomats from six states—Jordan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Egypt— adjacent to the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea arrived in Saudi Arabia to discuss and form the Red … Continue reading How the Gulf States’ Investments are Destabilizing the Horn of Africa
To Counter Iran, the U.S. Will Need Turkish Support
President Erdogan and President Trump. Photo Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images By: Hamad Abbas, Columnist In light of the continued failure of US traditional regional partners to counter Iranian expansion in the Middle East, the United States should cooperate with Turkey in situations in which thwarting Iran benefits both parties; although the U.S. will also need resolve … Continue reading To Counter Iran, the U.S. Will Need Turkish Support
Saudi Arabia’s Sudanese Mercenaries in Yemen
Sudanese soldiers are seen as the second part of the Sudan Army forces arrive in the city to support Saudi-led coalition forces in Aden, Yemen on November 09, 2015. Photo Credit: Getty Images By: Yuri Neves, Columnist A December 2018 report by the New York Times has revealed that Saudi Arabia is utilizing Sudanese child … Continue reading Saudi Arabia’s Sudanese Mercenaries in Yemen
Between a Rock and a Hardline Place: The Conundrum of Providing Humanitarian Aid to HTS-Controlled Idlib
UN aid convoy heads to Idlib province in October, 2018. Photo Credit: Andolu Agency By: Jodi Brignola, Columnist Humanitarian action is grounded in the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.[i] In theory, these principles seek to protect all civilians outside of a political framework. In practice, however, divorcing humanitarian aid from the geopolitical and … Continue reading Between a Rock and a Hardline Place: The Conundrum of Providing Humanitarian Aid to HTS-Controlled Idlib