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

Assessing Challenges to AMISOM’s Exit

Senior military officers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and other international partners attend the closing session of the AMISOM Sector Commanders Conference in Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 15, 2019. Photo Credit: O. Abdisalan/AMISOM. By: Iakovos Balassi, Columnist While the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has made progress towards weakening al-Shabaab, the force … Continue reading Assessing Challenges to AMISOM’s Exit

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

The Transatlantic Partnership Is Damaged To An Unprecedented Degree

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, and US President Donald Trump at the plenary session of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, 7 July 2017. Photo Credit: John Macdougall/AFP/Getty Images By: Simon Machalek, Columnist The transatlantic relationship, from which both the United States and the European Union (EU) have benefitted tremendously over the last … Continue reading The Transatlantic Partnership Is Damaged To An Unprecedented Degree

Iran’s Security Strategy, Forty Years after the Islamic Revolution

Students wave Iranian national flags during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square, Iran, February 10, 2009. Photo Credit: Reuters/Raheb Homavandi By: Emily Burchfield, Columnist This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which witnessed the overthrow of pro-Western Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s … Continue reading Iran’s Security Strategy, Forty Years after the Islamic Revolution

To Defend its Borders, Israel Should Continue Carrying Out Airstrikes in Syria

Israeli aircraft. Photo Credit: Reuters By: Jordan Abu-Sirriya, Columnist Iran’s military and political presence in Syria has steadily increased over the last three years, helping to stabilize the al-Assad regime and also strengthening the Iranian-Syrian relationship. According to the Israeli government, Iran’s attempts to create a paramilitary structure in Syria mirror Iran’s backing of Shia … Continue reading To Defend its Borders, Israel Should Continue Carrying Out Airstrikes in Syria

China’s Narrative Warfare in East Asia

A fleet of ships sail out at sea as China and Russia's naval joint drill concludes in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China, September 19, 2016. Photo Credit: Reuters By Kevin Truitte, Columnist The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has embarked on an expansion of its regional power in East Asia. The PRC—under the rule of the … Continue reading China’s Narrative Warfare in East Asia

Private Military and Security Companies as Tools of Strategy

Photo by: Pexels.com By: Nikolai F. Rice, Columnist Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) are the modern iteration of private force. Despite a two-century anti-mercenary norm PMSC proliferation has been facilitated by global political, economic, and warfare evolutions.[i] This article briefly examines why and how the United States, Russia, and China rely on and support … Continue reading Private Military and Security Companies as Tools of Strategy

No, China Isn’t Going to Invade Taiwan Any Time Soon

Taipei, Taiwan. Photo By: Getty Images By: Diane Pinto, Columnist A few weeks ago, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released a report titled, China’s Military Power.[i] The report gives an overview of the communist People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) current military power, changing threat perceptions, and describes the potential for armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait … Continue reading No, China Isn’t Going to Invade Taiwan Any Time Soon

Russian Cyber Operations: Closing the Gap on U.S. Conventional Supremacy

Photo Credit: Getty Images By: Madison Creery, Columnist Last year the U.S. National Defense Strategy highlighted Russia as a central challenge to U.S. national security.[i] Yet, during that same year headlines across the globe predicted Russia’s military modernization program and international influence would soon decline.[ii] A May 2018 announcement claimed that Russia’s 2017 defense budget … Continue reading Russian Cyber Operations: Closing the Gap on U.S. Conventional Supremacy