By: Shawn Stefanick, Columnist Photo by: Getty Images On February 17, 2018, at the annual Munich Security Conference, Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip renewed his calls for Moscow to withdraw Russian troops from the Trans-Dniester Republic (commonly referred to as Transnistria), a Russian-backed separatist enclave in eastern Moldova.[i] Judging by the lack of discourse in … Continue reading The Frozen Conflict in Transnistria: Why the West Should Pay Attention to Moldova
Category: Military & Defense
Normative Persuasion and the Impact of IMET Programs on U.S. National Security Goals
By: Simone Bak, Columnist Photo by: NDU Audio Visual Every year, U.S. International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs are used to train approximately 6,000-7,000 foreign officers from roughly 120 friendly and allied nations in US military schools alongside their US counterparts.[i] The Department of State runs and funds IMET programs, while the Department of … Continue reading Normative Persuasion and the Impact of IMET Programs on U.S. National Security Goals
US Counterterrorism in the Horn of Africa: A Chance for Ethiopian-Eritrean Cooperation?
By: Harvey Granger, Guest Columnist Photo by: http://www.dvidshub.net In August 2017, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) encouraged the formation of a military partnership between the United States and Eritrea.[[i]] The question is, could a US-Eritrean partnership, added to an existing US-Ethiopian partnership, contribute towards amity between these rival neighbors? Ethiopia has been a major player in … Continue reading US Counterterrorism in the Horn of Africa: A Chance for Ethiopian-Eritrean Cooperation?
Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?
By: Katie Earle, Columnist Photo by: thefuldagap.com Despite Russia’s complicated relationship with Turkey and its prior cooperation with US-backed Kurdish forces, known as the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), Moscow consented to a major Turkish offensive against the latter. So far, that decision looks to be a misstep for the Kremlin. At the end of … Continue reading Operation Olive Branch: A Misstep in Russia’s Syria Strategy?
Having Your Cake and Eating It Too: The Paradox of Readiness and Modernization in the US Army
By: Eric Altamura, Columnist Photo by: http://asc.army.mil The recently published National Defense Strategy states that, “without sustained and predictable investment to restore readiness and modernize our military to make it fit for our time, we will rapidly lose our military advantage.”[i] Secretary of Defense James Mattis reinforced this point to the Senate Armed Services Committee … Continue reading Having Your Cake and Eating It Too: The Paradox of Readiness and Modernization in the US Army
Is a Russian Invasion of Kazakhstan on the Horizon?
By: Alexander Begej, Columnist Photo by: Presidential Press and Information Office, Kremlin President Vladimir Putin’s popularity in Russia is not nearly as strong as it once was. Though Putin will unquestionably win the 2018 presidential election in March, civilian unrest can soon graduate to a regime threatening uprising if it is not kept in check … Continue reading Is a Russian Invasion of Kazakhstan on the Horizon?
The Impact of Turkey’s Afrin Operation on US-Kurdish Stability Operations
By: Patrick Hoover, Columnist Photo by: http://www.almasdarnews.com On January 20, the Turkish army, with Free Syrian Army (FSA) proxies, launched Operation Olive Branch to clear the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwestern Syria. Ankara’s chief strategic objectives include eliminating the Syrian Kurdish militia’s People’s Protection Units (YPG) and their political partner, the Democratic Union Party … Continue reading The Impact of Turkey’s Afrin Operation on US-Kurdish Stability Operations
Strategic Gridlock in America’s Second Somalia War
By: Brian Hayes, Columnist Photo Credit: Newsweek In the last quarter century, the United States has twice intervened in Somalia. The first intervention—made famous by the book and film Blackhawk Down—ended in failure in 1995. The second intervention, less well known, is now in its eleventh year. From relatively narrow counterterrorism objectives—hunting down a few … Continue reading Strategic Gridlock in America’s Second Somalia War
Reliance on China to Solve North Korea is Reasonable, but Unrealistic
By: Theresa Lou, Columnist Photo Credit: Reuters North Korea conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on November 28, the third such test in 2017. Amidst the predictable flurry of discussions surrounding how the United States should respond to Pyongyang’s growing threat, the Trump administration remains fixated on its current approach of pushing China to … Continue reading Reliance on China to Solve North Korea is Reasonable, but Unrealistic
National Security Figures Need to Explain the Impacts of Climate Change
By: Evan Cooper, Columnist Photo Credit: Task and Purpose In a 2014 Department of Defense document, then Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sounded the alarm that “Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels, and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict.”[i] Hagel’s warning has borne … Continue reading National Security Figures Need to Explain the Impacts of Climate Change