Optimizing the ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign Against North Korea

By: Doug Livermore, Columnist Photo Credit: Scientific American As North Korea continues to defy the United Nations by developing a reckless and provocative nuclear weapons program, the Trump administration announced a “maximum pressure” strategy to try and change the isolated nation’s course.[i] To date, international approaches to curbing North Korea’s misbehavior have focused on economic … Continue reading Optimizing the ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign Against North Korea

Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Dr. Matthew Kroenig, SFS Associate Professor

By: Stan Sundel, Reporter Photo Credit: Georgetown University In just the past few weeks, North Korea has undertaken a number of provocative military measures, including firing rockets over Japan and conducting additional nuclear tests. Can Pyongyang be brought back from the brink, and to the negotiating table? Or is a war on the Korean peninsula … Continue reading Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Dr. Matthew Kroenig, SFS Associate Professor

Prospect Theory Suggests the Islamic State is Primed for Risk-Seeking Behavior

By: Collin Meisel Photo Credit: The Guardian Iraqi forces have recaptured Mosul, Raqqa is surrounded by US-backed forces, and, in all likelihood, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is no more.[1] For all intents and purposes, the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate is dead. So, is it time to celebrate and declare victory? Not exactly. Much like a cornered … Continue reading Prospect Theory Suggests the Islamic State is Primed for Risk-Seeking Behavior

Revamping the Radiological Security Regime

By: Brittany R. Marien, Guest Contributor Photo Credit: BBC.com Although more than 100 countries possess radiological sources for use in industry, medicine, agriculture, and research, many of these sources are poorly secured or located in areas, such as hospitals or research centers with open access to large numbers of people. The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit revealed … Continue reading Revamping the Radiological Security Regime

The Missing Armada and the Fate of US-ROK Relations

By: Trisha Ray, Columnist Photo Credit: MintPress News On April 11, President Trump, in response to North Korean announcements of an impending nuclear test, announced that he was sending an ‘armada’ to Korean shores. By April 19, the armada had yet to arrive, triggering criticism in South Korea of Trump’s empty statements. The Trump administration’s diplomatic … Continue reading The Missing Armada and the Fate of US-ROK Relations

Turning a Blind Eye to Chemical Weapons: Will Anyone Investigate What Happened in Darfur?

By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist Photo Credit: Amnesty International In the past decade, there has been a disturbing increase in the use of chemical weapons by states and non-state actors alike. While the international community and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have been prompt to act and condemn the use of chemical weapons … Continue reading Turning a Blind Eye to Chemical Weapons: Will Anyone Investigate What Happened in Darfur?

The Case for Preventive Arms Control

By: Paul Kumst, Columnist Photo Credit: United Nations In 1995, the United Nations (UN) adopted Protocol IV of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) to prohibit the deployment of permanently blinding laser weapons. What makes this protocol unique is its preventive character. Despite their availability to some military forces, no such weapons had … Continue reading The Case for Preventive Arms Control

THAAD Will Lead to Increased Chinese Nuclear Development

By: Gabriel Gorre, Guest Contributor Photo Credit: US Pacific Command (PACOM) On March 7th, the United States began its deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea.[i] The deployment of the THAAD system aims to minimize the damage from North Korean short and medium range missiles, a danger … Continue reading THAAD Will Lead to Increased Chinese Nuclear Development

Unconventional Assassinations: Why the Assassination of Kim Jong-nam Has Greater Implications

By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist Photo Credit: New Straits Times On February 13, 2017, Kim Jong-nam, the older half brother of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, was assassinated in a Malaysian airport in Kuala Lumpur.[i] He was attacked by two women, Doan Thi Huoung and Siti Aisyah, who were said to have doused their hands … Continue reading Unconventional Assassinations: Why the Assassination of Kim Jong-nam Has Greater Implications

Academics and Practitioners Give Open Advice to President Trump on ‘Eradicating’ Terrorism

By: Antonia Ward, Reporter Photo Credit: Georgetown University Center for Security Studies (CSS) January 26th-27th witnessed a convergence of academics and practitioners from across the world descend upon Georgetown University to offer policy lessons and advice to the new administration of President Donald Trump on the pressing issue of terrorism and counterterrorism in a seminal … Continue reading Academics and Practitioners Give Open Advice to President Trump on ‘Eradicating’ Terrorism