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Category: Russia

Reevaluating U.S. Defense Conversion Assistance to Russia

Photo by Jonathan McIntosh/Flickr | By Lisa Bergstrom | When the agreement with Russia on the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, popularly called the Nunn-Lugar program, expired in June 2013, many in the security community eulogized the program’s efforts to secure and dismantle weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their associated infrastructure in former Soviet … Continue reading Reevaluating U.S. Defense Conversion Assistance to Russia

Posted on December 26, 2013July 18, 2019 by GSSRPosted in Europe & Central Asia, Military & Defense, Russia, United StatesLeave a comment

Embassy Moscow: A Diplomatic Perspective of the Cuban Missile Crisis

This article was featured in GSSR Vol. 1 Issue 2. By Jason Mullins Most scholarly work on America’s approach to the Cuban Missile Crisis emphasizes the decision-making process within the White House – and for good reason. President John F. Kennedy maintained an exceptionally close-knit group of advisors, who participated in highly secretive yet frenzied debate between … Continue reading Embassy Moscow: A Diplomatic Perspective of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Posted on December 10, 2013July 18, 2019 by GSSRPosted in Russia, United StatesLeave a comment

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FSLN’s Grandeur and Decadence

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega during one of his rallies. Photo Credit: Confidencial (a Nicaraguan newspaper founded by the FSLN’s former newspaper director) The Sandinista National Liberation Front or El Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) is a political and social movement, founded in 1962 by Carlos Fonseca. In 1979, FSLN efforts overthrew former President Anastasio Somoza, ending…

by Kang Li December 23, 2021December 22, 2021

Turkey at the Crossroads: Shaping Strategic Balance in an Era of Complex Interdependence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gives a speech on economic policy amid the rapid depreciation of the Turkish lira. Photo Credit: Anadolu Ajansi Turkey is always at a crossroads. Today so is the world. The consequences of Turkey’s response to current crises leading up to national elections due to occur by June 2023 will determine…

by Noah Ringler December 15, 2021December 15, 2021

Georgetown Event: 2021 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards

Photo Credit: Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security On December 6, 2021, the Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) held a ceremony to recognize the five recipients of the 2021 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women in Peace and Security. Ambassador Melanne Verveer, the executive director of GIWPS, began…

by thomasgiallella17 December 14, 2021December 13, 2021

An Unlikely Pair: The Link Between the Uyghur Genocide and 9/11

Two people wearing masks showing colors of the Uighur heartland’s flag with a hand painted with the Chinese Communist Party’s colors over it. Photo Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson As the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and other countries condemn China’s violence, internment, sterilization, and so-called re-education against its Uyghur population for the crime that it is—genocide—China’s actions…

by Lora Vonderhaar December 8, 2021December 6, 2021

The Unintended Consequences of AUKUS in the Indo-Pacific

French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace at a meeting earlier this year. Photo Credit: Reuters AUKUS was one of Washington’s best-kept secrets. When the deal between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States was announced in mid-September it caught analysts and politicians off guard. The deal included defense technology…

by Luke Encarnation December 2, 2021December 1, 2021

The US does not have an Africa strategy, but China does

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army attends the opening ceremony of China’s military base in Djibouti — its first overseas naval base — in August 2017. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images Washington’s interests on the African continent are poorly defined. This lack of strategic attention is illustrated by the Pentagon’s publication of regional strategies for Europe and…

by Allison Schwartz November 30, 2021December 1, 2021

Haitian Asylum Seekers Look for Refuge, U.S. Responds with Deportation

United States Border Patrol agents on horseback try to stop Haitian migrants from entering an encampment on the banks of the Río Grande near the Acuña Del Río International Bridge in Del Río, Texas on Sept. 19. Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images While the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations…

by Amelia Dal Pra November 29, 2021February 10, 2022

Global Jihad: A Brief History with Dr. Glenn E. Robinson

On Wednesday, November 10th, the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) at Georgetown University hosted Dr. Glenn E. Robinson to discuss his new book, Global Jihad: A Brief History. Robinson is a Professor of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he has taught classes on the history of political violence…

by thomasgiallella17 November 23, 2021November 17, 2021

Transcending Rhetoric: The Wisdom of European “Strategic Autonomy”

“Now we are opening a new era where we have to put ourselves in a situation to clearly prepare, endorse our European defense. But I want to insist on the fact that we need the strong cooperation of the US.” — French President Emmanuel Macron[i] At the latest G-20 Summit, American President Biden and French…

by Zachary Volpe November 22, 2021November 16, 2021

It’s the Politics, Stupid: US Public and Elite Opinion on Defending Taiwan

U.S., Japanese and Australian forces conduct trilateral military drilling exercises in the South China Sea. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy Analyzing the political trends makes one thing clear: if the United States chooses not to forcefully defend Taiwan, public or elite opinion won’t be the culprits standing in the way. The Status Quo: Strategic Ambiguity Joe…

by Freddie Mallinson November 19, 2021March 22, 2023

SSP Event: State Fragility, Violent Conflict, and the GFA

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Alex Hurtado and Gunnery Sgt. Damian Henry, a heavy equipment operator, and the engineer chief with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Southern Command, deployed in support of Joint Task Force Matthew, offload supplies for locals affected by Hurricane Matthew at Jeremie, Haiti, Oct. 9, 2016. The Marines delivered bags…

by Petra Mdanat November 18, 2021November 15, 2021

To Succeed at “Strategic Competition,” Invest in Strategic Communications

Photo Credit: Mel Gurtov, “Testing Time for US-China Relations,” China-United States Exchange Foundation, May 4, 2020. “Just as water’s flow avoids the high ground and rushes to the low, so, too, the victor avoids the enemy’s strong points and strikes where he is weak”— Sun Tzu[i] Recently, the White House reframed its relationship with China…

by Zachary Volpe November 16, 2021November 15, 2021

Why The Biden Administration Should Take a Tougher Stance Towards Yemen

A Houthi rebel stands near the damaged presidential palace in Sana’a after Saudi airstrikes in December 2017. Photo Credit: DW News In February 2021, President Biden pledged to push for an end to the Yemeni Civil War; he also vowed to end offensive support for the Saudi Arabia-led bombing campaign in Yemen.[i] The U.S.…

by Jason Cardinali November 15, 2021November 15, 2021

Iraq’s 2021 Parliamentary Elections: A Glimmer of Hope for the End of Sectarianism

Shi’ite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is emerging as a kingmaker in the bitter contest to form a new governing coalition and select a new Prime Minister. Photo Credit: NYT. “No to America, and no to Iran. Iraq is for Iraqis” – So an unnamed protestor told a CNN reporter in January 2020, just one of hundreds…

by Freddie Mallinson November 9, 2021November 10, 2021

Are Almonds the National Security Threat of the Moment?

An Abandoned Almond Orchard in Newman, California. Photo Credit: Terry Chea/AP It is not a coincidence that both the Southwest and California, agricultural centers of the U.S., are increasingly water stressed. Though megadroughts are now a characteristic of the region, California alone produces more than 90 percent of some U.S. agricultural products, including broccoli, almonds,…

by Amelia Dal Pra November 8, 2021December 6, 2021

Boko Haram: Terrorist Endemic

Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that emerged in northern Nigeria in 2002, continues to pose a significant threat to Nigeria and the broader region, carrying out deadly attacks and engaging in criminal activity. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the Lake…

by Kang Li November 3, 2021November 4, 2021

SSP Event: U.S. Intelligence Failures

On Tuesday, October 26th, the Georgetown Center for Security Studies (CSS) welcomed adjunct professor Rohin Sharma to host an event entitled “U.S. Intelligence Failures” as part of the CCS’s fall series, “Security Past and Present.” This event analyzed and connected historical intelligence failures, such as Pearl Harbor and 9/11, with the recent Capitol Hill events.…

by Valeria de la Fuente November 2, 2021November 1, 2021

The Rise of Ransomware

Post on Groove ransomware data leak site calling for attacks on the United States. 2021 may be recorded as the year of the rise of ransomware. Combating the cyber-crime operation—which encrypts data, crippling computer systems, and requests cryptocurrency in exchange for decryption—has become central to international efforts to secure critical infrastructure and protect victims against…

by Noah Ringler November 2, 2021November 1, 2021

Women: Terrorism’s Secret Weapon

Photo Credit: The Institute for Security Studies Recent studies of women’s roles in jihadi terrorism debunk the widely held belief that women are either passive victims or fanatical jihadi brides. Women participate – both willingly and unwillingly – in terrorist activities for a variety of reasons.[1] Women’s participation in jihadi terrorism is not binary, it…

by Lora Vonderhaar October 29, 2021October 29, 2021

The Economic Factors of al-Shabaab’s Insurgency

Data from ACLED on attacks perpetrated by jihadists in Mozambique. Photo Credit: The Economist In October 2017, a group of Islamist rebels locally known as al-Shabaab (no affiliation with al-Shabaab in Somalia) sought to spread radical Islam and gain territory in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. [i] The situation deteriorates as both internal…

by Ayesha Ghorpade October 21, 2021October 19, 2021

Thunder over the Falklands: Asian Arms in Latin America

Pakistan Air Force JF-17’s armed with air to air and air to ground munitions. Photo Credit: Pakistan Air Force Last month, local Argentine newspapers leaked news that the Argentinian government intended to purchase 12 Pakistan-Chinese manufactured JF-17[i] Block III ‘Thunder’ fighter aircraft and supporting equipment. This is not new. Argentina’s plan to purchase Chinese fighters…

by Luke Encarnation October 20, 2021October 19, 2021

The Need for a Properly Resourced Pacific Deterrence Initiative

US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (left), amphibious assault ships USS Boxer and associated ships conducting operations on October 6, 2019 in the South China Sea. Photo Credit: AFP/ US Navy The foundation of US conventional deterrence in the Indo-Pacific is crumbling. Through its ambitious military modernization program, the global balance of power is shifting…

by Allison Schwartz October 10, 2021December 20, 2021

Growth of Space and Lunar Stations: Promise Amidst Geopolitical Risk

June 2021: Chinese astronauts prepare for a mission to China’s space station. Photo Credit: New York Times The April launch of the core module of China’s new space station has marked the start of a new era of sustained human presence in space.[i] Over the next decade, countries and corporations are planning to deploy a…

by Nathaniel Rome July 14, 2021

Bodies, Bullets, and Blood: How Masculinity Influences Mass Killers

Photo Credit: John Locher/AP Images. For decades, the number of mass shootings in the U.S. has steadily increased. From 1966 to 1975, the U.S. experienced a total of 12 mass shootings; during the time frame of 2006 to 2016, the U.S. has witnessed 183 mass shootings.[i] Many argue that easy access to firearms is to…

by Cody Kennedy June 30, 2021July 5, 2021

Enter the Generals: The Rising Influence of the Military in the Mexican State

Mexican troops take part in Independence Day Parades in León, Mexico, in September of 2013. Source: © Tomas Castelazo http://www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Unlike much of Latin America, Mexico did not experience a military dictatorship during the latter part of the twentieth century. Rather, the military forces of Mexico found themselves caught up with the…

by Diego Velazquez June 28, 2021

Building Resilience in the Sahel in an Era of Forced Displacement

Arid soils in Mauritania, 2012. Photo Credit: Pablo Tosco/Oxfam On Thursday, April 8, the Population Institute partnered with the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program, Maternal Health Initiative, and Africa Program to host an event on the growing regional environmental security risks in the Sahel. During the event entitled “Building Resilience in the Sahel…

by Amelia Dal Pra May 27, 2021

Saudi Pursuit of Soft Power Through Soccer: Saudi Arabia aims to match what UAE and Qatar have achieved

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman attends the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Photo Credit: TASS via Getty Images The January announcement of Saudi normalization of relations with Qatar will likely help Saudi Arabia’s efforts to acquire an elite soccer team, which would allow Riyadh to enhance its tarnished global image.[i] Saudi Arabia’s neighbors, the UAE…

by Nathaniel Rome May 25, 2021

Analyzing Five Alleged IRA Reddit Accounts

Word cloud showing five alleged IRA accounts’ most-discussed topics topics on Reddit. This graph was generated using a frequency analysis of selected comments and submission from Reddit. This piece was authored by an anonymous SSP student Background The Russian Federation’s alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election has been the subject of much media fanfare,…

by GSSR Editors May 24, 2021May 25, 2021

ISIS’s Female Morality Police

Photo Credit: NBC News Forty lashes was the standard punishment for women who wore high heels or headscarves with designs on them in areas of Raqqa and Mosul.[1] These lashes were doled out by the Hisbah division of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which focused on strictly enforcing Sharia Law in ISIS conquered…

by Lora Vonderhaar May 13, 2021

The U.S. Military’s Greatest Contemporary Adversary: COVID-19

Photo Credit: NavyTimes By sidelining an aircraft carrier, the Covid-19 pandemic has accomplished something that neither China nor Russia ever has.[i] In March of 2020, the USS Theodore Roosevelt made an emergency port call in Guam[ii] due to roughly 25% of its almost 5,000 sailors onboard testing positive for Covid-19.[iii] The outbreak led to the…

by Lora Vonderhaar May 6, 2021

Racism is Systemic in Artificial Intelligence Systems, Too

Artificial intelligence systems have the capability to exploit existing systemic inequalities due to the ease for bias to seep in. Photo Credit: Geralt/Pixabay When many people think of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, they think of robots or self-driving cars. AI often elicits a sense of amazement, of wonder, of possibility for the future. But just…

by Brianna Lifshitz May 6, 2021

The Dragon Descends Southwards: Chinese Foreign Policy in Latin America Warrants a U.S. Response

Former Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Visits U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Doral, FL in January 2020. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Defense, Army Staff Sgt. Nicole Mejia This piece is co-authored by Center for Strategic and International Studies Americas Program Senior Fellow, Dr. Ryan C. Berg, and SSP student, Allison Schwartz. In his…

by Dr. Ryan Berg May 4, 2021October 10, 2021

Smart Devices: A Necessary Evil for Military Operations?

Photo Credit: Military Embedded Systems At the beginning of the twenty-first century, camera phones were a new commodity – and their effects on battlefield operations were largely unknown. Two decades later, their rapid development and newfound capabilities pose a litany of security concerns for our deployed servicemembers, such as geotagging that enables kinetic targeting and…

by Hunter Stoll May 4, 2021

India Modified

BJP supporters attend an election campaign rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the State Assembly polls at Dwarka in New Delhi, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Photo Credit: PTI Photo. Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New Indiaby K.S. KomireddiHurst & Company, 259 pp., $27.72 K.S. Komireddi’s Malevolent Republic: A Short History of…

by Samuel Schiffer May 4, 2021

The Role of the Media in Normalizing Women’s Political Violence

Photo Credit: Getty Images In March 2011, Vogue ran a now infamous article on Syrian First Lady Asma al-Assad titled “A Rose in the Desert.” The author, Joan Juliet Buck, extolled the glamour of the al-Assad family despite the well-known authoritarian nature of Bashar’s regime. As the Syrian state responded violently to the Arab Spring…

by Acadia Brooks April 26, 2021

Naval Warfare Studies Institute: Innovation through Collaboration

Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau (Ret.) signing the charter for The Wayne P. Hughes Jr. Naval Warfare Studies Institute (NWSI) on December 11, 2020. Photo Credit: Naval Warfare Studies Institute, Naval Postgraduate School. https://nps.edu/web/nwsi. The Department of Defense is seeking new, innovative ways to maintain a military advantage over its adversaries and perceived threats. On March 10, 2020,…

by Joshua O'Day April 26, 2021

NATO: Where It Has Been, and Where It Should Go

US troops, part of a NATO mission to enhance Poland’s defense, before an official welcoming ceremony in Orzysz, Poland, 12 April 2017. Photo Credit: AP With the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO cheered it had “won” the war with its longtime rival, leaving in its wake uncertainty for an organization that stood with clear…

by Hunter Stoll April 22, 2021

A Page in the Colonial Ledger: Nigeria, Britain, and the Ghosts of Colonialism

Photo Credit: Hurst & Company What Britain did to Nigeria: A Short History of Conquest and Ruleby Max SiollunHurst & Company, 390 pp., $29.95 Since the apparent global ascent of the far-right in popular support and electoral success (the Alternative für Deutschland in Germany, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, and of course the election of Donald…

by Samuel Schiffer April 22, 2021

Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act and Deteriorating Rule of Law

Photo Credit: Rappler.com The Philippines’ Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 championed by President Rodrigo Duterte is destined for failure. The law, which is meant to take a hardline stance combatting insurgencies in the Philippines, is yet another example of the deteriorating rule of law under the Duterte Administration and the nation’s failure to learn from the…

by Morgan Moon April 22, 2021

Does the Future of Artificial Intelligence Favor Authoritarianism?

Photo Credit: Seeedstudio.com In our networked world, artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies can be copied and pasted with minimal modification until they become geopolitical forces. On April 8, 2021, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its Global Trends 2040 report, noting more centrally than ever that AI is not only an…

by Noah Ringler April 20, 2021

Assessing the Impact of Chinese Arms in Africa

A Chinese manufactured armored personnel carrier on the streets of Zimbabwe. Photo Credit: Voice of America China’s Growing Exports Africa has emerged as an increasingly important region amidst discussions of renewed great power competition between the United States and China. Weapons sales constitute a critical, yet often underexplored, component of this competition in Africa. Since…

by Luke Encarnation April 20, 2021

Chinese Authoritarianism Spreads as Xi Jinping Grows More Confident

China has been more aggressive in promoting its form of authoritarianism. How should the United States respond? Photo credit: Christian Lue/Unsplash China met with the United States for the first time during the Biden administration on March 18 in Anchorage, Alaska. By all accounts, it was set to be a normal affair between the two…

by Brianna Lifshitz April 20, 2021

Muslim Militia Working for Inter-faith Peace and Harmony in Indonesia

Photo Credit: Ansor Jabar Online, May 12, 2017 On Wednesday, March 17th, the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service hosted an event entitled: Muslim Militia Working for Inter-faith Peace and Harmony in Indonesia. The event was moderated by John L. Esposito, Founder of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and included a conversation with Dr.…

by Amelia Dal Pra April 18, 2021

Gendering Security: Making Public Places Safe

Photo Credit: Kateryna Kyslyak / EyeEm Earlier this year, on March 8, women were celebrated all around the world for International Women’s Day. It has become a tradition that, on this day, speeches are spoken about the tremendous roles that women are playing in our societies and photos are shared about women we care about…

by Emma Jouenne April 18, 2021

Restoring America’s position as team captain: Why international cooperation is in the nation’s best interest

President Joseph R. Biden prepares to deliver remarks on U.S. foreign policy at City University of New York in July 2019. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz/Biden for President This piece was originally run in “The Diplomatic Pouch” (https://medium.com/the-diplomatic-pouch/analysis-restoring-americas-position-as-team-captain-f48affeb47a6) Since the end of World War II, and until “America First,” U.S. foreign policy championed a system of…

by Caroline Donnal April 18, 2021April 19, 2021

Nuclear Disarmament: Why Reaching for Zero Makes Sense

India’s Brahmos missile, which was developed jointly with Russia, on display in 2018. Photo Credit: Politico, Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images Nuclear weapons have dominated U.S. security strategy for decades. The overwhelming power of these weapons has captivated the minds of U.S. scholars, strategists, and policymakers alike. However, this fascination with complete annihilation has created an impenetrable bubble around…

by Cody Kennedy April 18, 2021

Kautilya in the Gray Zone: How Russia has Successfully Adopted Two-Thousand Year Old Teachings

“A Russian serviceman is seen behind pro-Russian activists at the Belbek Sevastopol International Airport in the Crimea region, March 4, 2014.” Photo credit: Business Insider What do a South Asian statesman from the fourth-century BCE and current members of Russia’s Ministry of Defence have in common? The belief that war should be conducted by incorporating…

by Hunter Stoll April 9, 2021

European Militaries Join the U.S. in Space

US allies in Europe are following in America’s footsteps and developing their own military space commands. In Dec 2018, the U.S. announced the elevation of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM). Since then, the four largest countries in Europe announced their own similar institutions: French Space Command, the German Air and Space Operations Centre, the UK Space…

by Nathaniel Rome April 7, 2021

The New Great Game

The Dragon, Eagle, and Bear play the Great Game. Photo Credit: Global Village Space. Central Asia has always been an important crossroads of great powers. Just to name a few, the Persians, Russians, British, and Chinese have all struggled for influence. The United States is now an important stakeholder in the region—at least since its…

by Chris Harrington April 2, 2021

SSP Event: Security Around the World: U.S.-China Competition and the Korean Peninsula

Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, December 4, 2013. Photo credit: Reuters/Lintao Zhang On Tuesday, March 9th, the Georgetown Center for Security Studies hosted an event entitled: “Security Around the World: U.S.-China Competition and the Korean Peninsula.” This event focused on the…

by Amelia Dal Pra March 28, 2021

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