Iraqi Kurds’ Oil Woes: A Story of False Hope

Photo Credit: Reuters By Rachel Bessette, Columnist 2014 was widely trumpeted as the “year of the Kurds.” With Iraq unraveling and scholars hailing the end of Sykes-Picot, expectations were high for a resolution to the Iraqi Kurds’ long quest for independence. The outlook today is far bleaker. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is fractured, insolvent, … Continue reading Iraqi Kurds’ Oil Woes: A Story of False Hope

Iran v. Saudi Arabia: Sectarianism, Realism, and Foreign Policy in the Gulf

Photo: IBTimes, UK By Morgan Byrne-Diakun, Columnist Sectarianism continues to be a word used casually by pundits and policymakers to describe ongoing tensions between the Sunni and Shi’a Muslim communities in the greater Middle East. Grievances, both past and present, do exist between these groups, making it easy to believe that Shi’a Iran and Sunni Saudi … Continue reading Iran v. Saudi Arabia: Sectarianism, Realism, and Foreign Policy in the Gulf

The Danger of Ignoring Yemen

Photo: BBC News By Ian K, Columnist While the media’s attention largely remains fixed on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Qa’ida’s most dangerous global affiliate is thriving in Yemen. Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is likely stronger now than at any point in its history, judging by its territorial expansion … Continue reading The Danger of Ignoring Yemen

Misunderstanding Iran: The West’s False Narratives About the Islamic Republic

By: Ian K, Columnist Photo: United States Secretary of State John Kerry with his European, Iranian, and United Nations Security Council counterparts in Vienna, Austria, after the announcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Western media coverage of Iran’s political scene following this summer’s landmark nuclear deal paints a satisfyingly cogent, easily digestible picture. The standard … Continue reading Misunderstanding Iran: The West’s False Narratives About the Islamic Republic

“Jihadi Brides” or Something More? Understanding Why Women Join ISIS

By: Nicole Magney, Columnist Photo Credit: Members of the Al-Khansaa Brigade, ISIS' all-female police force (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2967504/Three-runaway-teen-jihadi-brides-feared-heading-clutches-British-women-leading-ISIS-religious-police-dole-savage-beatings.html). The topic of foreign fighters traveling to join ISIS has been and continues to be widely explored in both media and academic circles. What seems to be lacking is an in-depth, sustained discussion of the Islamic State’s efforts to … Continue reading “Jihadi Brides” or Something More? Understanding Why Women Join ISIS

Counterinsurgency and Development in FATA: Lessons from US Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan

Photo: Pakistani soldiers (http://images.geo.tv/updates_pics/Zarb-e-Azb-northwaziristan_6-17-2014_151059_l.jpg) By: Hijab Shah, Columnist The Pakistani armed forces claim to have entered the decisive phase in their counterinsurgency operations against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).[1] If Operation Zarb-e-Azb is indeed as close to success as the military says, a window of opportunity has opened … Continue reading Counterinsurgency and Development in FATA: Lessons from US Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan

Terrorism on the Move

By: Anthony D’Amato, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons There was a time in the not too distant past when policymakers in both parties thought that America was on the verge of defeating terrorism. Some people believed that since al-Qaeda was on the “run and bin Laden is dead,” we would soon live in a world … Continue reading Terrorism on the Move

A New Phase in Russia-Iran Relations

By: Ian K, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons 2015 has proven to be a seminal year for Russia-Iran relations. Although both governments have long recognized strategic value in collaborating with each other, significant inhibiting factors have kept bilateral relations mostly limited to rhetoric and low-impact confidence building measures[i]—until now. The shifting geopolitical environment has provided … Continue reading A New Phase in Russia-Iran Relations

Assessing How Limited Will Inhibits Air Supremacy

By: Kathryn Hillegass, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons The debate on implementing a no-fly zone in Syria begs the question: how much is the US willing to invest in a conflict that has no clear national interests or a compelling existential threat? Limited political will means US ground forces need to prepare to operate in environments … Continue reading Assessing How Limited Will Inhibits Air Supremacy

‘Underreach’: The Syrian Periphery in Obama’s Grand Strategy

Photo by Wikipedia Commons By Nate Subramanian, Columnist In the twilight of Barack Obama’s presidency, pundits seem inclined to treat his foreign policy in a more positive light, and foreign affairs columnists have sought to divine the arc of his administration’s grand strategy based on its actions abroad. Recent essays by Alfred W. McCoy and … Continue reading ‘Underreach’: The Syrian Periphery in Obama’s Grand Strategy