The High Stakes of a Trump-Kim Summit

By: Evan Cooper, Columnist Photo by: Associated Press We do not know precisely when, where, or even if, a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place, but public statements indicate such an event is at least a possibility. The stakes of a potential summit would be extremely … Continue reading The High Stakes of a Trump-Kim Summit

Submarine Detection and the Future of the U.S. Fleet

By: Ryan Neuhard, Columnist Photo by: Navy Times Improvements in submarine detection capabilities are eroding the stealth that US submarines rely upon for survival.[[i]] Advances in instrument sensitivity, data processing, robotics, seabed infrastructure, and communications technology underpin these improvements.[[ii]] As these capabilities begin to expose US submarines to anti-submarine forces, the United States may need … Continue reading Submarine Detection and the Future of the U.S. Fleet

Presidential Rhetoric vs Reality: Can You Separate Style from Substance in Trump’s Foreign Policy?

By: Stan Sundel, Associate Editor for the Middle East Photo by: Associated Press There are few things President Trump is more famous for than his bombast and bluster. Trump’s Twitter feed, his favorite communication tool, is flooded with rash rhetoric. His interviews and speeches are often equally audacious. The president is our era’s preeminent … Continue reading Presidential Rhetoric vs Reality: Can You Separate Style from Substance in Trump’s Foreign Policy?

Reforming Saudi Arabia: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 Plan

By: Simone Bak, Columnist Photo by: Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman (known colloquially as “MBS”) recently made his first trip abroad since he became crowned prince last year, visiting Egypt and the UK. He is currently on a multicity tour of the United States. These trips’ primary purpose is to tout the … Continue reading Reforming Saudi Arabia: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 Plan

Is Mutually Assured Destruction Back? It Never Left

By: Katie Earle Photo by: Reuters Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual address to the Federal Assembly, outlining his legislative priorities for the year ahead. Customarily the speech occurs in December, but this year the Kremlin delayed the event until March 1, just two weeks before yesterday's presidential election. Putin’s promises … Continue reading Is Mutually Assured Destruction Back? It Never Left

Cracks in Haftar’s Coalition? Internal Challenges to a Strongman’s Political-Military Alliance

By: Kevin Truitte, Columnist Photo by: The Guardian Rogue general Khalifa Haftar has emerged as the preeminent military and political leader in eastern Libya. Since declaring his goal of defeating Islamist groups and “liberating” the country in 2014, Haftar has built a political-military coalition of forces in eastern Libya, including the self-styled Libyan National Army … Continue reading Cracks in Haftar’s Coalition? Internal Challenges to a Strongman’s Political-Military Alliance

China’s Influence Operations in the United States

By: Ryan Neuhard, Columnist Photo by: Getty Images The exposure of Russia’s political influence campaign in the United States has raised deeply uncomfortable questions about the US political system’s vulnerability to foreign manipulation. [[i]] However, Russia is not the only foreign power attempting to manipulate US politics. China’s government has a subtle, but robust approach … Continue reading China’s Influence Operations in the United States

Report on ” The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy” Panel

By: Haley Ade Photo by: Scowcroft Center Dr. Matthew Kroenig, Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and Associate Professor in the Department of Government and School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; Rebecca Hersman, Director of the Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Adviser for the International Security Program at the … Continue reading Report on ” The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy” Panel

How Great Power Competition in the Arctic Could Become a Catalyst for Instability in the Global South

By: Eric Altamura, Columnist Photo by: National Geographic The growing frequency and severity of extreme weather events due to climate change have disproportionately affected commodity-based economies in the Global South. A constant cycle of increasingly destructive storms, followed by periods of prolonged drought, have devastated rural communities. These events have triggered mass migrations northward, with … Continue reading How Great Power Competition in the Arctic Could Become a Catalyst for Instability in the Global South

The Cyber Party of God: How Hezbollah Could Transform Cyberterrorism

By: Ben Schaefer, Columnist Photo by: American Security Project Since 1982, Hezbollah, the Lebanese “Party of God” and Iran-backed Shiite terrorist organization, has antagonized its enemies through a potent mix of armed attacks and psychological warfare. Among these tactics, Hezbollah pioneered the use of cyber-operations as a tool of coercion over a decade ago and … Continue reading The Cyber Party of God: How Hezbollah Could Transform Cyberterrorism