By: Frzand Sherko, Guest Contributor Photo Credit: KRG Department of Foreign Relations The continuation of a de facto autocracy in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has led to an extension of oligarchic authority and created a neglected nation, poor society, locked economy, and an irresponsible and corrupt government. The persistence of this situation would direct … Continue reading How the ISIL War Changed the Political System in Iraqi Kurdistan
Category: Intelligence
Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Professor Elizabeth Grimm Arsenault, SSP Director of Teaching
By: Antonia Ward, Reporter Photo Credit: Rick Sincere Professor Elizabeth Grimm Arsenault is Assistant Professor of Teaching for the Security Studies Program, having previously taught at the College of William & Mary. She has worked in the intelligence and defense sectors of the US government, and is an expert in terrorism, intelligence, international law, and … Continue reading Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Professor Elizabeth Grimm Arsenault, SSP Director of Teaching
Civilian Casualties and the United States’ Dilemma in Syria and Iraq
By: Sara Sirota, Columnist Photo Credit: The Independent As many as 200 civilians died on March 17 in western Mosul, when the US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria conducted an aggressive series of airstrikes to destroy ISIS targets.[1] Another 30 died on March 22 in a school, when the coalition pursued targets near Raqqa. And … Continue reading Civilian Casualties and the United States’ Dilemma in Syria and Iraq
Balancing Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Between Operational Capability and Public Disclosure
By: William Haynes, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Established under President Barack Obama in 2014, the Vulnerabilities Equities Process (VEP) is an interagency framework used to determine whether the US government and its contractors should disclose software and hardware vulnerabilities to the public and private sector or foreign allies.[i] Prior to this, government agencies often … Continue reading Balancing Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Between Operational Capability and Public Disclosure
Russia’s Information Warriors Don’t Care If We Disprove Their Lies
By: Sam Skove, Columnist Photo Credit: The Economist The Kremlin has successfully used digital media to stoke conflict in Russian-speaking communities abroad, ranging from Ukraine to Germany. The West and its allies have responded with a variety of measures, chiefly aimed at providing informed counterpoints to Russia's misinformation. However, one RAND study indicates that merely … Continue reading Russia’s Information Warriors Don’t Care If We Disprove Their Lies
Can H.R. McMaster Purge Groupthink from the White House?
By: Lauren Prudente, Columnist Photo Credit: NPR After Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster was recently chosen by President Trump to fill the position of National Security Advisor (NSA) previously been held by Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, experts in Washington lauded the choice due to McMaster’s extensive military and scholarly achievements. McMaster’s academic experience and past … Continue reading Can H.R. McMaster Purge Groupthink from the White House?
FBI Official Outlines Threats to US National Security
By: Antonia Ward, Reporter Photo Credit: CNN Mr. Steinbach focused his discussion on the paradigm shift that occurred within the organization post-9/11, a shift that changed the overarching activities of the FBI from reactive to preventative and proactive. Likening this to his own experience in countering violent bank robberies at the time of 9/11, he … Continue reading FBI Official Outlines Threats to US National Security
Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Kevin M. O’Connell, SSP Adjunct Professor
By: John P. Woog, Reporter Photo Credit: Innovative Analytics and Training, LLC Professor Kevin M. O’Connell joined the Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies in 2001 as an Adjunct Professor, making Spring 2017 his 32nd consecutive semester at Georgetown. His areas of expertise are comparative intelligence, remote sensing, geospatial intelligence, and the role of intelligence … Continue reading Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Kevin M. O’Connell, SSP Adjunct Professor
Russia Trumps Up Charges Against Its Own
By: Sam Skove, Columnist Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons The FSB, Russia’s successor to the KGB, unmasked two cyber-crime investigators this December as spies for the United States, according to Russian media.[i] It is extremely unlikely, however, that the accused ever spied for the CIA or FBI. Indeed, the treason charges against the two officers, as … Continue reading Russia Trumps Up Charges Against Its Own
The Yemen Raid: Uncertain Implications for US Counterterrorism Policy and Decision-making
By: Nicole Magney, Columnist Photo Credit: Los Angeles Times The United States has been involved in counterterrorism (CT) efforts in Yemen for years, but the special operations raid on an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) compound on January 29 in Al-Bayda governorate indicates a significant shift in the US CT approach in the country. … Continue reading The Yemen Raid: Uncertain Implications for US Counterterrorism Policy and Decision-making