Drone in the sky. Photo credit: Pixabay.com By: Diane Pinto, Columnist When discussing the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) as they relate to the military and defense spaces, it is easy to think about terminators and cylons running … Continue reading Moving the National Security AI Conversation Beyond Killer Robots
Category: Topics
Why Counterterrorism Efforts Against Salafi-Jihadists Should Emphasize Information Warfare
The Islamic State extensively employs social media to spread its message. Photo Credit: The Week By: Kevin Truitte, Columnist The United States and its Western allies have been fighting the Salafi-jihadist movement for more than a quarter of a century. This war has largely been fought on physical battlefields – from the mountains of Afghanistan … Continue reading Why Counterterrorism Efforts Against Salafi-Jihadists Should Emphasize Information Warfare
Spinning the Syrian Conflict: The Battle to Brand the White Helmets and the Future of Information Warfare
The White Helmets walk through debris in a rebel-held neighborhood of Aleppo. Photo Credit: AFP. By: Krystel Von Kumberg, Columnist Information is a contested resource in today’s world. Perception has become the center of gravity, as humanity’s increasing interconnectedness means that controlling communications is critical to the pursuit of strategic objectives. The cyber domain presents the … Continue reading Spinning the Syrian Conflict: The Battle to Brand the White Helmets and the Future of Information Warfare
Russia’s Race for Next-Gen Weapons Has Turned Into a Crawl
Russian T-14 tanks drive during rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow. Photo Credit: Reuters. By: Madison Creery, Columnist While the U.S. is concerned about competing against Russia’s next-generation weapons, Russia is struggling to get them off the production line. The legacy of economic turmoil following the collapse of the Soviet Union continues to impact the … Continue reading Russia’s Race for Next-Gen Weapons Has Turned Into a Crawl
Degraded Not Defeated: A Proposition for Forming a New US Security Strategy for Syria
The fall of the ISIS caliphate on March 23, 2019 marks a shift in Syria and the U.S. counterterrorism strategy for the future. Photo Credit: Reuters By: Adrienne Thompson, Columnist On March 23, 2019, US backed Kurdish forces defeated ISIS’s last occupied Syrian village. Subsequently, President Trump announced the liberation of 100% of ISIS territory … Continue reading Degraded Not Defeated: A Proposition for Forming a New US Security Strategy for Syria
The Risks of Repatriating—Or Not—ISIS Foreign Fighters from the West
Islamic state fighters and their families walk as they surrendered in the village of Baghouz, Deir Al Zor province, Syria March 12, 2019. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Rodi Said. By: Emily Burchfield, Columnist With ISIS declared territorially defeated in Syria,[i] the U.S. and Europe must focus on what to do with captured foreign fighters. President Trump urged … Continue reading The Risks of Repatriating—Or Not—ISIS Foreign Fighters from the West
Israel’s Election and Deterrence in the Gaza Strip
Illustrative image of a kite with a Molotov cocktail prepared to be flown by Palestinians during clashes with Israeli security forces on the Gaza Israeli border east of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip on April 20, 2018. Photo Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90. By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist This week, Israelis will go to the … Continue reading Israel’s Election and Deterrence in the Gaza Strip
How to Stop the Insurgency in Southern Thailand
Thai soldiers in Pattani in 2011. Photo Credit: AFP By: Yuri Neves, Columnist For decades, Thailand has been experiencing an insurgency in its three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Despite thousands of deaths, the Thai government has done little to actually address the causes of this insurgency. The military junta has contemplated opening … Continue reading How to Stop the Insurgency in Southern Thailand
Regime Change and Counterterror in the Trump Era
U.S. and SDF forces at al-Tanf base in southeastern Syria. Al-Tanf is one of the places where American troops are expected to remain despite the U.S. drawdown, though the scope and timeline for the withdrawal is still unclear. Photo Credit: Military Times By: Jodi Brignola, Columnist The Trump Administration’s stance on regime change is similar … Continue reading Regime Change and Counterterror in the Trump Era
How the Gulf States’ Investments are Destabilizing the Horn of Africa
An Ethiopian farmer watches as his farmland is confiscated and reworked by foreign investors. Photo Credit: Deutsche Welle By: Jordan Abu-Sirriya, Columnist In December of 2018, diplomats from six states—Jordan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Egypt— adjacent to the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea arrived in Saudi Arabia to discuss and form the Red … Continue reading How the Gulf States’ Investments are Destabilizing the Horn of Africa