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
Category: Terrorism & Transnational Threats
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
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
Assessing Challenges to AMISOM’s Exit
Senior military officers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and other international partners attend the closing session of the AMISOM Sector Commanders Conference in Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 15, 2019. Photo Credit: O. Abdisalan/AMISOM. By: Iakovos Balassi, Columnist While the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has made progress towards weakening al-Shabaab, the force … Continue reading Assessing Challenges to AMISOM’s Exit
Deconstructing Deradicalization: Why the UK Needs a New Approach to Assess CT and PCVE Programs
As ISIS loses territory, and foreign fighters seek to return home, effective deradicalization programs are more important than ever. Photo Credit: Reuters/Kieran Doherty. By: Antonia Ward, Columnist As ISIS faces the loss of the final territory it holds in Syria, there has been considerable focus on the issue of foreign fighters returning to the UK.[i] This … Continue reading Deconstructing Deradicalization: Why the UK Needs a New Approach to Assess CT and PCVE Programs
Between a Rock and a Hardline Place: The Conundrum of Providing Humanitarian Aid to HTS-Controlled Idlib
UN aid convoy heads to Idlib province in October, 2018. Photo Credit: Andolu Agency By: Jodi Brignola, Columnist Humanitarian action is grounded in the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.[i] In theory, these principles seek to protect all civilians outside of a political framework. In practice, however, divorcing humanitarian aid from the geopolitical and … Continue reading Between a Rock and a Hardline Place: The Conundrum of Providing Humanitarian Aid to HTS-Controlled Idlib
The Nonpolar Order; Lessons from Syria
A man stands atop a building looking at the destroyed Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, 2015. Photo Credit: Bulent Kilic/APF/Getty Images. By: Krystel Von Kumberg, Columnist Richard Haass’ theorem of nonpolarity can critically explain the complex dynamics that have brought-about the dozens of actors exercising different levels of power in Syria, … Continue reading The Nonpolar Order; Lessons from Syria
To Defend its Borders, Israel Should Continue Carrying Out Airstrikes in Syria
Israeli aircraft. Photo Credit: Reuters By: Jordan Abu-Sirriya, Columnist Iran’s military and political presence in Syria has steadily increased over the last three years, helping to stabilize the al-Assad regime and also strengthening the Iranian-Syrian relationship. According to the Israeli government, Iran’s attempts to create a paramilitary structure in Syria mirror Iran’s backing of Shia … Continue reading To Defend its Borders, Israel Should Continue Carrying Out Airstrikes in Syria
ISIS’s Use of Social Media Still Poses a Threat to Stability in the Middle East and Africa
Photo Credit: Version Daily By Antonia Ward, Columnist ISIS’s strategic use of social media demonstrates the resourcefulness of the terrorist-cum-insurgent organization, which mobilized an estimated 40,000 foreign nationals from 110 countries to join the group.[i] Increasing internet access in both Africa and the Middle East means that ISIS also has a new pool of potential supporters who, … Continue reading ISIS’s Use of Social Media Still Poses a Threat to Stability in the Middle East and Africa