By: Patrick Savage, Columnist Photo Credit: New York Times Following a visit to Ukraine by US Secretary of Defense James Mattis in August, the debate over whether the United States should provide defensive weapons to Ukraine’s military in the fight against Russian-backed insurgents has reignited.[i] Some suggest providing weapons to Ukraine is tantamount to kicking … Continue reading Arming Ukraine is a Sensible Option
Prospect Theory Suggests the Islamic State is Primed for Risk-Seeking Behavior
By: Collin Meisel Photo Credit: The Guardian Iraqi forces have recaptured Mosul, Raqqa is surrounded by US-backed forces, and, in all likelihood, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is no more.[1] For all intents and purposes, the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate is dead. So, is it time to celebrate and declare victory? Not exactly. Much like a cornered … Continue reading Prospect Theory Suggests the Islamic State is Primed for Risk-Seeking Behavior
Moon and Trump: Rocky Beginnings
By: Gabriel Gorre, Guest Contributor Photo Credit: Brookings Institution On May 9th, 2017, Moon Jae-in, leader of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea, won South Korea’s presidential election with a plurality of the votes. Turnout in the election surpassed the highest total in two decades, as voters turned away from a conservative party tied to … Continue reading Moon and Trump: Rocky Beginnings
Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Dr. James Bruce, SSP Adjunct Professor
By: John Woog, Reporter Photo Credit: Dr. James Bruce Dr. James Bruce is an Adjunct Professor in the Georgetown University Security Studies Program. Dr. Bruce has a long and distinguished career in public service and government, beginning with service in the US Navy. During his 24-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency, Dr. Bruce held … Continue reading Faculty Interview Series: An Interview with Dr. James Bruce, SSP Adjunct Professor
Revamping the Radiological Security Regime
By: Brittany R. Marien, Guest Contributor Photo Credit: BBC.com Although more than 100 countries possess radiological sources for use in industry, medicine, agriculture, and research, many of these sources are poorly secured or located in areas, such as hospitals or research centers with open access to large numbers of people. The 2014 Nuclear Security Summit revealed … Continue reading Revamping the Radiological Security Regime
It’s Not Me, It’s the System: The Inevitability of Failure in Russia-US Relations Under President Trump
By: Emily Kangas, Columnist Photo Credit: Politico The United States’ airstrike on a Syrian airfield marked the end of the honeymoon phase of Russia-US relations under the Donald Trump administration, despite vocal support for improvement by both states. On April 6, 2017, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the airfield after the Syrian … Continue reading It’s Not Me, It’s the System: The Inevitability of Failure in Russia-US Relations Under President Trump
The Syrian Conflict: The Difference Between Peace and Justice
By: Lauren Prudente, Columnist Photo Credit: The Independent (via US Navy) The current United States strategy in Syria is to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but that cannot happen until the Syrian Civil War ends and the country is unified. The current US strategy is not equipped for ending the civil … Continue reading The Syrian Conflict: The Difference Between Peace and Justice
Experimenting with Democracy: Myanmar’s Persecution of Rohingya Muslims
By: Sara Sirota, Columnist Photo Credit: Radio Free Asia A violent crisis is terrorizing the Muslim population of a Southeast Asian country and not many people are talking about it.[i] Security forces there have been accused of “killing men, shooting them, slaughtering children, raping women, burning and looting houses.”[ii] The image comes straight out of … Continue reading Experimenting with Democracy: Myanmar’s Persecution of Rohingya Muslims
Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Another
By: Joseph Donato, Columnist Photo Credit: MyLibreto.com The great nineteenth century French novelist Gustave Flaubert once observed that, “there is no truth, only perception.”[i] While relevant in many fields of study, this observation rings particularly true in the abstract realm of international relations. Unlike the scientist, the statesman has no concrete proofs or formulas to … Continue reading Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Another
Drivers of Migration in Central America
By: Shannon Mizzi, Columnist Photo Credit: USArmy, SPC Steven K Young (via HastalaVictoria Blog) While the Trump administration has largely focused on Mexico when discussing migration to the United States, many migrants do not come from Mexico at all, but from the Northern Triangle (NT) region encompassing El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. In order to … Continue reading Drivers of Migration in Central America