Photo Credit: South China Morning Post By: Michael Daly, Columnist In late October, China’s top leadership gathered in Beijing for the Sixth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee in Beijing. This year’s iteration of the annual meeting of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership focused on intra-Party governance. At this meeting, President Xi Jinping further … Continue reading Solidifying Xi’s Power: Key Takeaways from China’s Sixth Plenum
It’s All About the Ships and the Schedule: US Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea
Photo Credit: BangBreachClear.com By: Annie Kowalewski, Columnist On October 21st, the United States conducted its fourth freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) in the South China Sea (SCS). The USS Decatur conducted the transit within “the vicinity of the Paracel Islands to uphold the rights and freedoms of all States under international law, as reflected in … Continue reading It’s All About the Ships and the Schedule: US Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea
Bioterror: The Known Unknown
Photo Credit: NPR By: Shannon Mizzi, Columnist It is increasingly clear that nation states no longer have a monopoly on biological weapons. At the same time, new technology is making the information and equipment needed to create them cheaper and more accessible. Both state and non-state actors could weaponize known bacteria or viruses such as … Continue reading Bioterror: The Known Unknown
Hezbollah’s Tenure in Syria: Tactical and Strategic Implications
Photo Credit: NationalSecurity.com By: Sarah Gilkes, Columnist In a televised address on May 25, 2013, Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah formally announced the organization’s involvement in the Syrian conflict.[i] In the weeks and months that followed Nasrallah’s address, commentators declared Hezbollah’s engagement in Syria the group’s Vietnam: a high-risk conflict that was likely to … Continue reading Hezbollah’s Tenure in Syria: Tactical and Strategic Implications
The Benefits and Risks of Human Performance Modification for the US Military
Photo Credit: StoriesbyWilliams (blog) By: Nicole Magney, Columnist The concept of human performance modifications—enhancements or degradations to the human body to affect either physical or physiological performance—as it relates to US military personnel’s ability to wage war is not new. In fact, some argue that American soldiers have been using human enhancement since the Revolutionary … Continue reading The Benefits and Risks of Human Performance Modification for the US Military
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss: The Necessity of Continuity in Uzbekistan
Photo Credit: Kremlin Official Website By: Patrick Savage, Columnist On December 4th, 2016, Uzbekistan will go to the polls to choose its second president in its 25 years as an independent state. The results of that election will likely have no impact on the political status quo within Uzbekistan. Considering ongoing global instability, a continuation … Continue reading Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss: The Necessity of Continuity in Uzbekistan
An Arab Spring with No Water: How Uprisings in the Middle East Can Be Linked to Resource Scarcity
Photo Credit: Middle East Eye By: Farnaz Alimehri, Columnist The Middle East is often mischaracterized as an arid, desertic region; however, for the past twenty years, this misrepresentation has slowly turned into a stark reality. Most countries in the region have been experiencing a massive drought that scientists say has been brought on by climate … Continue reading An Arab Spring with No Water: How Uprisings in the Middle East Can Be Linked to Resource Scarcity
The Fate of Conscription in South Korea
Photo Credit: Channel News Asia By: Trisha Ray, Columnist Under the shroud of constant crisis emanating from a belligerent North Korea (DPRK), a growing number of South Koreans are beginning to question the need for mandatory universal military service. Support for mandatory conscription is rapidly waning. It is increasingly viewed as neither a necessary or … Continue reading The Fate of Conscription in South Korea
Veterans Day Remarks from Mr. Daniel Feehan, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness)
The following remarks were made by Mr. Daniel Feehan, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness), at a Veteran's Day Celebration hosted by the Georgetown University Student Veterans Association on 10 November 2016. -- Thank you to the Georgetown University Student Veteran Association. It is an honor to join you for this Veteran’s Day celebration. … Continue reading Veterans Day Remarks from Mr. Daniel Feehan, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Readiness)
Drone Policy, International Law, and the Next Administration
Photo Credit: CNN.com By: Jake Howry, Columnist As the United States prepares for the transition to the next administration, we should grapple with the fact that the next President of the United States will inherit multiple wars, both overt and covert. Perhaps the defining aspect of President Obama’s counterterrorism legacy is the dramatic expansion of … Continue reading Drone Policy, International Law, and the Next Administration