Iraq’s return to bloodshed
Eighteen days of protests in Egypt in 2011 electrified the world. But more than twice that many days of protest in Iraq have gone almost unnoticed in the United States. Iraqi army troops killed five...
View ArticleThe Afghan endgame
President Obama’s decision to withdraw another 34,000 troops from Afghanistan over the course of the next year is unwise. It greatly increases the risk of mission failure in that important conflict,...
View ArticleAudio: The Project for the Common Defense: Keeping America strong for the...
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View ArticleObama’s ‘strategy’ has no chance of success
President Obama just announced that he is bringing a counter-terrorism strategy to an insurgency fight. He was at pains to repeat the phrase “counter-terror” four times in a short speech. Noting that...
View ArticleA strategy to defeat the Islamic State
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Islamic State poses a grave danger to the United States and its allies in the Middle East and around the world. Reports that it is not currently planning an attack against the...
View ArticleIn fight against ISIS, the US must lead, and not rely on allies
The essential partners in the fight against the Islamic State are the Sunni Arab populations in Iraq and Syria that reject the ideology and rule of Al Qaeda-like groups. Iraq’s Sunni fought alongside...
View ArticleUS strategy against Islamic State is too much air, not enough boots
Air operations in Iraq and Syria have not stopped the advance of Islamic State. Despite the bombing, the Al Qaeda splinter group has launched a series of offensives in Iraq, gaining new ground in Anbar...
View ArticleThe fall of Ramadi was avoidable
The seizure of Ramadi on Sunday leaves President Obama’s strategy against the Islamic State in ruins not only in Iraq but also throughout the Muslim world. It means that the Iraqi security forces will...
View ArticlePutin ushers in a new era of global geopolitics
The positioning of Russian aircraft in Syria gives the Kremlin an ability to shape and control U.S. and Western operations in both Syria and Iraq out of all proportion to the size of the Russian force....
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What to do and to don’t in response to the Paris attacks
The ISIS attacks in Paris mark a step-change in the threat that group poses to the West. The tactics employed came straight from the battlefields of the Middle East into the heart of Europe. The...
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Do’s and Don’ts: How the US should respond to the Paris attacks
Based on “What to do and to don’t in response to the Paris attacks.”The ISIS attacks in Paris mark a step-change in the threat that group poses to the West. The tactics employed came straight from the...
View ArticleSan Bernardino shooting a terrorist attack with al Qaeda and ISIS footprints
Key Take-away: The San Bernardino shooting of December 2, 2015 was a terrorist attack conducted by perpetrators inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) and possibly linked with and...
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A global strategy for combating al Qaeda and the Islamic State
Executive summary: Download the report: PDF | Kindle | iBooks The United States faces a fundamental challenge to its way of life. Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS), two groups that have already...
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Al Qaeda and ISIS: Existential threats to the US and Europe
Why the need for this series? The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute conducted an intensive multi-week exercise to frame,...
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US Grand Strategy: Destroying ISIS and al Qaeda
Why is the US Grand Strategy series needed? The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute conducted an intensive multi-week...
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Competing visions for Syria and Iraq: The myth of an anti-ISIS grand coalition
Why the need for this series? Reuters The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute conducted an intensive multi-week exercise to...
View ArticleNEW PLAN: Destroying ISIS and al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, DC (January 21, 2016) — A multipart series on the threat from ISIS and al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria was just released by the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the...
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One-pager | Competing visions for Syria and Iraq: The myth of an anti-ISIS...
Negotiations between the Syrian regime and elements of the Syrian armed opposition are scheduled to begin on January 25, 2016, in Geneva to lay the groundwork for a ceasefire and political transition....
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One-pager | Al Qaeda and ISIS: Existential threats to the US and Europe
Terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California, have focused the West on the threat that militant Salafi-jihadist groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) and...
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The Syrian ceasefire is a big win for Russia, Assad, and Iran
The Syrian ceasefire agreement of February 11 is a big win for the Russians and the Syrian regime. Russia, Iran, and Syria are in the midst of a major military offensive that has allowed them to...
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