On October 27, Bruce Hoffman and Matthew Levitt addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute as part of the Stein Counterterrorism Lecture Series. Hoffman directs the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University and formerly served on the Independent Commission to Review the FBI’s Post-9/11 Response to Terrorism and Radicalization. Levitt is the Institute’s… Keep reading →
Two longtime veterans of American military operations in Iraq share their assessments of the campaign against the Islamic State as Iraqi forces prepare to liberate the city of Mosul. On September 22, Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III, USMC, and Daniel Green addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mullen, the commanding general of Marine Air… Keep reading →
The two countries appear to be compartmentalizing their shared and divergent interests in Syria and Iraq, but such an approach is highly vulnerable to unexpected military incidents and other factors. Turkish and Iranian officials have conducted a number of high-level bilateral visits recently, suggesting that the two countries are drawing closer after a period of… Keep reading →
The episode gives Moscow a great excuse to be uncooperative, which it may have planned to be anyway, but providing clearer information could nevertheless help further the coalition’s goals. Note: Click on map for high-resolution version. On September 17, planes from the U.S.-led coalition in Syria attacked a target inside the city of Deir al-Zour,… Keep reading →
The surprise visit may have been intended to shore up various aspects of the Saudi-Pakistani defense relationship, perhaps including their suspected arrangement regarding access to nuclear weapons. On August 28, Saudi deputy crown prince Muhammad bin Salman (aka MbS) made an unexpected three-hour stopover in Islamabad on his way to China and Japan. The Asia… Keep reading →
On August 2, Wa’el Alzayat, Stephen J. Rapp, and Ben Taub addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Alzayat is the senior policy advisor on Iraq and Syria to U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations Samantha Power, and a lecturer at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. Rapp, the former U.S. ambassador-at-large for… Keep reading →
Two experts discuss how the coup was thwarted, what Erdogan will do next, and how the nascent purges might shift Ankara’s relations with Washington. On July 20, Soner Cagaptay and James Jeffrey addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Cagaptay is the Beyer Family Fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at the… Keep reading →
Just how “Islamic” is the Islamic State? Watch video or read a summary of two scholars discussing how the self-declared “caliphate” uses religious doctrine and potent publishing activities to justify its actions. On July 13, Jacob Olidort and Marcus Sheff addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Olidort is a Soref Fellow at the… Keep reading →
While recent battlefield successes against the group’s Libyan stronghold are encouraging, the threat persists, and political dysfunction remains a significant obstacle to stabilizing the country. The battle to uproot the Islamic State in Libya (ISL) from Sirte, the group’s de facto North African capital, may soon result in victory for the Western-backed Operation Binyan Marsous… Keep reading →
Helping Russia target the jihadist group will only benefit the Assad regime unless Washington ensures that such efforts are carefully targeted, strictly conditioned, and accompanied by additional reinforcement of the moderate opposition. The Obama administration is reportedly considering a deal with Russia to coordinate an expanded bombing campaign against al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (JN) in… Keep reading →
