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Military & Security

Policy Analysis on Military & Security

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Video
Brief Analysis
U.S.-Iran Competition: Prospects and Limits of Cooperation
Three experts discuss whether the contentious history of U.S.-Iranian relations stems more from unrealistic American expectations and missed opportunities, or from the Islamic Republic's strategic decision to oppose Washington's interests.
Sep 13, 2016
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  • Jay Solomon
  • James Dobbins
  • Dennis Ross
In-Depth Reports
In Pursuit of Good Ideas:
The Syria Train-and-Equip Program
This study by two military experts explores the evolution of the initial Syria train-and-equip program and offers recommendations should Washington decide to pursue future iterations.
Sep 12, 2016
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  • Lt. Col. J. Stewart Welch
  • CDR Kevin Bailey
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Deterring Iranian Provocations at Sea
In light of Iran's more assertive naval posture in the Persian Gulf, the otherwise commendable restraint demonstrated by the U.S. Navy may risk bringing about the very kind of unintended maritime incident Washington is trying to avoid.
Sep 12, 2016
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  • Jeremy Vaughan
Articles & Testimony
In Syria Talks With Russia, John Kerry's Hand Is Missing a Key Card
If President Obama hopes to change the ongoing stalemate on ceasefire talks, Secretary Kerry needs an 'or else' to deliver to Moscow.
Sep 9, 2016
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  • Michael Singh
Articles & Testimony
West of Suez for the United Arab Emirates
New military facilities and operations in Eritrea and elsewhere on the Horn of Africa are serving the UAE's power-projection ambitions.
Sep 2, 2016
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  • Alex Almeida
  • Michael Knights
Brief Analysis
Non-Iranian Shiites Paying the Price in Aleppo
The costly siege has spurred Iran to withdraw or relocate certain IRGC units, but this is unlikely to hurt the Assad coalition's strategy in Aleppo so long as Hezbollah and other Shiite militias remain willing to fight there.
Aug 31, 2016
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  • Ali Alfoneh
Articles & Testimony
Vladimir Putin and the Shiite Axis
Russia's military alliance with Iran is all about keeping Assad in power and America on its back foot, and even a short-lived partnership can do long-term damage to U.S. interests.
Aug 30, 2016
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Brief Analysis
Prince Muhammad's Pakistan Detour
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.
Aug 29, 2016
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Iran's Aggressive Naval Intercepts Serve Foreign and Domestic Purposes
The IRGC will likely continue using such incidents as a way to signal its domestic rivals, justify its large budget, and meet other goals, so Washington should remain vigilant and consider seeking an official channel for emergency communications.
Aug 26, 2016
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  • Farzin Nadimi
Articles & Testimony
Contesting Facts on the Ground in Iraq
Far away from the exaggerated debates of misguided pundits, Western officials have moved on from past mistakes and are making grownup policy choices on Iraq that are reasonably good under the circumstances.
Aug 25, 2016
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  • Michael Knights
Brief Analysis
Rojava's Sustainability and the PKK's Regional Strategy
As the Kurds continue to pursue their goal of a contiguous territory in northern Syria, various nonmilitary factors will determine whether their nascent statelet is viable in the long term, including a host of demographic, economic, water, and oil issues.
Aug 24, 2016
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  • Fabrice Balanche
Articles & Testimony
If This Is Obama's Middle East 'Balancing Act,' God Help Us
Robert Malley wasn't mistaken in recounting how the president has conducted regional policy; the problem lies in the worrisome objectives that seem to underpin those policies, which could cause further damage through year's end.
Aug 24, 2016
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  • James Jeffrey
Brief Analysis
The Twin Battle in Libya: Against the Islamic State and for Unity
A vote by Libya's HOR against recognizing the cabinet of the unity government adds a new threat to the country's stability, despite advances against the Islamic State.
Aug 23, 2016
◆
  • Ben Fishman
Brief Analysis
Assad Bombs the Kurds: Implications for U.S. Strategy in Syria
Escalating hostilities between regime forces and Syrian Kurds in Hasaka will likely complicate Washington's campaign against the Islamic State, in which the Kurds and their Arab allies have been its most effective partners.
Aug 23, 2016
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  • Barak Barfi
Brief Analysis
Iran's Afghan and Pakistani Proxies: In Syria and Beyond?
As part of its renewed effort to export the Islamic Revolution through armed proxies, Tehran has been recruiting and training Afghan and Pakistani fighters for Syria's battlefields, thereby giving them invaluable experience for potential future campaigns in other regional countries.
Aug 22, 2016
◆
  • Farzin Nadimi
Brief Analysis
Russia Uses an Iranian Air Base: Two Essays
Two Iran experts discuss the political and military implications of Tehran's unprecedented decision to allow Russian airstrikes from its territory.
Aug 17, 2016
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
  • Farzin Nadimi
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Should Iraq's ISCI Forces Really Be Considered 'Good Militias'?
While Washington should continue its efforts to engage Ammar al-Hakim's militia network, it should also be wary of the umbrella group's close cooperation with rabidly sectarian, anti-American actors controlled by Iran.
Aug 17, 2016
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  • Phillip Smyth
Articles & Testimony
The World Needs to Work to Prevent the Next War in Gaza
Although political tools to address Gaza's basic maladies are unfortunately limited at the moment, many existing economic tools could help right away, including initiatives related to power plants, water supplies, desalination, housing reconstruction, laborer permits, and more.
Aug 16, 2016
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  • Michael Herzog
Video
Brief Analysis
A Transformative Experience: Understanding Hezbollah's Involvement in Syria
How has Hezbollah avoided a catastrophic quagmire in Syria and even exploited its campaign there to enhance its military capabilities? Two experts chart the group's evolution and its future threats to Lebanon, Israel, and regional order.
Aug 15, 2016
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  • Nadav Pollak
  • Hanin Ghaddar
Brief Analysis
The Potential for Radiological Terrorism by al-Qaeda and the Islamic State
So-called dirty bombs would probably not produce large numbers of casualties but could yield big headlines, impose heavy costs, and terrorize more effectively than is possible with conventional explosive devices.
Aug 10, 2016
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  • Michael Eisenstadt
  • Omar Mukhlis

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Military and Security Studies Program

The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program has established itself as an unrivaled source of reliable, incisive, and forward-looking analysis concerning several of the most critical national-security challenges facing the United States today: The U.S. military role in the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program and its proxy armies, the ongoing conflict is in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, the regional proliferation of missiles and weapons of mass destruction, the security dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and many other security issues on the frontline of the U.S. policymaking agenda.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and cofounder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias.
Grant Rumley
Grant Rumley
Grant Rumley is the Meisel-Goldberger Senior Fellow and Director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Elizabeth Dent - source: The Washington Institute
Elizabeth Dent
Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.
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