Category: Topics
208 Articles
- Defense
- East Asia & Indo-Pacific
Paper Tigers and Iron Domes: The Uncertain Future of Extended Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific
The chaotic opening of the second Trump administration has sent shockwaves through U.S. alliances and reignited debates about the status of the U.S. military presence abroad.…
June 2, 2025
- Defense
China’s Navy is Booming, the United States’ is Bottlenecked: The Case for Reauthorizing the Defense Production Act
In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order to Restore U.S. Maritime Dominance, directing the Department of Defense to leverage existing…
May 22, 2025
- Gender, Identity, and Security
- Middle East & North Africa
They Who Have Seen Hell: The Forgotten Child Soldiers of the Yazidi Genocide
In August 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) unleashed a genocidal assault on the Yazidi community of Sinjar in northern Iraq. ISIS massacred Yazidi men and captured…
May 21, 2025
- Europe & Central Asia
- Technology
A First Point View: Examining Ukraine’s Drone Industry
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s drone industry has emerged as a key pillar of the country’s defense innovation apparatus. Drones have helped Ukraine enhance…
May 15, 2025
- Middle East & North Africa
- Race & Security
A Dangerous Echo of Iraq’s Past: Syria’s Minorities in a Post‑Assad Era
As Syria emerges from the shadow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the country faces a critical crossroads. The country’s transitional phase since December 2024 has become…
April 28, 2025
- Defense
- The Americas
Is the Military Recruiting Crisis Over? Not quite.
In early February, U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) announced its best December in 15 years, enlisting 346 soldiers daily. By the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, the…
April 27, 2025
- East Asia & Indo-Pacific
- Intelligence & National Security
The Global Security Initiative in Action: Beijing’s Military Footprint in Central Asia
Central Asia’s strategic importance—with its abundant energy resources and geographic position between major powers—has long made it a focal point for geopolitical competition.…
April 16, 2025
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Terrorism & Transnational Threats
The Transnational Smuggling Fueling Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an escalation in fighting between the Congolese armed forces and Rwandan-backed March 23 Movement (M23) rebels has brought the…
April 10, 2025
- Environment and Biosecurity
Pandemic Roulette: Risks and Rewards of Virological Gain-of-Function Research
It all starts with a handful of unexplained fevers. A lab technician in a high-security research facility begins feeling ill but dismisses it as a mild case of the flu.…
March 31, 2025
- Geoeconomics & Resource Competition
- The Americas
Protecting Antarctica: Why Latin America Matters in U.S. Polar Strategy
The current Antarctic governance lacks sufficient enforcement mechanisms to prevent violations amid growing geopolitical and economic interests on the continent. While scientific…
March 28, 2025