Publications

Webcast: ISW President Kimberly Kagan Speaks at Town Hall

March 19, 2018 - ISW Press

Watch ISW President Kimberly Kagan speak at a March 19, 2018 town hall discussion on Syria and failing and fragile states for Public Radio International.

Why Russia's Elections Matter to Putin

March 17, 2018 - ISW Press

If Putin's March 2018 election fails to meet the Russian president's own standards for success, it may cause reverberations in his foreign and domestic policies. U.S. decision-makers must therefore focus on the nuance behind the "election" results, Nataliya Bugayova writes in an essay for Fox News.

Who's Really Fighting in Syria? (Podcast)

March 10, 2018 - ISW Press
ISW's Jennifer Cafarella spoke to The Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) Mary Kissel about the complex battlefield in Syria on the February 23, 2018 edition of the WSJ Opinion: Foreign Edition podcast.

Syria Situation Report: February 21 - March 6, 2018

March 9, 2018 - ISW Press

This graphic marks the latest installment of the Syria SITREP Map made possible through a partnership between the Institute for the Study of War and Syria Direct. This graphics depicts significant developments in the Syrian Civil War from February 21 - March 6, 2018. The control of terrain represented on the graphic is accurate as of March 8, 2018.

Afghanistan's Powerbrokers Prepare for 2019 Presidential Elections

March 9, 2018 - ISW Press

Afghanistan’s powerbrokers are in the early stages of an intense competition as they prepare for the planned 2019 presidential election. The multi-month disagreement between President Ashraf Ghani and warlord and long-time Balkh Province Governor Mohammad Atta Noor over the latter’s governorship is the first stage of a much larger battle between the two politicians for the presidency.

Ayad Allawi Sets Conditions to Recreate 2011 Premiership Bid

March 9, 2018 - ISW Press

Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi is presenting himself as a viable Shi’a reformist alternative to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in the upcoming Iraqi legislative elections slated for May 12, 2018. Allawi will likely leverage his opposition to the expansion of the Iranian influence in Iraq, reformist stance and support for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to draw Shi’a Sadrist and some Kurdish support in the post-election premier selection phase.

Russia's Military Posture: Ground Forces Order of Battle

March 7, 2018 - Catherine Harris

Russia is a poor country—its economy is roughly the size of Italy’s on a bigger population and a vast territory—and conventional warfare is exceedingly expensive. That is why Russia’s Vladimir Putin has opted for hybrid warfare whenever possible—it is the manner of fighting best suited to the brilliant poor.

Syria Situation Report: February 7 - 21, 2018

February 23, 2018 - ISW Press

This series of graphics marks the latest installment of our Syria SITREP Map made possible through a partnership between the Institute for the Study of War and Syria Direct. These graphics depict significant developments in the Syrian Civil War from February 7 - 21, 2018. The control of terrain represented on the graphics is accurate as of February 22, 2018.

The Link Between Eastern Ghouta and US National Security

February 22, 2018 - Jennifer Cafarella

American passivity in the face of Assad’s violence, enabled by Iran and Russia, will not only deepen the humanitarian crisis, it also harms U.S. national security, Jennifer Cafarella argues in a FoxNews.com opinion essay.

Tamping down the crisis in Turkey

February 16, 2018 - Jennifer Cafarella

ISW's Senior Intelligence Planner, Jennifer Cafarella, on deteriorating U.S. - Turkish relations and the Kurdish diaspora featured in The Hill.

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