Publications

How Russia controls American policy

February 12, 2016 - Kimberly Kagan

We’ve seen this movie—now playing in Syria-- before. The Russians have developed a way of getting the U.S. formally to permit offensive Russian military operations against American partners on the ground, all the while calling it a ceasefire.

Iraq Situation Report: February 2 - 11, 2016

February 11, 2016 - Patrick Martin

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency Chief, Vincent Stewart, noted that a Mosul operation was unlikely to occur in 2016, underscoring that the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have far to go before being ready to recapture the city.

Jabhat al Nusra and ISIS: Sources of Strength

February 10, 2016 - Harleen Gambhir

This third report in the series "U.S. Grand Strategy: Destroying ISIS and al Qaeda" assesses the strengths and vulnerabilities of ISIS and al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra to serve as the basis for developing a robust and comprehensive strategy to destroy them.

One-pager: Jabhat al Nusra and ISIS: Sources of Strength

February 10, 2016 - John Lawrence

American strategy toward ISIS has misidentified the group’s center of gravity and is inadvertently strengthening Syrian al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra. The US approach presumes that regaining Mosul in Iraq and ar Raqqa in Syria will cause ISIS to collapse, and it is not operating against Jabhat al Nusra in any meaningful way.

ISW in the News: January 2016

February 10, 2016 - John Lawrence

"According to a report, Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra, is a greater threat to the United States in the long term than is ISIS. The report, which suggests the U.S. is spending too much time focused on ISIS, was released last week by the Institute for the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute." Source: CNN

Iraq Control of Terrain Map: February 9, 2016

February 9, 2016 - Patrick Martin

Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Sunni Arab tribal fighters backed by Coalition air support recaptured central Ramadi on January 9, the completion of a six-month operation.

Russian Airstrikes in Syria: January 29 - February 7, 2016

February 8, 2016 - Genevieve Casagrande
Russia’s four month long air campaign has set conditions for the encirclement of Aleppo.  Pro-regime forces backed by heavy Russian airstrikes severed one of two opposition supply lines into Aleppo City from the Turkish border on February 3 when they pushed northwes

Russia Security Update: January 26-February 1, 2016

February 5, 2016 - Genevieve Casagrande

Russian warplanes concentrated their airstrikes in opposition-held territory in northwestern Aleppo Province in support of an ongoing regime offensive to sever the primary opposition ground line of communication (GLOC) from Aleppo City to the Syrian-Turkish border.

Assad Regime Gains in Aleppo Alter Balance of Power in Northern Syria

February 5, 2016 - Chris Kozak

Battlefield realities rather than great power politics will determine the ultimate terms of a settlement to end the Syrian Civil War. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran have internalized this basic principle even as Washington and other Western capitals pinned their hopes upon UN-sponsored Geneva Talks, which faltered only two days after they began.

The Pitfalls of Relying on Kurdish Forces to Counter ISIS

February 3, 2016 - Patrick Martin

American over-reliance on Kurdish forces as the primary ground partner in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) threatens the long-term success of the anti-ISIS campaign. These pitfalls could promote future regional disorder and prevent the U.S. from successfully degrading and destroying ISIS.

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