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Vital American interests remain at stake in Syria even as the U.S.-led coalition has retaken territory from the Islamic State. Jennifer Cafarella examines the decision to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. forces and the effects on key actors, including al Qaeda.
ISIS is regrouping and reconstituting in some of its traditional strongholds. Current conditions on the ground in Syria and Iraq do not warrant a withdrawal of U.S. forces.
Russia has finished an advanced anti-access / area denial (A2AD) network that constrains U.S. freedom of maneuver in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The U.S. and Israel both must be prepared to suppress a larger number of air defense systems and use more expensive stealth aircraft in the theater.
Russia's brazen act of war on Ukraine in the Sea of Azov is part of a broader deliberate campaign by Russia to test the resolve of the U.S. and NATO.
ISW President Kimberly Kagan testified before a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade hearing on the topic of countering Iran's proxies in Iraq. Read her submitted testimony.
In an opinion essay for The Wall Street Journal, ISW President Kimberly Kagan and Critical Threats Project at AEI Director Frederick W. Kagan make the case that the U.S. is in a position to help address a humanitarian disaster in southern Iraq, make a positive difference in Iraq's political future, and advance American interests -- at low cost.
The Institute for the Study of War team remembers Senator John McCain fondly, will mourn his loss, and will continue to draw upon his legacy in the future.
Russia in Review is a weekly intelligence summary (INTSUM) produced by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). This ISW INTSUM series sheds light on key trends and developments related to the Russian government's objectives and its efforts to secure them.
The Trump Administration is attempting to deny jihadists a safe haven in Afghanistan while pursuing a negotiated end to the war there. There is also a brewing political storm surrounding the U.S. partner government in Kabul. Is the U.S. plan for Afghanistan at risk?
The U.S. needs Turkey as an active partner despite its slide into authoritarianism under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The U.S. should adopt an interest-based approach towards Turkey that shapes its behavior in line with shared strategic objectives such as reversing the gains of Iran and Russia in the Middle East.