Tag: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

In the latest episode of “The General and the Ambassador: A Conversation” podcast host Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah McCarthy discusses the front lines in Syria with Ambassador William Roebuck and Brigadier General Jasper Jeffers. Together, they examine how the U.S. diplomatic team in northeastern Syria was embedded and partnered with U.S. Special Forces, and the pushback […]

Featured article: The Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Moral and Ethical Obligation of Resettlement or “I’ll Pass on the Poisoned Skittles” by Joel D. Funk What are the relationships between the migration of refugees and conflict? The conventional logic presumes that demographic factors and how they interact with resources are potential causes of conflict. To survive, […]

Featured article: Plutonium and Picasso – A Typology of Nuclear and Fine Art Smuggling by Joshua D. Foss The global security environment continues to evolve. Globalization, advances in technology, and greater connectedness of people and economies have enabled transnational organized crime and new and existing illicit markets to expand. Never has the prolific and rapid dissemination of technology and information […]

National Security State Department Looks to Combat African Terrorism with Prevention Program, USNI News White House unveils plan to boost drones, The Hill Pentagon buys WMD detection system, C4ISR Net Political Hacking May Prompt U.S. to Aid Election Security, Bloomberg 3 reasons Russia’s Vladimir Putin might want to interfere in the U.S. presidential elections, Brookings […]

Earlier this month, the State Department provided an update on their Global Engagement Center, which was established this spring after the signing of Executive Order 13721.  The Center is an interagency entity charged with coordinating U.S. counterterrorism messaging to foreign audiences, and replaced the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications. The Center is staffed by detailees from several […]

National Security National security officials admit they’re worried about violence at upcoming conventions, The Week In the Age of ISIS, Who’s a Terrorist, and Who’s Simply Deranged?, The New York Times The Iran deal: Off to an encouraging start, but expect challenges, Brookings Remarks at Public-Private Sector Roundtable Discussion on Zika, State Department Carter: U.S. […]

The State Department recently released the 2015 Country Reports on Terrorism. The reports assesses global terrorist threats, including terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Many of the country reports also appraise U.S. involvement and interagency cooperation, calling for better coordinated […]

Last week, the President’s National Security Advisor, Susan E. Rice, spoke on the whole-of-government strategy against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) while addressing cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In her remarks, Rice spoke of a comprehensive strategy to combat ISIL that includes all elements of U.S. power, […]

Earlier this month, Navy Admiral William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), spoke of the importance of homeland defense with the House Armed Services Committee. Gortney testified before the panel on budget requests, command operations, and whole-of-government and military-to-military cooperation. Gortney talked about threats to the […]

On September 28, President Obama addressed the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly, where he urged a whole-of-government approach to international dilemmas. The president’s remarks touched on several international issues, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Iran Nuclear Pact, and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. President Obama stressed that military power is […]