Afghanistan Three Years Later: Alliances and Rivalries
Episode 113 examines the challenges presented by the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) in Afghanistan within the context of the three-year anniversary of U.S. withdrawal from the region. Our guests share their extensive backgrounds, research, and practical experience related to the emergence of ISK in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They define
Burma's Quest for Drone Supremacy: A Cautionary Tale
Editor’s note: This article is part of Project Air Power, which explores and advocates for the totality of air, aviation, and space power in irregular, hybrid, and gray-zone environments. We invite you to contribute to the discussion, explore the difficult questions, and help influence the future of air and
Seize the Advantage: Three Models to Improve Security Cooperation Planning
Winston Churchill famously quipped, “There is only one thing worse than fighting with Allies, and that is fighting without them.” Nearly eighty years later, the Department of Defense echoed Churchill’s logic by declaring Allies and partners as the 2022 National Defense Strategy’s (NDS’) center of gravity and America’
Ukrainian Civilians Are Pioneering the Art of Resistance
Nonviolent tools are undercutting the Russian occupation. This article, published in Foreign Policy in early 2024, offers unique insights into how civilian networks have pioneered new approaches to non-violent resistance in occupied Ukraine. Written by Dr. Nicholas Krohley, Resistance Team Lead for IWI's SOF in Competition project, examines
The Peril of Ignoring the Legitimacy of Violent Non-State Actors
Looking around the world today, there is a glaring gap in both national and international approaches to non-state actor violence. There is little engagement with the idea that susceptible populations will come to support, sympathize with, or tolerate insurgency in the absence of credible authorities. Too often, the United States
The Cacti and the Grass: The Collapse of Afghanistan's Security Forces
Introduction For those of us who fought, bled, and lost friends in Afghanistan, it is hard to fathom the approaching third anniversary of the American withdrawal on August 30, 2021 and the subsequent collapse of the Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) soon thereafter. Years later, we are still asking
Ukraine’s Special Operations Troops Sow Destruction in Russia
Elite Ukrainian units have had a significant effect working behind the lines of the Kursk offensive. These are classic unconventional warfare tactics, writes US Special Forces officer LTC Doug Livermore in his latest CEPA article. War is never a happy experience, but these must be satisfying days for Ukraine’s
SOF in Competition - Special Project
Episode 112 is the launch podcast for the SOF in Competition Special Project. The Irregular Warfare Initiative proudly announces the SOF in Competition Project. The intent is to coalesce the community of SOF policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to understand the role of SOF in addressing contemporary and future national
SOF in Competition Special Project Announcement
Marine Raider nighttime training
Irregular Warfare at Sea: Using Privateers To Seize Chinese Commerce
Editor’s Note I: This article is part of IWI’s Project Maritime, a series exploring the intersection of irregular warfare and the modern maritime dimension. Focusing on current events and their underlying geographical and historical patterns, we aim to contextualize the drivers of conflict in the maritime domain and
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
