Strategy Through Action: Harriet Tubman as an Underappreciated Forebearer to Special Operations
“I grew up like a neglected weed, - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it. Then I was not happy or contented.” Harriet Tubman, 1855 Just over 160 years ago, Harriet Tubman was building intelligence relationships in a foreign territory, developing networks to provide information, and securing access to important
Ukraine's Hidden Front: The Strategic Impact of Resistance Operations
Episode 125 examines the impact of Ukraine's irregular warfare and resistance operations on its broader strategic objectives. Our guests discuss how Ukrainian resistance activities have evolved throughout the conflict and evaluate their strategic importance in the war against Russia. Our guests begin by describing how Ukrainian resistance and
Harnessing AI to Understand China's Grand Strategy
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has long concealed its strategic vision behind a great information wall. Western views of Chinese strategy often blend Sun Tzu’s antiquated platitudes with designs for revenge following the Century of Humiliation. Although these ideas are relevant to the philosophy informing the ideology
The Coming Wave of Wartime Drone Expertise
When the conflict in Ukraine inevitably ends, Russia and Ukraine will be forced to fully or partially demobilize, which will release thousands to tens of thousands of veterans back to civilian life with expertise in designing, building, and employing weaponized drones. The U.S. military, law enforcement agencies, and civilians
Intro Letter from the New Editorial Director
In its most recent newsletter, IWI announced that I was rejoining the organization as its Editorial Director. I am replacing Tobias Switzer, who led IWI’s publications through its four-year anniversary and continued IWI’s remarkable growth since 2020. Kate Espinosa has served admirably as Acting Director and graciously
The UK’s New Take on Cyber
From its 2010 inception to its most recent 2022 publication, the primary focus of the United Kingdom's National Cyber Strategies (NCS) evolved from a security-focused approach to a broader, more ambitious vision of ‘cyber power.’ The United Kingdom views cyber power as the projection of cyber security.
The Fall of Assad’s Regime Shakes Iran’s Proxy Network Across the Middle East
Not long ago, Iran wielded significant influence across the Middle East, extending its reach from Baghdad to Beirut and Damascus to Sanaa. Through a network of proxies, it encircled its regional adversaries, Israel and Saudi Arabia, creating what many referred to as a “ring of fire.” However, over the past
Letter from the Board of Directors
Editor’s Note: the IWI Board of Directors approved its first annual “IWI Strategic Plan: 2025-2035” on 01 September 2024. The plan articulates IWI’s organizational purpose, strategic goals and implementation through three phases, a market analysis, an overview of its services and operations, and its organizational and leadership
The Fourth Age: The SOCOM Commander's Vision for the Future
Episode 124 explores the evolution and future of Special Operations Forces (SOF) through the lens of "The Fourth Age," a work of fictional intelligence examining future SOF capabilities and missions. Our guests discuss how SOF has evolved through distinct eras since World War II and examine how emerging
To Beat China’s Navy to the Punch, Defend Forward in Taiwan
The US cannot keep pace with China’s exponential growth in naval power. Ship for ship, the People’s Liberation Army Navy outnumbers the US Navy, and this disparity will only grow with time. This makes conventional naval power an unreliable means by which the US could deter or combat
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
