People as a Weapons System: Moscow and Minsk’s Continued Attempts to Weaponize Migration
Weaponized migration, the orchestration or threatened orchestration of a sudden influx of refugees by a hostile government into another country for coercive purposes, continues to make appearances as the latest preferred instrument in the modern autocrat’s toolkit. Using what was once a favorite strategy of leaders such as Cuba’
A Guide for Measuring Resiliency
A portion of this article was previously published in Small Wars and Insurgencies journal. The question of state resiliency remains essential to the three biggest U.S. foreign policy questions of today. Why did Afghanistan fall so rapidly to the Taliban in 2021? Why, in contrast, has Ukraine stood firm
The Stability Instability Paradox: How Nuclear Weapons Incentivize Irregular Warfare
This week’s episode delves into the 1999 Kargil Conflict, exploring the intricate dynamics of the India-Pakistan rivalry and the impact of nuclear weapons on conflict below the threshold of open war. Our guests kick off by exploring the regional security dynamics germane to South Asia. They delve into
Israel’s Pyrrhic Victory in the Gaza Strip: Implications of Waging War in the Age of Social Media
By now, it is clear that Israel is dominating the battlefield in the Gaza Strip. However, what is not certain or within the control of the Israelis is the global perception of this offensive in light of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. There are reasons to conclude that the modern
Learning from Failure: Afghanistan as a Microcosm for Strategic Competition
Why should the U.S. military and political leadership care about Afghanistan? Isn’t Afghanistan a story about sunk costs whose lessons only apply to counter terrorism or counter insurgency? Absolutely not. Rather, the U.S. military must understand its failures in Afghanistan to succeed in strategic competition. Failure to
How Hamas Built an Army
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and its allies entered Israeli territory to commit atrocities against civilian communities near the Israel-Gaza border. With about 1,200 dead, including children and the elderly slaughtered in their beds or burned to death, and at least 239 abducted to
Theories of Victory: Israel, Hamas, and the Meaning of Success in Irregular Warfare
Two months in, what does the war between Israel and Hamas tell us about victory and defeat in irregular warfare? There is no difficulty in identifying those who have lost the most through this conflict: the civilian victims, caught up in a hellish devastation not of their making. In contrast,
Irregular Warfare in the Post-Soviet Space: The Republic of Moldova
Eastern Europe has historically served as an epicenter for influence operations, with a number of actors – particularly Russia – using influence tactics to shape political narratives and public opinion in the region. Hosted by Irregular Warfare Initiative's Project Europe, this virtual panel brought together the foremost experts on Eastern
Active Defense: China’s Military Strategy Since 1949
This week’s episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the historical arc of Chinese Military Strategy from 1949 until today. Our guests begin by explaining how the Chinese military’s revolutionary roots have influenced its strategy over the last century. They then address how technological innovations, changes in the
Maritime Maneuvers: Navigating Irregular Warfare in Yemen’s Civil War
Before the 2018 National Defense Strategy recognized Irregular Warfare (IW) as a key competency for the Joint Force, a unique cell of Navy Surface Warfare and intelligence officers, an Army Civil Affairs Team (CAT), and Royal Navy (UK) personnel initiated a maritime irregular warfare campaign in the early stages of
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
