An Eye For An Eye: The Dynamics of Blood Revenge In Civil War
Emil Aslan, David S. Siroky and Roberto Colombo Over the past fifty years, about two-thirds of all civil wars have occurred in countries where customary traditions of honor and retaliation regulate social life. Firmly embedded in the fabric of local societies, the customary code of blood revenge—the practice
“By, With, And Through” Will Not Save US Forces From Direct Combat: American Ground Force Contributions To The Campaign Against ISIS
Jeff Martini, Sean Zeigler and Gian Gentile In 2016, as it was pushing ISIS from its Euphrates valley strongholds in Iraq, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS weighed how best to speed up the military campaign. The coalition ultimately chose to expand its military involvement in support of Iraqi forces,
Competition Campaigning: What It Looks Like And Implications for US Special Operations Command
Jonathan Schroden In March 2022, the Pentagon released a new National Defense Strategy (NDS) that identified China as the “most consequential strategic competitor” of the United States. The NDS also described two concepts—integrated deterrence and campaigning—as primary means by which the Department of Defense will seek to address
Misguided Citizens: India's Approach to Counterinsurgency
Jeff Phaneuf and Adam Darnley-Stuart Episode 70 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores the nuances of India’s approach to counterinsurgency throughout the nation’s history. Our guests assess the Indian counterinsurgency experience, including India’s philosophical approach, tactical innovations throughout India’s history, and the critical difference between
Al-Shabaab And The Grim Realities of Somalia's Forever War
Sam Wilkins Despite over a decade of international military interventions, the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group known as al-Shabaab remains the most capable extremist organization on the African continent. On October 30, the group served up a deadly reminder of its continued relevance when it detonated a bomb in
The Arctic Heats Up: Global Competition In The High North
Benjamin Jebb and Jeff Phaneuf Episode 69 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines the evolving relationship between climate change, Arctic security, and geopolitical competition. Our guests begin by describing America’s interests in the Arctic and the traditional institutions that have governed interstate relations in the High North. They then
Resist To Deter: Why Taiwan Needs To Focus On Irregular Warfare
Aidan L. P. Greer and Chris Bassler Taiwan and the United States appear to have reached the decade of maximum danger with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While Taiwan has mostly accepted the need to shift to a “porcupine strategy” to deter a potential Chinese invasion—an approach that emphasizes
Aviation Advising: Access and Influence Through Air Power
Laura Jones and Jeff Phaneuf Episode 68 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores aviation advising and how airpower can be a critical aspect of building partner capacity. Our guests begin by highlighting past success of air advising and explaining aviation’s role in establishing access and influence with partner nations.
In The Gray Zone, This Much Is Black And White: SOF Must Develop Partner And Ally Nation Capabilities
Clifford Lucas Irregular warfare is fundamental to strategic competition with China and Russia. In his recent congressional testimony, General Richard Clarke described the critical space in which this competition will unfold and who should play a key role: “SOF [special operations forces] remain ideally suited to identify an adversary’s
Transmitting Values: Can US Security Force Assistance Export Democratic Norms?
Benjamin Jebb and Kyle Atwell Episode 67 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores the complicated relationship between US foreign policy and democratic values, and the risks and opportunities associated with exporting liberal norms through security force assistance. Our guests begin by describing the role that promoting liberal values, such as
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