Articles
Our articles cut through the noise on irregular warfare to connect strategic theory to operational reality and translate complexity into insight for practitioners and policymakers. No time to read? Check out our podcast, "Insider: Short of War," which transforms our articles into concise, engaging audio pieces you can listen to anywhere. Available directly in most of our articles and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms.
The Next Variant Of Russia's Political Warfare Virus
by Joshua C. Huminski Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has provoked a belated immune response to Moscow’s political warfare campaign to subvert democracy and exploit systemic weaknesses in Europe and the United States. To be sure, there were attempts to halt or roll back the Kremlin’s efforts before
Will the Drone War Come Home? Ukraine and the Weaponization of Commercial Drones
Benjamin Fogel and Andro Mathewson Hours after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense appealed for civilian drone owners to donate or fly their commercially bought drones to help defend Kyiv. Donations poured in and consumer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) took to the skies
The End of the War on Drugs? Re-imagining the US-Colombia Relationship
by Erin K. McFee On June 19, Colombia elected Gustavo Petro as its president. The election of the former mayor of Bogotá and ex-M-19 guerrilla fighter represents a historic break from a nearly uninterrupted two-hundred-year run of government by white mestizo elites. If implemented, the three
The End of the War on Drugs? Reimagining the US-Colombia Relationship
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. On June 19, Colombia elected Gustavo Petro as its president. The election of the former mayor of Bogotá and ex-M-19 guerrilla fighter represents a historic break from a nearly
The Rise and Fall of Village Stability Operations in Afghanistan: Lessons for Future Irregular Warfare Campaigns
Sam Wilkins In 2009, as American interest focused once again on Afghanistan, seasoned special operations forces (SOF) commanders conceived a plan they believed could transform the floundering war effort. Fueled by frustration with the status quo, the difficulty of holding terrain after clearing operations, and a belief that “there has
The Rise And Fall Of Village Stability Operations In Afghanistan: Lessons For Future Irregular Warfare Campaigns
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. In 2009, as American interest focused once again on Afghanistan, seasoned special operations forces (SOF) commanders conceived a plan they believed could transform the floundering war effort. Fueled by frustration with
The Changing Face of Insurgency
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. David Ucko, The Insurgent’s Dilemma: A Struggle to Prevail (Hurst, 2022) When imagining counterinsurgency, I think about flying a helicopter full of US Navy SEALs and their Iraqi commando counterparts
Worthless Coin: Why the West Should Keep Studying Counterinsurgency
Christian Tripodi and Matthew Wiger The US Army has lost interest in counterinsurgency training. Over the past year, the withdrawal from Afghanistan appears to have drawn a line under COIN’s modern incarnation, while escalation in eastern Europe has focused policymakers’ minds on the possibility of major combat operations against
Worthless COIN? Why the West Should Keep Studying Counterinsurgency
This Irregular Warfare Initiative article was originally posted through our partner organization, the Modern War Institute at West Point. The US Army has lost interest in counterinsurgency training. Over the past year, the withdrawal from Afghanistan appears to have drawn a line under COIN’s modern incarnation, while escalation in
The Terrible Trade-Off: Why Governments Must Choose Between More Violence or Stronger Gangs
Christopher Blattman, Benjamin Lessing and Santiago Tobón Nearly every neighborhood in Medellín, Colombia, has a combo, or local street gang—almost four hundred in all. They earn most of their money from local drug sales. Some also run protection rackets, while others market legal goods—arepas, eggs, and even cooking
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