I’ve actually written quite a bit on ISIS to date, so it may be prudent for those that are unfamiliar with WarCouncil.org to visit some of these other short essays in order to provide some broader context: “ISIS Won and Four Fundamental Factors that Explain Why” “Destroying Value: ISIS, The Anaconda, and War On The…
Image courtesy of Tremr. Make no mistake, this is not an assessment one offers with a smile. But it’s a fact: ISIS (or ISIL) has achieved victory in Northern Iraq and Eastern Syria and does meet minimum requirements for statehood. Just spend a few miserable minutes reading the most recent situation updates or listen to the Foreign…
Image courtesy of Wikipedia. One of the most important parts of being a strategist is understanding the environment. To have a grasp on the zeitgeist sharpens analysis and focuses the mind on what “is” and what might come. My contribution to this is the assessment that the contemporary warfighting environment is dominated by what…
Image courtesy of The Soufan Group. While the World Cup gets underway in Brazil, consider taking a few minutes to read through the findings of a recent Soufan Group report, “Foreign Fighters in Syria.” It leads with a strong jab: “Over 12,000 fighters from at least 81 countries have joined the civil war in Syria, and…
***Another post over at the Lowy Interpreter on the Iraq War: I think Rodger Shanahan is taking the Interpreter’s distinguished readers on a bit of a wild-goose chase with the Iraq War violence figures. They’re important, but frankly there will never be a solid set of numbers on which we can objectively agree are correct. This…
National Journal has run an excellent story on the financial aspect of Osama bin Laden’s death. Frankly, it’s pretty sobering to think about. The article begins: “By conservative estimates, bin Laden cost the United States at least $3 trillion over the past 15 years, counting the disruptions he wrought on the domestic economy, the wars…