Recent Posts

Russia’s Enduring Presence in the Middle East

The Kremlin’s Middle East diplomacy is driven by its rivalry with the West, the imperative to defend deep-rooted Russian interests in the region, and a desire to project power and influence well beyond its periphery. For centuries, the Middle East has been an arena of competition between Russia and the …

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America’s allies in Syria hope they can sway Trump’s decisions about US troops there

For almost a decade, US troops have been on the ground in Syria to assist Kurdish-led forces in the defeat of the infamous Islamic State. These forces tamp down on the ISIS remnants in the northern and eastern regions they presently control, where tens of thousands of captured ISIS fighters, …

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Go Big or Stay Home? A Framework for Understanding Terrorist Group Expansion

Abstract: Terrorist organizations are not monolithic entities when it comes to many different aspects of their activities. Among other things, they may change goals, leaders, and tactics over time. This article focuses on one particular type of change: the decision by a terrorist group to geographically expand attack operations outside …

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