December, 2023

• 22 December

  ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in November 2023

  Following is the November 2023 installment of “ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency,” a monthly chronicle of attacks by the terrorist group ISIS in central Syria. A review of developments throughout 2022 and 2021 can be found here and here. The January 2023 edition of ISIS Redux can be found …

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• 22 December

  It’s not just Zelensky’s war

  

  The Ukrainian leader is right to say that if Putin wins, America loses The meeting is scheduled to start at 6 PM so I arrive at the Ukrainian embassy ten minutes early. I’m ushered into a room that’s already filled with three dozen think tankers, opinion journalists, and other denizens …

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• 22 December

  Türkiye’s Growing Drone Exports

  

  Low-cost and high-performing, Turkish-made armed drones are capturing an increasing share of the global market. This success comes with risks, including escalation of conflict and reputational damage, but there are several ways for Ankara to manage them. As drones change the face of modern warfare, their price sinks and their …

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• 22 December

  Operation Iron Swords
  Updated to 1 p.m., December 20, 2023

  

  The combat arena: The IDF forces continued their integrated ground maneuver in thenorthern and southern Gaza Strip, attacking more than 300 targets. The ground forces, airforce and navy carried out simultaneous attacks, and according to reports gained control ofthe Jabaliya area in the northern Gaza Strip. The Palestinians reported heavy …

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• 22 December

  Evolving European Security Dynamics In A Post-Ukraine Era – OpEd

  

  The security concerns of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) encompass a wide range of challenges of unprecedented magnitude. Since its inception in 1949, NATO has been involved in several military operations in Europe. During the Cold War, it maintained a defensive posture in Europe to deter potential aggression from …

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• 22 December

  Houthi leader threatens to attack US warships if Washington targets Yemen

  

  The leader of Yemen’s Houthis warned on Wednesday they would strike U.S. warships if the Iranian-backed militia was targeted by Washington, which this week set up a multinational force to counter Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, Reuters reported. The Houthis, which control vast amounts of territory …

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• 22 December

  Will The EU Deport Ukrainian Draft Dodgers Once They’re Officially Called Up To Serve?

  

  As the conflict finally winds down, the EU can either go with the flow or throw more meat into the grinder, the latter of which would be refugees this time. Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov told German media that Kiev will soon call upon its citizens abroad to come back home …

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• 22 December

  Coalition en mer Rouge : Les Houthis menacent ouvertement les Américains de représailles

  

  Les rebelles yéménites ont directement menacé les États-Unis de s’en prendre à leurs navires s’ils les ciblaient. Ces déclarations surviennent alors que Washington vient d’annoncer la création d’une force maritime multinationale afin de lutter contre les attaques houthies en mer Rouge. Le dirigeant houthi, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, a directement menacé les …

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• 22 December

  The Path to October 7: How Iran Built Up and Managed a Palestinian ‘Axis of Resistance’

  

  Abstract: Since October 7, in the wake of the “al-Aqsa Flood” terrorist attacks by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other Palestinian factions from across the ideological spectrum, Iran’s aid to and strategic management of these groups has taken on a new level of relevance. The methods Iran has used …

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• 22 December

  Iraq’s New Regime Change: How Tehran-Backed Terrorist Organizations and Militias Captured the Iraqi State

  

  Abstract: Iran-backed terrorists and militias lost the 2021 elections in Iraq yet ended up picking the prime minister anyway and taking charge of the world’s fifth-largest oil producer. This remarkable reversal of fortunes in 2022 was not delivered via the barrel of a gun but rather a series of cool-headed …

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