March 25, 2021 – In the newest iteration of the IOR Digital Series, NESA’s Jeff Payne is joined by CNA’s Nilanthi Samaranayake to discuss trend lines in the Indian Ocean Region, the problem sets facing U.S. decision-making towards the region, the particular challenges facing IOR island states, and what is going on regarding the dispute Read More >
Security & Energy in the Mediterranean Sea Roundtable
March 22, 2021 – The NESA Center held a roundtable discussion on the Mediterranean Sea. Scholars from universities and think-tanks from Libya, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey were invited. The first panel focused on recent developments in Libya and the interim government’s efforts to hold elections next December. The second panel addressed regional disputes Read More >
Iran and Regional Security
By NESA Professor Dr. Gawdat Bahgat 18 March 2021 In November 2020, only days before he was elected President of the United States, then-candidate Joseph Biden stated, “I will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy. If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as Read More >
Commentary on the Biden Administration’s “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance”
by NESA Professor Richard L. Russell 17 March 2021 The Biden administration has released an “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance.”[1] This interim report is intended to bridge the gap until the administration’s full national security strategy is published in the months ahead. Each presidential administration uses these national security strategies to share a general philosophy Read More >
Fast-Paced Diplomatic Effort to Jump Start Afghanistan Peace Process
by NESA Professor Ali Jalali 15 March 2021 Amid a renewed global push to end the long conflict in Afghanistan, key regional powers show support for a US plan to accelerate regional cooperation, and invigorate intra-Afghan talks on a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. This comes in response to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s letter Read More >
Why Northeast India Matters For Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision?
by Dr. Rupakjyoti Borah, NESA Alumnus and Professor and Dean, School of Social Sciences, Kaziranga University, Assam, India. The recent visit of the Ambassador of Japan to Assam is very significant. This comes against the background of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Vision. This development also has to be seen in conjunction with initiatives like Read More >
Impact of COVID on Global Power Competition
by Matthew Woollen, NESA Alumnus and Program Analyst, United States Air Force Special Operations Command Despite an early belief, particularly in the United States, that the world would return to “normal” in short order following the outbreak of COVID-19, it’s now obvious the global impacts of the virus are long term. The duration and degree Read More >
From Warring Partner to Peace Broker – Impact of the New Administration’s Policy towards the War in Yemen
By: LtCol Michael von Normann, DEU A, CSAG Middle East Branch 02 Mar 2021 Introduction: In his first foreign policy speech on February 4, 2021, President Biden announced the US would end its support for the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive operations in Yemen. The new policy laid out by the President also included the suspension of Read More >
The Implications of a US Withdrawal from Iraq for USCENTCOM Priorities and Great Power Competition
By: LTC Octavian Dorobantu, ROU Army, CSAG CCJ5 24 Feb 2021 Introduction: Due to economic changes and the loss of American popular support for long wars, the Trump Administration designed a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq. If the Biden Administration were to act along the same lines, a withdrawal could cause significant harm to Read More >
Post-Maximum Pressure Campaign Rapprochement with Iran
By: Lt Col Farhan Ali, Pakistan Army, CSAG CCJ5 19 Feb 2021 Introduction: The Trump Administration criticized President Obama’s Iran policy, particularly the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). President Trump described the JCPOA as a poorly conceived and one-sided agreement that disproportionally benefitted Iran and allowed it to continue its malign behavior in the Read More >