Publications

This Insight discusses why Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliated group fighting in Syria, renamed itself Jabhat Fateh a-Sham (Front for the Conquest of Syria). The rebranding may or may not be attributable to...chevron_right

This report takes a close look at the Obama Administration’s FY 2017 US defense budget request, which totals $590.5 billion. More specifically, the text first delves into the government’s topline budget request, the Budget Control Act spending limits that are still in effect, and...chevron_right

This paper’s author shares his concerns over the growing politicization of the US military’s officer corps. He 1) cites recent examples where high ranking US officers seemingly took sides on specific political issues, and 2) calls for the creation of codes of behavior that will ensure political neutrality among members of the armed forces.chevron_right

This paper discusses the extent to which Russia may be influencing politics in Bulgaria. Given the continuous pressure from Moscow, Bulgarian political actors are now aligning themselves either with Russian or with Turkish interests, as the text illustrates.chevron_right

In this article, Jeff Jager uses the social movement frameworks developed by Charles Tilly and others to analyze the Gülen Movement in Turkey. After 1) exploring what seems to be the substance of Fethullah Gülen’s politico-religious thought, and 2) filtering it through the lens of social movement theory, Jager concludes that Gülen’s organization is an “episodic” one that will fade away, or become less prominent, only when its ultimate goal—the reintroduction of Islam into the public sphere—finally occurs.chevron_right

Each year, the US Department of Defense details the funding requirements for the American Armed Forces’ “big ticket” acquisition programs. This study uses the most recent data available to summarize the status of eighty separate programs that fall under eight procurement categories.chevron_right

This text prognosticates on the future relationship between NATO and Ukraine, particularly in the wake of the decisions made at the 2016 Warsaw Summit. At that meeting, the Alliance adopted a comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine that stresses...chevron_right

This paper examines the difficulties of establishing maritime boundaries and the potential impact The Hague’s South China Sea decision might have on future maritime boundary agreements. As the text’s author sees it, maritime boundary-making is especially difficult in semi-enclosed areas where...chevron_right

This edition of the RAD features three articles on Russia’s relationship with Kazakhstan. The first piece describes how relations between the two countries are going through a period of unprecedented turbulence, which may indeed have lasting effects. The second article discounts the suggestion that the close defense and military partnership between the two states is under threat. Finally, the third text ponders how Foreign Direct Investment is shaping Kazakhstan’s relations with Russia.chevron_right

This report examines the links between long-term tensions in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the country’s constitutional and electoral problems. After analyzing Katanga’s oversized role within the DRC, the text’s authors look at...chevron_right

This bulletin examines 1) NATO’s decision at the 2016 Warsaw Summit to forward deploy combat forces on its eastern flank, and 2) the possible consequences of this decision on the Alliance’s relationship with Russia. The text’s author believes...chevron_right

This paper examines the role Singapore’s annual Asia-Pacific Program for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO) plays in shaping and harmonizing the region’s defense diplomacies. As the text’s author sees it, the program makes an essential contribution to...chevron_right

This paper explains how Egypt’s distant support of the failed July 2016 military coup in Turkey has led to a freezing of relations between the two countries, which had been moving towards greater economic and political cooperation. The text also discusses how the coup attempt has led some in Egypt to...chevron_right

This paper reviews the threat the Zika virus poses to populations in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in the United States. The text’s authors explain 1) the various ways in which the virus is spread; 2) the impact which Zika could have on fertility rates; 3) the US Federal Government’s...chevron_right

This brief explores the “geopolitical vexation” that India feels in relation to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Beyond its “cartographic assertion,” which New Delhi reinforced in the 2016 Information Regulations Bill, the brief’s author...chevron_right