Media and articles

Interview on Two-Year Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine

On February 23, CISA Professor Dr. Andrew Novo was interviewed by Flavia Giacobbe of Formiche on the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Interview on Death of Russian Political Prisoner Alexey Navalny

On February 19, CISA Professor Dr. Peter Eltsov gave a brief televised interview to the Voice of America regarding the death of Russian political prisoner Alexey Navalny and the political consequences of this.

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Educate as You Operate: Developing National Security Practitioners for Strategic Competition

In early February, CISA Professor Dr. David H. Ucko and Dr. David P. Oakley published a policy paper on educating national security practitioners for strategic competition. Written as a Decision Brief for the Global and National Security Institute (GNSI) of the University of Southern Florida, the report argues for a broadening of the DoD's current PME system to bring in more civilian participants and perspectives, but to maintain the professional focus on creating strategies and planning tools.

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The Key to Ukrainian Victory is Partnering (not Ukrainifying)

On February 6, CISA Professor Dr. Spencer Meredith's article "The Key to Ukrainian Victory is Partnering (not Ukrainifying)" was published by the Irregular Warfare Initiative.

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An Analysis of the Situation in Ukraine on the Two-Year Anniversary of the Russian Invasion

The February edition of Italian news leader Formiche's monthly magazine published an article by CISA Professor Dr. Andrew Novo analyzing the situation in Ukraine on the two-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

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The Trident Podcast: Words Matter: Irregular Warfare Definitions and Constructs

On January 16, CISA Professor Dr. David Ucko participated in the inaugural episode of Trident, a podcast produced by the Naval War College's Center on Irregular Warfare & Armed Groups.

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Enabled by Iran: Houthis Push Forward with Attacks in the Red Sea

On January 8, The Cipher Brief interviewed CISA Professor Dr. Geoffrey Gresh for a story on Iran, the Houthis, and the maritime security of the Red Sea.

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Theories of Victory: Israel, Hamas, and the Meaning of Success in Irregular Warfare

Two months in, what does the war between Israel and Hamas tell us about victory and defeat in irregular warfare? As warfare, with its destruction and loss, is ostensibly justified by the political purpose it is meant to attain, this lack of clarity should be concerning.

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Foro: Massa vs. Milei, el decisivo reto de Argentina

On November 17, CISA Professor Dr. Craig Deare participated on a Voice of America program to discuss the presidential election in Argentina.

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Putin's Playbook: The Development of Russian Tactics, Operations, and Strategy from Chechnya to Ukraine

To better understand the reasons for and methods of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 one needs to look at Putin's entire period in power -- from August 1999 to the battlefields of present-day Ukraine.

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An Airstrike At Gaza Hospital Kills Hundreds

On October 18, CISA Professor Dr. Sean McFate was featured in NPR's segment on the airstrikes in Gaza City.

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Ten Surprising Lessons For Special Operations Forces From The First 20 Months Of Putin’s Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine

This article provides ten surprising lessons for Special Operations Forces (SOF) from the first year-and-a-half of Russia’s criminal and ill-advised full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These lessons range from the tactical to the grand strategic, and collectively help explain how Ukraine and NATO managed to “boil Putin’s frog” in the years between 2014 and 2022.

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Dr. Sean McFate Interview on POTUS Visit to Israel

In October, CISA Professor Sean McFate was featured on an interview with Scripps News discussing President Biden's visit to Israel.

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A Framework for Countering Organised Crime: Strategy, Planning, and the Lessons of Irregular Warfare

On September 18, as part of the Serious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence SOC ACE Research Programme, CISA Professors Dr. David H. Ucko and Dr. Thomas A. Marks published "A Framework for Countering Organised Crime: Strategy, Planning and the Lessons of Irregular Warfare."

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The mercenary boom: How private military contractors are redefining modern warfare | DW News

Prigozhin's armed mutiny was the clearest example of the danger posed by mercenary groups, but not an isolated one. In recent years, mercenary groups have made a comeback, and we are not ready for it.

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Engage? Trump and the Asia-Pacific

In U.S. foreign policy, expansive engagement can be defined as “a broad-based grand strategic orientation,” or as President Bill Clinton’s national security advisor Anthony Lake described it, “active American engagement abroad on behalf of democracy and expanded trade.”

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The Wagner Group in Africa: Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence

Russia’s Wagner Group has attracted a lot of attention in connection to its actions in Ukraine. The group’s activities in Africa are less publicized. At the same time, Wagner has made substantial inroads in many countries of the African continent. This article focuses on the case studies of Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan, and Mali and analyzes the nature of Wagner’s activities there.

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Interview with Dr. Peter Eltsov on Wagner Group Insurgency (Russian VoA)

CISA Professor Dr. Peter Eltsov was interviewed about the Wagner Group insurgency in Russia, which was broadcast live on the Russian Service of the Voice of America.

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The Role and Limits of Special Operations in Strategic Competition

As the US shifts from counterterrorism to strategic competition against state rivals, the role of its special operations forces is also changing. David H Ucko explores the promise and limitations of special operations in this new era, identifying their contribution but also the need for a broader response.

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The Central Intelligence Act of 1949

The Central Intelligence Act of 1949, passed seventy-four years ago this summer, did not create the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); the agency had been created in 1947, in a brief section of the gargantuan National Security Act of 1947. The 1949 Act, however, set the groundwork for what the agency would become in the following decades, by exempting if from public disclosure regarding its activities, budget, and personnel.

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Podcast: How Colonialism Shapes Our Discussion About Central Asia

A recent article from the American Political Science Association (APSA) examined how the words used to describe Central Asia sometimes reinforce the region’s image as being part of Russia or the Soviet Union. Amid growing awareness of Central Asia’s colonial history, some argue it is time to move beyond terms such as “post-Soviet,” “near abroad,” or “Russia’s backyard” when referring to Central Asia today.

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Interview with Dr. Peter Eltsov on the Russian-Ukrainian War and NATO (Russian VoA)

On June 13, CISA Professor Dr. Peter Eltsov discussed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's

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Podcast: Democracy in Central Asia

Central Asia stands at a pivotal crossroads, with the next few months likely to set the course for the region going forward. In Part 2 of this podcast, Dr. Erica Marat guides us through the most democratic of the Central Asian republics, and the paradox of this progress under the rule of strongman presidents, including the current President Sadyr Japarov.

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Queen of Cities: A discussion on the Fall of Constantinople

On May 28, CISA Professor Dr. Andrew Novo was interviewed by Thanos Davelis of The Hellenic American Leadership Council about his novel, Queen of Cities, and the anniversary of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.

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Japan: New Lord of the Subsea?

As threats to the global web of subsea fiber-optic cables become more prominent, Japan has an opportunity to become a leader in submarine cable laying, repair, and security.

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Ukraine: The Moment of Truth Is Near

The government in Kyiv knows something even the West finds hard to admit; that its fight for survival is based on performance bonuses.

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China's Maritime Silk Route and the MENA Region 1

The Routledge Companion to China and the Middle East and North Africa brings together China scholars from around the world, including from China, the MENA region, the United States, Asia, and Europe. The contributors, experts in their respective areas––which range from politics, military and nuclear power to economics, energy, and tourism––use different methodologies to understand China’s policies in the MENA.

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Dr. Sean McFate on How to Defeat the Wagner Group (German)

On May 12, Der Pragmaticus published CISA Professor Dr. Sean McFate's latest article on how to defeat the Wagner Group beyond killing them to death.

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Interview with Dr. Peter Eltsov: Wagner Group Leader Announces Forces Will Leave Bakhmut, Al Jazeera

Watch CISA Professor Dr. Peter Eltsov's interview with Al Jazeera English on their evening news hour, where he gives his take on a last-minute deal after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin announced his forces will leave Bakhmut.

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Reclaiming the Narrative: Decolonizing Central Asian Studies for a More Inclusive Understanding

In this article, Dr. Erica Marat and Dr. Botakoz Kassymbekova examine how the words used to describe Central Asia sometimes reinforce the region’s image as being part of Russia or the Soviet Union.

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The Russians Are Coming. There Could Be Downsides.

Russia’s neighbors and other countries hosting large numbers of anti-war exiles need to take seriously the dangers they could pose.

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Podcast: Defeating the Wagner Group

In Season 1, Episode 1 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi of the Atlantic Council speaks with the author and former mercenary Dr. Sean McFate about his three-pronged strategy for defeating the Wagner Group. They also discuss internal dynamics within the Kremlin-linked private military company, the dangerously outsized influence of its leader in the war in Ukraine, and Sean’s argument that there’s nothing more unconventional today than a conventional war– and that this is borne out by the way that Russia is fighting in Ukraine.

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Pedir que militares de EU combatan al narcotráfico en México es lo más vergonzoso que se puede sugerir: exasesor de Trump

On March 8, CISA Professor Dr. Craig Deare was interviewed by Latin American digital news platform LATINUS to discuss the events surrounding the kidnapping of U.S. citizens in Mexico.

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How to Defeat Russia's Mercenaries

CISA Professor Dr. Sean McFate's latest opinion piece in Newsweek explores how to deal with Russia's Wagner Group.

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The Wagner Group explained

In early March, CISA Professor Dr. Sean McFate was featured on a video by Al Jazeera English explaining who the Wagner Group is, what they do, and why the war in Ukraine has shifted things.

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Who is behind Russia's Wagner Group?

On Feb. 23, CISA Professor Dr. Peter Eltsov was interviewed by Al Jazeera English about the one-year anniversary of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the impact of the Wagner Group on Russia's global outreach.

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Counterinsurgency as fad: America’s rushed engagement with irregular warfare

Too hastily embraced and too rapidly abandoned, counterinsurgency generated false promises and then became the scapegoat for poor strategy. This article examines the counterinsurgency era that was and demonstrates how fad-like engagement with the topic in both military and academic circles subverted the supposed learning process taking place.

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Podcast: Reflecting on One Year Since Russia Invaded Ukraine

CISA Professor Dr. Sean McFate was featured on a podcast episode for Syracuse University - Maxwell School: "Reflecting on One Year Since Russia Invaded Ukraine." Here, he discusses the anniversary of the war in Ukraine, and more specifically, the return of large mercenary armies to modern warfare.

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Indispensable but Insufficient: The Role and Limits of Special Operations in Strategic Competition

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, special operations forces (SOF) were often the point of the counterterrorism spear. As the United States shifts away from counterterrorism and focuses on the threats that Russia and China pose, SOF can play a vital role, according to David Ucko, a professor at the National Defense University. To do so, however, Ucko argues that SOF must recalibrate, changing their composition and their focus.

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Gods at War: Religion and the Pacific Theater in World War II with Dr. Dayna Barnes

CISA Professor Dr. Dayna Barnes published an overview of her current research project on World War II in the Asia Pacific with the Global Affairs and Religion Network of Scholars at the George Washington University: "Gods at War: Religion and the Pacific Theater in World War II with Dr. Dayna Barnes."

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Is the End of Russian History Close at Hand?

Never before has Russia been simultaneously so frightening and fragile. An analysis by Dr. Peter Eltsov on Russia's "horrid nationalism," its fragility, and the consequences of its possible collapse.

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Europe’s new maritime security reality: Chinese ports, Russian bases, and the rise of subsea warfare

The year 2022 ushered in another array of significant and diverse maritime security challenges for

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Podcast: The Indigenous Approach: Irregular Warfare with Sean McFate

In this episode of the Indigenous Approach, a podcast hosted by 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) - US Army, Dr. McFate discusses the role of SOF in irregular warfare and strategic competition.

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Dr. Peter Eltsov's interview on the Russian-Ukrainian War, Al Jazeera

On 20 Jan., Dr. Peter Eltsov (CISA) was interviewed by Al Jazeera London about the Russian-Ukrainian War, the role of the Wagner Group, and the frictions with Russia's military command.

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The Real Winners of the 2024 Election Could be China and Russia

CISA professor Dr. Sean McFate and co-author Lee Drutman published an article on TIME, "The Real Winners of the 2024 Election Could be China and Russia".

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Foro: EEUU–Colombia: desafíos de nueva política antidrogas

On Dec. 9, CISA Professor Dr. Craig Deare participated in a Voice of America program regarding the Government of Colombia's new drug policy.

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Meloni at the Helm: What Does Italy’s New Government Mean for Sino-Italian Relations?

On Dec. 8, Dr. Andrew Novo published a policy brief on the future of Sino-Italian relations under Italy's new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

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Irregular warfare will win ‘strategic competition’

On Dec. 14, Dr. Sean McFate published an opinion piece in The Hill on the need to institutionalize irregular warfare capabilities, and identifies key obstacles the DoD's new Irregular Warfare Center will have to avoid.

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Podcast: Infiltration, Ideation and the Subversion of Democracy. Threat of Insurgency in USA?

In November, CISA Professor Dr. David Ucko sat down with Silicon Curtain to discuss the political infiltration, social-media mobilization, and subliminal violence creeping into American democracy. This is insurgency reinvented, and we don't know how to respond.

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Backing Ukraine is costly. Not backing it would be costlier

The approaching winter months will test Western resolve to support Ukraine. Indisputably, the costs of assistance to Ukraine are high and are likely to get higher. But unless the West helps Ukraine fully liberate itself from Russia’s occupation now, it will have to pay an even costlier price in the future.

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Teaching Irregular Warfare in the Era of Strategic Competition

The 2022 National Security Strategy focuses on US leadership in strategic competition over the future of international order. The document lays out the threats and challenges the United States faces today from adversaries such as Russia and China. In order to prevail over such competitors and secure US leadership in the future, the United States needs to reconsider the way it approaches teaching irregular warfare (IW) in its professional military education (PME) institutions.

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Book Review: Nothing is impossible: America's reconciliation with Vietnam

On Nov. 2, CISA Professor Dr. Dayna Barnes published an engaging book review of "Nothing is impossible: America's reconciliation with Vietnam" in International Affairs, the journal of Chatham House.

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Italy’s New Government: Five things to Remember

After heated backroom negotiations, Italy finally has a new administration. What can we expect from the new government? Dr. Andrew Novo and co-author Federico Bosari explore this question in their publication for the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

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Redefining Irregular Warfare: Legitimacy, Coercion, and Power

The Department of Defense is working on a new definition of irregular warfare, and the stakes are surprisingly high. In this article, Dr. David Ucko and Dr. Thomas Marks propose their own definition to irregular warfare, which retains IW's essence (legitimacy, coercion) but also applies it to strategic competition.

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The Holohan murder and the legacy of the office of strategic services

A case study of the damage wrought by the politicization of intelligence, "The Holohan Murder and the Legacy of the Office of Strategic Services" by CISA Assistant Professor Dr. David Hadley illustrates how popular narrative tropes of spy memoirs were enlisted by the different sides to press their version of the case.

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Why Russia and China Aren’t Intervening in Central Asia

In this co-publication in Foreign Policy, Dr. Asel Doolotkeldieva and Dr. Erica Marat explain that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's reluctance to resolve conflicts among its members is because it is limited to promoting only China’s security interests in the region.

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Podcast: Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect

During this episode of the Cognitive Crucible, Russ Burgos discusses the importance of defining terms–like information itself. He offers a way of thinking about information in supply/demand and behavioral economics terminology. Russ recaps his “Seven A’s of Information Success” and then projects these concepts into global influence efficacy.

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Podcast: Time, Space, and Material: Metric for Assessing Irregular Warfare

Episode 62 of the Irregular Warfare podcast, featuring CISA Distinguished Professor Dr. Thomas Marks

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Not Paying the Full Price: Russia’s Continued Support for the ‘Special Operation’ in Ukraine

Many Russians have not had to send their children, husbands, or relatives to fight in Ukraine, and as a result, they continue to tacitly support Putin’s “special operation.”

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A Survey of Humans and Autonomy in Three Areas: Suveillance, Economics, and Lethality in Combat OperationsA Survey of Humans and Autonomy in Three Areas: Suveillance, Economics, and Lethality in Combat Operations (Contextualizing Security: A Reader)

Burnett delves into the theoretical and applied dimensions of science and technology policy building in his research related to an investigation in autonomous systems (artificial intelligence) in surveillance, labor economics (economic security), and lethal combat.

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Indo-Pacific Strategy versus Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for Hegemony in Asia.

This study analyzes the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) and China's Belt and Road initiative (BRI) in detail in the context of Korea's national policy tasks.

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Taking a side between the United States and the People’s Republic of China: Strategic hedging of South Korea and India

This paper explores how South Korea and India have taken positions between the United States and the People’s Republic of China over diverse foreign policy issues. By adopting dual engagement and strategic ambiguity as hedging strategies, both regional powers reduce their vulnerability to the influence and pressure of the two great powers.

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Podcast: Leading Thinkers: Episode 7 - Jay Parker

Jay Parker, this week's guest on the Leading Thinkers podcast, discusses the Thucydides trap, and seeking out the question rather than the answer, and the foundations of his book Restoring Thucydides, co-authored with Andrew Novo.

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Podcast: Leading Thinkers: Episode 6 - Andrew Novo

This week’s guest Andrew Novo talks about perceptions of Thucydides and Herodotus, Thucydides’ implications for war and foreign policy, and his new book Restoring Thucydides: Testing Familiar Lessons and Deriving New Ones, co-authored with Jay Parker.

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Podcast: The U.S.-China Relationship: Lesson of Thucydides featuring Dr. Andrew Novo

Few books have had a wider sustained impact than Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War. To further explore, History Does You interviews Dr. Andrew Novo, Associate Professor of Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, Washington, D.C.

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Moral hazard at sea: how alliances actually increase low-level maritime provocations between allies

The management of maritime claims is becoming an important issue in the study of interstate conflict. Since World War II, most contested maritime claims have been associated with low-level conflict (mainly shows of force, or what we call maritime provocations) and have not resulted in fatalities. However, what is puzzling is that many competing claims are also associated with states that are alliance partners.

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Podcast: The Ajay Bruno Show - Andrew Novo Interview

Andrew Novo, an expert on Mediterranean history, and Professor of Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, joins Ajay Bruno's podcast to highlight some of the military triumphs and failures of the Roman Empire, as well as the ramifications on the world today.

FACULTY MEDIA FEATURES & PUBLICATIONS

Interview on Two-Year Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Interview on Death of Russian Political Prisoner Alexey Navalny

Educate as You Operate: Developing National Security Practitioners for Strategic Competition

The Key to Ukrainian Victory is Partnering (not Ukrainifying)

An Analysis of the Situation in Ukraine on the Two-Year Anniversary of the Russian Invasion

The Trident Podcast: Words Matter: Irregular Warfare Definitions and Constructs

Enabled by Iran: Houthis Push Forward with Attacks in the Red Sea

Theories of Victory: Israel, Hamas, and the Meaning of Success in Irregular Warfare

Foro: Massa vs. Milei, el decisivo reto de Argentina

Putin's Playbook: The Development of Russian Tactics, Operations, and Strategy from Chechnya to Ukraine

An Airstrike At Gaza Hospital Kills Hundreds

Ten Surprising Lessons For Special Operations Forces From The First 20 Months Of Putin’s Full-Scale Invasion Of Ukraine

Dr. Sean McFate Interview on POTUS Visit to Israel

A Framework for Countering Organised Crime: Strategy, Planning, and the Lessons of Irregular Warfare

Sneaky War: How to Win the World Without Fighting

Opinion: Prigozhin’s Real Legacy: The Mercenary Blueprint

Wagner boss said to be in Russia, as Moscow undermines Prigozhin

The mercenary boom: How private military contractors are redefining modern warfare | DW News

Engage? Trump and the Asia-Pacific

The Wagner Group in Africa: Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence

Interview with Dr. Peter Eltsov on Wagner Group Insurgency (Russian VoA)

The Role and Limits of Special Operations in Strategic Competition

The Central Intelligence Act of 1949

Podcast: How Colonialism Shapes Our Discussion About Central Asia

Interview with Dr. Peter Eltsov on the Russian-Ukrainian War and NATO (Russian VoA)

Podcast: Democracy in Central Asia

Queen of Cities: A discussion on the Fall of Constantinople

Japan: New Lord of the Subsea?

Ukraine: The Moment of Truth Is Near

China's Maritime Silk Route and the MENA Region 1

Dr. Sean McFate on How to Defeat the Wagner Group (German)

Interview with Dr. Peter Eltsov: Wagner Group Leader Announces Forces Will Leave Bakhmut, Al Jazeera

Reclaiming the Narrative: Decolonizing Central Asian Studies for a More Inclusive Understanding

The Russians Are Coming. There Could Be Downsides.

Podcast: Defeating the Wagner Group

Pedir que militares de EU combatan al narcotráfico en México es lo más vergonzoso que se puede sugerir: exasesor de Trump

How to Defeat Russia's Mercenaries

The Wagner Group explained

Who is behind Russia's Wagner Group?

Counterinsurgency as fad: America’s rushed engagement with irregular warfare

Podcast: Reflecting on One Year Since Russia Invaded Ukraine

Indispensable but Insufficient: The Role and Limits of Special Operations in Strategic Competition

Gods at War: Religion and the Pacific Theater in World War II with Dr. Dayna Barnes

Is the End of Russian History Close at Hand?

Europe’s new maritime security reality: Chinese ports, Russian bases, and the rise of subsea warfare

Podcast: The Indigenous Approach: Irregular Warfare with Sean McFate

Dr. Peter Eltsov's interview on the Russian-Ukrainian War, Al Jazeera

The Real Winners of the 2024 Election Could be China and Russia

Foro: EEUU–Colombia: desafíos de nueva política antidrogas

Meloni at the Helm: What Does Italy’s New Government Mean for Sino-Italian Relations?

Irregular warfare will win ‘strategic competition’

Podcast: Infiltration, Ideation and the Subversion of Democracy. Threat of Insurgency in USA?

Backing Ukraine is costly. Not backing it would be costlier

Teaching Irregular Warfare in the Era of Strategic Competition

Book Review: Nothing is impossible: America's reconciliation with Vietnam

Italy’s New Government: Five things to Remember

Redefining Irregular Warfare: Legitimacy, Coercion, and Power

The Holohan murder and the legacy of the office of strategic services

Why Russia and China Aren’t Intervening in Central Asia

Podcast: Russ Burgos on Information Supply, Demand, and Effect

Podcast: Time, Space, and Material: Metric for Assessing Irregular Warfare

Not Paying the Full Price: Russia’s Continued Support for the ‘Special Operation’ in Ukraine

A Survey of Humans and Autonomy in Three Areas: Suveillance, Economics, and Lethality in Combat OperationsA Survey of Humans and Autonomy in Three Areas: Suveillance, Economics, and Lethality in Combat Operations (Contextualizing Security: A Reader)

Indo-Pacific Strategy versus Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for Hegemony in Asia.

Taking a side between the United States and the People’s Republic of China: Strategic hedging of South Korea and India

Podcast: Leading Thinkers: Episode 7 - Jay Parker

Podcast: Leading Thinkers: Episode 6 - Andrew Novo

Podcast: The U.S.-China Relationship: Lesson of Thucydides featuring Dr. Andrew Novo

Moral hazard at sea: how alliances actually increase low-level maritime provocations between allies

Podcast: The Ajay Bruno Show - Andrew Novo Interview