Oct. 18, 2023

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.

July 6, 2023

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

The Wagner Group forces' whereabouts are still unknown. They're said to be in Ukraine, but not fighting.

July 5, 2023

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.

July 4, 2023

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.”

July 2, 2023

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.

June 24, 2023

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.

June 20, 2023

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.

June 20, 2023

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.

June 18, 2023

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.

June 13, 2023

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 visit to Washington, the NATO forthcoming summit in Vilnius, the Russian-Ukrainian war, and other related issues on the Russian service of the Voice of America with writer and political analyst Yuri Felshtinsky. Felshtinsky is best known for his book