At the outset of some of the most impactful wars in history, policymakers have assumed that the duration of conflict would be brief. Unfortunately, their assumptions were often wrong, as may wars like those in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan only grew more complicated with the passage of time. However, at least in these three cases, the reality of prolonged stalemate did not stop policymakers from setting withdrawal deadlines to assuage public anxieties and improve military performance. The pressures contributing to these consistent decisions across time are still relevant now. Therefore, as the United States currently seeks to deter great-power rivals and rogue regimes while combating terrorism, it is as important as ever to understand the roles and potential outcomes of withdrawal deadlines in war.
MAMAND VALLEY, ACHIN DISTRICT, NANGARHAR – “It was four years ago, more or less. They approached me carrying long swords and heavy weapons and told me: ‘You have 10 minutes to leave your home. If you don’t, your head is gone.’ I was not allowed to bring with me even a handful of soil.”
In China’s terrifying vision of future warfare, humans are almost obsolete.
The Aspen Strategy Group recently released The Struggle for Power: U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century bringing together preeminent experts to explore how to compete effectively with the military and technological rise of China and how to engage U.S. allies amidst this great-power rivalry.
Governments, businesses and investors find regular demographic reviews of the world population to be useful as considerable variations exist across regions – rich and poor, young and old, good health care or not, secure climates or not – that create enormous push-pull forces behind increased international migration flows. An understanding of world population levels, trends and projections constitutes an essential ingredient in strategic planning, policy development and program implementation for addressing global challenges and emerging issues.
Earlier this year, it seemed as if the “pink tide” of leftist governments that swept across Latin America in the early 2000s had all but retreated. The wave of conservative governments that replaced them owed their rise in part to the region’s economic difficulties following the end of the commodities boom of the first decade of the 21st century. But they also took advantage of the failure by many of the leftist leaders to translate that economic boom into sustainable advances for the lower and middle classes. The election of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil in 2018, after a campaign spent vilifying women as well as marginalized and indigenous communities, was a particular blow to the region’s progressives.
E-commerce, or the sale of goods and services online, has reportedly reached $29 trillion in 2017. In the UK alone, the volume of e-commerce sales in 2017 was estimated at $586 billion. Inevitably, this vast amount of legitimate activity offers opportunities for the concealment of criminal transactions. E-commerce businesses can be exploited for criminal purposes in four major ways:
In a newly released "Intelligence Insights" paper, INSA's Cyber Council consolidates key information regarding the increased risk of nation-state sponsored cyberattacks on the private sector and offers a list of helpful resources organizations can use to strengthen cyber defenses. The paper notes that on January 6, 2020, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity arm, posted Alert AA20-006A, "Potential for Iranian Cyber Response to U.S. Military Strike in Baghdad," which recommends that organizations:
ARLINGTON, VA (January 3, 2020)—The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce the release of the newest entry in its Mitchell Forum short paper series, “Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Warfare,” by Lt Col John D. Duray, USAF, an experienced MQ-9 Reaper and U-28 pilot.