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A Russian strike aircraft operating over Syria. Russian Defense Ministry Photo
When it comes to Syria’s long-running civil war, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “needs to get the United States engaged in the diplomacy that is now going on between Turkey and Russia,” but not the war itself, a scholar at the Atlantic Council’s Hariri Center said Wednesday. Read More
ISIS forces in Iraq
CORRECTION: The following piece was mislabeled as an analysis piece rather than opinion.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that bars citizens from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Syria from entering the United States for 90 days, suspends refugee admission programs for 120 days and indefinitely bans Syrian refugees. Many questions have been raised about this controversial executive action. Since this action is characterized as a national security measure, this analysis will examine two questions: first, will such a policy measurably contribute to U.S. national security interests at home and abroad? And second, why the sudden change in strategy? Read More
The following is the Jan. 18, 2017 Congressional Research Service report, The Islamic State and U.S. Policy. Read More
Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser makes port call in Tartus, Syria. Sputnik Photo
Russia and Syria have signed an agreement this week to expand Russia’s sole foreign base – a naval repair facility in Syria – into a larger naval base capable of permanently hosting 11 ships, according to the agreement issued by the Russian government. Read More
The following is the Jan. 18, 2017 Government Accountability Office report, Overseas Contingency Operations: OMB and DOD Should Revise the Criteria for Determining Eligible Costs and Identify the Costs Likely to Endure Long Term. Read More
The following is the Jan. 6, 2016 Congressional Research Service report, Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response. Read More
Retired Gen. James Mattis testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 12, 2015. CSPAN Image
Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis placed Russia as the top threat facing the United States – especially with its attempts to break up NATO – during his confirmation hearing to become the Pentagon’s top civilian official. Read More
Russian aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov in transit to the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 18, 2016. UK MoD Photo
Russia is recalling the Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from the Eastern Mediterranean and sending the ship back to its homeport in northern Russia. Read More
USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2016. Read More
Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov
Monday’s assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov in Ankara by 22 year-old Turkish policeman Mevlut Altintas adds a new dimension of political stress to the greater Black Sea region as the siege of Aleppo moves toward a painful end. Read More
