2012-08-03 By Richard Weitz Iran had several motives for assisting the Iraqi insurgents during the 2005-2008 period. A first goal was to create a security buffer zone. Many Iranians saw Iraq as their first line of defense against a foreign invasion, considering that many past attacks had come from the west.…
2012-08-02 An Interview with Lt. General (Retired) Charles R. Heflebower Lt. Gen. Charles R. Heflebower was Deputy Commander in Chief, United Nations Command; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air…
We have just published the second Strategic Inflection Report. This report focuses upon the Euro crisis and its strategic consequences. The Euro crisis is not simply a financial dynamic. It is the end of a period of history. The confluence of several trend lines: the unification of Germany, the end…
2012-07-30 By Richard Weitz In recent years, Turkey has become one of the most influential countries in NATO, backstopped by dynamic diplomacy, one of the world’s most powerful economies, and a rough neighborhood whose security vacuum propels Turkish involvement. The Turkish-American relationship has existed for two centuries, but their strategic alliance…
2012-07-30 By Richard Weitz Many consider Iran the ultimate victor of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Although the subsequent military occupation of Iraq that ended in 2011 was carried out by the United States and its allies, Iranian influence in Iraq grew tremendously following the elimination of the Saddam…
2012-07-28 by Richard Weitz The handoff of the Iraq mission from the Department of Defense (DOD) to the Department of State (DOS) has represented one of the most complex military-to-civilian transitions in American history. DOS has taken over many DOD programs while changing their missions and scale. Mission Iraq, under the…
2012-07-27 By Richard Weitz The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have achieved the capacity for internal defense against guerrillas and terrorists, but they still lack the essential capabilities and equipment needed to combat a foreign military. The ISF need more combat air power, sophisticated intelligence, mobilization capacity as well as vital…
2012-07-23 by Richard Weitz June 2012 proved to be one of the most violent months in recent Iraqi history, with more than two hundred people killed in violent attacks. These attacks, for which the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility, have continued in early July, with Shiite…
