Regional Issues

SRAD | Jan. 5, 2026

How Maduro’s capture went down – a military strategist explains what goe...

The predawn seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026 was a complicated affair. It was also, operationally, a resounding success for the U.S. military.Operation Absolute Resolve achieved its objective of seizing Maduro through a

SRAD | Aug. 26, 2025

Loyal Paraguay: The Peña Government’s Strategic Choice to Stay with Taiwan

From August 11-15, 2025, the author was in Asuncion, Paraguay, in an International Republican Institute (IRI) event hosted by that nation’s President Santiago Peña, bringing together government officials, diplomats, businesspersons, and civil

SRAD | Aug. 15, 2025

The Economic Argument for Keeping US Forces in Europe

NATO’s Hague summit earlier this summer has generally been viewed as a qualified success, despite — or perhaps because of — its unusually short and focused agenda. The new 5 percent defense spending commitment deserves most of the credit for this

SRAD | Aug. 13, 2025

Election, Crisis, and U.S. Opportunity in Bolivia

Bolivia, strategically at the center of South America, faces a critical election that will define its direction in its current profound economic, political and security crisis, its future relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), its

SRAD | July 22, 2025

More Than a Numbers Game: Comparing US and Chinese Landpower in the Paci...

As the US Army organizes, trains, and equips for an unforeseen future, service decisions should create or amplify relative operational advantages over the US military’s rising foe—the People’s Liberation Army. Discerning critical differences between

Category: SRAD

Tyranny of the Inbox: Managing the US National Security Agenda
January 6, 2026 — Presidential management style, foreign policy preferences, and domestic political interests all affect the national security agenda. International crises, however, are particularly likely to garner the attention of the National Security Council. This podcast analyzes a novel data set of all the issues raised at National Security Council meetings from 1947 to 1993 and finds that contemporaneous crises are very likely to be discussed, but that crisis management attenuates the Council’s attention to noncrisis national security matters. The results suggest presidents focus on crises at the expense of other strategic matters, and they do so when political conditions favor crisis management... MORE

Slide for Decisive Point Podcast Ep 6-1 – Neil N. Snyder – Tyranny of the Inbox: Managing the US National Security Agenda

If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of "Minor Conflict" and "Major War" Scenarios
January 6, 2026 — Introduction by Bonnie S. Glaser: Research on the possibility and likely outcome of a conflict in... MORE

GMF: If China Attacks Taiwan article screenshot for CLSC

How Maduro’s capture went down – a military strategist explains what goes into a successful special op
January 5, 2026 — The predawn seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026 was a complicated affair... MORE

Screenshot of the article covering R. Evan Ellis' interview with "The Conversation"

Book Review: Disputed Decisions of World War II: Decision Science and Game Theory Perspectives
December 18, 2025 — In this innovative analysis of World War II, Thompson applies decision science and game theory to reexamine some of the conflict’s most controversial strategic choices. By modeling the logic behind pivotal decisions, he challenges conventional narratives and reveals the complexity of wartime leadership. This book offers a fresh lens for historians, strategists, and analysts seeking deeper insight into the calculus of war... MORE

Cover of Disputed Decisions of World War II: Decision Science and Game Theory Perspectives

Book Review: Men of God, Men of War: Military Chaplains as Ministers, Warriors, and Prisoners
December 18, 2025 — Robert C. Doyle offers a sweeping historical study of chaplains in American wars, revealing how faith and duty intersected on battlefields and in prison camps... MORE

Cover of Men of God, Men of War: Military Chaplains as Ministers, Warriors, and Prisoners

Book Review: Code Name Puritan: Norman Holmes Pearson at the Nexus of Poetry, Espionage, and American Power
December 18, 2025 — In this riveting biography, Greg Barnhisel uncovers the extraordinary life of Norman Holmes Pearson—a Yale professor, literary tastemaker, and covert intelligence officer. Seamlessly blending poetry, espionage, and Cold War politics, Code Name Puritan reveals how Pearson helped shape both American cultural identity and national security strategy. From championing modernist women poets to dismantling Nazi spy networks, Pearson’s story is a fascinating portrait of influence at the intersection of intellect and power... MORE

Cover of Code Name Puritan: Norman Holmes Pearson at the Nexus of Poetry, Espionage, and American Power

Book Review: Pivotal Poland: Europe’s Rising Power
December 18, 2025 — In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has emerged as the strategic anchor of NATO’s eastern flank, reshaping the continent’s security landscape. Janusz Bugajski explores how Warsaw’s military modernization, economic resilience, and assertive diplomacy have positioned it as a rising power capable of countering Russian imperialism and leading regional defense efforts. This timely and incisive book reveals Poland’s transformation from a peripheral actor to a pivotal force in Europe’s evolving geopolitical order... MORE

Cover of Pivotal Poland: Europe’s Rising Power

Book Review: Sir Basil Liddell Hart: Life, Thought, Legacy
December 18, 2025 — Bruce Oliver Newsome’s book examines the life of Sir Basil Liddell Hart, and his claim to have invented the Blitzkrieg style of war used by the Germans during World War II. Newsome provides evidence that disputes this claim, which the reviewer commends for its thoroughness and nuanced point of view... MORE

Cover of Sir Basil Liddell Hart: Life, Thought, Legacy

Parameters | Winter 2025–26
December 17, 2025 — Welcome to the Winter 2025–26 issue of Parameters, which consists of an In Focus special commentary, two forums (Indo-Pacific Deterrence and Considerations for Modern Warfare), and the new Strategic Competition Corner... MORE

Security Implications of the China-Russia-North Korea Triangle
December 17, 2025 — This article analyzes the evolving strategic dynamics within the China-Russia-North Korea triangle and their implications for global security. It argues that while the strengthened Russia–North Korea relationship poses risks for China’s global strategy and its major economic partnerships, for now, China also derives some benefits from these close ties and considers the risks to be manageable. Drawing on recent diplomatic developments, military cooperation, and regional responses, the article offers a nuanced assessment of how this alignment affects European and Indo-Pacific theaters. The analysis provides US policymakers with insight into the risks of opportunistic aggression and the strategic calculations driving these partnerships... MORE

Slide for the article Security Implications of the China-Russia-North Korea Triangle