Recent Publications

Turkey’s New Regional Security Role: Implications for the United States
September 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Richard Weitz View the Executive SummaryUntil a few years ago, the relationship between Washington and Ankara was perennially troubled and occasionally terrible. Turkey opposed the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and complained that the Pentagon was allowing Iraqi Kurds too much autonomy, leading to deteriorating security along the... MORE

Turkey-Kurdish Regional Government Relations After the U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq: Putting the Kurds on the Map?
March 1, 2014 — Author: Mr Bill Park View the Executive SummaryThe withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq at the end of 2011 left behind a set of unresolved problems in the relationship between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and the Federal Government in Baghdad—notably relating to the disputed boundaries of the KRG, and the extent of its autonomy... MORE

Cover for Turkey-Kurdish Regional Government Relations After the U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq: Putting the Kurds on the Map?

Op-Ed: Will the Syrian Civil War Last 10 More Years?
December 30, 2013 — Dr. W. Andrew TerrillThe Syrian civil war began in March 2011 when large numbers of peaceful protestors began demanding an end to the brutal autocratic rule of President Bashar Assad. Many Syrian demonstrators hoped that their dictatorship could be overthrown as easily as those in Tunisia and Egypt as part of the regional process now known as the... MORE

The Evolution of U.S. Turkish Relations in a Transatlantic Context
April 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Frances G Burwell The relationship between Turkey and the United States is complicated because of differing core purposes and somewhat differing memberships, i.e., NATO and the European Union. Current Turkey-U.S. diplomatic and military relations are strained, but both countries recognize how vital it is to address issues of mutual... MORE

Precedents, Variables, and Options in Planning a U.S. Military Disengagement Strategy from Iraq
October 1, 2005 — Authors: Dr Conrad C Crane, Dr W Andrew Terrill The questions of how to empower the Iraqis most effectively and then progressively withdraw non-Iraqi forces from that country is one of the most important policy problems currently facing the United States. The authors seek to present the U.S. situation in Iraq in all of its complexity and ambiguity,... MORE

Strategic Implications of Intercommunal Warfare in Iraq
February 1, 2005 — Author: Dr W Andrew Terrill In the post-Saddam era, differences among Iraqi ethnic and religious groups will either emerge as a barrier to political cooperation and national unity, or they will instead be mitigated as part of the struggle to define a new and more inclusive system of government. Should Iraqi ethnic and sectarian differences become... MORE

The Paradox of Civil War
December 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Stephen D Biddle Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the December 2004 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Nationalism, Sectarianism, and the Future of the U.S. Presence in Post-Saddam Iraq
July 1, 2003 — Author: Dr W Andrew Terrill The author addresses the critical questions involved in understanding the background of Iraqi national identity and the ways in which it may evolve in the future to either the favor or detriment of the United States. He pays particular attention to the issue of Iraqi sectarianism and the emerging role of the Shi'ite... MORE

Managing Strains in the Coalition: What to Do About Saddam?
November 1, 1996 — Author: Dr Stephen C Pelletiere For 5 years U.S. policy has managed to steer a coalition of states which share broad interests in regional stability and free trade. Yet below these common interests, the United States has walked a tightrope stretched between competing objectives vis-à-vis Iraq, e.g., undermining Saddam while preserving Iraq as a... MORE

Turkey’s Strategic Position at the Crossroads of World Affairs
December 1, 1993 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Blank, Dr William T Johnsen, Dr Stephen C Pelletiere This report analyzes the implications of Turkey's policies and the reactions of Turkey's neighbors in three discrete chapters. The authors focus their conclusions and options for U.S. policymakers on the effect of Turkish policies in Europe, the Middle East, and the former... MORE