• Cover for Extremist Migration: A Foreign Jihadist Fighter Threat Assessment

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary This monograph provides an assessment of the emerging threat posed by foreign jihadist fighters following the reduction in territory controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and recommends ways that the U.S. Army should address the issues highlighted.Read Now

  • Cover for Silent Partners: Organized Crime, Irregular Groups, and Nation-States

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive SummaryThe U.S. Army increasingly faces adversaries that are difficult to define. The threat landscape is further complicated by the silent partnership between criminal organizations, irregular groups, and nation-states. This collaboration, whatever its exact nature, is problematic, because it confounds

  • Monograph Cover - Blue

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive SummaryEstablishing the rule of law is a key goal and end state in counterinsurgency (COIN) operations and is a critical aspect of securing peace and preventing future conflict. However, recent experience in theaters such as Afghanistan has shown that establishing effective rule of law institutions and

  • Corruption, Legitimacy, and Stability: Implications for the U.S. Army

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary Corruption increases the level of instability and the risk of conflict by undermining the legitimacy and credibility of state institutions. It can be both a cause and effect of poor leadership and governance. States emerging from conflict are particularly vulnerable to corruption, due to the lack

  • Lethal and Legal? The Ethics of Drone Strikes

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary While supporters claim that drone warfare is not only legal but ethical and wise, others have suggested that drones are prohibited weapons under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) because they cause, or have the effect of causing, indiscriminate killings of civilians, such as those in the

  • The Effective Use of Reserve Personnel in the U.S. Military: Lessons from the United Kingdom Reserve Model

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D Keene View the Executive SummaryThis monograph identifies areas where the U.S. Army and other services can potentially benefit from examining the United Kingdom's comparable program of reserve reform. Key areas where aspects of this reform have been entirely counterproductive are identified, as well as specific and expensive

  • Cover for Operationalizing Counter Threat Finance Strategies

    By Dr Shima D Keene

    Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary This Letort Paper describes effective Counter Threat Finance strategies as a specific area where the capability of U.S. and allied militaries can be augmented for the purpose of targeted action against adversaries. With appropriate analysis and exploitation, financial data can be used to reveal