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Shining a Light on Iran’s Shadow War

J5 ACADEMIC PAPERS Author: Lt Col, Michael Redding, USAF, USA 18 February 2024   Iran’s Gray Zone Strategy Iran is running the world’s most effective gray zone campaign and hardly anyone has noticed. By combining a punishment strategy covered in plausible deniability with an influence strategy under the threshold of conflict, Iran is quietly reclaiming its Read More >

Yemen After the KSA-Iran Agreement: From Dreams to Harsh Reality and How This Fed Houthi Behavior in the Current Crisis

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: MAJ Felix Badut, ROMANIAN ARMY (CSAG/CCJ5) 20 February 2024   Overview: In 2014, Houthi rebels overtook Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in a push for increased military and political power, starting Yemen’s long-lasting civil war. The chaos created by the Houthi insurgents jeopardized the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) ambition for Read More >

Iran’s Elections, Wind of Change?

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC René Berendsen, NLD Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 02 February 2024   Overview: Shaped by the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Iranian political landscape uniquely blends democratic and theocratic elements. The 12th parliamentary elections, the 6th Assembly of Experts elections on March 1, 2024, and the presidential elections in 2025 are playing pivotal roles Read More >

SANDU Military Strategy Course

From 28 January–2 February 2024, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies Professors Mark Bibbey and David Des Roches, supported by Matthew Holbert, NESA Program Manager, and Thomas Wagstaff, Academic Advisor, delivered the one-week Saudi War Course Strategy Module, to support the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Read More >

The Hamas – Israel Conflict: Forming A Potential “New Normal”

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC Kashif Ehtisham, Pakistan Army (CSAG/CCJ5);CDR Hubert Mroz, Poland Navy (CSAG/CCJ5); and MAJ Ibrahim Elveren, Turkish Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 29 January 2024   Overview: The Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October has affected not only the political and security dynamics in the ME region but also the world at large.  This Read More >

Lebanon: A Potential Game Changer in the CENTCOM AOR

CSAG STRATEGY PAPER By: LTC GIAMPIERO CURRADO, ITA Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 16 January 2024   Overview: Years of political instability in combination with an ongoing economic crisis — exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the explosion in the Port of Beirut in August 2020 — have brought the country close to collapse. Moreover, the current institutional vacuum Read More >

Is CENTCOM Prescribing the ‘Suitable Medicine’ to Deter Iran?

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: Lt Col Kashif Ehtisham, Pakistan Army (CSAG/CCJ5)   29 September 2023 Subject: Is CENTCOM Prescribing the ‘Suitable Medicine’ to Deter Iran? Purpose: To present CSAG analysis of the recent deployment of additional US troops and assets in the Middle East (ME) to deter Iran, within the context of the current strategic Read More >

Combating Transnational Threats Senior Executive Seminar “Emerging Security Platforms in the Digital Age”

From 11–15 September 2023, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies hosted a Combating Transnational Threats Senior Executive Seminar (CTSES) titled “Emerging Security Platforms in the Digital Age,” held in Washington, D.C.   The CTSES five-day seminar engaged 32 participants from 22 countries. Thirteen sessions began with speakers, followed by question-and-answer sessions with participants Read More >

Chinese-brokered Iran-KSA Détente, “A Game-Changer or a Mirage?”

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: LTC Kashif Ehtisham, PAK Army (CSAG/CCJ5) and LTC René Berendsen, NLD Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 12 September 2023 Subject: Chinese-brokered Iran-KSA Détente, “A Game-Changer or a Mirage?” Purpose: To present CSAG’s analysis of the recent rapprochement between Iran and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) brokered by China. Read the complete paper here.   Read More >

Deir ez-Zor: Critical Juncture in the Process Towards Syria’s Normalization

CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: Lt Col Richard Pecinka, CZE AF (CSAG/CCJ5), LTC René Berendsen, NLD Army (CSAG/CCJ5), and MAJ Felix Badut, ROU Army (CSAG/CCJ5) 12 September 2023 Subject: Deir ez-Zor: Critical Juncture in the Process Towards Syria’s Normalization Purpose: To present CSAG’s analysis of the strategic significance of Deir ez-Zor in shaping the future of Read More >