Channel Title: Irregular Warfare Initiative Channel Description: Bridging the gap between scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to support the community of irregular warfare professionals. A joint venture between the Modern War Institute at West Point and the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project at Princeton University. Disclaimers: The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. <video> Dynamite to Drones: The Diffusion of Lethal Technology to Terrorists & Insurgents | IW Podcast EP#50 Description: Originally aired April 8, 2022. Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrregWarfare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrregWarfare Newsletter: https://www.irregularwarfare.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irregwarfare/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/irregular-warfare-initiative/ From dynamite in the early twentieth century to drones, bioweapons, and private-sector satellite constellations today, lethal technologies are increasingly available to nonstate actors and individuals. At a time when states are focused on competition and potential conflict between great powers, the decentralization of today’s low-end technologies could equip nonstate actors, private companies, and terrorists with unprecedented irregular and asymmetric capabilities. In Episode 50 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, our guests discuss the history of technological innovation, examples of current and burgeoning technologies that will impact future warfare, and how governments can (and sometimes cannot) regulate the development and distribution of potentially dangerous technologies to malign actors. Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin is distinguished professor of international security and founding director of the Center for Security, Innovation, and New Technology at American University in Washington, DC. She is author of the book How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns (Princeton, 2009), which the New Yorker called a “landmark study.” Her latest book, Power to the People: How Open Technological Innovation is Arming Tomorrow’s Terrorists (Oxford, 2020), analyzes emerging technologies and devises a new framework for analyzing twenty-first-century military innovation. It was short-listed for the Lionel Gelber prize and won the 2020 Neave prize, and is the driver for this episode. Major General Patrick B. Roberson is the current commander and commandant of the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Major General Roberson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1990 and has since served at multiple levels in the Special Forces Regiment. Some of his past assignments include serving as a detachment commander, company commander, and battalion commander in 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He assumed command of 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) in July 2012 and most recently was assigned as commander, Special Operations joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve, responsible for the special operations forces fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria from 2018 to 2019. Major General Roberson has deployed and commanded special operations units in combat at multiple echelons in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. Kyle Atwell and Benjamin Jebb are the hosts for Episode 50. Please reach out to with any questions about this episode or the Irregular Warfare Podcast. The Irregular Warfare Podcast is a production of the Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI). We are a team of volunteers dedicated to bridging the gap between scholars and practitioners in the field of irregular warfare. IWI generates written and audio content, coordinates events for the irregular warfare community, and hosts critical thinkers in the field of irregular warfare as IWI Fellows. You can follow and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for access to our written content, upcoming community events, and other resources. </video> <video> Irregular Warfare in the Post-Soviet Space: The Republic of Moldova Description: Please join the Irregular Warfare Initiative's Project Europe for a virtual panel discussion on “Irregular Warfare in the Post-Soviet Space: The Republic of Moldova” on Monday, November 13th, at 8:00 AM EST/3:00 PM EET. Eastern Europe has historically served as an epicenter for influence operations, with a number of actors – particularly Russia – using influence tactics to shape political narratives and public opinion in the region. This IWI panel will bring together foremost experts on Eastern Europe to discuss Russia’s ongoing influence campaigns in Moldova. A panel discussion, moderated by IWI’s own Dr. Olga R. Chiriac and Michael Fazio, will include Vladislav Cojuhari, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Victor Wili Apreutesei, EU High-Level Adviser on Internal Security Affairs, and Jeffrey Mankoff, National Defense University </video> <video> The Motivations and Methods Behind Russian Hybrid Warfare | Irregular Warfare Podcast EP #48 Description: Originally aired March 11, 2022. Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrregWarfare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrregWarfare Newsletter: https://www.irregularwarfare.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irregwarfare/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/irregular-warfare-initiative/ In Episode 48 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, we discuss the historical motivations and modern methods behind Russia’s use of hybrid warfare on the international stage. Our guests begin today’s conversation discussing how significant historical events and Russian cultural memory shape the Russian worldview, with particular emphasis on the role that the collapse of the Soviet Union had on the psyche of Vladimir Putin himself. They explore Russian motivations and methods since the end of the twentieth century and then pivot to potential Western responses to an increasingly aggressive Russia. Our guests conclude with implications for both the public and the practitioner. During this episode, our guests discuss George Kennan‘s then-anonymous article, “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” published in the July 1947 issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, which expanded on Kennan’s confidential February 1946 “Long Telegram.” They also reference a 2020 book by Dr. Thomas Rid, Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare. Thomas Rid appeared on a January 2021 Irregular Warfare Podcast episode, “Competing for Influence: Operations in the Information Environment.” Shashank Joshi is the defense editor at The Economist. Prior to joining The Economist in 2018, he served as senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and research associate at Oxford University’s Changing Character of War Programme. He has published books on Iran’s nuclear program and India’s armed forces, written for a wide range of newspapers and journals, and appeared regularly on radio and television. He holds degrees from Cambridge and Harvard, where he served as a Kennedy scholar from Britain to the United States. Dr. Rob Person is an associate professor of international relations at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, where he teaches courses in Russian and post-Soviet politics, international relations, and comparative politics in the Department of Social Sciences. His research focuses on the foreign and domestic politics of Russia and the former Soviet states.  Dr. Person holds a PhD in political science from Yale University and an MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from Stanford University.  He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an affiliated faculty member at West Point’s Modern War Institute. Abigail Gage and Shawna Sinott host Episode 48. Please reach out to them with any questions about this episode or the Irregular Warfare Podcast. </video> <video> IWI Fireside Chat with LTG (Ret.) Ken Tovo Description: The Role of SOF in Irregular Warfare in Europe </video> <video> Irregular Warfare in Europe: Strategic Competition and the European Pillar of NATO Description: Please join us for IWI Project Europe's next Fireside Chat, featuring LTG (Ret.) Ben Hodges. </video> <video> The Role of Intelligence in IW in Europe Description: Please join the Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) Project Europe for the April Fireside Chat with Mr. Jack Devine (CIA, Ret.). </video> <video> IWI Partners and Proxies Special Project Kickoff Event Description: Join us for our inaugural event featuring GEN (Ret.) Joseph Votel on Friday, May 10th at 3 PM EST. </video> <video> Russia, China, and Iran: The Face of Competition in the Middle East | Irregular Warfare Podcast EP47 Description: Originally aired February 25, 2022. Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrregWarfare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrregWarfare Newsletter: https://www.irregularwarfare.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irregwarfare/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/irregular-warfare-initiative/ Russia, China, and Iran have all been learning how to conduct irregular warfare from the United States. They model their current irregular warfare approaches based on perceived lessons from observing US interventions in the world over the past few decades, according to arguments put forth in Episode 47 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast. The episode examines strategic competition with Russia, China, and Iran—with specific focus on how this competition plays out in the Middle East. Our guests discuss how these states have used irregular warfare to achieve a position of geopolitical advantage over the United States. They go on to propose a solution, one that requires the United States to employ irregular warfare as part of an integrated strategy of deterrence. In order to do this successfully, the United States will have to look beyond platforms and invest in education, talent management, and human capital. Dr. Seth Jones is senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. He also teaches at Johns Hopkins University and at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is the author of multiple books, to include Three Dangerous Men: Russia, Iran, China and the Rise of Irregular Warfare—which serves as the basis for this conversation. Rear Admiral Mitch Bradley is a US Navy SEAL officer and current commander of US Special Operations Command Central. He began his career as a SEAL in 1992, and has commanded at all levels of special operations including as commander of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group. He is a graduate of the Naval Academy and holds a master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School. The hosts for this episode are Kyle Atwell and Andy Milburn. Please contact them with any questions about the episode or the Irregular Warfare Podcast. The Irregular Warfare Podcast is a product of the Irregular Warfare Initiative, a collaboration between the Modern War Institute at West Point and Princeton University’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project—dedicated to bridging the gap between scholars and practitioners to support the community of irregular warfare professionals. You can listen to the full episode below, and you can find it and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app. And be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter! </video> <video> Coin and Culture: How Important Is Cultural Intelligence in COIN? | Irregular Warfare Podcast EP #49 Description: Originally aired March 25, 2022. Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrregWarfare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrregWarfare Newsletter: https://www.irregularwarfare.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irregwarfare/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/irregular-warfare-initiative/ It has become axiomatic that cultural intelligence is key to success in counterinsurgency operations. But is it? This episode examines this assumption—is the cultural training we receive in the military indeed the linchpin to success, or is it a red herring, even a harmful distractor, in the absence of coherent strategy? Why does cultural awareness tend to be absent at the strategic level, and does this really matter? As with much of the questions we discuss on the Irregular Warfare Podcast, the answers are by no means simple—but are important for both policymakers and practitioners to understand. Our guests on the episode discuss why cultural intelligence is as important to strategic decision-making as it is to tactical actions on the ground and give compelling examples of what happens when this concept is ignored. They explain what cultural awareness should mean in the context of counterinsurgency and, looking ahead, in the era of great power competition. Sir Simon Mayall had a distinguished forty-year career in the British Army, much of it spent in the Middle East, culminating in the position of Prime Minister David Cameron’s security envoy to Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government. Since retirement, he has written and spoken extensively about Western involvement in the Middle East and has also authored a book, Soldier in the Sand: A Personal History of the Modern Middle East. Dr. Christian Tripodi is head of graduate studies for the Defense Studies Department at King’s College London. His research focuses primarily upon irregular warfare—particularly the approach of Western militaries to IW and the forms of knowledge they use to understand the environment. Christian has authored a book on the topic called The Unknown Enemy: Counterinsurgency and the Illusion of Control. The Irregular Warfare Podcast is part of the broader Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI). IWI generates written and audio content, coordinates events for the IW community, and hosts critical thinkers in the field of irregular warfare as fellows. You can follow and engage with the Irregular Warfare Initiative on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to make sure you don’t miss any new content. </video> <video> The Hyped Villain: Russia’s Influence Operations Bogeyman Does Not Deserve Your Fear Description: IWI's Project Europe will host a virtual fireside chat with J.D. Maddox, moderated by Dr. Olga R. Chiriac and Col. Michael Fazio. </video> <video> Untangling the Gordian Knot of Irregular Warfare Description: IWI and Princeton’s Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC) will host a panel on “Disentangling the Gordian Knot of Irregular Warfare,” examining IW from atypical areas such as counternarcotics and stabilizations operations among others. IWI Fellows Deputy Director Erin McFee will lead this event featuring James Saenz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Stabilization Policy. </video> <video> Irregular Warfare & Great Power Competition Description: The Irregular Warfare Initiative and West Point's Department of Social Sciences will host a live panel event February 9th, 2023 at 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM EST. Please take our short survey to help us improve future events. https://irregularwarfare.info/Survey_IW_GPC guido.torres@irregularwarfare.org </video> <video> IWI Fireside Chat with GEN David Petraeus Description: Join us for an insightful discussion on the transformation of warfare over the decades, led by GEN David Petraeus, as he delves into his latest book, "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine". </video> <video> The Kill Chain: Why America Faces the Prospect of Defeat | Irregular Warfare Podcast EP #46 Description: Originally aired February 12, 2022. Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrregWarfare Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrregWarfare Newsletter: https://www.irregularwarfare.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irregwarfare/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/irregular-warfare-initiative/ In Episode 46 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast, we discuss a fundamental change that has occurred in the nature of war—and what this means for the United States and its allies. Our guests explain why this change renders the American way of war obsolete and turns assumptions about US military dominance on their heads. They discuss how China, our most capable potential adversary, has used technology to enhance the primacy of its kill chain, while the United States pursues a method of war that is platform-centric and dangerously outdated. They predict that within a few years, if the United States does not adopt a radically different approach to warfighting it will find itself completely outmatched by China militarily—with devastating consequences for America’s place in the world and for the global norms which we now take for granted. General David Berger is the thirty-eighth commandant of the Marine Corps. An infantry officer by background, he has served in a wide variety of command and staff billets over the course of his forty-one-year career. In his Commandant’s Planning Guidance, he has set the Marine Corps on a course to divest legacy platforms such as tanks and artillery while pursuing capabilities such as long-range sensing and precision fires that will—he believes—better prepare it for future conflict. Christian Brose is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare. From 2014 to 2018, he was the staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He led a team of professional staff who supported Chairman John McCain and other majority committee members in overseeing the national defense budget, programs, and policies across the Department of Defense. Together they discuss what needs to be done to enable the United States to maintain parity with China. That is, argues Brose, the best outcome that we can hope for at this stage in the game. General Berger, on the other hand, is more optimistic. He believes that the joint force—and the Marine Corps in particular—recognizes the threat and will move fast enough to find solutions and maintain US military dominance. Both agree, however, that this will not be easy, and they conclude with some valuable advice for both policymakers and practitioners alike. The hosts for this episode are Andy Milburn and Shawna Sinnott. Please contact them with any questions about this episode or the Irregular Warfare Podcast. The Irregular Warfare Podcast is a product of the Irregular Warfare Initiative, a collaboration between the Modern War Institute at West Point and Princeton University’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project—dedicated to bridging the gap between scholars and practitioners to support the community of irregular warfare professionals. You can listen to the full episode below, and you can find it and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app. And be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter! </video> <video> Terrorism & International Order Description: The Irregular Warfare Initiative and the Combatting Terrorism Center will host a live panel event February 10th, 2023 at 9:45 AM - 11:15 AM EST. Please take our short survey to help us improve future events. https://irregularwarfare.info/Survey_Terr_Intl guido.torres@irregularwarfare.org </video>

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Bridging the gap between scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to support the community of irregular warfare professionals.

A joint venture between the Modern War Institute at West Point and the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project at Princeton University.

Disclaimers:

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

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