Beyond Kinetic Dominance: “Cognitive Coherence” in Irregular Warfare
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. In August 2021, Afghan National Security Forces collapsed in a mere eleven days following the withdrawal of the United States military. Two decades of training and advising ended without resistance before a materially
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Podcasts
War at Arm’s Length: Can Military Assistance Work?
U.S. military assistance often has a bad reputation, but it isn’t doomed to failure. This episode examines why assistance succeeds with some partners and falls short with others. LTG (Ret.) Charles Hooper, Dr. Richard Bennet, and Dr. Alexander Noyes are the guests.
Hidden Costs of Precision
How do drone strikes shape civilian behavior? Episode 164 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast explores research using 12 billion cell phone records from Yemen, revealing civilian displacement on par with natural disasters, and discusses what this means for the strategic logic of precision airpower.
The Future of War Part IV: Special Operations on a Global Battlefield
This episode of the Irregular Warfare Podcast concludes our four-part Future of War series, pairing author and futurist August Cole with senior special operations leaders to explore how tomorrow’s conflicts may unfold.
Events & Virtual Sessions
Strategic Culture & Irregular Warfare
How was it possible that one of the most battle-tested, technologically advanced, intelligence-capable nations in the world was taken by surprise?
Q&A with Charlie Winter and Stephanie Rotolo, ExTrac
Charlie Winter and Stephanie Rotolo of ExTrac join IWI's Kristina Kempkey and Curry Wright to discuss using reliable public data to strengthen joint force readiness.
Geoeconomics of Irregular Warfare: Iran and the Global Ripple Effects — Part XI
In Part Eleven of Irregular Warfare Initiative’s special series on the conflict with Iran, presented by the Economic & Legal Warfare Team, Hamlet Yousef (IWI Economic & Legal Warfare Advisor) and Ioannis (Gianni) Koskinas (CEO, Hoplite Group) are joined by special guest Dave Pitts (President, IPA; Former CIA Senior
Articles
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Ukraine’s Drone Diplomacy: Turning Battlefield Expertise into Strategic Leverage
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, much of the international narrative centered around the extensive aid flowing towards Kyiv from Europe and the United States: the air defense systems, artillery, financial
25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the central question is deceptively simple: Is al-Qaeda—and the Salafi-Jihadi terrorist movement it spawned—still a threat we need to worry about? Every
Before Rogers' Rangers: Legitimacy, Partnership, and the Limits of External Sponsorship
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. In June 1752, a war party of roughly two hundred and fifty Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribal warriors led by the French-Canadian Charles de Langlade descended on the town of Pickawillany. This
Mind the Gap: Asymmetric Maritime Warfare in Southeast Asian Chokepoints
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. Armed men jumped off a helicopter to capture the Galaxy Leader. The Houthis took control of the ship in November 2023 as part of their campaign against Israel that eventually evolved to sinking
Cornered, Not Conquered: Turkish Intelligence and the End of the PKK Insurgency
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. In May 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced it would dissolve and lay down its arms, closing an insurgency that had cost Türkiye on the order of forty thousand lives. The timing
Russian Psychological Operations and Informational Warfare in the Middle East and North Africa
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. The speed of Ukrainian counter-messaging and will to fight has rendered Russian psychological operations in Ukraine ineffective. However, throughout the Middle East, Russia has successfully used information operations to frame the Israel-
Terrorism After Ideology
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. On April 29, two Jewish men were stabbed in north London in what British police declared a terrorist incident. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), an "Islamic resistance" group that
Meaning, Myth, and Force Design in U.S. Special Operations
Editor's note: The "Short of War" Podcast discussing this article is AI-generated. The debate over the future of U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) has increasingly become a debate about its past. Critics argue that decades of counterterrorism, security force assistance, and persistent global engagement
Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
