Syria’s Kurds could be al-Sharaa’s partners in rebuilding. Why did Damascus assault them instead?

MENASource Aug 25, 2024

After a failed attack, Hezbollah’s propaganda seeks to prevent a wider war with Israel

By David Daoud

Committed as Hezbollah is to saving its Gaza-based allies, the group does not currently want a full war with Israel.
Conflict Israel
Syria’s Kurds could be al-Sharaa’s partners in rebuilding. Why did Damascus assault them instead?

New Atlanticist Aug 21, 2024

How quickly can Taiwan integrate US weapon systems? Speed is essential to help deter China.

By Adam Kozloski

To better prepare Taiwan to defend itself, the United States needs more transparency into Taipei’s weapons integration challenges.
Conflict Defense Policy
Syria’s Kurds could be al-Sharaa’s partners in rebuilding. Why did Damascus assault them instead?

UkraineAlert Aug 21, 2024

Invasion? What invasion? Putin is downplaying Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

By Peter Dickinson

Vladimir Putin’s efforts to downplay Ukraine’s invasion of Russia have severely dented his strongman image and make a mockery of the West’s escalation fears, writes Peter Dickinson.
Conflict Defense Policy

Programs

The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world.

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Content

MENASource

Jan 28, 2026

Syria’s Kurds could be al-Sharaa’s partners in rebuilding. Why did Damascus assault them instead?

By Amy Austin Holmes

The offensive on Kurdish neighborhoods was the third wave of sectarian violence after the targeting of Druze and Alawites.

Democratic Transitions
Middle East

Dispatches

Jan 28, 2026

The expert conversation: Should Trump strike Iran? What happens next if he does?

By Jason M. Brodsky and Danny Citrinowicz

As the USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in the Middle East, two experts debate the opportunities, uncertainties, and risks of a US strike on Iran.

Iran
Middle East

MENASource

Jan 28, 2026

Trump’s National Security Strategy doesn’t downgrade the Middle East, it redefines it

By Kristian Alexander

Trump's strategy is a sophisticated refinement of “America First.” For the Gulf, the implications are significant, but manageable.

Middle East
National Security

Dispatches

Jan 27, 2026

TikTok’s new ownership structure doesn’t solve security concerns for Americans

By Kenton Thibaut

The deal does little to address the systemic challenges of information manipulation, foreign influence, and data exploitation on the platform.

China
Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Jan 27, 2026

Unable to win on the battlefield, Putin escalates war on Ukrainian civilians

By Peter Dickinson

A war crime of staggering proportions is currently unfolding in full public view across Ukraine as Russia methodically bombs the country’s utilities in a calculated bid to freeze millions of civilians in their own homes and spark a humanitarian catastrophe, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict
Drones

Dispatches

Jan 27, 2026

How the Nordic-Baltic states became Europe’s reliable security engine

By Anna Wieslander

Eight Northern European states are acting together early and turning solidarity into capabilities and delivery. 

NATO
Northern Europe

Dispatches

Jan 27, 2026

Taiwan has been a strategic blind spot for South Korea

By Bee Yun Jo

South Korea is beginning to acknowledge that cross-Strait stability is increasingly a foundational element of overall regional security.

China
Indo-Pacific

MENASource

Jan 27, 2026

When UNIFIL leaves, south Lebanon still needs an international presence

By Nicholas Blanford

Absence of an international eye could encourage Hezbollah and Israel into actions that lead to renewed conflict.

International Organizations
Israel

Dispatches

Jan 26, 2026

Time matters: Why Europe needs Ukrainian defense innovation

By Oleksiy Honcharuk

For Europe to gain genuine defense autonomy, it will need to combine the continent’s capital with Ukraine’s speed and military innovation.

Defense Industry
Defense Policy

MENASource

Jan 26, 2026

Amid Arab competition, the war in Sudan requires a US balancing act

By Giorgio Cafiero

For US policymakers, the path forward in achieving a resolution in Sudan demands more than reactive diplomacy.

Africa
Conflict
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Experts

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Paul Amato

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Missile Defense Nuclear Deterrence

Fellow

Marvin J. Park

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Defense Policy

Fellow

Hannah Hunt

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Fellow

Joanna Siekiera

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Rule of Law Polish

Fellow

Nicholas Hopton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia Iran

Fellow

Zeena Nisar

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

Central Asia China
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Events

Online Event Fri, January 30, 2026 • 9:00 am ET

How Russia’s winter warfare strategy targets Ukrainian civilians
Conflict Europe & Eurasia Geopolitics & Energy Security Human Rights
Flagship Event Mon, February 2, 2026 • 9:00 am ET

Central Europe Week 2026: Facing a new strategic reality

A week of conversations highlighting Central Europe’s role in the transatlantic community.
Central Europe Eastern Europe Europe & Eurasia European Union
Public Event Fri, February 6, 2026 • 11:00 am ET

How Moscow manufactured the myth of Putin’s inevitable victory
Artificial Intelligence Disinformation Europe & Eurasia Internet