Peace and War Center
Stories: Voices on Peace and War
The Death of American Integrated Deterrence: All Hail Performative and Transactional U.S. Foreign Policy
By LT COL Jahara “FRANKY” Matisek
The troubling shift towards transactional and performative foreign policy in 2025 has effectively disarmed this strategic advantage, fragmenting U.S. deterrence and sowing doubt among allies. Unless reversed, America's credibility and leadership face irreversible erosion, emboldening adversaries and creating dangerous uncertainty in global security.
Read More 9 min read
The History and Philosophy of the Norwich Cadet Creed
By Dr. Franklin C. Annis and Ms. Joyce A. Rivers
"The History and Philosophy of the Norwich Cadet Creed" delves into the origins and enduring significance of the Norwich University Cadet Creed, penned in 1927 by Professor Kemp Russell Blanchard Flint. The article examines how the Creed encapsulates values such as courage, honesty, temperance, and wisdom, and how it continues to influence the moral and ethical development of Cadets within the university's Corps of Cadets. It also reflects on the Creed's historical context and its role in shaping the institution's commitment to producing leaders of character.
Read More 15 min read
The Irrelevance of Debating NATO Membership for Ukraine
By Dr. Kari Roberts
"The Irrelevance of Debating NATO Membership for Ukraine" argues that focusing on Ukraine's potential NATO membership is a distraction from the immediate need to support Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion. The author contends that such debates create uncertainty about NATO's future and the prospects for peace between Russia and Ukraine. The piece suggests that current U.S. policies, including the pause in military aid, exacerbate these uncertainties and may undermine both NATO's credibility and Ukraine's security.
Read More 6 min read
Third Anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine War: An Inflection Point
By Dr. Thomas Ambrosio
This article examines the evolving dynamics of the conflict as it enters its third year. It highlights Russia's unexpected resilience, bolstered by a war-ready economy and external support, contrasting with Ukraine's challenges, including a stalled counteroffensive and internal leadership tensions. The piece underscores that the war's continuation signals a broader, enduring confrontation between Russia and the West, with both sides bracing for a prolonged struggle.
Read More 10 min read
Khamenei’s Nuclear Fatwa: Religious Ruling or Political Strategy?
By Dr. Saeid Golkar
This article explores the dual nature of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's 2003 declaration that nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islamic law. While presented as a religious decree, the article suggests that the fatwa serves as a strategic political tool, adaptable to Iran's shifting geopolitical interests and national security considerations. This flexibility underscores the fatwa's role in Iran's broader strategy to navigate international scrutiny over its nuclear ambitions.
Read More 7 min read
The America First Trade Policy: The Knowable and Unknowable Consequences
By Dan Ciuriak
This article examines the multifaceted impacts of the U.S.'s protectionist trade approach initiated under President Trump. It highlights how measures like Section 232 and Section 301 tariffs have led to predictable economic inefficiencies, such as higher consumer costs and disrupted supply chains, aligning with traditional trade theory predictions. The article also warns of unforeseen systemic risks, including global financial instability and geopolitical shifts, stemming from abrupt departures from established trade norms.
Read More 15 min read
Precarious Alliances: Turkey, Israel, Öcalan, and the Kurds Amid Shifting Middle Eastern Geopolitics
By Dr. Cevat Dargın
During the opening session of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on October 1, 2024, the Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, shook hands with members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
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Israel's Tactical Gains: Strategically Reshaping the Middle East
By Yaakov Lappin
Over the past year, Israel has faced unprecedented challenges that have shaken its traditional national security doctrine to the core. Its long-standing security doctrine relied heavily on deterrence, containment, and early alerts of enemy intentions to attack.
Read More 9 min read
What is Israel Accomplishing in Gaza?
By Dr. Peter S. Henne
Dr. Henne contends that while Israel’s post-October 7 campaign in Gaza has achieved tactical successes — destroying roughly 80% of Hamas’s Rafah tunnel network, carrying out decapitation strikes against key leaders, and securing the release of over 100 hostages — it has failed to meet its strategic objectives, as evidenced by remaining hostages, new fronts opening with Hezbollah and Iran, and the IDF’s repeated need to re-clear contested areas in what critics term an “endless war." He argues that shifting the debate from moral and legal questions to the strategic efficacy of Israel’s actions could promote a more restrained or diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict.
Read More 6 min read