CSAG STRATEGY PAPER Lt Col Richard Pecinka, CZE AF (CSAG/CCJ5), LTC René Berendsen, NLD Army (CSAG/CCJ5), LTC Ivan Puhalo, HRV Army (CSAG/CCJ5), and MAJ Vasile Nodis, ROU AF (CSAG/CCJ5) 20 November 2024 Introduction: The Golan Heights, a hilly 460 square mile (1,200 square kilometer) strategically vital plateau, was seized by Israel from Syria during Read More >
CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: CSAG 03 July 2024 Subject:The Dynamics of the Fragile State of Iraq: The Impact of Political, Economic, and Security Factors. Purpose: This paper presents the CSAG’s analysis of the political, economic and security dynamics in Iraq, the extent of Iranian influence within the country, and potential future trajectories for Iraq. Read More >
The Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies held its “Strategic Studies Network (SSN) Environmental Security” seminar in Washington, D.C., from 22–24 April 2024 for 21 participants from 18 countries. The three-day seminar had the goal of bringing together participants to better understand the history and significance of climate change. Through presentations Read More >
From 15–19 April 2024, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies hosted a seminar titled “The United States and the Middle East in 2025” at the National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, D.C. The program was designed to provide an academic setting in which officers could better understand the upcoming U.S. election’s Read More >
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 >
As a follow-up to the Washington Embassy Orientation, a NESA Center team was invited to the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., to discuss future partnering and a restart of a Lebanese National Defense University (NDU). On 13 December 2023, NESA Center Professors Richard Wiersema and Jennifer Jefferis, Associate Dean Charles Marks, and Program Manager for Read More >
View the NESA Center July–October 2023 Update focused on trends in the Levant region. The update also highlights July through October NESA Center programs and events, faculty and staff engagements, alumni contributions, and a calendar with upcoming events. Regional Trends – The Levant The 7 October 2023 terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas against Israel challenged prevailing Read More >
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 >
The Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, in partnership with the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM), a leading Turkish think tank, held a roundtable discussion in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 17–19 July 2023. Scholars from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye participated in the discussion. The agenda Read More >
CSAG INFORMATION PAPER By: MAJ Ibrahim Elveren, Turkish Army (CSAG/CCJ5) and Lt Col Richard Pecinka, Czech AF (CSAG/CCJ5) 2 June 2023 Subject: Capt. America vs Capt. Agon (The Billion-Dollar Bargaining Chip for the Syrian Republic of Captagon) Purpose: This paper aims to present the CSAG’s analysis regarding how the Captagon drug industry in Syria affects Read More >