The Trident is produced by the Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups (CIWAG). Director, Dave Brown, Col. (Retired), speaks with a variety of professionals, academics, and other experts to explore threats and challenges, in the international security environment, that both directly and indirectly relate to the field of irregular warfare.
The views discussed in this podcast are those of the participants, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy, or the U.S. Naval War College.
Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Theme music courtesy of Serge Pavkin via Pixabay.
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Episode 16: Tangled Tensions; Is Syria the Next Threshing Floor On the Counter-Terrorism Landscape?
Dave Brown
Guests Gen (Retired) Joseph L. Votel, and Dr. Colin P. Clarke join host Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Heidi Lane to discuss the U.S. mission in Syria and the implications for U.S. counter-terrorism in the region and continuing to prevent the re-emergence of ISIS.
Articles:
- In Syria, America Should Be Ruthlessly Focused on the Islamic State, J. Votel & E. Dent, WOTR, 17 Jan 2025
- Trump Administration’s Counterterrorism Policy Should Begin at Golan Heights, C. Costa & C. Clarke, Cipher Brief, 8 Jan 2025
See Also:
- The Danger of Abandoning Our Partners J. Votel & E. Dent, The Atlantic, 8 Oct 2019
- How to Protect America After the Syria Withdrawal J. Votel & E. Dent, The Atlantic, 21 Oct 2019
See More:
- Beyond Assad: The Rise of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Syria’s Uncertain Future, R. Rossoukh, Brandeis University, 18 Dec 2024
- Israel demands complete demilitarisation of southern Syria, S. Usher, BBC News, 24 Feb 2025
- Squeezed between Turkey and Sharaa, Syria's Kurds face stark choices, A. Zaman, Al-Monitor, 13 Feb 2025
- Post-Paris Steps in Syria Could Be Decisive, D. Margolin & A. Zelin, Washington Institute, 28 Feb 2025
- The Syria Breakdown, Episode Four: Revolutionary Rebuilding and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), A. Zelin, Washington Institute, 28 Feb 2025
Guests:
Joseph L. Votel, General USA, (Retired); Retired four-star general in the U.S Army, and former commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Mar 2016 to Mar 2019, where he oversaw military operations across the region, including the campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He also served as the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). During his military career, Gen Votel gained extensive operational experience across the Middle East, the Levant, Central and South Asia, Northern Africa, and the Horn of Africa. Votel is a non-resident distinguished senior fellow on national security at the Middle East Institute.
Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D., Director of Research and Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Group (TSG), an intelligence and security consulting firm based in New York City. He is also an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter Terrorism (ICCT) - The Hague, and a non-resident Senior Fellow in the Program on National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). Prior to joining TSG, Clarke was a professor in the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. He frequently appears in the media as a subject expert on global security, conflict, and terrorism, and is the author of several books, including After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora.
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Episode 15: Sun Tzu’s Imperative – to Win Without Fighting; A Strategic Approach
Dave Brown
Guests Rebecca Patterson, Susan Bryant, Ken Gleiman, and Christian Trotti join host Dave Brown to discuss the subject of their recent book "Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century."
“This book presents a framework for an American grand strategy that extends beyond traditional military conflict, focusing on irregular warfare methods that enhance a nation’s influence and legitimacy while weakening adversaries. The authors argue for a comprehensive approach that includes military, economic, and informational statecraft to address a modern competitive landscape…” – Cambria Press
------------------------Articles:
- Winning Without Fighting, Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century, Cambria Press, September 2024
- A New Playbook for Irregular Warfare: How the United States Can Win Without Fighting, C. Trotti, IWI, 21 Jan 2025
- A Grand Strategy Based on Resilience, E. Borghard, WOTR, 4 Jan 2021
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Rebecca Patterson, Ph.D. is Professor of Practice of International Affairs and Associate Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She teaches courses on irregular warfare, strategy, policy, and military operations, UN peace operations, and the political economy of contemporary conflict. Dr. Patterson served as an economist in the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group and the Deputy Director of the Office of Peace Operations, Sanctions, and Counterterrorism at the State Department. She holds a PhD from The George Washington University, a B.S. from United States Military Academy, and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. A retired U.S. Army officer with more than 22 years of experience, she served in overseas assignments in Thailand, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Susan Bryant, Ph.D. is Executive Director of Strategic Education International, an educational non-profit that designs and delivers executive education programs for governments and private industry. She also teaches Grand Strategy and Military History at Georgetown University and Defense Policy Making at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and serves as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at NDU. Susan is a veteran of the United States Army having served 28 years on active duty, with more than 20 of them in strategic level assignments.
Jan K. Gleiman (Ken), Ph.D. is Professor of Practice at Arizona State University where he leads research and develops education programs for the Future Security Initiative while teaching in the School of Politics and Global Studies. He teaches courses on irregular warfare, strategy, policy, and military operations. Ken is also the Editor-in Chief of the new Small Wars Journal and online publication committed to advancing the discourse of irregular warfare and national security at the speed of relevance. Ken is a 27-year veteran of the United States Army (Colonel), and both a former Green Beret and Army Strategist.
Christian Trotti is a Master of Arts candidate, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and Graduate Research Assistant at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. His research and published analysis focus primarily on defense strategy, military operations, force planning, irregular warfare, and technological and organizational innovation in national security. Trotti served as a Research Assistant for "Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare and Strategic Competition in the 21st Century".
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Episode 14: Unraveling the Gordian Knot; the Power of Network Engagement
Dave Brown
Guest Reyes Cole joins host Dave Brown to discuss the subject of Network Engagement, a growing area of doctrinal importance for various types of operational analysis, and one that underpins nearly every operational mission set, as well as every one of the currently identified Irregular Warfare activities.
Articles:
- Outmatched - Shortfalls in Countering Threat Networks, D. Doran, NDU Press, JFQ 89, 2nd Quarter 2018
- Countering Threat Networks to Deter, Compete, and Win - Competition Below Armed Conflict with Revisionist Powers, V. Oxford, NDU Press, JFQ 95, 4th Quarter 2019
- How NATO Can Support Countering Threat Networks, J. Gardner, Counter-IED Report, Autumn/Winter 2013
- Joint Publication 3-25 Countering Threat Networks
- The Myths of Traditional Warfare: How Our Peer and Near-Peer Adversaries Plan to Fight Using Irregular Warfare, R. Cole, Small Wars Journal, 28 Mar 2019
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Guest:
Reyes Cole Serves as the Irregular Warfare and Competition capability developer and analyst for HQ USMC, within the Ground Combat Element Division, and the Capability Development Directorate (CDD). Mr. Cole has served with the USMC for over a decade as the lead for institutionalizing Irregular Warfare requirements into Marine Corps missions and requirements. Reyes retired in 2012 from the US Army as a LTC after 26 years of service in infantry and Special Forces units. His military service focused on counternarcotics missions at home and abroad, and his background also includes experience in civil affairs, security cooperation, security force assistance, network engagement, countering transnational organized crime, counterinsurgency, stabilization activities, and counter threat finance.
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Episode 13: The Dolus Deception: Deepfake Technology and the Fight Against Falsehood & Disinformation
Dave Brown
Guests Dr. Hany Farid and Ted Schlein join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Tim Schultz to discuss deepfake technology and the challenge of the proliferation of fake news and disinformation. One of Aesop’s fables was titled Prometheus and Dolus, or sometimes alternatively titled, On Truth and Falsehood. In the fable, Prometheus can bring to life the figures he creates, and so he makes a sculpture of Truth (Veritas). When he is called away by Zeus, he leaves his workshop in the hands of his apprentice Dolus (the Greek God of Deception). While he is gone, Dolus fashions a replica of Prometheus's Truth, but runs out of clay, so his statue has no feet. When Prometheus returns, he marvels at the flawless likeness and fires both sculptures in the oven. When both figures come to life, Prometheus' Veritas (Truth) walks gracefully forward, while Dolus’ figure remains still - unable to walk. Ever after, Dolus' figure was called Mendacity (Falsehood). This is a fitting description of our topic which concerns the ever-growing area of deepfake digital media, its potential for tremendous negative consequences for domestic and international cybersecurity, its larger potential for societal disruption, and recommendations for how best to address it.
Articles:
- California Enacts New Laws to Combat AI-Generated Deceptive Election Content, S. Levi, T. Rosen et al, Skadden, 27 Sep 2024
- California Passes Election ‘Deepfake’ Laws, Forcing Social Media Companies to Take Action, NYT, 17 Sep 2024
- Deepfakes Are Evolving. This Company Wants to Catch Them All, W. Knight, Wired, 27 Jun 2024
- Hany Farid: Creating, Weaponizing, and Detecting Deep Fakes, UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, 3 May 2023 (video)
- A Forensics Expert on Princess Kate’s Photo—and How Credentialing Tools Can Help Build Trust in a World of Increasing Uncertainty, H. Farid, TIME, 12 Mar 2024
- AI is destabilizing ‘the concept of truth itself’ in 2024 election, P. Verma & G. De Vynck, Washington Post, 22 Jan 2024
- Hany Farid: To limit disinformation, we must regulate internet platforms, E. Lempinen, UC Berkeley News, 21 Nov, 2023
- Podcast: Hany Farid on deep fakes, doctored photos, and disinformation, H. Farid, Q. Jurecic & E. Douek, Brookings, 24 Jul 2020 (Podcast)
- Creating,Using, Misusing, and Detecting Deep Fakes, Farid, H. (2022). Creating, Using, Misusing, and Detecting Deep Fakes. Journal of Online Trust and Safety, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.54501/jots.v1i4.56
- Dr. Hany Farid CV: https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110075/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF16-Bio-FaridH-20191016.pdf
- Ted Schlein’s 2-year-old Ballistic Ventures has already raised a second $360 million fund, J. Bort, TechCrunch, 14 Mar 2024
- Cybersecurity investor Ted Schlein: ‘I think the whole landscape needs to be completely rethought’, A. Janofsky, The Record, 22 Apr 2021
- Could AI and Deepfakes Sway the US Election?, L. Feiger, WIRED, 6 Sep 2024
- The Trouble With Deepfakes: Liar's Dividend, FT Tech Tonic, 22 Aug 2024
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Guests:
Timothy Schultz, Ph.D., Col., U.S. Air Force (Retired) - Co-Host
Associate Dean of Academics at the U.S. Naval War College. Dr. Schultz is a retired Air Force colonel and former U-2 pilot, and previously served as dean of the U.S. Air Force's School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. Tim's research interests include the transformative role of automation in warfare and the impact of technological change on institutions, society and military strategy. He authored "The Problem with Pilots: How Physicians, Engineers, and Airpower Enthusiasts Redefined Flight" and co-edited "Air Power in the Age of Primacy: Air Warfare since the Cold War."Hany Farid, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer at GetReal Labs specializing in image analysis, digital forensics, and the intersection of technology and society particularly as it pertains to online harms. Dr. Farid is also a professor at the University of California, Berkeley with a joint appointment in electrical engineering & computer sciences and the School of Information. He is a member of the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Lab, Berkeley Institute for Data Science, Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics, Development Engineering, Vision Science Program, and is a senior faculty advisor for the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. His research focuses on digital forensics where he develops computational and mathematical techniques to authenticate digital media and debunk deepfakes.Ted Schlein
Chairman Ballistic Ventures, & general partner for 25 years at Kleiner Perkins. Ted’s career in venture capital spans more than 30 years in the field of cybersecurity, and his roles as operator, founder, investor and advisor have resulted in the creation of companies that have fundamentally shaped the cybersecurity landscape. Ted also provides counsel to the U.S. intelligence community, serves on the Board of Trustees at InQTel, and he is a board member of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s Advisory Committee. Ballistic Ventures is the embodiment of Ted’s vision for how venture capital can play a crucial role in the continual fight for a free and secure digital future. -
Episode 12: Playing with Fire: Election Violence in the U.S. in 2024 & Beyond
Dave Brown
Professor Jacob Ware joins host Col. Dave Brown and Dr. Timothy Hoyt to discuss both current manifestations of and potential future episodes of election violence in this presidential election cycle. Quoting from one of Professor Ware's recent articles, "counterterrorism scholars and analysts have predicted for [some time] that the 2024 presidential election would provide a particularly volatile flashpoint for election violence. The near-assassination of Trump demonstrates the accuracy of these concerns—but they are only part of the story."
The conversation ranges from how political rhetoric framed in existential terms drives these outcomes, the staggering percentages of the U.S. polity that feel violence might be necessary to fix U.S. political problems, and identifies potential target orientations before, during, and after the election. This timely discussion focuses on the growth and significance of both realized and potential political violence in our country as we move into this important election season, and beyond.
Articles/Reference:
- Election Violence Is Already in Full Swing, J. Ware, Lawfare, 22 Sep 2024
- Opinion: Trump Assassination Attempts are Just the Beginning. Imagine What is Coming After the Election, J. Ware & C. Clarke, L.A. Times, 17 Sep 2024
- How Bad Will Political Violence in the U.S. Get? B. Hoffman & J. War, Foreign Policy, 28 Jun 2024
- Preventing U.S. Election Violence in 2024, J. Ware, CFR, 17 April 2024
- Political Violence Becomes America's New Norm - But is Still Shocking, A. Zurcher, BBC, 15 Sep 2024
- 2 Virginia Guardsmen Are Running a Rural Anti-Government Militia, S. Beynon, Military.com, 5 Sep 2024
- Could Civil War Erupt in America?, R. Agrawal, Foreign Policy, 29 Aug 2024 (video)
- Iran Hack Illuminates Long-Standing Trends—and Raises New Challenges, R. DiResta, Lawfare, 26 Aug 2024
- Two Ex-Marines Sentenced for Terror Plot to Attack Power Grid, N. Slayton, Task & Purpose, 27 Jul 2024
- FBI Probing Trump Rally Shooting as ‘Domestic Terrorism’ as RNC Opens, Al Jazeera, 15 Jul 2024
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Guests:
Timothy D. Hoyt, Ph.D. – Co-Host
Senior Professor at the U.S. Naval War College’s Strategy and Policy Department. Professor Hoyt holds the John Nicholas Brown Chair of Counterterrorism and Academic Director of the Advanced Strategist Program. Publications include articles on the war on terrorism in South Asia, the limits of military force in the global war on terrorism, military innovation and warfare in the developing world, and the impact of nuclear weapons on recent crises in South Asia. He is currently working on a book on American military strategy in the 21st Century, and a study of the strategy of the Irish Republican Army from 1913-2005.Jacob Ware
Research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he studies domestic and international terrorism and counterterrorism. Together with Bruce Hoffman, he is the author of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America. In addition to his work at CFR, Ware is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he teaches a class on domestic terrorism, as well as at DeSales University. He also serves on the editorial boards for the academic journal Studies in Conflict & Terrorism and the Irregular Warfare Initiative at the Modern War Institute at West Point, and was a spring 2024 visiting fellow at the University of Oslo's Center for Research on Extremism. -
Episode 11: Viribus Mari Victoria: The U.S. Naval War College – 140 Years of Excellence
Dave Brown
In this special episode, on the occasion of the 140th Anniversary of the U.S. Naval War College, we take a break from the annals of Irregular Warfare and focus on the historical legacy and significance of this storied institution. Viribus Mari Victoria: or from the Latin (Victory thru Sea Power) is the motto of the college, and Dr. John Hattendorf and Dr. John Maurer join host COL Dave Brown as they reflect on the oldest continuing institution of its kind in the world. The Naval War College is a national treasure, and quoting its founder, Admiral Stephen Luce, its legacy and task today, remains to; “broaden an officer’s views, extend his mental horizon on national and international questions, and give him a just appreciation of the great variety and extent of the requirements of his (or her) profession.”
Reference:
Sailors and Scholars - The Centennial History of the U.S. Naval War College by John B. Hattendorf, B. Mitchell Simpson, III, John R. Wadleigh. Newport, R.I. : Naval War College Press ; 1984
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Guests:
John B. Hattendorf, D.Phil., D.Litt., L.H.D., F.R.Hist.S.
Professor Emeritus, and former Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History from 1984 to 2016, Professor Hattendorf also served as Chair of the College’s Advanced Research Department, Chair of the Maritime History Department, and Director of the Naval War College Museum. A former Surface Warfare Officer, he earned degrees in history from Kenyon College, Brown University, and the University of Oxford. He is the author or editor of more than 50 books, including "Sailors and Scholars," and the "Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History."John H. Maurer, Ph.D.
The Alfred Thayer Mahan Distinguished University Professor of Sea Power and Grand Strategy at the college. He also served as the Chair of the Strategy and Policy Department, where he led a major reform of the College’s curriculum on strategy. He is a graduate of Yale University and holds a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is the author or editor of books examining the outbreak of the First World War, naval rivalries and arms control between the two world wars, and a study about Winston Churchill’s views on British foreign policy and grand strategy. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), and served as executive editor of Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs. He also serves on the Academic Board of Advisers of The International Churchill Society, and has served on the Secretary of the Navy’s advisory committee on naval history. -
Episode 10: Shadows of 9/11: Simmering Threats & Dormant Dangers
Dave Brown
Marking the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, guests Dr. Tim Hoyt and Dr. Craig Whiteside join host Col. Dave Brown as they revisit their policy roundtable 2019 article, “Retrospect and Prospect: On Endless War,” and continue their discussion and analysis of not only how American thinking and counter-terrorism efforts have evolved, but that the simmering threats of Al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State still deserve continued monitoring.
Articles:
- Policy Roundtable: 17 Years After September 11, R. Evans et al, TNSR, 11 Sep 2018
- Non-state campaigning: Islamic State’s guerrilla warfare doctrine, C. Whiteside, et al, Jul 2024
- The Persistent Threat of Global Terrorism, P. Brookes, GIS Reports, 4 Apr 2024
- Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Office of DIA, 5 Feb 2024
- The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again, G. Allison & M. Morell, Foreign Affairs, 10 Jun 2024
- Where Do We Stand with Al-Qaeda and ISIS? International Salafi Networks in 2024, A. Byers, Small Wars Journal, 16 Jun 2024
- ‘ISIS Isn’t Done With Us’: Arrested Tajiks Highlight US Fears of Terror Attack on US, K. Lillis & J. Campbell, CNN, 14 Jun 2024
- The Islamic State: Background, Current Status, and U.S. Policy, Congressional Research Service, May 2024
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Guests:
Timothy D. Hoyt, Ph.D.
Senior Professor at the U.S. Naval War College’s Strategy and Policy Department. Professor Hoyt holds the John Nicholas Brown Chair of Counterterrorism and Academic Director of the Advanced Strategist Program. Publications include articles on the war on terrorism in South Asia, the limits of military force in the global war on terrorism, military innovation & warfare in the developing world.Craig Whiteside, Ph.D.
Professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College’s resident program at the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a senior associate with the Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups, and a fellow at the International Centre for Counter-terrorism – The Hague, and George Washington's Program on Extremism. Whiteside’s current research focuses on the doctrinal influences on the leadership of the so-called Islamic State movement and its evolving strategies. He is a former U.S. Army officer with combat experience in the Middle East. -
Episode 9: The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf
Dave Brown
In conjunction with the 2024 Maritime Symposium: Exploring Our Maritime Strategies II, guests Royal Navy Commodore Adrian Fryer (Ret.) and Mr. Evan Curt join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Jon R. Huggins to discuss security threats to shipping, particularly energy exports sailing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Listen to this episode to gain an overview of the security threats within this critical maritime strait, and to global maritime commerce.
Articles:
- DIA Report on Houthi Attacks and Pressure on International Trade, USNI News, 13 June 2024
- 65 countries affected by Houthi attacks in Red Sea, including Iran, A. Helou, Breaking Defense, 13 Jun 2024
- Maritime Terrorism Is on The Rise Whether We Notice It or Not, The Diplomatic Courier, 23 May 2024
- Ending the Houthi Threat to Red Sea, N. Al-Dawsari, Casey Cooms, et al, American Enterprise Institute, 26 Mar 2024
- IntelBrief: Iran and the Houthis Issue New Threats to Commercial Shipping, The Soufan Center, 26 Mar 2024
- Escalating Houthi attacks could affect 90% of world trade, ABC News, 21 Feb 2024
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Co-Host:
Jon Huggins
Associate Professor for International Programs at the U.S. Naval War College. As the founding Director of the Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) program during the height of the Somali piracy crisis, his organization’s research was featured by the BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Al Jazeera. OBP was also a key contributor to the release of 44 piracy hostages held in Somalia for up to four years. He later worked across four continents as a maritime security consultant for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Maritime Organization, the G7++ Presidency and the commercial shipping industry. A career Navy P-3 Naval Flight Officer, he directed multi-squadron flight operations for Operation Enduring Freedom, and also served on the NATO and EU Military Staffs in Brussels, 7th Fleet HQ, and was a Federal Executive Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and a member of the CNO Executive Panel staff.Guests:
Evan Curt
Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Republic of the Marshall Islands. In 2012, Mr. Curt joined International Registries, Inc.’s Maritime Services Group as Maritime Security & Investigations Coordinator and in 2015 was promoted to Ship Security Manager. In 2021, Mr. Curt was promoted to Vice President, Maritime Security. In this role, Mr. Curt is responsible for issues relating to the ISPS Code and related maritime security issues and initiatives including piracy and armed robbery against ships, maritime terrorism, stowaways, contraband smuggling, and maritime cyber risk management. He serves as a delegate to many maritime security working groups coordinated and supported by shipping industry associations, NATO, coalition naval forces, and the IMO. Mr. Curt earned his M.A. in Maritime Security from Coventry University, his M.B.A. from Arizona State University, and his B.A. in Business and International Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Mr. Curt is a certified ISO 9001:2008 Lead Internal Auditor and ISPS Code Security Officer.Adrian Fryer
A 31-year career warfare officer in the Royal Navy with a wide range of operational and academic experience. Sea Commands included HMS TYNE on UK Maritime Security duties, HMS CLYDE in the South Atlantic and Falkland Islands, and the T45 destroyer HMS DAUNTLESS, which served as Air and Missile Defense Commander to the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Battle Group conducting counter IS operations in the Gulf. Operational Commands included: Captain Patrol, Underwater Exploitation and Diving; 1st Command of the International Maritime Security Construct and Coalition Task Force Sentinel (Middle East); Commander UK Forces and UK Maritime Component Commander (wider Middle East); and Deputy Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest naval operational partnership (for which he was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit). He is an alumnus of the Advanced Command and Staff Course (Shrivenham), the Executive Alliance Business School (Manchester), and the U.S. Naval War College, where he later taught Joint Military Operations. -
Episode 8: The Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea
Dave Brown
In conjunction with the 2024 Maritime Symposium: Exploring Our Maritime Strategies II, guests Capt. Joe Baggett, Nadwa Al-Dawsari, and Evan Curt join host Col. Dave Brown to discuss the Houthi attacks on global shipping vessels and U.S. warships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in the Red Sea. Listen to this episode to gain an overview of the threat to this critical maritime region.
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Articles:
- DIA Report on Houthi Attacks and Pressure on International Trade, USNI News, 13 June 2024
- 65 Countries Affected by Houthi Attacks in Red Sea, Including Iran, A. Helou, Breaking Defense, 13 Jun 2024
- Maritime Terrorism Is on The Rise Whether We Notice it or Not, The Diplomatic Courier, 23 May 2024
- Ending the Houthi Threat to Red Sea, N. Al-Dawsari, Casey Cooms, et al, American Enterprise Institute, 26 Mar 2024
- IntelBrief: Iran and the Houthis Issue New Threats to Commercial Shipping, The Soufan Center, 26 Mar 2024
- Escalating Houthi Attacks Could Affect 90% of World Trade, ABC News, 21 Feb 2024
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Guests:
Nadwa Al-Dawsari
A veteran researcher, conflict analyst, and policy advisor, Nadwa Al-Dawsari has 20 years of experience in Yemen and the Middle East. She is a Nonresident Scholar at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and a Fellow at the Center on Armed Groups. She advises policymakers, donors, and humanitarian organizations, and her insights are widely published by the top think tanks in the United States and Europe. In her previous roles, Nadwa served as a senior conflict advisor to the World Food Program, a Yemen Country Director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, the founding Director at Partners Yemen, a MENA advisor at Partners Global, and a Senior Program Manager at the National Democratic Institute. Nadwa’s research focuses on Yemeni and regional conflict dynamics, including the impact of U.S. foreign policy, internationally led peace efforts, counterterrorism, and aid on regional stability, amidst the rise of non-state armed actors and proxy warfare.Capt. Joseph Baggett, USN
Commanding Officer of the U.S. Navy’s Surface Warfare School and former senior staff officer for MOC-D C5F. Capt. Baggett served on a number of U.S. naval vessels including the USS Klakring (FFG 42); USS Stout (DDG 55); USS Barry (DDG 52); USS Anzio (CG 68); He also was commanding officer of the Destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61). Shore tours include service on the staff of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet as lead exercise planner in Future Plans; lead requirements officer for the Littoral Combat Ship - Mine Warfare Mission Package, at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; and the operations officer for the Deployable Training Division on the Joint Staff (J7); Most recently he served as chief of staff for USNAVCENT / C5F and the MOC-D. He currently serves as the Commanding Officer of Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC).Evan Curt
Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Republic of the Marshall Islands. In 2012, Mr. Curt joined International Registries, Inc.’s Maritime Services Group as Maritime Security & Investigations Coordinator and in 2015 was promoted to Ship Security Manager. In 2021, Mr. Curt was promoted to Vice President, Maritime Security. In this role, Mr. Curt is responsible for issues relating to the ISPS Code and related maritime security issues and initiatives including piracy and armed robbery against ships, maritime terrorism, stowaways, contraband smuggling, and maritime cyber risk management. He serves as a delegate to many maritime security working groups coordinated and supported by shipping industry associations, NATO, coalition naval forces, and the IMO. Mr. Curt earned his M.A. in Maritime Security from Coventry University, his M.B.A. from Arizona State University, and his B.A. in Business and International Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Mr. Curt is a certified ISO 9001:2008 Lead Internal Auditor and ISPS Code Security Officer. -
Episode 7: Dire Straits – Maritime Attacks in the Red Sea & the Persian Gulf
Dave Brown
In anticipation of CIWAG’s 2024 Maritime Symposium: Exploring Our Maritime Strategies – II, scheduled for June 24-25, Guest Dr. Ian Ralby joins host COL Dave Brown to discuss the two great maritime straits in the Middle East. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf currently share several things; both are under threat and both have tremendous implications related not only to global shipping, but by extension, the entire global economy. Listen to this episode to gain an overview of the threats to these two critical maritime regions. Join us for more in-depth discussion, at our Maritime Symposium 24-25 June, by registering here.
Articles:
- Maritime Terrorism Is On The Rise Whether We Notice It Or Not, The Diplomatic Courier, 23 May 2024
- IntelBrief: Iran and the Houthis Issue New Threats to Commercial Shipping, The Soufan Center, 26 Mar 2024
- Escalating Houthi Attacks Could Affect 90% of World Trade, ABC News, 21 Feb 2024
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Guest:
Ian M. Ralby, Ph.D. is a globally recognized expert in maritime law and security, especially addressing evolving threats, maritime strategy, and the global maritime economy. In addition to being founder and CEO of I.R. Consilium, providing advice and assistance on maritime and resource security, he is also a Fellow at the Center on Maritime Strategy in partnership with the Navy League, and an affiliate of several institutions including the U.S. Naval War College, the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, and the Institute for Security Governance. He previously spent 6 years as an Adjunct Professor of Maritime Law and Security at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies, and served 5 years as a subject matter expert on Maritime Crime for the United Nations Office on Drugs and the Global Maritime Crime Program.
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Episode 6: Navigating Arctic Ambitions - Frozen Water & Warming Seas
Dave Brown
Guests Dr. Lawson Brigham and Dr. Rebecca Pincus join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Walter Berbrick to discuss the growing importance of the Arctic Sea as an area of economic resources, Trans-Arctic shipping routes, and a potential zone of international security concerns. This episode will touch upon items relating to the Arctic Council, Arctic development, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine War, and a new era of peace and security in the region. Tune in to hear our participants’ thoughts on threat activity in the High North, along with the need for increased strategic considerations and updated U.S. policy directions.
Articles:
- New Challenges for the Bering Strait, L. Brigham, USNI Proceedings Vol.150/5/1,455, May 2024.
- Polar Points No. 27 | New Era of Arctic Cooperation, L. Brigham & R. Pincus, Wilson Center, 4 Apr. 2024.
- 360° View of Policies Needed to Secure Shipping Chokepoints, M. Kennedy, J. Macaron, Wilson Center, et al. (R. Pincus, co-author), 13 Feb. 2024.
- The IMO Polar Code: Safety and Environmental Protection for Polar Waters, L. Brigham, USNI Proceedings Vol.150/1/1,451, Jan. 2024.
- Agency Challenges and Implications with a US Extended Continental Shelf, L. Brigham, Wilson Center, 19 Dec. 23.
- Polar Institute Director Rebecca Pincus on 'What Is Strategic Competition?', R. Pincus, Wilson Center, 5 Jan. 2024.
- Arctic Militarization and Russian Military Theory, M. Petersen & R. Pincus, Orbis, Volume 65, Issue 3, 2021, Pages 490-512.
- Security and geopolitics in the Arctic: The Increase of Hybrid Threat Activities in the Norwegian High North, G. H. Gjorv, Hybrid CoE, March 2024.
- 400+ Allied, Joint Special Operations Forces Secure the Arctic, M. Carey, DVIDS, 14 Mar. 2024.
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Co-Host:
Walter Berbrick, Ph.D. Senior national security executive, strategist, and advisor with two decades of experience leading teams in policy, intelligence, military and academic communities at the highest levels of government. He currently serves as an analyst in the War Gaming Department in the U.S. Naval War College, and was a previous professor at the college. Walter has held national security roles at the State Department and Pentagon and served for 10 years in the U.S. Navy.
Guests:
Lawson W. Brigham, Ph.D. Global Fellow in the Wilson Center's Polar Institute in Washington, DC. He is a researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Fellow at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's Center for Arctic Study & Policy. Captain Brigham was a career Coast Guard officer and commanded four cutters including the icebreaker Polar Sea on Arctic & Antarctic expeditions. During 2004-09 he was chair of the Arctic Council's Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment. He is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy and earned his PhD at Cambridge University. Dr. Brigham is a Council on Foreign Relations member and a former member of the National Academies Polar Research Board.
Rebecca Pincus, Ph.D. Director of the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, and previously on the faculty at the U.S. Naval War College, where her research focused on Arctic security and geopolitics. Dr. Pincus also worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, as an Arctic and Climate Strategy Advisor. A Fulbright Fellow in Iceland, conducting research on Arctic states and security, she was previously on the faculty at the Coast Guard Academy and worked on polar policy for the U.S. Coast Guard, at the Center for Arctic Study and Policy. Widely published and a contributing author for the 5th National Climate Assessment, she has also testified before Congress and the U.S.-China Commission on security and defense in the polar regions.
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Episode 5: Wagner - The Rise and Fall of a Russian Mercenary Group
Dave Brown
Description
Guests Dr. Colin Clarke and Raphael Parens join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Christopher Faulkner to discuss the Wagner Group’s rise and fall, as well as what’s happened to the group since the death of its leader in August 2023. Private military companies (PMCs) have been around for decades, but Russia’s use of these private military entities has become an increasingly prominent feature of its overall foreign policy, and the Kremlin has made extensive use of them across the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Ukraine. One of the most well-known of these PMCs in security circles is the infamous “Wagner Group,” which burst on the international scene in 2014, but became increasingly visible after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Articles:
- Wagner Group: Where Are They Now?, C. Clarke, C. Faulkner & R. Parens, FPRI, 29 Nov 23
- Commentary: “Who Thinks Wins”: How Smarter U.S. Counterterrorism in the Sahel Can Pay Dividends for Great Power Competition, C. Faulkner, R. Parens & M. Plichta, CTC Sentinel, Apr 23 – Vol 16 – Issue 4
- How Russia’s Wagner Group Is Fueling Terrorism in Africa, C. Clarke, Foreign Policy, Jan 25.
- After Prigozhin: The Future of the Wagner Model in Africa, C. Faulkner, R. Parens & M. Plichta, CTC Sentinel, Sept 23 – Vol 16 – Issue 9
- Mercenary Shocks: What the War in Ukraine Will Eventually Mean for Africa., R. Parens, WOTR, 17 Feb 23
- Niger’s Pivot to Moscow: What’s Next for US Engagement in Africa?, R. Parens, C. Faulkner & M. Plichta, FPRI, 5 Apr
- The West Needs to Prepare for the ‘Next Wagner’ in Africa, C. Faulkner, R. Parens & M. Plichta, WPR, 20 Jul 23
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Guests:
Colin P. Clarke, Ph.D., Director of Research and Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Group (TSG), an intelligence and security consulting firm based in New York City. He is also an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter Terrorism (ICCT) - The Hague, and a non-resident Senior Fellow in the Program on National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). Prior to joining TSG, Clarke was a professor in the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. He appears in the media frequently to discuss global security, conflict, and terrorism, and is the author of several books, including After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora.
Raphael Parens, Fellow in FPRI’s Eurasia Program and an international security researcher focused on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He specializes in African security, paramilitary groups, and Eurasian security. Raphael has been published in Foreign Affairs, West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) Sentinel magazine, War on the Rocks, and FPRI. His work was recently published in a French-language anthology, Les défis sécuritaires en Afrique. He has been cited in the U.S. Congressional Testimony, and he has been interviewed for a variety of pieces on the Wagner Group.
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Episode 4: Against All Enemies – Foreign and Domestic; the Growth of Far-Right Extremism in America
Dave Brown
Guests Dr. Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Timothy Hoyt to discuss the modern growth of Far-Right terrorism in the United States; its definitions and distinctions, historical roots, major groups, recruitment, connections to U.S. military services, international expansion, and policy options in confronting these emerging militant movements.
Articles:
- God, Guns, and Sedition - Far-Right Terrorism in America, B. Hoffman & J. Ware, Columbia University Press, Jan 2024
Why the Far-Right Terrorist Threat Is Often Misunderstood and Underestimated, B. Hoffman & J. Ware, CFR, 26 Feb - The Urgent Mission to Counter Military Extremism, B. Hoffman & J. Ware, U.S. NEWS, 19 Jan 2024
- How the United States Became a Leading Exporter of White Supremacist Terrorism, B. Hoffman & J. Ware, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sept 23
- The Terrorist Threats and Trends to Watch Out for in 2023 and Beyond, B. Hoffman & J. Ware, CTC Sentinel, Nov/Dec 2022, Vol 15, Issue 11.
------------------------ Guests:
Bruce Hoffman, Ph.D. Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He has been studying terrorism and insurgency for almost half a century. He is a professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and professor emeritus of terrorism studies at the University of St Andrews; and the George H. Gilmore Senior Fellow at the US Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center. He is the author of a number of books including Inside Terrorism, 3rd edition.
Jacob Ware: Research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he studies domestic and international terrorism and counterterrorism. He was previously a research associate for counterterrorism at CFR. In addition to his work at CFR, Ware is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he teaches a class on domestic terrorism. He also serves on the editorial boards for the academic journal Studies in Conflict & Terrorism and the Irregular Warfare Initiative at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
- God, Guns, and Sedition - Far-Right Terrorism in America, B. Hoffman & J. Ware, Columbia University Press, Jan 2024
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Episode 3: Blue Water Horizon: Building Maritime Capacity in the Indo-Pacific
Dave Brown
Guests Jada Fraser and Dr. Scott Edwards join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Curtis Bell to analyze the continuing and growing need for broad and comprehensive maritime collaboration to protect shared commerce and increase security across the vastness of the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific.
Articles:
- The Quad, AUKUS, and I2U2 formats: Major lessons from mini-laterals; J. Fraser, M. Soliman, 28 Jun 23
- An Allied Coast Guard Approach to Countering CCP Maritime Gray Zone Coercion; J. Fraser, 29 Mar 23
- Prospects for the Quad Coast Guards to Cooperate Toward Implementation of the Free and Open Indo- Pacific Vision; J. Bradford, K. Koga, S. Edwards, 12 Jun 23
- Fragmentation, Complexity and Cooperation: Understanding Southeast Asia’s Maritime Security Governance; S. Edwards, April 2022
- Surrounding the Ocean: PRC Influence in the Indian Ocean; D. Baruah, 18 Apr 23
- The Indo-Pacific Strategy: 2 Years Later; U.S. Dept of State, 14 Feb
- The Indian Ocean Strategic Map, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Freq Updated.
------------------------ Guests:Curtis Bell, Ph.D.: Associate Professor and Director of the Maritime Security and Governance Staff Course at the U.S. Naval War College. He has worked on five continents and presented to audiences including the African Union and United Nations. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, several academic journals. He is also the founder of Stable Seas, and developer of the Maritime Security Index.
Jada Fraser: Graduate student in Asian Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where she also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Journal of Asian Affairs. Ms. Fraser recently studied Japanese in Tokyo and served on an internship with US Indo-PACOM command. She is an author in her own right on aspects of countering China maritime coercion and particularly security alliance partnering in the Pacific.
Scott Edwards, Ph.D.: Lecturer at the University of Reading and Research Fellow at the Yokosuka Council on Asia Pacific Studies. Dr. Edwards’ research and publication interests center on Southeast Asia’s maritime issues and the building of maritime security governance, within the Indo-Pacific. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham, and was formerly a postdoctoral research associate at both the University of Bristol and at the University of Leeds.
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Episode 2: The Edge of Tomorrow: Analyzing Emerging IW Trends
Dave Brown
Guests LTG David Barno and Dr. Nora Bensahel join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Dr. Timothy Hoyt to analyze emerging trends in the character of Irregular Warfare (IW), as seen in the on-going conflicts in both Ukraine and Gaza.
Article: Learning from Real Wars: Gaza and Ukraine - War on the Rocks, D. Barno & N. Bensahel, War on the Rocks, Dec 6, 2023.
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Guests:
Lieutenant General David W. Barno, USA (Retired): Professor of Practice at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is also a contributing editor and columnist for War on the Rocks, and adjunct researcher at the Institute for Defense Analyses. General Barno completed a thirty-year active-duty Army career where he commanded at every level, culminating as the overall U.S. and coalition commander in Afghanistan from 2003-2005.
Nora Bensahel, Ph.D.: Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and contributing editor and columnist for War on the Rocks. She is an expert on U.S. defense policy, military operations, and the future of warfare. She and her co-author, retired Army Lieutenant General David Barno, have written over 100 articles on the changing character of war and contemporary challenges facing the US military; also, Adaptation Under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime.
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Episode 1: Words Matter: Irregular Warfare Definitions and Constructs
Dave Brown
Guests Robert S. Burrell, Richard Tilley, and David H. Ucko join host Col. Dave Brown to discuss the definition of Irregular Warfare (IW), its changing construct in DoD, and its overall utility. The group touches on the broader dimensions of the “competition” space indirectly affecting both IW and the larger international security environment.
Article: A Full Spectrum of Conflict Design: How Doctrine Should Embrace Irregular Warfare, Robert S. Burrell, March 14, 2023
Article: JP 1 Volume 1, Joint Warfighting, 27 August 2023
Article: Redefining Irregular Warfare: Legitimacy, Coercion, And Power, David H. Ucko and Thomas A. Marks, Oct 18, 2022
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Guests:
Robert S. Burrell, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Joint Special Operations University with several years of adult learning and teaching experience at the graduate and undergraduate level. My area of expertise and scholarship includes international diplomacy and human intelligence, as well as military history, theory, and doctrine. Previously, I taught history at U.S. Naval Academy. I am also the former editor-in-chief of special operations doctrine. A retired Marine with combat experience, I am an Asia-Pacific expert with 12 years living and working in Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Thailand, as well as a diplomatic tour at the U.S. Embassy in Australia.Richard Tilley serves at the J7 office of IW & Competition. Formerly the principal advisor to Chairman Joint Chiefs and Joint Staff concerning ability to wage IW sustain campaigns of strategic competition against our adversaries. Directed CJCS’ Joint Irregular Warfare Assessment. Led efforts to institutionalize and integrate IW and strategic competition capabilities and activities across the Joint Force and in coordination with interagency, multinational, and other domestic and foreign interorganizational partners. Prior to joining the Joint Staff in 2021, Richard served as a strategist in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security analyzing adversarial competitive strategies and orienting the Department’s sensitive activities and special operations. Previously served as the national security advisor to a senior member of the HASC, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
David H. Ucko, PhD is a Professor at the College of International Security Affairs (CISA) of the National Defense University, Washington DC, where he teaches irregular warfare and strategy to international military and civilian practitioners. From 2019-2023, he was the chair of CISA's Department of War & Conflict Studies (WACS) and, from 2018-2022, the Director of the Regional Defense Fellowship Program, whereby he led the College's international deployment of mobile education teams. Dr. Ucko is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and a senior visiting fellow at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.
