The Syrian Army: Doctrinal Order of Battle

Current estimates of Syrian opposition strength have generated confidence that the Assad regime will be defeated militarily. This assessment cannot be made without also estimating the real fighting power of the Syrian regime.

Iraq's Return to Bloodshed

February 8th, 2013

ISW President Kim Kagan discusses sectarian tensions in Iraq in The Washington Post

Weekly Iraq Update

February 2, 2013- February 8, 2013
2013 Iraq Update #6: Protesters stage ‘Friday of No Dictator’

2013 Iraq Weekly Update #4c: Iraq Moves Toward Civil War

January 26, 2013
Thousands of Iraqis gathered in Fallujah on Saturday to bury the protesters killed the day before by Iraqi Army fire, where demonstrators denounced the government. Iraq may be tipping toward a destructive civil war.

The case for an enduring mission in Afghanistan

January 18, 2013
Denying al Qaeda's re-emergence in Afghanistan requires ensuring that Afghanistan can be sufficiently stable and capable of defending itself.

Latest from ISW

How many troops does the U.S. need in Afghanistan?

Jan 17, 2013 - Christopher Harmer

Three thousand troops are not sufficient to keep even a single U.S. military base in Afghanistan after 2014. This report, released with AEI's Critical Threats Project, describes how to calculate the force requirements for keeping one base in Afghanistan after 2014.