This week FPRI's Director of Research Aaron Stein and Senior Fellow Paul Bracken discuss Bracken's new report: The Hunt for Mobile Missiles: Nuclear Weapons, AI, and the New Arms Race.Kirjoittanut Foreign Policy Research Instit

This past week, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced that the United States would withdraw 11,800 troops from Germany, with 5.600 of those being repositioned at other locations in Europe, and the remainder being redeployed to the continental United States, but could be called to deploy to Europe on a rotational basis. To discuss these proposed…

As tensions between the US and Iran ratchet up, and the 2015 nuclear deal increasingly looks like a dead letter, the prospect of war – whether by intention or by accident – is a growing concern. Is there a diplomatic way out of this impasse, or not? Is Iran on its way to becoming a nuclear power, or not? To explore these questions and others, we ar…

In this edition of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan, the director of FPRI's Program on National Security, sits down and speaks with Harvard University's Vera Mironova on her new book From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists. This book, based upon Mironova's extensive field research, deals with how armed groups manage their human resources. They discussed the ro…

In this episode of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan, director of FPRI’s Program on National Security, sits down with retired British Army Lt. General Jonathon Riley to discuss the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military cultures of the United States and the UK, the state of the Special Relationship, and Brexit and the UK’s defense policy. Lt. Gen. Rile…

For the inaugural session of our new Main Line Briefings, hosted and cosponsored by The Haverford School, we are pleased to feature an in-depth conversation between Drs. Marisa Porges (Head of The Baldwin School) and John Nagl (Headmaster of The Haverford School). By coincidence, the two heads of these prestigious private schools on the Main Line a…

Israelis head to the polls on April 9th. To get a sense of the state of the race, the political maneuvering by elements of the Israeli center, the viability of Prime Minister Netanyahu's coalition, and what this may mean for the United States, FPRI Middle East Director Aaron Stein speaks with Robert A. Fox Fellow Ronen Hoffman, a former member of t…

In this episode of FPRI Radio Michael Noonan sits down with Sarah Kreps from Cornell University to discuss her Pennsylvania roots and her latest book Taxing Wars: The American Way of War Finance and the Decline of Democracy. (Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to Veterans Day.)Kirjoittanut Foreign Policy Research Instit

Drawing on recently declassified documents, John Lehman tells the untold story of the Cold War at sea -- and why it matters today. John's story is also an FPRI story as he got his start here when he was a grad student at UPENN. When he left FPRI, he went on to serve in many high-ranking positions, including Deputy Director of the Arms Control and D…

While the conflict in Syria shows no sign of abating, scholars and policymakers alike are trying to make projections for the “day after,” when the fighting stops and reconstruction begins. In this podcast, Dr. Benedetta Berti tackles this thorny issue as well as the necessity of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former combata…

On July 19, Israel’s parliament passed a controversial nation-state law. Designed by its proponents to promote Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, it is seen by its critics there and abroad as fundamentally anti-democratic. In this conversation with Barak Mendelsohn, we will explore the precise meaning of the law, the impetus for it, a…

In the latest episode of FPRI’s Back Channel, Host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Dominic Tierney and Nada Bakos along with special guests Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Chris Miller, Professor of Tufts University and the Director of FPRI’s Eurasia Program, to discuss the Helsinki summit and its impact on contemporary geopoli…

In the latest episode of FPRI’s new podcast, The BackChannel, host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Dominic Tierney and Nada Bakos along with special guest, Professor Michael Horowitz of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the latest developments in artificial intelligence and their impact on contemporary geopolitics. The global techno…

In the latest episode of FPRI’s new podcast series, The BackChannel, host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellow Dominic Tierney, Director of FPRI’s Program on the Middle East Tally Helfont, and special guest FPRI Fox Fellow Joshua Krasna to discuss the complex relationship between the United States, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. Continuin…

In this premiere episode of FPRI’s new podcast series, BackChannel, Host Ron Granieri welcomes Templeton Fellows Nada Bakos and Dominic Tierney and special guest Benjamin Silberstein to discuss US-North Korean relations. Following the FPRI tradition of analyzing contemporary geopolitics through the lens of history, geography, and culture, Granieri …

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Why did Germany lose the war? What role did the US play in winning the war? How did the war’s ending lead to an even greater conflict a generation later? To answer these questions and more, we are pleased to feature a lecture by FPRI Senior Fellow John Maurer, the Alfred Thaye…

The war in Syria is reaching a decisive point. As the campaign against ISIL winds down, the battle for influence over the final settlement in Syria is heating up. This larger war—geopolitically more consequential than the campaign against ISIL—is characterized by shifting and sometimes surprising coalitions of states and non-state actors. Despite s…

Juan Zarate served as the Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism from 2005 to 2009, and was the first ever Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes. Zarate sits on several boards, including the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority, the Board of Advisors to the Director of the National C…

As tensions between the West and East mount, FPRI Senior Fellow Mitchell Orenstein will home in on the geopolitical competition between the European Union and Russia over the lands in between. A specialist in European studies and international political economy, Orenstein has consulted for the World Bank, USAID, and other organizations. He has live…

Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Before joining CSBA, Toshi Yoshihara held the John A. van Beuren Chair of Asia-Pacific Studies at the U.S. Naval War College where he taught strategy for over a decade. Yoshihara has testified before the Defense Policy Board, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the …

Robert Kaplan, Senior Fellow, Center for New American Security FPRI is excited to present Robert Kaplan and his newest collection of essays, "The Return of Marco Polo's World," described by General David Petraeus as "a truly pathbreaking, brilliant synthesis and analysis of geographic, political, technological, and economic trends with far-reaching…

This episode, hosted by Tally Helfont, Director of FPRI's Program on the Middle East, is the first in a four part series exploring topics related to FPRI's latest project: After the Caliphate: Reassessing the Jihadi Threat and Restoring Stability in the Fertile Crescent. Today we explore how ISIS and others are able to utilize online platforms to c…

Jacques deLisle, Director, Asia Program, FPRI Scott Kastner, University of Maryland, College Park Wojtek Wolfe, Rutgers-Camden University Thomas J. Shattuck, Research Associate, FPRI (Moderator) Last month, China adopted new civilian aircraft flight paths over the Taiwan Strait, near Taiwan-controlled islands, without consulting Taiwan’s government…

To comment on the volatile situation on the Korean Peninsula, we are pleased to feature one of the world’s foremost authorities on North Korea. Sue Terry served as a Senior Analyst on Korean issues at the CIA from 2001 to 2008. From 2008 to 2009 she served as director for Korea, Japan and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under both …

We are pleased to present a panel of Vietnam veterans to discuss the significance of the Vietnam War, both personally and for America's place in the world. The panelists reflected on their own experience in the war and how it shaped their post-war understandings of American politics and foreign policy. They also added insights on Burns and Novick's…

It can be argued that the rise of Donald Trump has created more uncertainty about America’s role in the world than at any time in recent decades. At the same time, the geopolitical challenges to the US have grown in number and in severity. What role should the United States play in the world? In this talk, as in his book, Hal Brands will reflect on…

In his new book, Stewart Patrick says that sovereignty is “one of the most frequently invoked, polemical, and misunderstood concepts in politics.” Some see sovereignty as requiring the avoidance of international attachments while others see preservation of sovereignty in steering global forces in a positive direction, particularly in tackling trans…

The illegal trade of everyday counterfeit products -- a $400 billion a year industry -- is a big chunk of what's actually funding terrorist groups around the world, argues FPRI's Vanessa Neumann in her new book Blood Profits. In this talk, Neumann will explain how purchasing illegal goods translates into supporting organized crime and terrorists --…

Stephen Kotkin Birkelund Professor in History and International Relations, Princeton University Heralded as the definitive biography of Joseph Stalin and the world he lived in, the first volume of Prof. Kotkin's trilogy recast the way we think about Stalin and the Soviet Union. In this talk on the occasion of the publication of his second volume, K…

President Donald Trump recently completed a 12-day trip to Asia, with stops in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and including attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. The announced agenda included building cooperation to pressure North Korea on its nuclear weapons and missile programs, addressing what Tru…

Assaf Moghadam, Director of Academic Affairs, International Institute on Counter-Terrorism, IDC Herzliya Barak Mendelsohn, Senior Fellow, FPRI; Assoc. Professor of Political Science, Haverford College Drawing on recently declassified matierals, this discussion will explore how terrorists cooperate and how those relationships contribute to the succe…

Hajnalka Vincze Senior Fellow, FPRI European Foreign and Security Analyst At a crucial moment in European history, France went to the polls and elected the young centrist Emmanuel Macron. How will he deal with opposition from his right and left, with Trump's America, and with the internal and external challenges facing Europe? To answer these quest…

Half a decade after Arabs across the Middle East poured into the streets to demand change, hopes for democracy have disappeared in a maelstrom of violence and renewed state repression. Egypt remains an authoritarian state; Syria and Yemen are in the midst of devastating civil wars; Libya has descended into anarchy; and the self-declared Islamic Sta…

Existential enemies have a way of uniting a country. Could America's current state of division be related to the absence of such an enemy? In this talk, FPRI Senior Fellow Dominic Tierney takes an unorthodox look at America and the world, placing our current challenges in a larger historical perspective…

In cooperation with UPenn's Center for East Asian Studies, the Foreign Policy Research Institute hosted a briefing on the situation in North Korea with Lt. General (Ret) In Bum Chun. Chun served in the South Korean military for over 30 years, rising to several key posts, among them Deputy Chief of Staff for ROK/US Combined Forces Command, Senior Me…

The Middle East is rife with conflict. States appear to be breaking down, and extremism is on the march. Amid the chaos, how is one to define the U.S. national interest, and how to secure it? Trudy Rubin, the authoritative voice of the Philadelphia Inquirer, brings her years of reporting from the region to bear on these questions and more.…

The German elections on 24 September marked the end of a year and a half of major elections and referenda across the Continent. As the dust settles, Europeans and their partners are trying to figure out what the results mean for the individual countries, for the EU and NATO, and for the world at large. To help provide context and insight, FPRI Seni…

The Kremlin has managed to deploy power so ruthlessly at home and abroad in part because of its surprising ability to muster economic resources. In this talk, Miller analyzes the secret to Putin’s success.Kirjoittanut Foreign Policy Research Instit

In the past, concerns raised by China's bad debt bubbles have triggered no alarms, in large part, because of its massive foreign exchange reserves and rapidly growing economy. Now, China's debts are higher than ever, while its reserves have fallen by $1 trillion and its economy slows. How could these major economic changes impact China's foreign po…

Confidence in the future of democracy has been shaken by the authoritarian resurgence of the past decade, and some now argue that it is not realistic for the US to continue to champion democracy abroad. Does Democracy Matter? provides the conclusions of eleven scholars from widely different backgrounds who ask whether and, if so, how the US should …

This June we commemorate the Six Day War, a transformative event in the history of the Middle East that ended in Israel’s conquest of an area three-and-a-half times the size of Israel itself. Its effects were felt then and are still felt throughout the region, if not the world. In this talk, Neri Zilber considers the impact of the war on Israel’s d…

Born as small appendages to the conventional armies of World War II, the Special Operations Forces have grown into a behemoth of 70,000 troops, including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, Air Force Night Stalkers, Special Operations Marines, Rangers, and Delta Force. Moyar’s book is the first comprehensive history of these special warriors and their…

In this episode of FPRI Radio, host Michael Noonan is joined in conversation with FPRI Senior Fellow Nada Bakos to discuss the U.S. intelligence apparatus, bureaucracy, and the current state of Iraq.Kirjoittanut Foreign Policy Research Instit

Iraq has been at the center of American foreign policy for over a quarter-century. Will it continue to dominate our attention and resources in the coming years as well? If so, how? Just as importantly, why? To answer these questions, we bring together two experts who have had some of the most unique and consequential experiences in Iraq over the pa…

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I, we are pleased to feature Michael Neiberg on his latest book, analyzing how Americans moved from ambivalence toward the war in Europe to belligerence and beyond. He examines the social, political, and financial forces at work and the role of public opinion and popular cult…

From the breakdown of states to the exploitation of the ensuing power vacuum by violent non-state actors, there are numerous pressing issues currently facing the Middle East and North Africa. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Tally Helfont is joined in conversation with Robert A. Fox Fellow Benedetta Berti. Their discussion focuses on the current…

Once again, ​China is ​experiencing a period of ​major transition. ​After three decades of dramatic economic ​growth and reforms​, China faces significant economic and political challenges at home while President Xi Jinping ​looks to refashion​ China’s place in the world. ​China is taking a more proactive approach to trade and related international…

This is Panel 2 of the FPRI Asia Program Conference on US Policy toward East Asia under the Trump Administration. This panel featured Michael R. Auslin (American Enterprise Institute), Shihoko Goto (Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars), Gilbert Rozman (FPRI and Princeton University), and was moderated by Jacques deLisle (FPRI and Unive…

This is Panel 1 of the FPRI Asia Program Conference on US Policy toward East Asia under the Trump Administration. This panel featured Jacques deLisle (FPRI and University of Pennsylvania), Scott Mulhauser (Georgetown University), and June Teufel Dreyer (FPRI and University of Miami), and was moderated by William Burke-White (Perry World House, Univ…

As President Nicolás Maduro relies on increasingly repressive means to preserve the regime he inherited from the late Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has descended into an existential economic, social, and political crisis. In this edition of FPRI Radio, host Ronald Granieri is joined in conversation with FPRI Senior Fellow Vanessa Neumann to discuss the ro…