Part 9 Coalition Views of SMA Reachback Responses
SMA CENTCOM Reach-back Reports – Part 9: Coalition Views. Author | Editor: SMA Program Office. This is Part 9 of a 9 part series of SMA Reach back responses to questions posed by USCENTCOM. Each report contains responses to multiple questions grouped by theme. At the request of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), the Joint […]
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Turkish Interests in Syria and Iraq
Question (R2 QL6): What are near and long term Turkish interests and intentions in Syria and Iraq? What are Turkish interests and intentions with respect to al-Bab? Author | Editor: Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI, Inc). Despite policy shifts Turkey’s key interests remain the same The SME contributors to this SMA Reach-back write-up argue that the recent […]
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Views of Sunni and Shia Extremism
Question (R2 QL8): How does the U.S./Coalition view Shia extremism? Different from Sunni extremism? How do Sunni communities, Shia communities, MENA countries, and media perceive the U.S./Coalition position on combatting extremists? Author | Editor: Canna, S. (NSI, Inc). How does the U.S./Coalition view Shia extremism? How does the U.S./Coalition view Sunni extremism? Experts who volunteered […]
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SMA Reachback: Part 8 Post ISIL Governance
SMA CENTCOM Reach-back Reports – Part 8: Post ISIL Governance. Author | Editor: SMA Program Office. This is Part 8 of a 9 part series of SMA Reach back responses to questions posed by USCENTCOM. Each report contains responses to multiple questions grouped by theme. At the request of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), the […]
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Military Influence in Post-ISIL Levant
Question (R2 QL7): What significance will small military groups, particularly in Northern Syria, have in a post-ISIL Levant? How should CENTCOM best shape or influence these groups? Author | Editor: Reedy, K. (RAND). The primary theme that all of the experts touched upon is that there will be no single unified situation regarding either the […]
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Part 3 Encourage Regional Stability
SMA CENTCOM Reach-back Reports – Part 3: Encouraging Regional Stability. Author | Editor: SMA Program Office. This is Part 3 of a 9 part series of SMA Reach back responses to questions posed by USCENTCOM. Each report contains responses to multiple questions grouped by theme. At the request of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), the […]
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Syrian Reaction to Salafi Institution
Question (R3 QL6): How will the population in northwest Syria react to future Salafist political institutions? Author | Editor: Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI, Inc). Similar to points made by other contributors to this SMA Reach-back report, Dr. Kathleen Reedy of Rand includes a caveat in her response to the CENTCOM question. Given international pressure to avoid […]
Continue ReadingBlack Swans to Defeating ISIL in al-Raqqah
Question (R2 #5): What are potential unanticipated complications or reactions (or “black swans”) with respect to defeating ISIL in al-Raqqah? Author | Editor: Reedy, K. (RAND). Predicting the unanticipated is always a challenge, but contributors have identified a couple of considerations for thinking about both potential complications involving external actors such as Turkey (Yeşilada) and […]
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Learning From the Countries Favorable to ISIL
Question (R2 #2): In countries where polling shows favorable opinions of ISIL (Syria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Senegal and Malaysia), what does this tell us? What do these countries have in common? What is our best approach to influence/inform? Author | Editor: Steckman, L. (MITRE). The contributors to this Quick Look responded to GEN Votel’s follow-up question, […]
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Recent IO Efforts and Sentiments
Question (R2 QL1): Have sentiments changed since the December 2014 polling? Have recent IO efforts in Mosul influenced these sentiments? What other means can we use to influence? Author | Editor: McCulloh, I. (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab). Data suggests that sentiment toward DA’ESH1 has changed since the December 2014 polling conducted by USCENTCOM. […]
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