Population’s Positive View of ISIL
To what extent do populations maintain positive views of ISIL or ISIL’s ideology, particularly in European, N. African, and Arabian Peninsula countries most associated with foreign fighter flows into Syria and Iraq? What are the general perceptions associated with ISIL endorsed themes, to include: 1) desire for re-establishing the Caliphate; 2) imposition of Shariah law; […]
Continue Reading
Strategic Implications of PRC’s Base in Djibouti
Question (R5.6): What are the strategic implications of the People’s Republic of China (PRC’s) new base in Djibouti? What will be the effect on the Iran-PRC relationship? Author | Editor: S. Canna (NSI, Inc,). Executive Summary Background There are a number of legitimate reasons that account for China’s decision to break with decades of tradition […]
Continue Reading
Multi-Step Approach Closing DoD’s Cognitive Capability Gap
A Cognitive Capabilities Agenda: A Multi-Step Approach for Closing DoD’s Cognitive Capability Gap. Author | Editor: A. Astorino-Courtois (NSI, Inc,). Executive Summary The Strategic Multi-Layer Assessment (SMA) team conducted a year-long project for USSOCOM on the growing prevalence of Competition Short of Armed Conflict (CSAC), or use of “Gray Zone” tactics by US adversaries. Key […]
Continue Reading
Influence in an Age of Rising Connectedness
Influence in an Age of Rising Connectedness. Author | Editor: W. Aviles & S. Canna (NSI, Inc.). Executive Summary A strong argument can be made that we are moving toward a pluralized, multipolar world, in which military and economic sources of power are widely distributed. Technologies (e.g., the Internet and rapid means of mass migration) […]
Continue Reading
US-DiGIA: USG Discoverable Information Terrain
US-DiGIA: Mapping the USG Discoverable Information Terrain. Author | Editor: Bragg, B., Polansky (Pagano), S., & Stevenson, J. (NSI, Inc.). Executive Summary The United States currently faces a complex and dynamic security environment. States are no longer the only critical actors in the international arena; rather, a diverse range of non-state entities also has the […]
Continue Reading
10th Annual SMA Conference – From Control to Influence
10th Annual SMA Conference – From Control to Influence? A View of—and Vision for—the Future. Author | Editor: George Popp, Sarah Canna, & Nicole (Peterson) Omundson (NSI, Inc.). Conference Background The Strategic Multi-Layer Assessment (SMA) office hosted the 10th Annual SMA Conference on 25-26 April 2017 at Joint Base Andrews. This year’s conference, formally titled […]
Continue Reading
How Developments in Brain Science Afford Military Utility
Speaker: Giordano, J. (Georgetown University Medical Center) & DiEuliis, D. (National Defense University). Date: April 2017. The use of sarin gas in Syria and the nerve agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong-nam, and ongoing international efforts in dual-use brain science (such as those described in the accompanying papers) prompt renewed interest in the current […]
Continue Reading
Strategic Multi-layer Assessment Report Card
Strategic Multi-layer Assessment (SMA) Report Card. Author | Editor: Astorino-Courtois, A. (NSI, Inc). Strategic Multi-Layer Assessment (SMA) provides planning support to Commands. SMA projects focus on complex operational imperatives requiring multi-agency, multi- disciplinary solutions that are NOT within core Service/Agency competency. SMA solutions and participants are sought across USG and beyond. SMA is accepted and […]
Continue Reading
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, […]
Continue Reading
Part 6 ISIL Support and Recruitment
SMA CENTCOM Reach-back Reports – Part 6: ISIL Support and Recruitment. Author | Editor: SMA Program Office. This is Part 6 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), […]
Continue Reading