Digital Commons Network^™

Hybrid War: The Influence Of The Russian Orthodox Church On The Ukrainian Media, Oksana Lytvynchuk, Andrii Shevchuk, Zoriana Hrytsyshena

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) as a key instrument of hybrid warfare against Ukraine. It analyzes the ROC's primary strategies for influencing Ukraine's information space, particularly through religious rhetoric manipulation and the exploitation of ecclesiastical structures to disseminate pro-Kremlin narratives. The study identifies key mechanisms of the ROC's media influence, including direct control over religious media outlets, active participation of clergy in promoting Russian propaganda narratives, financial backing of pro-Russian media projects, and systematic disinformation campaigns about Ukraine's religious landscape.

Key findings demonstrate the destructive consequences of this hybrid warfare: exacerbation of interfaith tensions leading to societal …

The U.S. And Japan: Containing A Rising China?, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Early

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research involved investigating the impact that the coherence between international relations (IR) theories and national strategies and policy practice through effective implementation (independent variables) have on China’s perceived vulnerabilities (CPV; dependent variable) using the Cold War, the United States, and Japan case studies. The research focused on how the coherence between these variables could shape CPV and strategic calculations, particularly concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea. Additionally, the research involved analyzing how the modern strategies of conventional deterrence (i.e., the strategy of denial and integrated deterrence) influence CPV. This study was guided by the hypothesis that the degree …

Gnsi Decision Brief: The Golden Dome For America, Todd Schmidt, Heather Ward, Tad Schnaufer Ii

GNSI Decision Briefs

The Iron Dome for America, now referred to as the Golden Dome, is a proposed concept for a $175 billion, multi-layered shield intended to protect the U.S. from advanced missile threats, including ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles. Announced by President Donald Trump in early 2025, the system is envisioned as a technological leap forward, drawing on space-based sensors, interceptors, and artificial intelligence to create a continental-scale missile defense system.

Securing Americans' Genetic Information: Privacy And National Security Concerns Surrounding 23andme's Bankruptcy Sale. Hearing Before The House Committee On Oversight And Government Reform, United States House Of Representatives, 119th Congress, First Session., Margaret Hu

Congressional Testimony

No abstract provided.

Race To The Bottom: Is Seabed Mining Worth The Cost?, Linda Nhon

GNSI Publications

There is a recent resurgence in seabed mining, particularly in the potential excavation of polymetallic nodules (PMN) for cobalt, nickel, and copper in response to the tight competition for critical minerals between the United States and China. From the 1970s to the 1980s, increased government funding in the seabed mining industry sparked a surge of academic research and international collaboration in deep-ocean exploration. Although not the sole driver of this ballooning interest, Project Azorian—the CIA’s audacious mission aboard the Glomar Explorer to recover the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine K-129—was undeniably catalytic in generating enthusiasm. Purportedly constructed by the aviation mogul …

The Administrative State's Second Face, Emily R. Chertoff, Jessica Bulman-Pozen

Faculty Scholarship

We often assume that there is one administrative state, with one body of administrative law that governs it. In fact, the administrative state has two distinct faces: one turned toward regulation and benefits distribution, and one turned toward physical force and surveillance. The two faces are growing further apart under the Roberts Court, which has hemmed in the first face with decisions like Loper Bright while showing solicitude for national security and law enforcement agencies.

This Article delineates the two faces of the administrative state. It provides a descriptive account of the second face and the distinctive administrative law that …

Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis), Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

April 24, 2025 presentation for Canada's GovInfo Day Spring 2025 hosted by Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and Internet Archive Canada. Provides information about the publicly available information resources produced by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) which is the Canadian Government's foremost national intelligence agency. Provides information about this agency's statutory organization, types of publicly available reports they produce, information about other Canadian government intelligence agencies, and parliamentary oversight of Canadian government intelligence operations. Lists additional resources for finding information about CSIS and explains the benefits of having access to these resources for users.

Dangerous Legitimacy: The Risks Of Normalizing Hamas As A Fundamentalist Terror Group In Western Discourse, Shevach Berkovits, Darnell Downes, Hunter Lacroix, Michael Dobkowski

Journal of Strategic Security

This article examines the dangers of Western discourse misrepresenting and normalizing Hamas, a fundamentalist terrorist group, as a legitimate actor in regional crises and conflicts. It explores Hamas' origins as a global terrorist organization, its history of armed conflict with neighbors and the broader Western world, and its ideological roots in religious fundamentalism and totalitarianism. The article argues that Hamas’ principles and actions are fundamentally incompatible with Western democratic ideals, posing a significant threat to regional and global security. It also addresses the ongoing challenges of "Western washing" Hamas through propaganda spread via social activism and social media. The article …

A Nexus Of Evil: An Analysis Of The Terror-Crime Link At The U.S.-Mexican Border, Miranda Brewen

Senior Honors Theses

As the nexus between terrorism and crime continues to expand, the threat of terrorism is now on our doorstep. The collaboration between terrorist groups and cartel operations at the U.S.-Mexican border is stimulated by the mutual benefits gained by both parties, and the instability in Mexico and the simultaneous market for drugs in the United States have created fertile soil for the growth of this nexus. The terrorist group, Hezbollah, has already demonstrated its alliance with Mexican cartels, and more alliances are likely to continue to be revealed. The ramifications of these alliances go beyond money laundering and fundraising, as …

Property And Prejudice, Fatma E. Marouf, Vanessa Casado Pérez

Faculty Scholarship

“Alien land laws”—laws restricting noncitizens from owning real property—are back. A dozen states have enacted such laws during the past year, and over thirty states have considered such bills. These new bills are rooted in xenophobia, much like their predecessors, but they also have unique characteristics. They single out governments, citizens, and corporations of specific countries perceived to pose a threat; they impose ownership restrictions based on arbitrary distances to U.S. military bases and critical infrastructure; they inflict particularly harsh penalties; and they try to ferret out foreign control in complex corporate structures. The purported justifications are national defense, food …

On Large Language Models In National Security Applications, William N. Caballero, Phillip R. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

The overwhelming success of GPT-4 in early 2023 highlighted the transformative potential of large language models (LLMs) across various sectors, including national security. This article explores the implications of LLM integration within national security contexts, analyzing their potential to revolutionize information processing, decision-making, and operational efficiency. Whereas LLMs offer substantial benefits, such as automating tasks and enhancing data analysis, they also pose significant risks, including hallucinations, data privacy concerns, and vulnerability to adversarial attacks. Through their coupling with decision-theoretic principles and Bayesian reasoning, LLMs can significantly improve decision-making processes within national security organizations. Namely, LLMs can facilitate the transition from …

Parameters Spring 2025, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Russia, Ukraine, and NATO; Strategic Competition and Managing National Security; and Joint Sustainment Strategies), the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment, and a review essay.

Gnsi Decision Brief: Critical Resources For National Security, Sarah Brown, Heather Ward

GNSI Decision Briefs

Natural resources consist of any raw material, whether biological, mineral, or environmental, that nature provides without human intervention, but which humans can utilize for their benefit (both material and immaterial).i These resources play a crucial role in a country’s economic prosperity and influence various aspects of domestic and military operations as these materials are used in manufacturing and infrastructure projects. Natural resources have always played a critical role in national security – from the grain basins of Egypt to feed the armies of Romeii to the oil-rich Dutch West Indies required for Imperial Japan’s Navy in the Pacific War.iii In …

Matching Ends With Means: Tomorrow’S Defense Budget, Frank Hoffman

GNSI Publications

In 2010, Admiral Mike Mullen, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, quipped that “the most significant threat to our national security is our debt.” At the time, many thought he was out of line with this bold but prescient statement. Currently, most analysts take for granted that drastic action is needed to fix the deep hole that spending and deficit financing have dug in the U.S. treasury. The scale of debt limits the U.S. government from sustaining key functions such as income security and health care, as well as national security. Unfortunately, at the same time, rising competitors …

Sam Altman, Openai, And The Importance Of Corporate Governance, Lawrence J. Trautman, Larry D. Foster Ii

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

The sudden firing of CEO Sam Altman by OpenAI’s three independent directors highlights concerns about whether a leading AI company, susceptible to internal conflict and unclear accusations, can be trusted to develop a technology with far-reaching consequences for billions of people.

This paper examines how OpenAI’s board of directors terminated CEO Sam Altman’s employment, a decision that risked hundreds of highly skilled employees walking out the door, disrupted billions of dollars in value, and jeopardized critical knowledge of this important technology. It is hoped that corporate directors—whether at for-profit and non-profit companies—along with venture capitalists, technologists, and government regulators can …

The Administrative State's Second Face, Emily R. Chertoff, Jessica Bulman-Pozen

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

We often assume that there is one administrative state, with one body of administrative law that governs it. In fact, the administrative state has two distinct faces: one turned toward regulation and benefits distribution, and one turned toward physical force and surveillance. The two faces are growing further apart under the Roberts Court, which has hemmed in the first face with decisions like Loper Bright while showing solicitude for national security and law enforcement agencies.

This Article delineates the two faces of the administrative state. It provides a descriptive account of the second face and the distinctive administrative law that …

Law, Conflict, And Hybrid Warfare: A Teaching Imperative For A Changing World, Cynthia Alkon, Andrea Kupfer Schneider

Faculty Scholarship

Lawyers increasingly find themselves at the frontlines of the battlefield, just not in the traditional sense. Hybrid warfare is a conflict form that combines traditional military offensive measures with nontraditional methods, including the harnessing of legal systems to achieve strategic goals. Lawyers have always been at the frontline of typical legal risk assessment, thinking about a client's risk of liability or regulation costs generally. Now, lawyers must stand at the ready for a lot more: lawyers must be prepared for cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns using artificial intelligence, the use of court systems to suppress reporting or shield bad actors, and so …

Gnsi Decision Brief: Maritime Resiliency In The Red Sea: Lessons From The Persian Gulf And Strait Of Malacca, Arman Mahmoudian

GNSI Decision Briefs

From natural disasters to geopolitical conflicts, the world’s critical infrastructures face constant threats. Yet, it is not the absence of disruptions that ensures stability, but a system’s ability to absorb shocks, recover, and adapt—a quality known as resiliency.

In the context of macro-systems, like nation-states, resiliency is a vital trait that guarantees stability and continued functionality and serves as a key factor in preserving the state's existence.

In the maritime domain, resiliency refers to the capacity of supporting maritime infrastructure-- shipping lanes, ports, naval forces--to withstand and adapt to disruptions while maintaining operations. Maritime resilience is critical to the infrastructure …

The Impact Of Digital Diplomacy On National Security: Navigating The Positive And Negative Aspects, Ngadhnjim Brovina, Bahri Gashi, Dionit Kabashi

UBT International Conference

This paper examines the impact of digital diplomacy on national security by providing a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and risks that this modern form of diplomacy brings to the management of international relations and the protection of national interests. The research explores how digital technologies and social media platforms contribute to the enhancement of communication, engagement, and influence of states on the global stage, and how these aspects can affect national security. The study analyzes how these digital tools offer opportunities for direct communication, increased transparency, and improved crisis management. However, it also addresses significant challenges associated with digital …

The National Security Exception At The Wto: Should It Just Be A Matter Of When Members Can Avail Of It? What About How?, Mona Pinchis-Paulsen, Kamal Saggi, Petros C. Mavroidis

Faculty Scholarship

The GATT security exceptions were practically in hibernation until recently. The recent WTO disputes panel activity concerning such exceptions is characterized by a standard of review that places the accent on ‘when’ action should be taken and not so much on ‘what’ action should be taken. We see two problems with this construction. First, the ‘when’ might be a function of privileged information that those possessing it might be unwilling to divulge in a transparent manner. Second, national security is an amorphous concept, and unless we disaggregate it, it is impossible to pronounce the appropriateness of measures adopted to pursue …

Operational Energy Solutions For A 21st Century Battlefield, Nestor R. Levin

Space and Defense

Development of alternative energy storage and distribution capacity for the modern battlefield is a major national security interest.

Prism Vol. 10, No. 4, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM Vol. 10, No. 4 examines contemporary challenges in strategy, security, and international competition. The issue explores managing geopolitical disorder, U.S.-China soft power competition in Africa, strategic breakthrough and post-conflict planning, political sabotage, cybersecurity, space strategy, the global economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the role of special operations forces in integrated deterrence. Together, the contributions assess how states and security institutions can respond to an increasingly complex and contested strategic environment.

Summit Report: Artificial Intelligence In The Era Of Strategic Competition, Sarah Brown

GNSI Summit Reports

The 3^rd Tampa Summit: Artificial Intelligence in the Era of Strategic Competition was held March 5-7^th, 2024 at the University of South Florida and encompassed the 9^th event in the Great Power Competition Conference series. The Global and National Security Institute (GNSI), in partnership with U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), the U.S. Department of Defense Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), and the USF Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI+X) brought together over 50 experts from government, academia and private industry to discuss the current and future applications of artificial intelligence in national security.

Gnsi Decision Brief: A Covert Competition And A Competition Over Covert Action, Jeff Rogg

GNSI Decision Briefs

The U.S. is entering an era of global competition that is drawing comparisons to the Cold War. Similarly, the U.S. is again facing key problems in one of the most secret and sensitive areas of national security: covert action. This decision brief will scrutinize the shortcomings in the existing architecture for covert action and identify questions facing policymakers who would use this crucial, yet controversial, instrument of statecraft to provide an advantage in strategic competition.

“Divergent Perspectives: A Comparative Review Of ‘The Nuclear Club’ And ‘Winning And Losing The Nuclear Peace’”, Abhishek Verma

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Gnsi Decision Brief: Creating Sun Tsu: Instituting A Master’S Degree In Irregular Warfare, Robert Burrell, John Collision

GNSI Decision Briefs

In the words of Sun Tsu, arguably the father of irregular warfare, war is like water, and water has no constant form, and there are no constant conditions in war.i Nowhere in the history of U.S. military doctrine has conflict been described in this theoretical and inclusive way. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the U.S.’s preference for technological solutions, increased firepower, and lethality on the battlefield neglects to account for leveraging irregular and asymmetric forms of conflict to advance its interests and counter its adversaries. The Consortium to Study Irregular Warfare Act of 2021 addressed the gap …

Gnsi Decision Brief: Educate As You Operate: Developing National Security Practitioners For Strategic Competition, David Oakley, David H. Ucko

GNSI Decision Briefs

Amid a “rapidly changing world,” shaped by “strategic competition” and “shared challenges,” the 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS) set out a U.S. vision for a global environment “that is free, open, secure, and prosperous.” Achieving this vision, it acknowledged, will “demand increased global cooperation,” not only across the United States Government but with its partners and allies.i In similar terms, the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) recognized the novel threats of near-peer competitors and emphasized the need to work “seamlessly across warfighting domains, theaters, the spectrum of conflict, all instruments of U.S. national power and our networks of alliances and …

Updating The Caroline Doctrine: A Relic In An Age Of Hypersonic Weapons, David S. Jonas, Tyler Breeden

American University International Law Review

The United States dropped “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, bringing an end to World War II and killing between 110,000 and 210,000 people. Japan surely needed much more than rock and roll to help them—especially since Japan had no nuclear weapons of their own to deter the United States from attacking with nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons technology has evolved considerably in the years since 1945, when only the United States possessed nuclear weapons. Nine states now have or are suspected of having them, and at least one other state appears to …

Climatizing National Security, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

Is climate change a national security issue? Human security? Ecological security? This Article addresses the growing nexus between climate change and various conceptions of security with a particular emphasis on climate change's national security impacts. This Article argues that there is a growing connection between national security and climate change and a corresponding need to address the normative implications of "climatizing national security." This connection can be observed through three lenses: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions from military and national security sources); adaptation (investing in climate resilient infrastructure in an effort to prepare for climate impacts), and response (addressing climate-exacerbated …

A Review Of Frank Mckenzie's The Melting Point By Adib Farhadi, Adib Farhadi

Journal of Strategic Security

The Melting Point by General (Ret.) Frank McKenzie provides an authoritative, first-hand examination of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), chronicling its historical evolution, key operational engagements, and future prospects within the broader context of the Great Power Competition (GPC). Drawing on his experience as a combatant commander, McKenzie provides insights into U.S. military strategy in the Central Region, focusing on civilian oversight, the combatant commander’s unique role, and leadership's impact on strategic decision-making. The Melting Point significantly contributes to scholarship on recent U.S. military interventions and the evolving global geopolitical landscape This review identifies five significant contributions of the …