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Join CSPS Director Ellen Laipson and other experts as they answer the question: What if Iran gets the bomb? They explore the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and expand upon this discussion to examine the implications for both the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Congratulations to Professor Lee Roberts, who was recognized as a 2024 Teacher of Distinction by George Mason University’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. 

CSPS Fellow Brad Duplessis analyzes Russia's return to the Middle East and what this means for the geopolitics within the region. Specifically, he focuses on Russia’s arms sales to its MENA partners and how the Russo-Ukrainian War has impacted Moscow’s ability to continue arms exports to its MENA clients.

CSPS Fellow Jonathan Walberg co-authored "Overinflated: China's Balloon Threats to Taiwan" in The Diplomat. His piece discusses how Taiwan and the U.S. can reduce the risk of aerial and geospatial surveillance while pointing out that the current ballloon drama has little security implications for Taiwan.

CSPS Assistant Director Mike Hunzeker co-authored "Scared Straight" in Foreign Affairs. The article discusses how the U.S. should deter China from attacking Taiwan and the implications of providing more assurances to Beijing.

CSPS sponsored event "The Americas at Risk: U.S. Security Partnership in a Fractured Neighborhood” focused on the underexplored security challenges in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. The panel included Jazmine Ulloa of the New York Times; Congressional Research Service Latin American Affairs Specialist Clare Ribando Seelke; Director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies Paul Angelo; and Associate Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and author John Polga-Hecimovich. 

CSPS Assistant Director Mike Hunzeker was quoted in Alastair Gale's article "Taiwan's Tough Call on How to Stop China: Bigger Weapons or Lots of Cheap Ones."  

CSPS Director Ellen Laipson recently published her co-authored paper "A Delicate Balance: Iraq's Security Culture Between Iran and the United States" in Survival Global Practice and Strategy. Her paper explores Iraq's role in determining whether the Middle East will remain in turmoil or find new equilibrium after the Gaza war by exaimining Iraq's national security institutions and balancing relations between Washington and Tehran.

Join us on Tuesday April 9th at 5:00 PM for a conversation on U.S. partnership with Latin American countries as it pertains to regional challenges such as peace and stability. Hosted by Professor Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, the panel includes experts on Latin American security issues and U.S. foreign policy. 

On Saturday, February 10th, 2024, CSPS hosted a crisis simulation focused on the Taiwan Strait. With the help of facilitators and game designers Dr. Lee Roberts of GMU and Colonel Jerad Harper of the U.S. Army War College, CSPS fellows facilitated a simulation with 60 attendees, including many from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. At the after-action review, participants discussed their experiences and considered the real-world lessons from their simulation of an international crisis. 

Crisis Simulation on Taiwan - February 10th, 2024
Simulation participants on the United States team plan their moves using the map and other tools during the planning phase of the simulation.

CSPS hosts Dr. Davood Moradian, Director of the Afghan Institute for Security Studies 
Photo: Dr. Moradian (center) with Schar School Dean Mark Rozell (left) and CSPS Director Ellen Laipson (right).

Dr. Davood Moradian meets with Schar School students, including CSPS Fellows Nicholas Davidson, Anirudh Prakash, and Lexi Gerbracht.

CSPS Fellow Jonathan Walberg and Schar colleague Noah Reed analyze China's balloon flights over Taiwan and the response by Taiwan's Defense Ministry in this piece on The Diplomat.

On the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq Carol Castiel speaks with veteran Middle East observer Ellen Laipson, Director of the Center for Security Policy Studies about the shifting rationales for the George W. Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq and the gains and challenges that remain for a country which has resumed its place in the Arab world.