COMBATING THREATS EXCHANGE

A Biannual Peer-Reviewed Journal


The Combating Threats Exchange staff are happy to bring you the Fall 2025 issue of CTX.
DOWNLOAD FULL ISSUE HERE 

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Hajjah, Yemen – October 26, 2020:Tribal mobilization to support government forces in northwest Yemen

The Houthis' Irregular Warfare Strategy to Power and Iran’s Role in Yemen

Salem Bahfi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Yemen

The Houthi movement, known as Ansar Allah, has become a significant factor in Yemeni politics and regional conflicts. The movement’s recent escalation in the Red Sea and the transnational threats it poses are unsurprising given its history of irregular warfare (IW). Since 2023, the Houthis have ramped up attacks on commercial and naval vessels, including US warships, and have targeted ships with suspected Israeli ties, jeopardizing key maritime routes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In September 2024, they struck central Israel for the first time.

Mongolia Map

Geopolitical Resilience: The Case of Mongolia

Dr. Mendee Jargalsaikhan and Col. Altankhuu Badarch, Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia

The outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022 has heightened geopolitical tensions worldwide, leading to significant divisions among nations. Following a series of events, such as Western countries’ imposition of economic sanctions on Russia, pressure from major powers, energy crises, and humanitarian and military support to Ukraine, the international landscape has become complex; this has forced countries to reassess their alliances and their international position. The need for reassessment has been particularly true for Mongolia as it sits between the major powers of Russia and China, which have united their voices against the West.

Districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan (2022)

Policing the Tribal Areas of Pakistan: The Influence of Tribal Traditions and the Need for Police Reforms

Dr. Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi, Former Senior Police Officer and Rule of Law Academic and Practitioner

 

The merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs) into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province marked a significant milestone in Pakistan’s administrative landscape.[1] This historic move, formalized through the 25th Constitutional Amendment in May 2018, aimed to integrate the region into the national framework, promoting development and governance.

Afa Ajura Mosque in northern Ghana

Preventing the Spread of West Africa’s Islamist Insurgencies into Ghana

LTC Ernest Bosompem Darkwah, Ghana Armed Forces

Islamist insurgencies in West Africa have become a predominant feature of life, with frightful effects on the populace.The conflicts in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are all worsening and spreading to other countries within the region, due to inadequate responses from concerned states.

Germany vs Mexico football match 17, June 2018. Photo by: Dmitrii Sadovnikov

Identity and Radicalization

Maja Čavlović, Ministry of the Interior, Republic of Croatia

Research tells us that personal identity undergoes changes during radicalization and is an integral part of the radicalization process. However, there is no single comprehensive explanation of the radicalization process that fully accounts for subsequent terrorist behavior.

CTX Interview: Professor Pablo Urquízar Muñoz

Interviewed by Dr. Cristiana Matei, US Naval Postgraduate School

On 7 January 2025, Dr Cristiana Matei interviewed Professor Pablo Urquízar Muñoz to discuss his book, Radiografía de la violencia y el terrorismo en la Macrozona Sur: problemas y desafíos actuales, 

People protesting China’s oppression of Uyghurs.

Ethics and Insights: Whose Lives Matter?

Dr. Siamak Tundra Naficy, US Naval Postgraduate School

In the horrific panorama of recent global events, the world has been witness to a grim narrative of violence, displacement, and moral ambiguity. From the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, which displaced over 120,000 Armenian refugees, to the ongoing dehumanization in conflicts such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the retaliatory but indiscriminate bombings in Gaza, the stark contrast in how these incidents are portrayed by news media and government outlets reveals a troubling reality.

The Written Word An Analysis of the Violence and Terrorism in the [Chilean] Southern Macrozone: Current Issues and Challenges

Reviewed by Manuel A. Carranza Vázquez, Graduate Fellow, Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO), US Army Training and Doctrine Command

The economic liberalization initiated in the late 1970s under the Pinochet dictatorship, followed by the acceleration of globalization around the time of its fall in 1990, collectively reshaped the social, political, economic, and cultural dynamics between Chilean society and Indigenous populations. While “Indigenist terrorism” was absent during the Cold War, violent incidents began to emerge by the end of the century.


DISCLAIMER

This journal is not an official DoD publication. The views expressed or implied within are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any governmental or nongovernmental organization or agency of the United States of America or any other country.

TERMS OF COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2025 by the author(s), except where otherwise noted. Combating Threats Exchange (CTX) is a peer-reviewed, biannual journal available free of charge to individuals and institutions. Copies of this journal and the articles contained herein may be printed or downloaded and redistributed for personal, research, or educational purposes free of charge and without permission, except if otherwise noted. Any commercial use of CTX or the articles published herein is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the copyright holder. The copyright of all articles published herein rests with the author(s) of the article, unless otherwise noted


EDITORIAL STAFF

  • KATHLEEN S. BAILEY, Executive Editor
  • AMINA KATOR-MUBAREZ, Editor
  • MICHAEL THOMAS, Editor
  • AMELIA WELD, Visual Content Curator
  • LAYOUT AND DESIGN, Graduate Education Advancement Center, US Naval Postgraduate School

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

  • VICTOR ASAL, University of Albany, State University of New York
  • ANDREW GARFIELD, Joint Special Operations University
  • TIM JONES, Duke University
  • CRISTIANA MATEI, US Naval Postgraduate School
  • IAN C. RICE, COL, US Army (Ret.), US Naval Postgraduate School
  • ANNA SIMONS, US Naval Postgraduate School
  • HUGH SUTHERLAND, Joint Special Operations University
  • SHYAMSUNDER TEKWANI, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
  • CRAIG WHITESIDE, US Naval War College

WEBSITE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT

  • FLO ZEUTHEN, US Naval Postgraduate School