Games as an Analytical Tool

1 Credit · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In September 2014, former U.S. President Barack Obama outlined a strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), effectively beginning a campaign against the organization. As Operation Inherent Resolve nears its third year, this campaign does not appear to be drawing to a close any time soon. Despite Coalition operations successfully rolling back some ISIL-held territory, the group has maintained elements of a proto-state in Iraq and Syria. Outside actors have further complicated U.S. strategy, such as the Russian military intervention in Syria in support of the Assad regime beginning in September 2015. Ultimately, it has become clear that the current U.S. strategy will not result in a lasting defeat of ISIL. As a result, alternate strategies are commonly promoted in policy circles and President Donald J. Trump has expressed an interest in developing a new strategy to counter the ISIL threat. . This short course will challenge the student to develop a new strategy to defeat ISIL. The course will provide you with an understanding of the existing strategy options to counter ISIL and why these approaches have and have not worked. It will also give you exposure to gaming as an analytical tool as students will play two wargames during class time.