Suicide bombers are today's weapon of choice. Terrorists are using suicide bombers because they are a low cost, low technology, and low risk weapon. Suicide bombers are readily available, require little training, leave no trace behind, and strike fear into the general population. The success of suicide bombers depends upon an element of surprise, as well as accessibility to targeted areas or populations. Both of these required elements have been enjoyed by women suicide bombers. Female suicide bombers were used in the past; however, the recent spate of them in different venues, in different...

In the current age of economic austerity, there is increasing pressure for the military in the United States and the United Kingdom (UK) to be streamlined, so as to be able to deliver more for less cost. This requires a whole new approach to warfare supported by additional skill sets, many of which are not currently readily or widely available within the military. These skills have become even more vital in the current security environment of networked global insecurities. As such, there is a need for the military not only to re-establish lost skills, but to develop new skills to enhance its...

On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which ended the practice of segregating the military services by race. That same year, the Army allowed women to join the services on an equal basis with men. Both of these steps preceded (and perhaps helped precipitate) the larger societal changes that allowed fully equal treatment of all types of American citizens in military service. And just over 2 years ago, Congress repealed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, allowing for gays and lesbians to take their place openly in the military. West Point fully integrated women...

The threat perceptions of many Arab states aligned with the United States have changed significantly as a result of such dramatic events as the 2011 U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, the emergence and then fading of the Arab Spring, the rise of Iranian power and Tehran's nuclear agreement with key world powers, the Egyptian revolution and counterrevolution, and the development of civil wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya. A particularly worrisome development and expansion has been the dramatic rise of the "Islamic State" (IS) organization which has seized considerable tracts of territory...

Since World War II, the relationship between Turkey and the United States has been characterized by complexity and flux; there have been periods of remarkable cooperation, even when significant disagreements existed. Relations between the two countries are never merely bilateral, for the two are also linked to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). The relationship between those two organizations is also complicated because of differing core purposes and somewhat differing memberships. Current Turkey-U.S. diplomatic and military relations are more strained...

The work is divided into an introduction to the topical area, a UAV historical overview and discussion of present use by the U.S. military, a chronological narrative of terrorist and insurgent UAV use (and attempted use) from 1994 through 2015, the ensuing baselines and trending identified, and the foreseen potentials derived from these trends-based upon tactical, operational, and strategic influencing scenarios, and the resulting military implications and suggested policy responses this will entail. The analysis not only has immediate value for Army force protection and counterterrorism...