RESEARCH AREAS

Joshua Hunt
(RIEAS Senior Analyst, Austin Peay State University, Tennessee, USA)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 24 June 2025

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

California, a U.S. State, continues to suffer from deeply rooted systemic issues with violent crime, many of which stem from its fragmented immigration enforcement and political obstruction of coordinated law enforcement. While the state bears direct responsibility for its choices, the federal government has also failed to assert consistency and operational control. Both levels of government have allowed the situation to spiral by misaligning priorities, underutilizing intelligence, and letting political identity override security imperatives.... Read more

Why Early Assessments of Limited Military Operations Exhibit an elevated risk of analytical distortion.

Julio Enrique PALACIO
(Lieutenant Colonel, Joint Command of the Armed Forces, Argentina)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 11 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies.

Introduction

The U.S. military operation in Venezuela reported on January 3, 2026 serves as a contemporary illustrative case of a timeless problem: contradictory judgments issued within 72 hours. For some, it was a “brilliant tactical success”; for others, a “predictable strategic failure.”¹ This phenomenon is not new. Limited military operations display a recurring pattern: categorical strategic judgments issued within days are later refuted or substantially qualified.² This study examines why such assessments exhibit an elevated risk of analytical distortion and how Intelligence can mitigate the problem... Read more