Jamestown Foundation

The Jamestown Foundation is a think tank located in Washington, D.C., that focuses on conservative defense policies. Established in 1984 originally to assist Soviet defectors, its current mission is to educate and inform policymakers about significant events and trends that are strategically important to the United States. The organization publishes materials that primarily cover topics related to China, Russia, Eurasia, and global terrorism.

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What Motivated Islamic State’s Mosque Attack in Muscat?

1 month ago | jamestown.org | Andrew McGregor

Executive Summary:Islamic State (IS) militants conducted a well-planned strike in Oman on a Shi’ite mosque on July 15, 2024. While early reports focused on the attack’s potential goal of inciting sectarian violence, it is more likely to have been meant as a warning to Muscat to cease diplomatic activities involving regional governments, Shi’ite groups, and/or the West. Oman’s peace with regard to jihadism is deep-rooted in local Ibadi Muslim traditions.
Pakistan Bans Iran-Backed Zainebiyoun Brigade Amid Regional Turmoil

1 month ago | jamestown.org | Osama Ahmad

Executive Summary:Pakistan banned the Iran-backed Zainebiyoun Brigade on April 11, 2024, designating them as a terrorist group. The move is believed to be an effort to crack down on Iranian recruitment of disaffected Pakistani Shia, who are being used to fight in Iran’s proxy wars across the Middle East. Individuals believed to be affiliated with the Zainebiyoun Brigade have also attempted to carry out attacks on major Pakistani figures in the past, though this has been on a fairly small scale.
Russia Increasing Military Buildup Ahead of Negotiations

1 month ago | jamestown.org | Richard Arnold

Executive Summary:Russia is ramping up its military efforts—despite discussions of a ceasefire—with speculation about a second wave of mobilization. New Cossack battalions and expanded funding suggest a growing paramilitary force, indirectly increasing Russia’s mobilization potential. Several recent developments indicate that Moscow is preparing for a prolonged conflict.
Credibility of Russia’s Red Sea Naval Facility Agreement with Sudan

1 month ago | jamestown.org | Andrew McGregor

Executive Summary:Moscow is pursuing the construction of a naval port on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, reflected in the finalization of an agreement between Russia and Sudan in February. The deal appears to be part of Kremlin efforts to create new strategic assets in Africa following the loss of air and naval bases in Syria.
Grappling With Reality From the Baltic to the Bering

2 months ago | jamestown.org | Anna Davis

The first quarter of this century has proven that relations within Eurasia as a region and its relations with the rest of the world are unpredictable and volatile. The factors dividing this region often appear far more salient than any similarities. The work of the Eurasia team at The Jamestown Foundation is dedicated to understanding the challenges and divergences of the actors and people throughout this area in their own words and on their own terms. Such work is essential now more than ever.
Strangers on a Seabed: Sino-Russian Collaboration on Undersea Cable Sabotage Operations

2 months ago | jamestown.org | John Dotson

Executive Summary:Recent suspicious activities conducted by the merchant vessels Shunxing-39 and Vasili Shukshin in the vicinity of Taiwan in early 2025 suggest possible collaboration between Chinese and Russian merchant ships related to the reconnaissance and sabotage of undersea communications cables that connect Taiwan to the outside world.
Five Key Factors Behind Irregular Leadership Changes in the People’s Liberation Army

2 months ago | jamestown.org | Zi Yang

Executive Summary:The year 2024 witnessed sudden removals of high-level People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commanders, a continuation of the purge of 15 defense industry leaders and military commanders in 2023. Xi Jinping’s possible motivations include combating corruption, managing factional conflicts, asserting dominance as an aging autocrat, overcoming limited military service experience, and following successful historical precedents for control.
Russia Prepares for 80th Anniversary of the End of World War Two

2 months ago | jamestown.org | Richard Arnold

Executive Summary:Russia is planning extensive events for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II (WWII), using historical memory as a tool to legitimize its Ukraine invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared 2025 the “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland,” and propaganda lessons, military-themed competitions, and Cossack institutionalization aim to instill a narrative of Russian resilience.
Harnessing Hydropower, Sparking Tensions: PRC Mega-Dam and India's Water Security Fears

2 months ago | jamestown.org | Genevieve Donnellon-May

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has officially approved a 60-gigawatt hydropower dam on the Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet, estimated to cost over 1 trillion renminbi ($137 billion) and surpass the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam. The project aligns with national goals to provide clean energy, ensure energy security, and develop Tibet’s regional economy. India and Bangladesh, through which the river also flows, fear the impact on their own water security.
Beijing Woos Washington While Advancing New International Order

2 months ago | jamestown.org | Arran Hope

Executive Summary: The PRC is tempering its criticisms of the United States and other powerful countries in the early part of the Trump administration in a seeming attempt to foster a stable external environment while it continues to enhance its national power. Official PRC media have mostly refused to criticize President Trump’s rhetoric regarding territorial expansion, in contrast to non-official media and other global coverage of the new president’s inaugural address.