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Sheehan to Speak at International Studies Association Conferences in 2014 & 2015

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to speak at several international meetings organized by the International Studies Association in 2014 and 2015. In addition to delivering papers, Dr. Sheehan has also been asked to serve as a chair and discussant for panels on a range of topics related to his research. Panel I / Panel II / Panel III

2015 International Studies Association 56th Annual Convention
Global IR & Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for Int’l Studies
New Orleans, Louisiana / #PDF
February 18th – 21st, 2015

International Studies Association’s 56th Annual Convention, Global IR and Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for International Studies. “What is “Regime Change from Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran.” At Panel on “Vying for regional supremacy in the Middle East: Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey,” New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2015.
Chair, International Studies Association’s 56th Annual Convention, Global IR and Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for International Studies. At Panel on “Networks, violence and non-state actors,” New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2015.
Discussant, International Studies Association’s 56th Annual Convention, Global IR and Regional Worlds: A New Agenda for International Studies. At Panel on “Effective Counterterrorism Strategies: Causes, Connections, and Innovations,” New Orleans, Louisiana. February 18-21, 2015.

2014 International Studies Association Northeast Annual Conference
Concept & Conceptualization in International Relations
Baltimore, Maryland / #PDF
November 7th – 8th, 2014

International Studies Association (Northeast Regional Meeting), At Panel on Conflict and Healing. “Untangling the Concept of Regime Change from Within,” Baltimore, MD, November 7-8, 2014.
Chair/ Discussant, International Studies Association (Northeast Regional Meeting), At Panel on Terrorism, September 15, 2014, Baltimore, MD, November 7-8, 2014.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

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SHEEHAN: Iran is the Real Middle East Threat | The Hill | Commentary

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SHEEHAN: Iran is the Real Middle East Threat | The Hill | Commentary

While presenting at the World Congress of Middle East Studies in Turkey on August 19, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan published an article in the congressional newspaper The Hill on Iraq, Iran, ISIS and the growing unrest on the Iraqi street. In the article, he questioned whether White House officials have a plan to counter the larger threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“…U.S. policy on Iran must ensure significant consequence for continued Iranian interference in Iraq. The failure to act against Assad by enforcing the red line in Syria or push back on Putin’s adventures in Ukraine diminished U.S. credibility and squandered valuable influence. But Congress can correct these missteps by insisting that the White House lean in on Iran by giving the ayatollahs a new problem to keep them busy.

Since Tehran fears internal threats more than external ones, U.S. legislators should embrace a policy of regime change from within via Iran’s organized opposition.

Obama’s declaration that there is no military solution to Iraq’s troubles and that a legitimate Iraqi government must be established is an accurate diagnosis insofar as it goes. But the intoxication resulting from a combination of U.S. impotence, Iranian interference, and Iraqi frustration will only lead to continued regional instability.

Solving the Iraq puzzle requires that U.S. officials double down on the real threat in the Middle East and increase the prospect of collapse in Tehran.” #PDF

You can learn more about Dr. Sheehan’s recent media appearances in a University of Baltimore press release.

Please also stay tuned for forthcoming publications in fall 2014 on topics related to regime change in Iran and suicide terrorism.

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Sheehan Interviewed on Bloomberg Television

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WATCH @: Islamic State vs. Iran: Which Threat Is Bigger? / Bloomberg TV / August 13, 2014

University of Baltimore Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan and the Heritage Foundation’s Steven Bucci discuss the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and Iran’s influence in the country live on Bloomberg Television on August 13, 2014.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s departure is a very positive development for Iraq and represents an opportunity for the creation of a more inclusive, truly representative government in Baghdad.

–Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan

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Sheehan Interviewed on Iranian Nuclear Crisis

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan was recently interviewed by the University of Baltimore Magazine on the Iranian nuclear situation and a monograph authored with Ambassador Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr. titled The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) – Shackled by a Twisted History. Several thousand copies of the monograph were provided to members of Congress, White House officials, and the Intelligence Community.

You can read Dr. Sheehan’s Foreword here.

The monograph received endorsements from senior former US officials, including:

General George W. Casey, Jr.
Lieutenant General Dell L. Dailey
General James L. Jones
Judge Michael B. Mukasey
Dr. Mitchell B. Reiss
Governor Bill Richardson

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Sheehan Presenting at 2014 World Congress of Middle Eastern Studies

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2014 World Congress of Middle East Studies / Strategies for Change in the Middle East: Clarifying the Contested Concept of Regime Change from Within / Panel on Democracy and Reform in Iran from a Historical Perspective / August 18-22, 2014 / Middle East Technical University (METU)

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to Ankara, Turkey to present at the 2014 World Congress of Middle East Studies (WOCMES) between August 18-22, 2014. The symposium will be held at Middle East Technical University (METU), one of Turkey’s leading universities. Dr. Sheehan is scheduled to present a paper titled Strategies for Change in the Middle East: Clarifying the Contested Concept of Regime Change from Within.

Presentation Abstract: The term “regime change from within” has become increasingly popular in opposition and policy discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has also begun entering the academic literature. But what does it mean? Despite its increasing use “regime change from within” is rarely defined and scant scholarly attention to date has been paid to defining it. This is problematic since, as an “umbrella concept,” the term can be stretched to include a wide variety of discrepant processes. In fact, “regime change from within” has been used as a holder for democracy promotion efforts within a country that start both inside and outside a country, as well as indigenous efforts that exclude outside support, to highlight the need for radical change, and more vaguely to call for “continuous” change or reform. This paper argues that coherent strategic policy demands better articulation of the meaning of the term. As a first step, the paper traces the evolution of use of the term “regime change from within,” tries to unpack its components, and develops a preliminary framework that partitions the concept into ends (vision) and means (strategy) to assess its utility for policy.

Stay tuned for two forthcoming articles by Dr. Sheehan:

SHEEHAN: What is “Regime Change from Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran | Digest of Middle East Studies | Fall 2014

SHEEHAN: Balancing Ends, Ways, and Means: The Case for Reviving Support for “Regime Change from Within” in Iran | Under Review

More on Dr. Sheehan’s research can be found at the below links.

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Sheehan Published in New Book on Middle East

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New Directions in the Middle East / Edited by Mohammed M. Aman and Mary Jo Aman / Westphalia Press / ISBN/EAN13: 194147201X; 9781941472019 / 16 Jun 2014

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is published in a new book titled New Directions in the Middle East. The book presents articles based on papers delivered at the annual Middle East Dialogue held in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Digest of Middle East Studies (DOMES) and the Policy Studies Organization (PSO), and at the Conference of the Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA) held in Ifrane, Morocco. The authors suggest much needed and even radical reforms amidst a series of conflicts that include the standoff between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the role and impact of social media as empowered by technology, and citizens’ demands for political, economic, and social change. Those interested in crisis management and conflict resolution will find this a must read. The contributors represent an unusually wide variety of political and religious views and include a number who enjoy considerable standing in the Middle East.

“This exceptional work, composed of two volumes, ‘Middle East: Conflicts & Reforms’ and ‘New Directions in the Middle East’ is a magnum opus. In this book, edited by Mohammed M. Aman and Mary Jo Aman, the reader is introduced to a comprehensive and integrated erudite work addressed by a number of distinguished scholars from different disciplines dealing with the Middle East and North Africa, a most sensitive region of the world. The book identifies significant academic and public policy approaches as well as socio-economic, cultural, and political paradigms that bind together such timely topics as democracy, Islam, Islamism, sectarianism, secularism, globalism, modernity, Arab Spring, social justice, social media, leadership, women’s rights, and peace. The book offers a unique and compelling assessment of the future of the Middle East. Objectively written and eloquently presented, this book will enhance the scholarship of the Middle East and assist in the understanding the ability of political systems, government or state and non-government or civil society, in handling and managing current challenges facing the region.”

el-Sayed el-Aswad, Ph.D.
Prof. of Anthropology and Chair of Department of Sociology
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
United Arab Emirates University

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Sheehan Invited to Paris to Participate in 2014 Conference for Democratic Change in Iran

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to Paris as a guest of the Organizing Committee for the Convention of Democracy in Iran to serve as an Academic Observer at the largest gathering of the democratic Iranian opposition in exile on June 27, 2014. The event will feature remarks by leaders from more than fifty countries, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. policymakers, and distinguished academics from around the world. Democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the deteriorating situation in neighboring Iraq will be discussed.

Sheehan’s early work involved quantitative analyses of terrorism incident data and examined the impact of preemptive force on terrorist activity. Since this time, he has published on topics related to evidence-based counterterrorism policy, terrorism courses, terror tagging, counterinsurgency, suicide terrorism, and regime change from within. His latest work has involved both peer-reviewed scholarship and policy-oriented writing on the Islamic Republic of Iran, frequently cited as the most significant state-sponsor of contemporary terrorism, and their democratic political opposition.

On June 7, 2014, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan was invited to sign a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama along with 37 distinguished former U.S. officials, senior military leaders, and prominent academics. The letter condemns the ongoing mistreatment of Iranian dissidents detained at Camp Liberty in Iraq, outlines the gross injustices faced by the residents, and calls on Mr. Obama to do more to ensure the prompt and safe resettlement of the Iranian exiles before any additional lives are lost.

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Sheehan Joins Distinguished Signatories in Letter to President Obama Condemning Treatment of Iranian Dissidents

Posted in advisory board, analysis, arak, ashraf, baghdad, bipartisan, bloomfield, brussels, congress, counterterrorism, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, european union, evidence-based, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, gingrich, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, kerry, killing, maliki, media, MEK, middle east, military, NCRI, negotiation, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, politics, protest, qum, rajavi, regime change, republican, research, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, syria, tehran, terror tagging, terrorism, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zarif on June 19, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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“… After Iraq assumed responsibility from the U.S. for the security of the exiles at the end of 2008, Iraqi military forces entered Camp Ashraf in July 2009 and April 2011 and attacked the defenseless residents with military-grade weaponry, killing and wounding many. Further lethal rocket and mortar attacks were staged against the residents following their 2011 relocation to Camp Liberty, with the attackers firing from within the Iraqi security perimeter and publicly claiming support from Iran. The deadly operation on September 1, 2013, where a group of MeK persons authorized to remain in Camp Ashraf and oversee disposition of the exiles’ property were systematically attacked, should have prompted an emergency reassessment of the U.S. approach to this problem.

Fifty-two exiles were murdered, many after being immobilized with plastic handcuffs and shot in the head with weapons using silencers. Seven men and women were abducted and remain missing, with the obvious concern that they may have been transferred to the hands of the Iranian government, where they would face virtually certain torture and execution. Cell phone videos and photographs of the unfolding attack on September 1 leave no doubt that uniformed members of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s “Golden Division” were the perpetrators, employing target acquisition skills and methods directly reflecting prior training by U.S. special operations forces…”

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Sheehan Invited to Present at 2014 Political Studies Association Annual Conference

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The 64th Political Studies Association Annual Conference / Rebels & Radicals / April 14 – 16, 2014 / The Midland Hotel, Manchester, United Kingdom

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to present at the 64th Political Studies Association Annual Conference in Manchester, England between April 14-16, 2014. Dr. Sheehan will be discussing his research on the efforts of an Iranian opposition movement to challenge their terror label and shift the public discourse on the Iranian regime in the U.S. and the E.U. The panel – Social Media and Politics of Protest – will feature scholars from around the world. Related research undertaken by Dr. Sheehan has been presented at recent international conferences including the International Studies Association (Toronto) and the Middle East Dialogue/ Policy Studies Organization (Washington, DC). #AY 13-14 Updates

The Political Studies Association exists to enhance the study of politics. Founded in 1950, PSA is the leading Association in the field in the United Kingdom, with an international membership including academics in political science & current affairs, theorists & practitioners, policymakers & researchers.

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SHEEHAN: Conflict Transformation as Counterinsurgency | Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice | March 2014

Posted in 9-11, afghanistan, analysis, baghdad, college of public affairs, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, congress, council on foreign relations, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, courses, data, databases, democracy, diplomacy, education, evidence-based, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, framing, global, human rights, human security, international relations, international security studies, international studies association, iraq, ISA, media, middle east, militarization, military, obama, peace, peace and conflict studies, peace review, peacebuilding, pedagogy, petraeus, policy, politics, research, scholarly, securitization, security studies, sheehan, social science, soldier, stability operations, state department, teaching, terrorism, transformation of war, university of baltimore, war on March 17, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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SHEEHAN: Conflict Transformation as Counterinsurgency | Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice | March 2014

Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is published in the March 2014 edition of Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice. Dr. Sheehan’s latest study — Conflict Transformation as Counterinsurgency — is an empirical examination of the increasing usage of conflict transformation concepts in the context of counterinsurgency doctrine. Peace Review is a peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC/ Routledge that addresses current issues and controversies that underlie the promotion of a more peaceful world.

Excerpt | Conflict Transformation as Counterinsurgency | Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice | March 2014 –

…By October of 2008, Colonel Patrick Kelleher, in a report submitted to the Joint Military Operations Department at the Naval War College, had proposed that conflict transformation be embraced wholesale by the U.S. government as the primary framework and a “paradigm” for “Security, Stability, Transition and Reconstruction Operations (SSTR)” in what was now being called the “Long War” against insurgency. Borrowing from Lederach the importance of implementing a process to achieve “sustainable results” and from other influential work by Miall, Ramsbotham, and Woodhouse, he addressed the need to achieve transformation at five levels: “context transformation,” “structural transformation,” “actor transformation,” “issue transformation,” and “personal and group transformation.” But at each level, although he used the language of conflict transformation (paying attention to “basic human needs” and “empowering civil society”), he cast its intent in clearly utilitarian and prescriptive terms, such as to “win the peace,” “to establish a new domestic order,” and “to further U.S. objectives.”

Retrieve in #PDF Format – SHEEHAN: Conflict Transformation as Counterinsurgency | Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice | March 2014

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Sheehan to Present at 2014 International Studies Association Annual Conference

Posted in analysis, CIA, college of public affairs, counterterrorism, courses, data, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, education, evidence-based, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, framing, freedom, global, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, international studies association, iran, ISA, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, NCRI, PMOI, policy, regime change, research, scholarly, security studies, sheehan, state department, teaching, terrorism, toronto, university of baltimore on March 17, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

International Studies Association’s 55th Annual Convention / Spaces and Places: Geopolitics in an Era of Globalization / March 26th – 29th, 2014, Toronto, Canada

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to present in Toronto at the 2014 International Studies Association conference. Dr. Sheehan is presenting on a panel titled Terrorism: Tactics and Recruitment (International Security Studies Section). He is also chairing two panels Counterterrorism Strategies: Sources and Effectiveness (Foreign Policy Analysis Section) and Non-State Actors: Mercenaries, Pirates, and Death Squads (International Security Studies Section), as well as serving as a discussant.

The International Studies Association (ISA) has been the premier organization for connecting scholars and practitioners in fields of international studies since 1959… ISA was founded in 1959 to promote research and education in international affairs. With well over six thousand members in North America and around the world, ISA is the most respected and widely known scholarly association in this field. ISA cooperates with 57 international studies organizations in over 30 countries, is a member of the International Social Science Council, and enjoys nongovernmental consultative status with the United Nations.

Panel #1 / Panel #2 / Panel #3

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SHEEHAN: The Ivory Tower and the Iranian Regime | Townhall.com | Commentary

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, CIA, clinton, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, data, delisting, democracy, digest of middle east studies, diplomacy, dissident, DOMES, education, evidence-based, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, geneva, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, iran, iraq, israel, ivory tower, kerry, kristoff, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, nyt, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, politics, preemptive, protest, rajavi, regime change, research, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, tehran, terrorism, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zarif on March 4, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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SHEEHAN: The Ivory Tower and the Iranian Regime | Townhall.com | Commentary

In response to Nicholas Kristof’s recent column in The New York Times, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan weighs in at Townhall.com on why scholars should examine policy issues and inform the public discourse.

As Washington looks for fresh ideas on Iran policy in the lead up to the next round of nuclear discussions in March, policymakers would be wise to examine some of the sharpest thinkers on Iran and adopt policy prescriptions informed by scholarly analyses.

The unfortunate decision to investigate banality may be the characteristic that distinguishes the contemporary ivory tower from the public forum.

But not every intellectual suffers from the affliction and some have ideas that could inform policy decisions.

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Sheehan Policy Recommendations Featured on Iranian Television

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, brussels, chemical weapons, CIA, clinton, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, european union, farsi, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, geneva, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international security studies, iran, iraq, israel, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, peace, PMOI, policy, preemptive, protest, qum, rajavi, regime change, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, syria, tehran, terrorism, the hill, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, unrest, war, weapons, white house, zakaria, zarif on February 25, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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The segment featuring Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan begins at 00.45

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UPDATE: 2/25 – See Farsi Translation

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Sheehan to Present at 2014 Middle East Dialogue

Posted in analysis, assad, baghdad, CIA, clinton, college of public affairs, congress, counterterrorism, covert, delisting, democracy, deterrence, digest of middle east studies, diplomacy, dissident, DOMES, education, european union, evidence-based, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, freedom, global, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, middle east dialogue, military, NCRI, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, peace, PMOI, policy, policy studies organization, politics, preemptive, protest, rajavi, regime change, research, sanctions, scholarly, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, tehran, terrorism, think-tank, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, university of baltimore, unrest, war, weapons, white house on February 20, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan has been invited to deliver a talk at the 2014 Middle East Dialogue hosted by the Policy Studies Organization on February 27. Dr. Sheehan’s talk titled Clarifying a Contested Concept: Regime Change from Within will trace the evolution of the concept of regime change from within and argue that meaningful policy demands more precise articulation of the term. The conference, held at the Whittemore House in Washington, D.C. will feature scholars and policy analysts that address the event’s 2014 theme of Strategies for Change in the Middle East. Dr. Sheehan’s remarks at the 2013 Middle East Dialogue resulted in the publication of an article in the peer-reviewed journal, Digest of Middle East Studies.

Clarifying a Contested Concept: Regime Change from Within

The term “regime change from within” has become increasingly popular in opposition and policy discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has also begun entering the academic literature. But what does it mean? Despite its increasing use “regime change from within” is rarely defined and scant scholarly attention to date has been paid to defining it. This is problematic since, as an “umbrella concept,” the term can be stretched to include a wide variety of discrepant processes. In fact, “regime change from within” has been used as a holder for democracy promotion efforts within a country that start both inside and outside a country, as well as indigenous efforts that exclude outside support, to highlight the need for radical change, and more vaguely to call for “continuous” change or reform. This paper argues that coherent strategic policy demands better articulation of the meaning of the term. As a first step, the paper traces the evolution of use of the term “regime change from within,” tries to unpack its components, and develops a preliminary framework that partitions the concept into ends (vision) and means (strategy) to assess its utility for policy.

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SHEEHAN: Face the Facts on Iran Agreement | The Hill | Commentary

Posted in analysis, arak, ashraf, assad, baghdad, ballistic missiles, bipartisan, chemical weapons, CIA, clinton, congress, counterterrorism, covert, crimes against humanity, delisting, democracy, diplomacy, dissident, european union, fordow, foreign policy, foreign policy analysis, Fox, freedom, geneva, gingrich, global, hostages, human rights, human security, IAEA, intelligence, international relations, international security studies, iran, iraq, israel, kerry, maliki, media, MEK, MI6, middle east, military, mossad, murder, natanz, NCRI, negotiation, netanyahu, nuclear, obama, P5+1, paris, PMOI, policy, politics, preemptive, protest, qum, rajavi, regime change, sanctions, security studies, senate, senate foreign relations committee, sheehan, state department, strike, syria, tehran, terrorism, the hill, threat, u.s. foundation for liberty, war, warships, weapons, white house, zakaria, zarif on February 20, 2014 by Professor Sheehan

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SHEEHAN: Face the Facts on Iran Agreement | The Hill | Commentary

As world powers gather in Vienna to discuss a comprehensive agreement to curtail Tehran’s nuclear program, Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan is published in the The Hill on what Congress can do to correct White House missteps on Iran policy.

As the White House rolls the dice on a permanent pact and embraces the failed strategy of appeasement, Congress should place a check on the administration’s unwillingness to face the facts.

A nuclear compromise with Tehran will surrender the peace, not secure it. #PDF

UPDATE: 2/25 – This article was translated into Farsi and reprinted for a global audience. The policy recommendations were also featured Iranian National Television. Details soon.

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