Benefits and Ramifications of America’s Proxy Wars

Hudson Institute will host a panel to discuss the benefits and ramifications of current U.S. proxy warfare campaigns. The discussion will include Dr. C. Anthony Pfaff, research professor for the Military Profession and Ethic at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute; and Dr. Abbas Kadhim, director and resident senior fellow of the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council; and Candace Rondeaux, professor of practice in the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University and a senior fellow at the Center on the Future of War. Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Pregent will moderate the discussion.

Effective and ethical proxy warfare requires alignment of strategic goals between the U.S. and its proxy, but divergent interests can often arise between the two. Proxy warfare has been a commonly used tactic of American military strategy for decades, but clear examples emerge of when the strategy creates an end game that ultimately conflicts with American interests. From Afghanistan in the 1970s to Syria today, proxy warfare tends to minimize the U.S. footprint in a conflict, reducing both money spent and American lives lost. While proxy warfare can be cost effective, it raises sobering ethical questions and can have a detrimental impact on the country in which the conflict is taking place.

**NOTE: This event is open to the press. All members of the media should RSVP to press@hudson.org.**