Frzand Sherko

Doctoral Candidate in the Statecraft and National Security DSNS at The Institute of World Politics| MA in Strategic Intelligence at American Military University

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

“Unite or Die.” This metaphor of a divided snake [= a dead snake] of Benjamin Franklin shall guide Kurds toward unification!

[Tim Miller @Timodc]

This is an absurd person to nominate to run DNI anyone who voted to confirm him cares absolutely zero about our national security and does not deserve the responsibility of being a US senator

[Mike Pompeo @mikepompeo]

Within hours of being announced as the nominee to be the U.S. Director of the CIA, I received a hand-delivered message on MI6 stationery congratulating me on my nomination. It was signed simply "C" in green ink. Legendary. I shared it with my son and even he thought I was now cool!

More than that, this note, from Sir Alex Younger, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom, confirmed what I already believed: the work that the CIA and MI6 did together mattered, that the partnership was critical, and that two leaders focused on the mission could save lives and provide tools for our nations to deter our adversaries.

Alex's passing this week brought back so many memories of our time in service together. He flew to Langley to see me the day I was confirmed. We brought our two senior teams together in the UK to plan and coordinate and build in the first several weeks of my time on duty: making clear to them all that this relationship was more than special - it was critical for the security of our two countries.

Alex was a remarkable intelligence partner. When we needed help, it wasn't "let me see;" it was "this matters to you and America we'll get it done." And he and his team always did. I think he knew we would do the same for him and his team and his nation. Many Americans are alive today because of his leadership of MI6, I never knew how to thank him enough.

Alex became a friend as well. In the years since we both left office we would see each other from time to time. He was always so kind, so thoughtful, so smart. His deep love of his country was surpassed only by his deep commitment and love of his family. Decent and proper - and funny as hell - Alex was "C." As espionage requires, he was quiet, not attention seeking. He knew what evil was and he was ruthless in his efforts to crush it with every legal tool at his command. And he knew who his friends were and committed himself to supporting them.

I miss Sir Alex Younger. He was a role model for me and a man with whom every minute I spent was valued and savored. Blessings to you Alex. Praying for you and for your family. Well done and may you rest in peace in His hands.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

@FPRI_Orbis @ThisIsSoliman While today’s shift toward 'West Asia' is often framed by regional integration, Ali Khamenei pioneered this terminology as early as 2011. For him, it was a strategic move to dismantle Western geopolitical framing and reclaim a distinct regional identity.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

Middle East Forum Observer
Does Kurdistan Need a National Security Council?
The Kurdistan Region No Longer Can Treat National Security Policy as Ad Hoc and Personality Driven

https://t.co/kNcruirHzL

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

The Kurdistan Region needs a legally grounded, non-partisan mechanism to bring its security, military, diplomatic, economic, energy, and cyber institutions into a coherent national decision-making process.
At a time of growing regional uncertainty, I believe this is an important discussion for Kurdistan, Iraq, and the Region’s international partners.

[Middle East Forum @meforum]

Kurdistan can no longer manage national security by improvisation.

@frzand argues the region needs a formal security council to replace ad hoc, personality-driven policy.
https://t.co/0gp6pIB1lD

[Foreign Policy Research Institute @FPRI]

Check out Frzand Sherko's piece from the #OrbisArchives for an in-depth analysis of Iran's deterrence tactics at sea. #OrbisJournal @NunnSchoolGT https://t.co/JHzAYtuWGF

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

The Balance of Power: Kurdistan’s First Line of Defense

https://t.co/sTzzVuLMnU

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

The Balance of Power: Kurdistan’s First Line of Defense
“If the Region remains an open arena for internal strife, regional powers will continue to treat Kurdish geography as a battlefield. However, if a governance system is built where no side can absorb the other, the Kurdistan Region will become an indispensable bridge of influence.”

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

3/3
Strategic realism is blunt: hegemony invites collapse, while balance generates leverage. No party can govern securely if the other is cornered. Reclaiming internal harmony is the first condition for external strength. Only a unified, non-monopolized governance can turn our geography into a bridge of influence.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

Kurdistan’s Survival: Institutional Logic vs. The Mentality of Capture

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

2/3
The current deadlock transcends cabinet portfolios; it is a struggle between the logic of institutions and the mentality of capture. For the KRI to endure, its core assets,security, revenue, and diplomacy, must be sovereign institutions of the state, not the private property of political factions.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

4While both roles (professional or activist) are honorable in their respective spheres, only one belongs in the security decision-making room.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

The Ethics of Security

1National security possesses its own specific ethical framework: collective survival.
2Collective survival is a supreme sanctity, even when protecting it requires sacrificing individual interests.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

3A decision-maker who cannot accept this calculus is not a security professional; they are a humanitarian activist who has mistakenly entered the wrong institutional framework.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

For small states, survival is not an event, it is a system. Kurdish statecraft and doctrine must become that system.

[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

A Kurdish Doctrine for National Resilience
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[Frzand Sherko @frzand]

The problem of Kurdistan is not a lack of courage, but the persistent gap that exists between courage and institutional design. Strategic realism can bridge this gap, only if it is regulated by law, legitimacy, oversight, and public trust.