Riley McCabe

Program Coordinator and Research Assistant, Transnational Threats Project
Riley McCabe

Riley McCabe is a program coordinator and research assistant with the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where he researches emerging technologies and the irregular warfare activities of countries such as Russia, Iran, and China. Previously, Riley was an intern with the CSIS Risk and Foresight Group, where he conducted research on geopolitical risks and global trends. Prior to joining CSIS, Riley worked at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. He holds a B.A. from Occidental College in diplomacy and world affairs.

Programs & Projects

All content by Riley McCabe

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What If . . . Alternatives to a Chinese Military Invasion of Taiwan

Using historical cases, this report explores alternative future scenarios outlining strategies of coercion China could employ against Taiwan short of full-scale invasion. The scenarios show the need for new escalation management frameworks linked to integrated deterrence.

Report by Benjamin Jensen , Riley McCabe , and Adrian Bogart — October 7, 2022

Photo: wowinside/AdobeStock

Mapping Ukraine’s Military Advances

New CSIS battlefield maps indicate Ukrainian forces have—thus far—conducted an effective counterattack that has reconquered roughly 3,700 square miles, slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut.

Commentary by Seth G. Jones , Jared Thompson , and Riley McCabe — September 22, 2022

Photo: CSIS

The Case for Cooperation: The Future of the U.S.-UK Intelligence Alliance

Over the past 75 years, the United States and the United Kingdom have built the deepest intelligence alliance in the world. To prepare for the challenges of the future, the U.S. and UK intelligence communities must continue to pursue robust interoperability.

Brief by Jake Harrington and Riley McCabe — March 15, 2022

Photo: Adobestock

Detect and Understand: Modernizing Intelligence for the Gray Zone

Gray zone activities are designed to evade detection or to frustrate intelligence efforts to attribute blame, quantify risk, and inform responses. To succeed in the gray zone, U.S. intelligence must rededicate itself to detecting and understanding these complex threats.

Brief by Jake Harrington and Riley McCabe — December 7, 2021

Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images; Park Young-Chul/AFP/Getty Images

Back to (Caring about) the Future

U.S. lawmakers and their staff will need to improve their use of foresight to ensure long-term national prosperity and security. In response, CSIS’s International Security Program and Congressional Affairs team partnered to create the Congressional Foresight Initiative.

Report by Riley McCabe , Madeline Clough , Elizabeth Hoffman , and Erol Yayboke — September 29, 2021

Kaseya Ransomware Attack Demands Action to Match Rhetoric

As businesses recover from the July 2 global ransomware attack, the real test is still to come: whether Moscow will take action against criminals that use its territory as a safe haven and, if not, whether Biden will follow through on tougher rhetoric about retaliation.

Critical Questions by Emily Harding , Riley McCabe , and James Andrew Lewis — July 9, 2021

Photo: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Global Political Protests and the Future of Democracy

From Moscow to Yangon, political protests are the most visible front in the global contest between authoritarianism and democracy and a top issue for the new Biden administration.

Commentary by Riley McCabe and Samuel Brannen — March 5, 2021

Photo: Getty Images/Getty Images