<Tr> <Th> President </Th> <Td> Kimberly Kagan </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> <P> www.understandingwar.org </P> iswresearch.blogspot.com </Td> </Tr> <P> The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a United States--based think tank founded in 2007 by Kimberly Kagan . ISW describes itself as a non-partisan think tank providing research and analysis regarding issues of defense and foreign affairs . Others have described ISW as "a hawkish Washington" group favoring an "aggressive foreign policy". Though it had produced reports on the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, "focusing on military operations, enemy threats, and political trends in diverse conflict zones". The non-profit organization is supported by grants and contributions from large defense contractors, including Raytheon, General Dynamics, DynCorp and others . It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. </P> <P> The Institute for the Study of War and its President, Kimberly Kagan, were some of the first and strongest supporters of the controversial' surge' strategy in Iraq . On May 25, 2010 Kagan participated in a briefing on Capitol Hill focusing on Iraq's political crisis that included remarks from Iraq's Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie and Kenneth Pollack, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution . Kagan also participated in a Brookings Institution event entitled "Prospects for Afghanistan's Future: Assessing the Outcome of the Afghan Presidential Election" alongside Michael O'Hanlon . Kagan also helped produce the documentary The Surge: the Untold Story with ISW Chairman, U.S Army General Jack Keane (ret .) and LTG James Dubik (ret .) describing the battle of Iraq and how the United States won the war . </P>

Who funds the institute for the study of war