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Georgetown Law Students Face National Security Crises in Simulation Exercise


‘The Sim’ Returns: Georgetown Law Students Face National Security Crises in Simulation Exercise


During the simulation, students navigated fast-moving national security crises and honed their legal reasoning and leadership skills.


For the students who took part in this year’s National Security Crisis Law: Edge Technologies Simulation (“Sim”), time was of the essence. A foreign actor had attacked a U.S. satellite fleet — with potentially dire consequences. Gathered for a National Security Council meeting, the group had to weigh options such as diplomatic protest, trade sanctions and cyberattacks in deciding how to respond.

Eighteen Georgetown Law students took part in this year’s Sim, the most in-depth offering of its kind among law schools and the capstone experience for those studying national security law at Georgetown.

Part of a semester-long course taught by Center on National Security (CNS) Director and Professor Laura K. Donohue, the Sim last took place in 2020. After campus closures during the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause, Donohue took the opportunity to revamp her playbook and incorporate many of the tech advances — including satellite weaponry, virtual reality, blockchain and artificial intelligence — that preoccupy today’s national security experts.

In their assigned roles as agency heads and other federal and intelligence officials, students worked long hours over March 13 and 14 and honed their legal judgment, decision-making and communication skills under conditions that replicated real-world structures and limitations — an experience not otherwise found in a law classroom or textbook.

Wednesday, April 01, 2026

Martyrdom: The secret shield protecting Iran from collapse

Iran’s strength lies in belief—martyrdom turns suffering into power, making war strengthen resolve instead of breaking the system from within

Written By : Girish Linganna
Updated: Mar 30, 2026 12:21 IST



Highlights

Created by News24 AI • Verified by the editorial team

Understanding Iran's Resilience Amidst Conflict
  • Iran's identity is deeply rooted in Shia Islam, specifically the 1,400-year-old story of Imam Hussein's sacrifice at Karbala in 680 AD.
  • Shia belief teaches that suffering and dying for what is right is not defeat but a victory, a concept the Iranian government has used since 1979.
  • External attacks, such as missile strikes and leader killings, can inadvertently strengthen the Islamic Republic's narrative by validating its claims of oppression.

Impact of External Pressure
  • Demands for 'unconditional surrender' from the US, like those made by Donald Trump, are perceived by Iran as attempts to humiliate and erase them, turning even doubtful Iranians into defenders.
There is a war happening right now — America and Israel are attacking Iran with missiles, bombs, and strikes. Leaders have been killed. Buildings have been destroyed. And yet, something strange is happening. Instead of breaking down, many people inside Iran seem to be holding on even tighter to their beliefs. To understand why, we do not need to study military maps. We need to understand something much deeper — the power of faith, sacrifice, and what people believe they are fighting for.

This is the part that most news channels never explain to us.