The Arc Wins "Future Project of the Year" at 2010 World Architecture Festival — Nov. 15, 2010
The Arc, a proposed high-speed transportation infrastructure corridor linking urban centers within and between the West Bank and Gaza, won two major prizes at the 2010 World Architecture Festival held in Barcelona November 3-5, 2010.
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Revolutionary Guards Criticize Ahmadinejad — Nov. 5, 2010
Recent criticism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Revolutionary Guards’ publication Payam-e Enghelab (Message of the Revolution) is in some ways unprecedented. Yet it is also not completely surprising as discussed in this commentary by Alireza Nader that appeared in PBS.org and USIP.
Commentary
Our Foes Cannot Destroy This Nation — Oct. 27, 2010
President Obama's military and civilian advisers are at odds about how to employ counterinsurgency (COIN) in Afghanistan as discussed in this commentary by James Dobbins that appeared on ForeignAffairs.com.
Commentary
An Old Scourge Needs a Modern Solution — Sep. 3, 2010
Piracy is a crime of international jurisdiction. Any flag state can arrest persons caught in the act. However, most nations have junked archaic piracy laws and enacted no new ones, and therefore are reluctant to bring pirates to trial as discussed in this commentary by Peter Chalk that appeared in International Herald Tribune.
Commentary
Budget Cuts Are Cracking the West’s Defenses — Aug 19, 2010
The global economic crisis is forcing many of America’s European allies to make deep cuts in defense spending and procurement. This could have a significant impact on US transatlantic defense cooperation, especially with Britain and France as discussed in this commentary by By F. Stephen Larrabee and Peter A. Wilson that appeared on Christian Science Monitor.
Commentary
A Bottom-Up Peace in Afghanistan — Jul 15, 2010
The Afghan government has embarked on a high-stakes gamble: Try to negotiate with the leaders of the various insurgent networks to end the nine-year-old Afghan war. As discussed in this commentary by Wali Shaaker and John V. Parachini that appeared in Providence Journal.
Commentary
Why U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Are So Frustrated — June 30, 2010
America's problems in Afghanistan are not fundamentally about personnel, command and control, or civil-military relations as discussed in this commentary by Celeste Ward Gventer that appeared on Christian Science Monitor online.
Commentary
The Afghanistan Clock — Jun 28, 2010
By replacing Gen. Stanley McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. President Barack Obama has treated the most recent symptom of his Afghan malaise, however it does not address a conflicted policy and a divided administration, as discussed by James Dobbins in this commentary for ForeignPolicy.com.
Commentary
Failed Strategy to Halt Pakistan-Based Militant Groups Has Helped Lead to Rising Number of U.S. Terror Plots — Jun 21, 2010
The rising number of terrorist plots in the United States with links to Pakistan—most recently the failed car-bombing in New York City—is partly a result of an unsuccessful strategy by Pakistan and the U.S. to weaken the range of militant groups operating in Pakistan, according to a new RAND Corporation study issued today.
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Use of Armed Private Security Contractors in Iraq Draws Mixed Reviews — Jun 16, 2010
While U.S. government officials working in Iraq believe the use of armed private security contractors has been a useful strategy, many worry that the contractors have not always had a positive effect on U.S. foreign policy objectives, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
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A Three-Pronged Approach to Confront Afghanistan's Corruption —Jun 4, 2010
After a period of harsh and direct US criticism this past fall, the air is cleared, but issues remain. Corruption, hardly touched upon during Karzai's recent visit, threatens to imperil success in Afghanistan even if the military and security challenges are mastered, as discussed in this commentary by Cheryl Benard and Elvira N. Loredo featured on Christian Science Monitor.
Commentary
5 Reasons We’re Safer From Terrorists — May 13, 2010
Why aren’t there more Times Square bombers? It is not a complaint, but a question that intrigues terrorism analysts. Why haven’t more jihadist terrorist attacks been attempted in the United States since 9/11? These topics are discussed in this commentary by Brian Michael Jenkins that appeared on AOL News.
Commentary
Talking to the Taliban — May 12, 2010
President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan wants to talk to the Taliban, and that’s going to be a thorny issue for President Obama when the two leaders meet May 12, as discussed in this commentary by James Dobbins that appeared on International Herald Tribune.
Commentary
Building on Greek-Turkish Detente — May 10, 2010
Improvement in relations with Turkey could enable Prime Minister George Papandreou, who hosts Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week, to cut defense spending and make it easier to rescue an economy on the brink of bankruptcy as discussed in this commentary by F. Stephen Larrabee and Charles P. Ries that appeared on Project Syndicate.
Commentary
Al Qaeda Tipping Point? Still a Long Way to Go — May 8, 2010
Although al Qaeda appears to be coming under pressure in some dimensions, we should be remain wary of calling a tipping point, and be even more skeptical about the prospect of a knockout punch, as discussed in this commentary by Brian Michael Jenkins that appeared on NationalJournal.com.
Commentary
Effective Police Work, Lack of Local Muslim Support Limits Danger From Homegrown Jihadists in America — May 5, 2010
Effective intelligence gathering and a Muslim community unsympathetic to calls to violence have discouraged homegrown jihadist terrorism in the United States, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation.
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Conflict in Yemen Fueled by Tribalism, Religious Conflicts — May 3, 2010
Armed conflict between the government of Yemen and an opposition movement in the nation's north has spilled across its borders into Saudi Arabia, posing a potential threat to U.S. interests, according to a study issued today by the RAND Corporation.
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Al Qaeda Tipping Point? Still a Long Way to Go — Apr. 26, 2010
Although al Qaeda appears to be coming under pressure in some dimensions, we should be wary of calling a tipping point, and be even more skeptical about the prospect of a knockout punch, as discussed in this commentary by Brian Michael Jenkins that appeared on NationalJournal.com.
Commentary
How Insurgencies End; Key Indicators, Tipping Points, and Strategy — Apr. 22, 2010
From the lessons of the Vietnam War to the recent downfall of the Tamil Tigers in Southeast Asia, conflicts between insurgencies and governments tend to follow certain patterns as they arc toward their endings, according to a new RAND Corporation study released today.
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Iraq War Reshaped Middle East Strategic Landscape, Creating New Challenges for the United States — Mar. 18, 2010
The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the ensuing conflicts have fostered the rise of Iranian power in the region, but with more limitations than is commonly acknowledged. It also reduced local confidence in U.S. credibility and created opportunities for China and Russia, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.
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Plan For Afghan Poppy Fields Examined — Mar. 10, 2010
RAND Afghanistan expert Seth G. Jones discusses why the U.S.-led offensive in Marjah is also targeting opium production in an interview with NPR All Things Considered.
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Iran's Counter-Strike — Feb. 26, 2010
Iran's headstrong attempt to join the world's nuclear-weapons club is setting the stage for a military confrontation that nobody wants, but may happen anyway as discussed in a commentary by David E. Johnson that appeared in Providence Journal.
Commentary
Afghan Battle Needs Backing Of Local Power Base — Feb. 16, 2010
In a NPR Morning Edition interview, Afghanistan expert Seth G. Jones discusses how gaining support from tribal leaders is necessary for the success of the current U.S. and Afghan offensive against the Taliban in the town of Marjah.
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How Washington Can Really Help the Greens in Tehran — Feb. 9, 2010
Ever since last June’s disputed presidential election, Iran has been torn by protests against an ever-more-authoritarian state. How the U.S. may be able to help is the subject of a commentary by Alireza Nader and Trita Parsi that appeared on ForeignPolicy.com.
Commentary
Improved U.S.-Turkish Relations Are Vital to Better Security in the Persian Gulf and Middle East — Feb. 3, 2010
The United States can take a major step in improving the security environment in the Middle East and Persian Gulf by giving new impetus to revitalizing its security partnership with Turkey, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.
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The Coming Afghanistan Surge—and the Severely Wounded — Jan. 8, 2010
With over 32,000 U.S. service members wounded in action in Iraq and about 3500 in Afghanistan, will America maintain its strong and continued medical care for its wounded warriors? This is the subject of a commentary by Ralph Masi that appeared on Globalsecurity.org.
Commentary
Leadership Dynamics Behind Iranian Policy Formulation — Jan. 5, 2010
U.S. policymakers should take a nuanced view of Iran's complex system of government and politics when crafting foreign policy decisions about the Islamic Republic, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
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