RAND: Afghanistan 2008-10-03T12:23:07Z Copyright (c) 2007-2008, The RAND Corporation Bricolage RAND Corporation urn:uuid:712725AA-33DB-11DC-AD18-64E9D44B69C5 War's Invisible Wounds: Our Veterans Are Not Getting the Care They Need, Deserve urn:uuid:8C4CD19C-8E4B-11DD-BBAD-58C038788F35 2008-09-28T00:00:00Z 2008-09-28T00:00:00Z Nearly 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan service veterans who have returned home -- about one in five -- may suffer from combat-stress-related mental health problems. Our veterans ought to get the best available treatments our nation can offer, but they don't, write authors Terry Schell, Terri Tanielian and Lisa Jaycox. Army Can Boost Mission Success by Better Managing Environmental Considerations urn:uuid:AD5E73BA-5F05-11DD-8A12-59C038788F35 2008-09-23T00:00:00Z 2008-09-23T00:00:00Z By better managing environmental issues during deployments, U.S. Army units can gain tactical and strategic advantages that will help in combat and post-conflict operations, and boost overall mission success. A President's Early Foreign Policy, National Security Success Depends on Transition urn:uuid:AF10CDF2-5F05-11DD-8A12-59C038788F35 2008-09-08T00:00:00Z 2008-09-08T00:00:00Z The foreign policy success of incoming presidents, particularly in the early years of a presidency, is largely determined by how well the new administration learns from the successes and failures of the outgoing president. Ambassador James Dobbins Recounts U.S. Diplomatic Efforts, Failure in Afghanistan urn:uuid:FAA892F2-63AD-11DD-8633-DAEA38788F35 2008-08-18T00:00:00Z 2008-08-18T00:00:00Z James Dobbins' memoir of his ambassadorship in war-torn Afghanistan, where he was sent to help the Afghans assemble a successor government to the Taliban, yields insights into how government and diplomacy really work, and explains why the United States has failed to stabilize either Afghanistan or Iraq. DoD Should Consider Nonmilitary Means to Advance U.S. National Security Interests urn:uuid:E1CF14E8-5FF9-11DD-AED7-DAEA38788F35 2008-08-13T00:00:00Z 2008-08-13T00:00:00Z The nature of recent challenges and the types of missions the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has undertaken highlight the need for training DoD personnel in the simultaneous use of different types of tools, military and otherwise. Flexibility and Sensitivity to Local Concerns Are Crucial to Long-Term U.S. Security Relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan urn:uuid:38831224-3EC3-11DD-BBE1-E1BD38788F35 2008-08-01T00:00:00Z 2008-08-01T00:00:00Z The United States is heavily invested – diplomatically, economically, and militarily – in Iraq and Afghanistan. Based on this, the United States must clarify its long-term intentions to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding regions. How to Save Karzai urn:uuid:57212FFC-5A90-11DD-B740-59C038788F35 2008-07-15T00:00:00Z 2008-07-15T00:00:00Z The United States and other NATO countries should stop undermining Hamid Karzai now, shore up support for him as the democratically elected president of Afghanistan, and help him show progress, writes Seth G. Jones. Testimony on America's Need of a New Grand Strategy, Shift in National Security Policy urn:uuid:4F6B9758-4EAF-11DD-B037-E4D638788F35 2008-07-15T00:00:00Z 2008-07-15T00:00:00Z The unanticipated costs and unpredictable outcomes of the War on Terror necessitate a reevaluation of national security strategy, including a shift away from policies of preemption and democratization and towards nation-building with its consequent need for a rebalancing of political and military power. U.S. Efforts in Afghanistan Will Fail If Taliban Not Routed from Pakistan urn:uuid:B64EC20C-1DC1-11DD-A9A0-E1BD38788F35 2008-06-09T00:00:00Z 2008-06-09T00:00:00Z If Taliban sanctuary bases in Pakistan are not eliminated, the United States and its NATO allies will face crippling long-term consequences in their effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan. U.S. Military Prone to Operations Not in Accord with COIN Doctrine urn:uuid:029346DA-21AD-11DD-A3FC-E1BD38788F35 2008-06-04T00:00:00Z 2008-06-04T00:00:00Z Similarities between the Vietnam War and current Middle East operations reveal our military is apt to engage in traditional warfare despite the more nuanced tactics called for by counter-insurgency doctrine. Afghanistan: From Chaos and Corruption to Sustainable Success urn:uuid:ADB7507A-17B6-11DD-BBA2-B40839788F35 2008-05-23T00:00:00Z 2008-05-23T00:00:00Z Since the 2002 U.S.-led attacks in Afghanistan, the country has struggled to stabilize their government and society. RAND co-hosted a conference attended by experts in academia, government and NGOs from over 20 nations to discuss the need for a strategic approach to Afghanistan's attempts at nation-building. Give Them Sabbaticals urn:uuid:D198F3B0-1C46-11DD-B135-E1BD38788F35 2008-05-07T00:00:00Z 2008-05-07T00:00:00Z In academia and, increasingly, corporate America, sabbaticals are a time-honored way to step aside from the daily grind and intellectually reboot. The U.S. Army should embrace something similar, writes Laura Miller. Afghan Progress Spotty but Hopeful urn:uuid:E58883E8-1E00-11DD-B0DC-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z As NATO's role in Afghanistan was debated in Bucharest recently, the bad headlines continued rolling in. And yet, on the ground, there is equally compelling evidence that the efforts of the international community are making a difference, write Obaid Younossi and Peter Dahl Thruelsen. One In Five Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Suffer from PTSD or Major Depression urn:uuid:D68400CA-00D7-11DD-B5C6-80F038788F35 2008-04-17T00:00:00Z 2008-04-17T00:00:00Z Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 in all — report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment. America is Making a Difference in Eastern Afghanistan urn:uuid:B741F230-00C3-11DD-BCE8-80F038788F35 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z [The United States] has made some progress against the Taliban and other insurgent groups in eastern Afghanistan, and created a window of opportunity to spread this elsewhere, writes Seth G. Jones. Developing U.S. Civilian Personnel Capabilities in State-Building Operations urn:uuid:6DC36702-EECF-11DC-9346-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-19T00:00:00Z 2008-03-19T00:00:00Z Recent U.S. experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown that engaging in stability and reconstruction operations is a difficult and lengthy process that requires appropriate resources. A framework for improving U.S. civilian personnel and staffing programs for state-building efforts could help. Why We Need to Nail Osama urn:uuid:D336A23E-E56A-11DC-BF3D-E1BD38788F35 2008-02-27T00:00:00Z 2008-02-27T00:00:00Z [K]illing or capturing bin Laden remains a vital national and, indeed, international priority. Not only is it important — it is worth devoting significant resources and making major tradeoffs to do so, writes Elbridge Colby. Women and Nation-Building urn:uuid:9E0811E0-D64E-11DC-A3B0-E1BD38788F35 2008-02-27T00:00:00Z 2008-02-27T00:00:00Z Women's participation in post-conflict nation-building is an important ingredient in achieving an equitable, peaceful and more prosperous society. Leaders should include women in the earliest economic reconstruction activities. Addressing the Security Problems Posed by Ungoverned Territories urn:uuid:75EFFFE0-D9A2-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-02-14T00:00:00Z 2008-02-14T00:00:00Z In testimony presented before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Angel Rabasa discusses the security problems posed by ungoverned territories, and what could be done to address them. International Perspectives on Interagency Reform urn:uuid:C6A28C38-CB46-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-01-30T00:00:00Z 2008-01-30T00:00:00Z In testimony presented before the Armed Services Committee, Nora Bensahel discusses the lack of civilian capacity in stability and nation building operations, which has led to an overreliance on military forces.