RAND: Middle East Stability 2008-07-03T07:38:17Z Copyright (c) 2007-2008, The RAND Corporation Bricolage RAND Corporation urn:uuid:B669EE1C-347C-11DC-AB71-64E9D44B69C5 Shortcomings in Planning for Post-Combat Period in Iraq urn:uuid:C54DB8B0-E6C8-11DC-8470-E1BD38788F35 2008-06-30T00:00:00Z 2008-06-30T00:00:00Z Efforts to adequately plan for the post-combat period in Iraq were thwarted by overly optimistic views held by top civilian leaders and a belief among military leaders that civilian authorities would be responsible for postwar operations. The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey: The Nation’s Role in Western Security Efforts urn:uuid:75C455A4-3166-11DD-9C3F-AF0039788F35 2008-06-23T00:00:00Z 2008-06-23T00:00:00Z While Muslim-majority Turkey may be the linchpin to promoting liberal Islam worldwide, relationships between the nation’s secular government and religious forces have shifted in the past decade, with implications for the future of Islam in the region and the world. Hezbollah's Armory Up for Debate urn:uuid:652A5BFA-3970-11DD-8316-E1BD38788F35 2008-06-18T00:00:00Z 2008-06-18T00:00:00Z Hezbollah's recent flexing of its muscles in Lebanon may well lead to an unintended effect: the long-overdue disarming of the militant group, write Theodore W. Karasik and Ghassan Schbley. 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. Unbeknownst to U.S., Islamic Media Shapes the Mid-East urn:uuid:B8813698-0B26-11DD-B4C9-E1BD38788F35 2008-05-23T00:00:00Z 2008-05-23T00:00:00Z A DVD is now available of a conference RAND sponsored to build awareness of popular media initiatives in the Islamic world that are successfully combating extremist agendas. 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. A House of Tribes for Iraq urn:uuid:CF11AB3C-15F7-11DD-86DC-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-25T00:00:00Z 2008-04-25T00:00:00Z Many western notions of governance may be struggling to take hold in Iraq, but one that deserves a close look is the effort to create what would amount to a unique upper legislative body: The House of Tribes, write Theodore Karasik and Ghassan Schbley. Good Morning, Syria! – Time to Revisit Our Axis of Evil List? urn:uuid:D74B5F4A-1139-11DD-BEBB-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-22T00:00:00Z 2008-04-22T00:00:00Z The time may come to start contemplating whether Syria might follow the example of Libya and make its way off the axis of evil, write Cheryl Benard and Ed O'Connell. Iraq Needs an Ownership Surge urn:uuid:F5ED1830-0AF4-11DD-B70F-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-13T00:00:00Z 2008-04-13T00:00:00Z The military surge in Iraq has created conditions favorable for long-term stability. Now a new approach to economic reconstruction is needed to sustain the hard-fought military gains, write Clare Lockhart and Joseph Konzelmann. Real Roles, Missions Debate urn:uuid:A1BBD43C-0B1B-11DD-9175-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-07T00:00:00Z 2008-04-07T00:00:00Z The United States can and should move beyond a "one size fits all" approach to sizing military forces toward a construct that shapes each service for the types of operations it is actually expected to conduct in the future, write Andrew Hoehn and David Ochmanek. Turkey as a U.S. Security Partner urn:uuid:ABE511EA-CF2E-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-04-10T00:00:00Z 2008-04-10T00:00:00Z Turkey has long been an important ally, but Ankara is increasingly behaving more independently and assertively in ways that must factor into future U.S. planning for the region. Iraq's Sunni Time Bomb urn:uuid:D1E50A24-0252-11DD-8DB2-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-03T00:00:00Z 2008-04-03T00:00:00Z While the recent fighting in Basra and Baghdad has alerted many Americans to the danger that Shiite-on-Shiite violence poses to our goals in Iraq, it should not divert our focus from another looming threat: that the Sunni tribesmen who have sided with the American-led coalition may turn against us, writes Matthew Sherman. Finding Common Ground in an Uncommon Nation urn:uuid:6AC20F7A-0718-11DD-8DDA-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-19T00:00:00Z 2008-03-19T00:00:00Z Cheryl Benard and Ed O'Connell write about their time in Syria discovering creative outlets in media, such as how a director in a country known for defending terrorism could produce "entertainment" that portrayed quite the opposite. 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. Danish Cartoons Doom Us All urn:uuid:983E1F0A-FB44-11DC-A4B5-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-21T00:00:00Z 2008-03-21T00:00:00Z Like two years ago, last week's rage in Pakistan over reprints of cartoons and a forthcoming Dutch film that insult Islam's holy book once again entangles Muslims and the West in a fury over freedom of speech, writes Farhana Ali. 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. U.S. Failed to Monitor and Adapt to Insurgent Trends in Iraq urn:uuid:B0FD261C-C9B7-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-03-11T00:00:00Z 2008-03-11T00:00:00Z The inability of the United States to monitor insurgent trends in Iraq and apply new counterinsurgency tactics led many Iraqi civilians to side with sectarian groups, propelling the country to the brink of civil war. A Post-Musharraf Pakistan Policy urn:uuid:98A15C9E-EEC1-11DC-820C-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-10T00:00:00Z 2008-03-10T00:00:00Z The United States no longer can afford to blindly support Musharraf. Hence, America is moving toward defining a new policy direction for Pakistan, and for good reason, writes Farhana Ali.