Pakistan and India
Selected Research, Commentary and Congressional Testimony
Going Jihad: The Fort Hood Slayings and Home-Grown Terrorism — Nov. 19, 2009
In testimony presented before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Brian Michael Jenkins assesses the tragic and disquieting events at Fort Hood in the context of terrorist violence in the U.S. and the Muslim American community .
Full Document
Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
The Fall of the Wall: A World Restored? — Nov. 9, 2009
When the Berlin Wall fell 20 years ago, those raised in the shadow of possible nuclear holocaust felt disbelief, followed by relief and hope that the end of the Cold War would bring lasting peace, and the end of conflict. And in Europe, at least, it mostly did – but not everywhere, writes Christopher S. Chivvis.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Fighting Terror the Cold War Way — Oct. 14, 2009
With much talk about how to "win hearts and minds" in the Muslim world, it's surprising that few are looking back to a global contest of ideas that the U.S. and its allies categorically won: the Cold War, write Todd C. Helmus and Dalia Dassa Kaye.
CommentaryTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
G-20 Growing Pains — Sep. 24, 2009
The increasing importance of the G-20 summits is testimony to the growing role emerging states now play in managing the international economy. But integrating these newcomers into the global community is unlikely to be straightforward or simple, writes Lowell H. Schwartz.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
China's International Behavior: Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification — Aug. 27, 2009
China is a global actor of significant and growing importance, now integrated into the international system and altering that system's dynamics. The complexity of China's ever-changing global activism raises questions about its intentions and the implications for global stability and prosperity.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
World Economic Recession Unlikely to Have Lasting Geopolitical Consequences — Jul. 30, 2009
Will the current global economic recession have long-term geopolitical implications? Assuming that economic recovery begins in the first half of 2010, lasting structural alterations in the international system — a substantial change in U.S.-China relations, for example — are unlikely. This is because economic performance is only one of many geopolitical elements that shape countries' strategic intent and core external policies.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
The Phoenix Program and Contemporary Counterinsurgency — Jul. 22, 2009
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have re-focused attention on past U.S. counterinsurgency operations like the Phoenix Program, aimed at dismantling the Viet Cong underground during the Vietnam War. This study helps balance claims about the program's effectiveness against charges of its brutality and its political costs.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
Mullah Sprung from Gitmo Jail Now Leads Foe in Afghan Campaign — Jul. 5, 2009
As Marine Corps forces roll into southern Afghanistan, they face an enemy familiar to US officials — Mullah Zakir, a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who now leads a reconstituted Taliban, writes Seth G. Jones.
CommentaryNational Security Research Area
Policing Pakistan — Jun. 30, 2009
The United States has spent some $12 billion trying to help Pakistan save itself. Unfortunately, Washington has lavished most of the aid on the Pakistan army. It is time to reconsider that decision and focus instead on improving the country's police force, writes C. Christine Fair.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Reconstruction Under Fire: Unifying Civil and Military Counterinsurgency — Jun. 17, 2009
Effective civilian reconstruction work can help convince people to support their government against insurgency, Therefore, insurgents typically target such work, thereby threatening the civilian population. This too often results in a postponement of reconstruction efforts and/or excessive reliance on force to defeat insurgents.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
A Better Bargain for Aid to Pakistan — May 30, 2009
All told, since 2001, the United States has spent about $12 billion to help Pakistan. Yet last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared Pakistan a "mortal threat" to international security. Washington needs to strike a far better bargain for its billions, writes C. Christine Fair.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
The U.S. and India Need to Work Together to Prepare for an Increasingly Chaotic Pakistan — May 12, 2009
For every good reason, the Obama Administration is devoting enormous thought to Pakistan. In my judgment, the evolving situation in Pakistan is potentially the most dangerous international situation since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, writes Robert D. Blackwill.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
From Strategy to Implementation: The Future of the U.S.-Pakistan Relationship — May 5, 2009
In testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, C. Christine Fair examines challenges at hand in helping Pakistan achieve stability through a civilian-controlled state, with U.S. involvement responsive to Pakistani preferences.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
South Asia's Taliban Problem: Multiple Threats From Multiple Groups — Apr. 14, 2009
For India, the development of a conducive environment on its western flank for groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad has already resulted in sophisticated terrorist attacks on Indian soil. While there is good reason for India and its neighbors to be concerned, there is considerable misunderstanding of the threat, writes Seth Jones.
CommentaryNational Security Research Area
Piracy Still Threatens the Freedom of the Seas — Apr. 6, 2009
As recent events off the Horn of Africa have demonstrated, armed violence at sea is emerging as a growing threat.... Piracy threatens the freedom of the seas, increases the cost of international business, endangers political security through corruption, and could trigger a major environmental disaster, write Peter Chalk and Laurence Smallman.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Afghanistan Is NATO's Most Important Challenge — Apr. 3, 2009
NATO has a useful future. But it will require bridging the gap in perceptions between the U.S. and most of the European allies about what is important for security and what to do about it. Both sides have to start seeing the other's interests and concerns; and the time to make those commitments is at the NATO summit, writes Robert E. Hunter.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan — Apr. 2, 2009
In testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia, Seth G. Jones asserts that a key challenge to bringing about the end of the Afghan insurgency lies in implementing the new U.S. strategy.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
The Torture Debate, Redux — Apr. 1, 2009
Former Vice President Cheney has been insisting again that the coercive interrogation techniques used against terrorism detainees after 9/11 prevented attacks on the United States.... His assertions merit more careful examination, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
CommentaryTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan — Mar. 26, 2009
In testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs former Ambassador to Afghanistan James Dobbins outlines the steps the Obama administration should take to secure the nation as the situation there worsens.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
Ultimate Exit Strategy — Mar. 26, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described the upcoming high-level conference on Afghanistan at The Hague as a "big-tent meeting, with all the parties who have a stake and an interest in Afghanistan." With the situation in that country growing more precarious by the day, those attending this meeting must also think big, write Karl F. Inderfurth and James Dobbins.
CommentaryNational Security Research Area
Context and Implications of the Recent Mumbai Attack: Militant Groups in Pakistan — Mar. 11, 2009
In testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, C. Christine Fair discusses antecedents and implications of the November 2008 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) attack upon several targets in the Indian mega-city of Mumbai.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
U.S.-NATO Immersion Course — Mar. 10, 2009
At a major conference in Munich last month, Vice President Joseph Biden underscored the U.S. determination to rebuild strong and productive relations with its European allies. No issue matters more than Afghanistan, writes Robert E. Hunter.
Commentary
Power to the People: Rebooting Conventional Diplomacy — Feb. 27, 2009
The story of how President Obama engineered a grass-roots campaign, mobilizing formerly disengaged U.S. citizens with new media and new technologies, has reached almost mythological proportions. Less well known is the story of similar grass-roots efforts emerging in local communities around the world, write Cherl Benard and Edward O'Connell.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan — Feb. 26, 2009
In testimony presented before the Senate Armed Services Committee, James Dobbins suggests steps the new Administration and its allies should consider in reviewing Afghan policy.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
Going the Distance — Feb. 15, 2009
Afghanistan has a reputation as a graveyard of empires, based as much on lore as on reality.... Yes, the situation is serious, but it's far from doomed. We can still turn things around if we strive for a better understanding of the Afghan insurgency and work to exploit its many weaknesses, writes Seth G. Jones.
CommentaryNational Security Research Area
Asia's Nonproliferation Laggards: China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia — Feb. 9, 2009
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction ranks as one of the biggest challenges facing the Obama administration. Luckily, Mr. Obama has a tool to combat this threat, in the form of the Proliferation Security Initiative.... The trick now will be to convince key Asian countries to participate, writes Charles Wolf Jr.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Terrorists Can Think Strategically: Lessons Learned From the Mumbai Attacks — Jan. 28, 2009
In testimony presented before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Brian Michael Jenkins discusses the increasing use of terrorism as an effective strategic weapon.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Afghanistan's Growing Security Challenge — Jan. 27, 2009
This essay from a collection, which examines the security situation in Afghanistan through the largest public opionon survey ever conducted in Afghanistan, asks three questions. What are Afghan perceptions of the security environment? How do these perceptions vary across the country? How do Afghans feel about their security institutions?
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Unfolding the Future of the Long War: Implications for the U.S. Military — Jan. 19, 2009
While policymakers, military leaders, and scholars have offered numerous definitions of the "long war" - an epic struggle against adversaries bent on forming a unified Islamic world to supplant western dominance; an extension of the war on terror - no consensus has been reached about this term or its implications for the United States.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
How the U.S. Government Can Strategically Reach Policy Goals, Using the Example of Counterterrorism — Jan. 12, 2009
While the United States government has historically undertaken strategic reviews and produced numerous strategy documents, these have provided only very general directions for U.S. policymakers. This paper defines an approach to strategic planning and illustrates its application using the example of the critical national security topic of counterterrorism.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Enhancement by Enlargement: The Proliferation Security Initiative — Dec. 21, 2008
The Proliferation Security Initiative consists of 91 countries seeking to limit the spread of weapons of mass destruction between states or non-state actors that would thereby pose a serious threat to global or regional security. This report assesses the perspectives of the five "hold-out" nations and how to possibly gain their affiliation.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
Terrorists Have to Be Lucky Once; Targets, Every Time — Nov. 30, 2008
The 9/11 tragedy was a catalyst that accelerated the pace of the changes in the UK security model that were already occurring due to the waning threat of terrorism from the IRA and the growing threat from those who espoused an ideology of violent jihadism. The changes took place in three main areas, writes Lindsay Clutterbuck.
CommentaryTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Know Your Enemy: From Iraq to Afghanistan — Nov. 9, 2008
As debate continues about how to fight a resurgent Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan and along the Pakistan border, leaders in Washington, Kabul and Islamabad seem lost about what to do next.... And most experts agree that an Al Qaeda-orchestrated attack on the U.S. homeland would likely be plotted from their sanctuary in these border areas, write Benjamin Bahney and Renny McPherson.
CommentaryTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Lessons from Six Decades of Research on Deterrence, From Cold War to Long War — Oct. 30, 2008
The United States' 2006 reversal of its 2002 proclamation that deterrence was irrelevant to most future national security strategies is bolstered by research which shows that deterrence will likely play an ongoing role in U.S. efforts to manage a variety of threats, including both near-peer competitors and terrorist organizations.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
Defeating Terrorist Groups — Sep. 18, 2008
In testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, Seth Jones discusses how to defeat terrorist groups through a strategy based on careful police and intelligence work rather than military force.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Dangerous Thresholds: Managing Escalation in the 21st Century — Aug. 25, 2008
Historical examples and the analysis of two modified Delphi exercises augment an examination of approaches to escalation management within the demands of today’s security environment and its attendant threats involving not only long-standing nuclear powers, but also insurgent groups and terrorists.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
Breaking the Failed-State Cycle — May 27, 2008
The predominant threat to U.S. security in the 21st century comes not from the actions of opposing countries but from the fallout of collapsing ones. The world’s leading states can and should help the citizens of failed states by integrating efforts to reduce violence, advance the economy, and reform government.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
Afghanistan: From Chaos and Corruption to Sustainable Success — May 23, 2008
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.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
Getting Back on Track in Afghanistan — Apr. 2, 2008
In testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Seth Jones discusses the rising insurgency in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, opportunities for international cooperation, and room for improvement.
Full Document
America is Making a Difference in Eastern Afghanistan — Apr. 1, 2008
[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.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Danish Cartoons Doom Us All — Mar. 21, 2008
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.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
A Post-Musharraf Pakistan Policy — Mar. 10, 2008
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.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Why We Need to Nail Osama — Feb. 27, 2008
[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.
CommentaryTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
To Support Democracy in Pakistan — Feb. 24, 2008
The Pakistani people have seized an important democratic opportunity by voting decisively against retired general President Pervez Musharraf and the Islamist parties. The U.S. would be wise to support this action financially, diplomatically and politically, writes C. Christine Fair.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
Addressing the Security Problems Posed by Ungoverned Territories — Feb. 14, 2008
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.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
Not That Bad a Legacy, After All — Jan. 17, 2008
George W. Bush may leave a positive foreign policy legacy after all. A year ago this would have seemed difficult to credit... [Y]et over this period, Bush has put in place a series of more pragmatic policies from which even a Democratic successor will have a hard time moving away, writes James Dobbins.
CommentaryInternational Affairs Research Area
U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Assassination, Instability, & the Future of U.S. Policy — Jan. 16, 2008
In testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Christine Fair discusses the future of U.S.-Pakistan relations, the likelihood that Pakistan's leadership will vigorously pursue counter-terrorism objectives, and more.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
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