International Affairs Issues
This page offers an easy way for policymakers to access International Affairs research and analysis that is relevant to current Congressional agendas. For additional information, to request documents, or to arrange a briefing, contact the RAND Office of Congressional Relations at ocr@rand.org or (703) 413-1100 x5395.
Recent Findings
Briefings
Alerts & Newsletters
RAND periodically sends alerts and newsletters to update Congress on highlights of recent work about international affairs.
Testimony
The Terrorist Threat from Syria
Testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence on May 22, 2013.
The Relationship between Natural Resources and Tensions in China's Maritime Periphery
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on April 4, 2013.
Managing September 12th in Cyberspace: Presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats on March 21, 2013.
After the Withdrawal: A Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Joint Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on March 19, 2013.
Embassy Security: From The Outside In
Testimony presented before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on November 15, 2012.
The Case for Expanding Assistance to the Syrian Opposition
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on August 1, 2012.
Security Force Development in Afghanistan: Learning from Iraq
Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on July 18, 2012.
Iran's Human Rights Abuses
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on The Middle East and South Asia on September 22, 2011.
The Future of Al Qa'ida
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade on May 24, 2011.
Transitioning to Afghan-Led Counterinsurgency
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 10, 2011.
The Al Qa'ida Threat in Pakistan
Testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence on May 3, 2011.
The Muslim Brotherhood in the West: Characteristics, Aims and Policy Considerations
Testimony presented before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, subcommittee on Terrorism, HUMINT, Analysis, and Counterintelligence on April 13, 2011.
The J-20 Episode and Civil-Military Relations in China
Written testimony submitted to the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission on March 10, 2011.
Joint Anti-Access Operations: China's "System-of-Systems" Approach
Testimony presented before the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission on January 27, 2011.
Anti-Access Measures in Chinese Defense Strategy
Testimony presented before the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission on January 27, 2011.
2010 and prior
June 18, 2010
Considerations for the Use of Private Security Contractors in Future U.S. Military Deployments
Testimony presented before the Commission on Wartime Contracting.
May 20, 2010
Potential Effects of Chinese Aerospace Capabilities on U.S. Air Force Operations
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
May 20, 2010
The Development of China's Air Force Capabilities
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
March 18, 2010
Questions of Balance: The Shifting Cross-Strait Balance and Implications for the U.S.
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
February 22, 2010
Stabilization from the Bottom Up
Testimony presented before the Commission on Wartime Contracting.
January 28, 2010
Reconstructing Haiti
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
December 15, 2009
Iran Sanctions: Options, Opportunities, and Consequences
Testimony presented before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.
November 17, 2009
Examining U.S. Counterterrorism Priorities and Strategy Across Africa's Sahel Region
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on African Affairs.
June 11, 2009
The PLA Navy's "New Historic Missions": Expanding Capabilities for a Re-emergent Maritime Power
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
May 6, 2009
NATO After the Summit: Rebuilding Consensus
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on European Affairs.
May 5, 2009
From Strategy to Implementation: The Future of the U.S.-Pakistan Relationship
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee .
April 2, 2009
U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia.
March 26, 2009
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
Testimony presented before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.
March 11, 2009
Antecedents and Implications of the November 2008 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Attack Upon Several Targets in the Indian Mega-City of Mumbai
Testimony presented before the ouse Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection.
February 26, 2009
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
Testimony presented before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
September 24, 2008
U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Assassination, Instability, and the Future of U.S. Policy
Testimony presented before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.
Testimony unavailable - oral remarks only.
July 15, 2008
Does America Need A New Grand Strategy?
Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
April 3, 2008
An Iraqi Modus Vivendi: How Would It Come About and What Would It Look Like?
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
April 2, 2008
Getting Back on Track in Afghanistan
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.
February 14, 2008
Ungoverned Territories
Testimony presented before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.
January 29, 2008
International Perspectives on Interagency Reform
Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
January 16, 2008
U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Assassination, Instability, and the Future of U.S. Policy
Testimony presented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.
December 10, 2007
The State of the Afghan Insurgency
Testimony presented before the Canadian Senate National Security and Defence Committee.
November 7, 2007
Negotiating with Iran
Testimony presented before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.
October 25, 2007
Testimony before the French Paper Commission on Defense and National Security
Testimony presented before the Commission du Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale, Paris, France.
September 5, 2007
The Role of the Department of Defense in Provincial Reconstruction Teams
Testimony presented before House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
July 17, 2007
U.S. Policy Options in the Iraq Crisis
Testimony presented before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
June 13, 2007
A Comparative Evaluation of United Nations Peacekeeping
Testimony presented before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight.
May 18, 2007
Two Years After Andijan: Assessing the Past and Thinking Towards the Future
Testimony presented before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
March 28, 2007
Iraqi Security Forces: Defining Challenges and Assessing Progress
Testimony presented before House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
March 8, 2007
Ending Afghanistan's Civil War
Testimony presented before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
January 30, 2007
Ending Afghanistan's Civil War
Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee.
July 18, 2006
Islam and the West: Searching for Common Ground: The Terrorist Threat and the Counter-Terrorism Effort
Testimony presented to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
May 4, 2006
The Use of the Internet by Islamic Extremists
Testimony presented to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
April 6, 2006
Trends in the United Kingdom's Naval Shipbuilding Industrial Base: Lessons for the United States
Testimony presented before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Seapower.
March 16, 2006
Advances Underway in China's Defense Industries
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on March 16, 2006.
March 9, 2006
Afghanistan: Is the Aid Getting Through?
Testimony presented to the House International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation.
Testimony unavailable - oral remarks only.
February 16, 2006
Combating Al Qaeda and the Militant Islamic Threat
Testimony presented to the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities.
February 3, 2006
Challenges to China's Internal Security Strategy
Testimony presented to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
November 9, 2005
Stabilization and Reconstruction: No Longer a Non-Traditional Mission?
Testimony presented to the House Armed Services Committee, Non-Traditional Missions Panel.
Testimony unavailable - closed hearing
November 3, 2005
Moderate and Radical Islam
Testimony presented to the House Armed Services Committee Defense Review, Panel on Terrorism and Radical Islam Gap.
September 29, 2005
Does Our Counter-Terrorism Strategy Match the Threat?
Testimony presented to the House International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation.
September 15, 2005
China's Military Modernization and the Cross-Strait Balance
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
July 20, 2005
Accelerating Economic Progress in Iraq
Testimony presented to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
May 19, 2005
China and Globalization
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
April 14, 2005
Chinese Government Responses to Rising Social Unrest
Testimony presented to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
February 2, 2005
Emerging Threats to National Security
Testimony presented to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
September 23, 2004
The Hong Kong Legislative Election of September 12, 2004: Assessment and Implications
Testimony presented to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
July 14, 2004
U.S. Policy Toward Southeast Europe: Unfinished Business in the Balkans
Testimony presented to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
June 23, 2004
Hong Kong at the Crossroads
Testimony presented to the House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
March 31, 2004
The
Effect of Terrorist Attacks in Spain on Transatlantic Cooperation
in the War on Terror
Testimony presented to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on European Affairs.
March 10, 2004
A
Fresh Start for Haiti? Charting Future U.S. Haitian Relations
Testimony presented to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotic Affairs.
February 6, 2004
Analyzing China's Defense Industries and the Implications for Chinese Military Modernization
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
December 4, 2003
China's Economic and Political Impact on South Asia
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
September 23, 2003
Next Steps in Iraq and Beyond
Testimony presented before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
April 3, 2003
The Baltic States and NATO Membership
Testimony presented before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
April 17, 2002
The Future of NATO and Enlargement
Testimony presented before the House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Europe.
December 12, 2001
Southeast Asia After 9/11: Regional Trends and U.S. Interests
Testimony presented to the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives.
December 7, 2001
Excerpts from the U.S.-China Security Review Commission Hearings
Testimony presented to the U.S.-China Security Review Commission Hearings.
June 13, 2001
Turkey,
Greece, and the U.S. in a Changing Strategic Environment
Testimony presented to the Subcommittee on Europe, International Relations Committee, U.S. House of Representatives.
April 3, 2001
Protecting American Interests Abroad: U.S. Citizens, Businesses, and Non-Governmental Organizations
Testimony resented to the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations, Committee on Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives.
March 9, 2000
The European Security and Defense Identity (ESDI) and American Interests
Testimony presented to the Subcommittee On European Affairs, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate.
May 1, 1998
Iran: Limits to Rapprochement
Testimony presented to the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate.
March 25, 1998
International Cooperation in Research and Development
Testimony presented to the Committee on Science, U.S. House Of Representatives.
Briefs
The Future of Sea Power in the Western Pacific — 2013
Explores the future relationship between U.S. and Chinese sea power in the context of historical sea-power rivalries and recent technological developments, and discusses the potential of pursuing maritime security cooperation in the Western Pacific.
Can NATO Meet Defense Challenges in an Era of Austerity? — 2012
This study analyzes the impact of planned defense budget cuts on the capabilities of seven key European members of NATO and suggests ways in which the Alliance can adapt to meet emerging security challenges.
Can Social Media Help Analyze Public Opinion? A Case Study of Iranian Public Opinion After the 2009 Election — 2012
Describes a methodology for analyzing public opinion and mood in closed societies, focusing on a case study that analyzed Iranian public opinion and mood as expressed over Twitter in the nine months following Iran's 2009 presidential election.
How Can Economic and Political Ties Between the United States and Mexico Be Strengthened? — 2012
This study identifies areas that are negatively affecting U.S.-Mexico relations and suggests that the two countries might take a binational approach to improving their long-term partnership.
How Can Economic and Political Ties Between U.S. and Mexico be Strengthened? (Spanish translation) — 2013
This study identifies areas that are negatively affecting U.S.-Mexico relations and suggests that the two countries might take a binational approach to improving their long-term partnership.
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