2009-11-10T11:03:00Z Copyright (c) 2007-2008, The RAND Corporation Bricolage RAND Corporation urn:uuid:0A8ED324-F6D5-11DD-8200-12D538788F35 urn:uuid:AF10CDF2-5F05-11DD-8A12-59C038788F35 2008-09-08T03:00:00Z 2008-09-08T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:1A00B896-72B3-11DD-9E58-58C038788F35 2008-08-24T03:00:00Z 2008-08-24T03:00:00Z

The recent decision by the Turkish Constitutional Court not to close the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) helped Turkey - and especially Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan - narrowly dodge a dangerous political bullet.

urn:uuid:BBCE47BE-0B03-11DD-AAE8-E1BD38788F35 2008-07-21T03:00:00Z 2008-07-21T03:00:00Z

To preserve its ability to design, build and support complex warships and submarines, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD) asked RAND Europe for help with identifying labour implications for its shipbuilding programme. Research indicates that MOD will need to preserve and sustain several key technical skills, especially detailed designers and professional engineers for various stages of surface ship and submarine acquisition and support.

urn:uuid:57212FFC-5A90-11DD-B740-59C038788F35 2008-07-15T03:00:00Z 2008-07-15T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:C5F4DEAE-361B-11DD-BAE8-E1BD38788F35 2008-07-08T03:00:00Z 2008-07-08T03:00:00Z

Over the past few years, the European Union has demonstrated the capacity to deploy and employ armed force outside its borders in support of broader common policy objectives, creating a new player in nation-building operations.

urn:uuid:75C455A4-3166-11DD-9C3F-AF0039788F35 2008-06-23T03:00:00Z 2008-06-23T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:B64EC20C-1DC1-11DD-A9A0-E1BD38788F35 2008-06-09T03:00:00Z 2008-06-09T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:542F9B72-2E75-11DD-83B9-E1BD38788F35 2008-05-29T03:00:00Z 2008-05-29T03:00:00Z

Despite its authoritarian political system, Russia is in many ways increasingly open. Its people are part of a consumer society that models its consumption habits after Western Europe, says Lowell Schwartz.

urn:uuid:3847EA7E-04D4-11DD-BC45-E1BD38788F35 2008-05-27T03:00:00Z 2008-05-27T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:ADB7507A-17B6-11DD-BBA2-B40839788F35 2008-05-23T03:00:00Z 2008-05-23T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:E58883E8-1E00-11DD-B0DC-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-29T03:00:00Z 2008-04-29T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:ABE511EA-CF2E-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-04-10T03:00:00Z 2008-04-10T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:C5B14A9E-FCF1-11DC-97C9-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-27T03:00:00Z 2008-03-27T03:00:00Z

As NATO heads toward its summit meeting in Bucharest on April 3-4, the question of NATO enlargement — especially whether to give Membership Action Plans, or MAPs, to Georgia and Ukraine — has re-emerged as a contentious issue, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

urn:uuid:6DC36702-EECF-11DC-9346-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-19T03:00:00Z 2008-03-19T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:AA29A0F0-F5B7-11DC-89AF-E1BD38788F35 2008-02-25T03:00:00Z 2008-02-25T03:00:00Z

Diplomatic wrangling over Kosovo’s declaration of independence this week has created a good deal of misunderstanding about the U.N. Security Council Resolution that defines that society’s current status and future evolution, writes James Dobbins.

urn:uuid:12EFAF22-CB78-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-02-14T03:00:00Z 2008-02-14T03:00:00Z

The Department of Defense works continuously to improve its strategic planning for future forces. An enhanced approach utilizing portfolio-analysis methods should be particularly helpful in high-level reviews seeking to integrate requirement-setting, technology assessments, and cost analyses.

urn:uuid:AB94D46E-D361-11DC-8C77-97E438788F35 2008-02-07T03:00:00Z 2008-02-07T03:00:00Z

The European Commission (EC) is currently considering a revision of its food nutrition labelling legislation. An assessment of the proposed policy alternatives addresses their potential economic, social and environmental impact.

urn:uuid:C6A28C38-CB46-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-01-30T03:00:00Z 2008-01-30T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:3C8A1024-C5D4-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-01-17T03:00:00Z 2008-01-17T03:00:00Z

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.

urn:uuid:374AB7C6-766F-11DC-AB8D-5BBE38788F35 2007-11-06T03:00:00Z 2007-11-06T03:00:00Z

Ongoing operations and emerging mission requirements place a heavy burden on U.S. Army resources, resulting in capability gaps that the Army might fill by building appropriate capabilities in allies and partner armies through focused security cooperation.