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Cover: Democratization in the Arab World

Democratization in the Arab World: Prospects and Lessons from Around the Globe — 2012

Laurel E. Miller, Jeffrey Martini, Stephen F. Larrabee, Angel Rabasa, Stephanie Pezard, Julie E. Taylor, Angel Rabasa

Daunting challenges lie ahead for Arab countries where revolutions have upended longstanding authoritarian regimes. Working from an analysis of how countries across the globe have dealt with similar challenges in the past, Democratization in the Arab World explores the conditions and decisions that are most likely to influence whether democratization succeeds in Arab countries undergoing political transitions. The monograph aims to help policymakers understand the challenges ahead, form well-founded expectations, shape diplomatic approaches, and take practical steps to foster positive change.

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Blog Posts and Media Coverage

Chemical Weapons in Syria: What Could the U.S. Do About Them? — May 21, 2013

U.S. Army Soldiers put their gas masks on for a simulated chemical attack during a training mission near Camp Ramadi, Iraq

The combined lessons of the attack and disarmament of Iraq's chemical weapons in the First Gulf War suggest that chemical weapons are hard to find and destroy, writes James Quinlivan. Lots can survive even a sustained attack.

Blog Post

Firefighting Aircraft: Is Bigger Better? — May 20, 2013

An aircraft's capacity and speed largely determine the rate at which water or retardant can be applied to a fire. Very large air tankers (VLATs) certainly have the capacity to apply large amounts of fluids to a fire, but because of the distances travelled they may not be able to get a second load very quickly.

Learning the Wrong Lessons from Israel's Intervention in Syria — May 14, 2013

The lesson here is not that countries should act for the sake of maintaining credibility but that they should act when they believe it serves their interests and might make a difference, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.

Blog Post

Drones Are Useful, but Not the Solution or the Problem — May 14, 2013

The effectiveness of our attacks, particularly by drones, has already decimated the al Qaeda hierarchy, writes Harold Brown. That achievement, together with the negative effect on Muslim publics of drone attacks, suggests that the rate of their usage could be moderated.

Blog Post

Libya Needs U.S. Help for Security — May 13, 2013

Libyans poured into the streets of Benghazi to celebrate the revolution

By adopting a laissez-faire policy toward security in Libya after the war, the United States and its allies who helped the Libyan rebels topple Gadhafi share in the responsibility for the country’s current predicament, writes Christopher Chivvis.

Blog Post

A New Diplomatic Mission for James Dobbins — May 7, 2013

President Obama named Ambassador James F. Dobbins, a veteran diplomat and the current director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center, as his special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.