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Cover: Security in Iraq

Security in Iraq: A Framework for Analyzing Emerging Threats as U.S. Forces Leave — 2010

David Gompert, Terrence Kelly, Jessica Watkins

U.S. withdrawal from Iraq could affect Iraq's internal security and stability, which could, in turn, affect U.S. strategic interests and the safety of U.S. troops and civilians in Iraq. The framework provided here can help minimize negative effects.

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Local Communities in Afghanistan Can Play Crucial Role in Improving Security — Jul 26, 2010

local Afghan men meeting with militants

The Afghan government and NATO can improve security in Afghanistan by leveraging traditional policing institutions in rural villages and mobilizing the population against insurgents, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Keys to Successful Counterinsurgency Campaigns Explored — Jun 19, 2010

soldier standing in doorway

Good counterinsurgency practices tend to “run in packs” and whether a campaign includes more good practices than bad ones is a strong predictor of the outcomes of campaigns historically, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation.

Why U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Are So Frustrated — June 30, 2010

Long War, photo courtesy of US Air Force

America's problems in Afghanistan are not fundamentally about personnel, command and control, or civil-military relations as discussed in this commentary by Celeste Ward Gventer that appeared on Christian Science Monitor online.

The Sinking of the Cheonan: Engage or Retaliate? — June 30, 2010

ROK naval search ship, photo courtesy of US Army

North Korea's apparent sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan marks a new low in the North's provocative behavior. This is the subject of a commentary by Bruce W. Bennett that appeared in Global Asia, A Journal of the East Asia Foundation.

Don't Lose Ukraine — Jun 28, 2010

Ukraine Military

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Ukraine on July 4-5 provides an important opportunity to reassure Ukrainians that the U.S. remains committed to Ukraine's sovereignty and democratic evolution, as discussed by Taras Kuzio and F. Stephen Larrabee in this commentary for Project Syndicate.

The Afghanistan Clock — Jun 28, 2010

President Obama and General Petraeus, photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force/Villanueva II

By replacing Gen. Stanley McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. President Barack Obama has treated the most recent symptom of his Afghan malaise, however it does not address a conflicted policy and a divided administration, as discussed by James Dobbins in this commentary for ForeignPolicy.com.


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