Terrorism and Homeland Security

For over 30 years, RAND has been a world leader in terrorism research and analysis. As a public service, RAND disseminates all unclassified research as printed documents or online. Much of this research is managed by the Homeland Security program of RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment. View all Terrorism and Homeland Security Documents Available Online or find general information at Reports and Bookstore.

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Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Sources of Success in Counterinsurgency — Jul. 19, 2010

Approaches to counterinsurgency from 30 recent resolved campaigns show that good counterinsurgency practices tend to "run in packs" and that historically, the balance of selected good and ineffective practices perfectly predicts the outcome of a conflict.

Full Document News Release Detailed Counterinsurgency Case Studies

Reconstruction Under Fire: Case Studies and Further Analysis of Civil Requirements — Jun. 24, 2010

Building on a framework for integrating civil and military counterinsurgency (COIN), this volume presents an approach to the civil component, illustrated with three case studies from Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Full Document Related Report

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Multi-Unit Research Center on Homeland Security and Defense — Feb. 1, 2010

The Homeland Security and Defense Center conducts analysis to prepare and protect communities and critical infrastructure from natural disasters and terrorism and is a joint effort of the RAND National Security Research Division and RAND Infrastructure, Safety and Environment.

July 19, 2010: Keys to Successful Counterinsurgency Campaigns Explored

June 21, 2010: Failed Strategy to Halt Pakistan-Based Militant Groups Has Helped Lead to Rising Number of U.S. Terror Plots

May 20, 2010: No Path to Glory: Deterring Homegrown Terrorism, By Brian Michael Jenkins

May 12, 2010: 5 Reasons We're Safer From Terrorists, By Brian Michael Jenkins (AOL News)

May 5, 2010: Effective Police Work, Lack of Local Muslim Support Limit Danger From Homegrown Jihadists in America

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Aptitude for Destruction, Volume 1: Organizational Learning in Terrorist Groups and Its Implications for Combating Terrorism

Better ways are needed to understand how terrorist groups become more effective and dangerous. Learning is the link between what a group wants to do and its ability to actually do it; therefore, a better understanding of group learning might contribute to the design of better measures for combating terrorism.

Full Document

Developing Iraq's Security Sector: The Coalition Provisional Authority's Experience

From May 2003 to June 28, 2004 (when it handed over authority to the Iraqi Interim Government), the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) worked to field Iraqi security forces and to develop security sector institutions. The authors—all of whom were advisors to the CPA—break out the various elements of Iraq's security sector, including the defense, interior, and justice sectors, and assess the CPA's successes and failures.

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