2012-05-25T23:18:58Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/international-diplomacy.html http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/25/AT.html May 25, 2012 May 25, 2012

The relocation of the Marines is a first step toward a more sustainable US military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Yet policymakers in Washington and Tokyo should not expect this move to eliminate an enduring source of tension in US-Japanese relations, write Stacie L. Pettyjohn and Alan J. Vick.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/24/RAND.html May 24, 2012 May 24, 2012

Three challenges still await NATO: containing fallout from France's new policy, re-opening the Pakistan supply lines, and the need for Russian cooperation, writes Christopher S. Chivvis.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/22/FP.html May 22, 2012 May 22, 2012

Khamenei faces a critical choice in the months ahead: make a compromise to lessen tensions with the United States and the international community, or maintain a status quo that may set in motion the demise of his regime, writes Alireza Nader.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/17/CT.html May 17, 2012 May 17, 2012

The decision by Putin not to attend the NATO summit and the G-8 summit is a blow to the Obama administration's hopes of building closer ties to Russia and underscores that the effort to "reset" relations with Russia is likely to be slow and fraught with difficulties, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/17/IHT.html May 16, 2012 May 16, 2012

At a time when the European Union faces mounting economic and political challenges, maintaining a strong, vibrant Atlantic alliance is more important than ever, write F. Stephen Larrabee and Peter A. Wilson.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1198.html May 9, 2012 May 9, 2012

Past efforts to resolve ethno-territorial conflicts in Brčko, Mostar, Northern Ireland, and Jerusalem provide insights that could facilitate a negotiated settlement regarding the disputed Iraqi city of Kirkuk. The case studies show that Arabs, Kurds, and Turkomen must emphasize governance over symbols of sovereignty, develop adaptable power-sharing mechanisms, marginalize spoilers, empower local leaders, and create multi-ethnic security forces.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/03/FP.html May 3, 2012 May 3, 2012

To prepare for the interventions to come in the next decade, the United States must adapt the lessons from its experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and use them to generate a new, more realistic, and feasible doctrine, write Radha Iyengar and Douglas A. Ollivant.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/02/USNEWS.html May 2, 2012 May 2, 2012

On-the-job training is a necessary element of the American presidency, but so should be learning from the accomplishments, as well as the mistakes, of one's predecessor, writes James Dobbins.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/04/17/USIP.html Apr 17, 2012 Apr 17, 2012

Beset by economic problems, political divisions, and domestic discontent, Iranian leaders may compromise—or appear to make compromises—to cushion the regime from the mounting internal and external pressures, writes Alireza Nader.

http://www.rand.org/multimedia/video/2012/04/11/us-russian-relations-putin-third-term.html Apr 11, 2012 Apr 11, 2012

In this April 2012 Congressional Panel Briefing, Andrew Weiss, director of the RAND Center for Russia and Eurasia, moderates a discussion on the future of U.S. - Russian relationships during Putin's third term. Panelists include Ambassador Stephen Sestanovich (Council on Foreign Relations), Leon Aron (American Enterprise Institute), and Edward Verona (U.S.-Russia Business Council).

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/04/02/ALMON.html Apr 2, 2012 Apr 2, 2012

For Khamenei, increasing US and Israeli concerns regarding the nuclear program may enhance its value as a deterrent and point of leverage in Iran's conflict with the US, making the nuclear program a major tool to be used against the US, rather than a prize to be bargained away, writes Alireza Nader.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/08/RAND.html Mar 8, 2012 Mar 8, 2012

The protests are the result of a significant portion of the population feeling alienated. So the Russian system is now in transition to something new. Putin will now have to govern with a degree of give and take, which he has not had to do before, writes Andrew S. Weiss.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/04/WP.html Mar 4, 2012 Mar 4, 2012

With anti-government demonstrations already planned and Putin warning that opposition leaders are plotting to kill one of their own to discredit him, the stage is set for new confrontations, writes Andrew S. Weiss.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/02/21/LAT.html Feb 21, 2012 Feb 21, 2012

While a nuclear-armed Iran that hasn't been attacked is dangerous, one that has been attacked may be much more likely to brandish its capabilities, to make sure it does not face an attack again, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/02/14/USNEWS.html Feb 14, 2012 Feb 14, 2012

If the Syrian opposition clearly asks for American help, if the rest of the Arab world supports such a military intervention, and if America's European allies prove ready to join in—and indeed lead—such an effort, the United States should contribute those military assets which only it can provide, writes James Dobbins.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/01/26/FP.html Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

The United States should not pursue sanctions with the intent of changing the regime, but to contain it in order to give Iranians a chance to effect change themselves, writes Alireza Nader.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/01/13/WP.html Jan 13, 2012 Jan 13, 2012

The Vietnam negotiations arose from a U.S. initiative, in response to domestic political imperatives and over repeated objections from the Saigon regime. By contrast, the incipient Afghan process has its roots in that society, not ours, writes James Dobbins.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/01/12/FP.html Jan 12, 2012 Jan 12, 2012

Much has been made over differences between the U.S. and Israeli threat perceptions of Iran, but in fact internal Israeli divisions suggest that the gap may not be as great as some suggest, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/01/06/IHT.html Jan 6, 2012 Jan 6, 2012

For all its bluster, the Iranian regime is more vulnerable than at any time in its 32-year history. Internally, Iran is constrained by deep political divisions, civil strife and a woeful economy, write Alireza Nader and James Dobbins.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1143.html Jan 5, 2012 Jan 5, 2012

The United States should engage in activities that increase understanding about how a deterrence relationship between Israel and Iran may evolve, and encourage direct communication between Israelis and Iranians through informal diplomatic channels.