2021-05-05T14:09:38Z Copyright (c) 2021, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation https://www.rand.org/about/people/r/robinson_linda.html Daniel Egel; Shira Efron; Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2021/03/abraham-accords-offer-historic-opportunity-to-spur.html 2021-03-25T20:00:00Z 2021-03-25T20:00:00Z

The Abraham Accords have heralded a dramatic shift in the relationship between Israel and the Muslim nations of the world. While these accords represent a major political breakthrough, they also represent a possible new chapter in the region's development: away from conflict and toward a shared economic vision of prosperity.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2019/12/iraq-at-the-crossroads.html 2019-12-18T20:30:00Z 2019-12-18T20:30:00Z

The protests gripping Iraq pose an extraordinary challenge to Baghdad's political leadership, which must move the country ahead or step aside. Unless it finds the will to compromise for the common good, the governing class could risk thrusting the country into civil war.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2018/04/stabilization-is-essential-to-accomplishing-the-mission.html 2018-04-24T17:28:00Z 2018-04-24T17:28:00Z

There's good reason to hope that the forthcoming policy on stabilization in places like Iraq will get the United States to the right middle road. But this new effort will fall short if Congress doesn't maintain the necessary funding for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Raphael S. Cohen; Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2018/04/political-warfare-is-back-with-a-vengeance.html 2018-04-13T16:30:00Z 2018-04-13T16:30:00Z

The United States' principal adversaries are fighting and gaining ground by employing a host of tactics short of all-out war. This form of warfare, once called political warfare, is back with a vengeance, empowered by new tools and techniques.

Linda Robinson; Shelly Culbertson https://www.rand.org/blog/2018/02/if-we-dont-get-the-peace-right-iraq-will-slide-back.html 2018-02-12T12:46:00Z 2018-02-12T12:46:00Z

Actions taken now by the United States, the Iraqi government, and private parties could determine the war-torn country's future. The message the Sunnis receive in these next six months will determine whether Iraq is on the path to stability.

Austin Long; Linda Robinson; Seth G. Jones https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/09/managing-chaos-in-an-era-of-great-power-competition.html 2017-09-05T16:13:00Z 2017-09-05T16:13:00Z

As Washington policymakers seek a new strategic course, U.S. national security strategy should not neglect the importance of competition short of armed conflict. A U.S. strategy that incorporates this perspective from the beginning could manage chaos at a reasonable cost.

Linda Robinson; Shelly Culbertson https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/07/moving-beyond-mosul.html 2017-07-18T10:50:00Z 2017-07-18T10:50:00Z

The Islamic State group has been defeated in Mosul. But this military routing isn't enough to ensure lasting stability, either in Mosul or in Iraq more broadly. What comes next will require careful planning, diplomacy, implementation, and coordination.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/05/sofs-evolving-role-warfare-by-with-and-through-local.html 2017-05-09T10:32:00Z 2017-05-09T10:32:00Z

U.S. special operations forces are not providing the muscle of the frontline combat troops fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Instead, they are providing meaningful support to the various indigenous forces. If they succeed, this model could become a standard option in the U.S. military playbook.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/04/after-the-syria-strike-trump-desperately-needs-a-syria.html 2017-04-10T08:44:00Z 2017-04-10T08:44:00Z

The Trump administration needs to articulate its policy toward Syria and Russia and its campaign to counter the Islamic State group. A coherent national security strategy could steer the U.S. through these complex problems.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/03/to-take-raqqa-the-us-must-work-with-its-partner-in.html 2017-03-13T10:00:00Z 2017-03-13T10:00:00Z

Turkey strongly opposes the U.S. bid to arm the Syrian Kurds. Rushing into Raqqa without reaching agreement with Turkey would jeopardize larger U.S. regional and even global geopolitical objectives.

Shelly Culbertson; Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/02/stabilizing-mosul-after-the-battle-against-isis.html 2017-02-09T08:37:00Z 2017-02-09T08:37:00Z

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have retaken the east bank of Mosul and are planning to take the west soon. The military operations that oust ISIS are crucial to the city's liberation but failing to get the civilian response right risks a widening civil war.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2015/12/isis-vs-special-ops.html 2015-12-08T11:52:00Z 2015-12-08T11:52:00Z

However critical to the fight against ISIS, using special operations forces for raids represents only half of the needed military adjustment. The other half is the effort to build indigenous forces capable of taking and holding territory in Iraq and Syria.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2015/05/book-review-god-is-not-here-by-bill-russell-edmonds.html 2015-05-19T12:00:00Z 2015-05-19T12:00:00Z

'God Is Not Here' shows how not to send a soldier to war. The experience is searing and often brutal, and only a well-led, well-trained, cohesive unit can help servicemen and servicewomen do their duty and survive both mentally and physically.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2014/10/the-future-of-blackwater-and-other-guns-for-hire.html 2014-10-28T18:11:00Z 2014-10-28T18:11:00Z

The story of how private military security companies came to play a pivotal role in wartime operations is an important one, and Ann Hagedorn, a former reporter for the Journal, was right to take it on.

Dalia Dassa Kaye; Andrew Liepman; Linda Robinson; Ben Connable; Christopher S. Chivvis https://www.rand.org/blog/2014/09/rand-experts-discuss-us-strategy-on-isis.html 2014-09-15T11:28:00Z 2014-09-15T11:28:00Z

President Obama outlined a strategy last week to deal with the threat posed by the terrorist group known as ISIS. RAND experts discuss the speech and the follow-up efforts so far.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2014/02/train-afghans-corrall-al-qaeda-americas-enduring-mission.html 2014-02-11T12:00:00Z 2014-02-11T12:00:00Z

The mission of preventing al Qaeda from threatening the U.S. is an enduring one that will require a long-term commitment not just to counterterrorism, but to training, advising, and assisting Afghan forces so that they are better able to prosecute their own campaign against terrorists.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2013/11/five-profound-choices-special-ops-face-next-year.html 2013-11-01T13:00:00Z 2013-11-01T13:00:00Z

If 2013 was the year of decisions, 2014 will be the year special operations forces implement their roadmap for the future. But where exactly does that road lead? The trajectory will be determined by several budgetary and policy choices that the U.S. military, policymakers and Congress will make in 2014.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2013/11/the-downside-of-drones.html 2013-11-01T10:00:00Z 2013-11-01T10:00:00Z

The chief political drawback is that target countries' populations view drone attacks as violations of their sovereignty every bit as much as manned raids. The chief military drawback: A drone attack destroys the critical intelligence that is needed to ensure that the tactical strike can be converted to strategic advantage.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2013/10/the-future-of-counterterrorism-fewer-drones-more-partnerships.html 2013-10-21T10:30:00Z 2013-10-21T10:30:00Z

Drones are just one of three principal U.S. counterterrorism tools. Special Operations forces are now relying on a more balanced mix of tactics: Launching raids and developing partner forces offer more versatility than drone strikes and will probably become the wave of the future as America's big wars wind down.

Linda Robinson https://www.rand.org/blog/2013/04/special-ops-global-whack-a-mole.html 2013-04-08T02:00:00Z 2013-04-08T02:00:00Z

A new model for our nation's special forces could follow the approach used in Colombia and the Philippines, where special forces planned ongoing campaigns that use numerous advisory, civil affairs, and informational activities to address those governments' weaknesses in providing security and ending conflicts.