Commentary and Articles

commentary

Could Mexico Fail?
The lawlessness along the mexicanborder has gone way beyond alocal crime wave: there has beena dramatic increase in armed robberies, not by lone gunmen but by heavily armed gangs. Kidnappings and homicides are way up—and not just murders but beheadings.... It is starting to look like a terrorist campaign, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Feb 13, 2009
commentary

Asia's Nonproliferation Laggards: China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction ranks as one of the biggest challenges facing the Obama administration. Luckily, Mr. Obama has a tool to combat this threat, in the form of the Proliferation Security Initiative.... The trick now will be to convince key Asian countries to participate, writes Charles Wolf Jr.
Feb 9, 2009
commentary

The Secret Briefing Obama Needs on Day One
A select few Americans will ever see the president's daily brief -- a digest of the intelligence community's most closely guarded secrets. But trust me, Barack Obama is going to need much more useful information than he is getting now, writes Gregory F. Treverton.
Jan 22, 2009
commentary

A Smarter Economic Stimulus Package
President Obama's infrastructure plan doesn’t yet carry a price tag. We only know that it will be big.... The trick is how it will be done. It will not be enough to simply rebuild and repair critical infrastructure systems. We need to reinvent the systems themselves, writes Martin Wachs.
Jan 21, 2009
commentary

Challenges Ahead for the EU's Security and Defense Policy
On its 10th anniversary, the European Union can look back on its Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) with some sense of accomplishment. But the next 10 years may prove more difficult, writes Christopher S. Chivvis.
Jan 16, 2009
commentary

Defeating Hamas Will Not Defeat Iran
In the absence of clarity of what Israel hopes to leave behind in Gaza, some observers speculate that the offensive against Hamas has a second target: Iran.... Although Hamas surely benefits from Iranian support, Iran's regional position has little to do with Hamas, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.
Jan 14, 2009
commentary

Backlash Against Terror
The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, are part of a disturbing trend across the Muslim world of groups that target civilians in the name of Islam. Less visible to Western eyes, but potentially just as significant, is a growing backlash among Muslims who condemn such attacks as unethical, writes Seth Jones.
Dec 21, 2008
commentary

Obama, Congress Can Improve FEMA, Homeland Security
In his campaign, President-elect Barack Obama pledged to rebuild the Gulf Coast — one of the country's most wounded, yet economically strategic, regions.To keep this laudable promise, he will need to make a sustained commitment not only to a national disaster recovery plan, but also a comprehensive economic development strategy for the Gulf Coast, writes Melissa Flournoy.
Dec 21, 2008
commentary

In Iraq, a Different Kind of Drama Stages a Message of Reconciliation
While female suicide bombers in Iraq have been getting all the headlines, a very different cadre of women has emerged on the scene with the opposite goal of forging peace and paving over the sectarian differences. Above all, these activists want to take back the streets and neighborhoods of their country, write Edward O'Connell and Cheryl Benard.
Dec 18, 2008
commentary

Is Ahmadinejad in Trouble?
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may lose the June 2009 presidential election. And a more pragmatic figure... may assume power. But no one, especially in the United States, should count on a dramatic change in Iran's policies, even if Ahmadinejad loses, writes Alireza Nader.
Dec 17, 2008
commentary

The Obama Withdrawal From Iraq: How Fast?
The debate over withdrawal of American forces from Iraq has effectively ended: Troops will begin withdrawing in early 2009.... What is not yet entirely clear is what type of residual American force may remain in Iraq, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Dec 16, 2008
commentary

Mumbai's Terrifying Logic
We tend to describe terrorism as senseless violence, but it seldom is. If we look at the attacks from the attackers' perspective, we can discern a certain strategic logic, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Dec 9, 2008
commentary

India, Pakistan Must Confront Threat of More Violence
As the last Mumbai sites were being cleared of terrorists, grim signs emerged of the challenges that face India and Pakistan. Unfortunately, beginning to know what the Mumbai attack was -- and what it was not -- only augurs more violence for India. At least three factors are at play, writes Christine Fair.
Dec 9, 2008
commentary

The Backlash Against Terror
The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, are part of a disturbing trend across the Muslim world of groups that target civilians in the name of Islam. Less visible to Western eyes, but potentially just as significant, is a growing backlash among Muslims who condemn such attacks as unethical, writes Seth Jones.
Dec 8, 2008
commentary

How Will Obama First Be Tested?
Vice President-elect Biden was on solid historical ground. He was not implying that there is a band of bad guys hiding in some cellar conjuring up a crisis specifically to take on Obama. It is simply that, many new American presidents have confronted major foreign policy crises within their first year in office, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Dec 8, 2008

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Quoted

Mandatory evacuation orders are issued when disasters have potentially life-threatening impacts. Disaster after disaster, orders resulted in evacuations that have saved untold lives. Milton is rapidly intensifying and expected to be one of the largest hurricanes on record when it hits the United States. Staying in place could have severe, life-threatening consequences.

Aaron Clark-Ginsberg

Behavioral/Social Scientist

Source: rand.org

The mechanisms behind the apparent adverse effects of climate change on human health are not entirely understood. However, the need for pre-planning for these events to prevent poor health outcomes is clear. Especially among the most vulnerable populations, it is critical to develop and implement mitigating strategies.

Mahshid Abir

Senior Physician Policy Researcher, Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Source: rand.org

How to Support Victims of Elder Mistreatment

Climate Change Affects Health and Will Increase Drug Demand

Iran's Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Year

A Russia–North Korea Alliance in the Works? Don't Be So Sure

The Math Equity Equation

The Policy Currents Podcast

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Improving Access to Early Childhood Education

Commentary and Articles

Could Mexico Fail?

Asia's Nonproliferation Laggards: China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia

The Secret Briefing Obama Needs on Day One

A Smarter Economic Stimulus Package

Challenges Ahead for the EU's Security and Defense Policy

Defeating Hamas Will Not Defeat Iran

Backlash Against Terror

Obama, Congress Can Improve FEMA, Homeland Security

In Iraq, a Different Kind of Drama Stages a Message of Reconciliation

Is Ahmadinejad in Trouble?

The Obama Withdrawal From Iraq: How Fast?

Mumbai's Terrifying Logic

India, Pakistan Must Confront Threat of More Violence

The Backlash Against Terror

How Will Obama First Be Tested?

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