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North Korea
essay
Understanding North Korea
Aug 18, 2017
How should the U.S. respond to North Korea's provocative behavior? Even the best military options could be cataclysmically bad, but there are nonmilitary options to convince Kim Jong Un that the costs of his provocations outweigh any benefits.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
When the Car Is a Terror Weapon, Can We Prepare for Attacks?
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Aug 18, 2017
The Globe and Mail
Soft targets, so-called because they are more vulnerable to terrorism due to lower levels of security, are notoriously difficult to protect, and the latest shift to using vehicles to conduct ramming attacks only compounds the problem for authorities.
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Information Operations
commentary
The Islamic State May Be Failing, but Its Strategic Communications Legacy Is Here to Stay
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Charlie Winter
Aug 17, 2017
War on the Rocks
The Islamic State's caliphate is collapsing but its legacy will live on virtually because of its information operations. The scale of the menace presented by the group today pales in comparison to other global challenges, yet it manages to dominate and terrorize the public mind.
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Personalized Learning
commentary
What Emerging Research Says About the Promise of Personalized Learning
John F. Pane @JohnFPane
Aug 16, 2017
Brookings Institution's Brown Center Chalkboard
Personalized learning holds promise as an innovation that can lead to improved educational outcomes for students. But implementers should have modest expectations for the magnitude of the benefits, and patience for the full benefits to emerge.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
Another Casualty of Climate Change: Peace
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Aug 15, 2017
Project Syndicate
The connection between human conflict and climate change is no mere coincidence. Drought, temperature and tensions rise in tandem, with the implicit threat of violent conflict not far behind.
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Mental Health and Illness
commentary
Why the IPS Success Story Needs to Be Unpicked
Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman
Aug 15, 2017
The RAND Blog
The Individual Placement and Support model, which helps people with severe mental illness gain employment, has been a major statistical success. Why does it work and how it might be applied to other vulnerable populations?
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Chemical Weapons and Warfare
commentary
Assad's Attacks Should Not Be Repeated, Forgotten, or Excused
Ted Clark
Aug 15, 2017
Foreign Policy Concepts
Despite signing the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty in October 2013, Assad has continued chemical attacks on the Syrian opposition. To counter Assad and others who might turn to the use of chemical weapons, the U.S. could collaborate with other major powers to bolster the international ban on them.
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Global Security
commentary
Dealing with Global Hot Spots in Times of Domestic Upheaval
David C. Gompert
Aug 14, 2017
Fox News Channel
The United States faces growing dangers of war in three parts of the globe: North Korea, Syria, and the South China Sea. How will it manage any—let alone all—of them, especially with political turmoil at the highest levels at home?
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Military Acquisition and Procurement
commentary
Privatizing the Military Unlikely to Be a Viable Solution in Afghanistan
Martha Dunigan @MollyDunigan
Aug 14, 2017
The National Interest
Operational contractors are now an entrenched part of the Department of Defense’s total force and are here to stay. But replacing U.S. military personnel with contractors is not likely to be a militarily effective solution for the Afghanistan problem.
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North Korea
commentary
The North Korea Standoff: Have We Been Here Before?
James A. Thomson @thomson0145
Aug 14, 2017
Newsweek
How the United States responded to China's nuclear weapons program last century can provide lessons for today's debate about North Korea. For instance, the conclusion that the only option is deterrence is still sound.
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Arms Proliferation and Control
commentary
How Did North Korea Get Its Nuclear Capabilities So Far So Fast?
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Aug 14, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
The recent North Korean missile tests and other provocations have sent shock waves through the global national security community and heightened tensions throughout the region. How has North Korea increased its missile capabilities so dramatically in such a short period of time?
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Nation Building
commentary
Islamic State 2.0
Seth G. Jones @SethGJones
Aug 10, 2017
The Wall Street Journal
Many of Iraq's Sunnis are frustrated with the slow pace of reconstruction and a Baghdad government they consider too friendly to Iran. The U.S. needs to shift from supporting military operations in cities such as Mosul to helping the Iraqi government better address political grievances. Failure risks sowing the seeds of ISIS's resurgence.
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Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
Contain, Deter, Transform: A Winning Strategy on North Korea
Michael J. Mazarr, Michael Johnson
Aug 9, 2017
The Hill
North Korea's missile tests and reported progress in nuclear warhead design have produced a volatile new urgency in U.S. policy. Contain, deter, and transform isn't a radical solution, but it's one that has worked before. This approach could preserve U.S. interests while avoiding war.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Lowdown on Pyeongtaek Garrison
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Aug 8, 2017
The Korea Times
Camp Humphreys will become the major U.S. base in Korea. In terms of North Korean threats, the camp is roughly 100 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone. Some North Korean ballistic missiles could cause damage at Camp Humphreys if it's targeted.
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Al Qaida
commentary
Will al Qaeda Make a Comeback?
Seth G. Jones @SethGJones
Aug 7, 2017
Foreign Affairs
Al Qaeda's revival will likely hinge on its ability to take advantage of opportunities such as the withdrawal of counterterrorism forces from key battlefields, more revolt in the Middle East, U.S. or European policies that feed the perception of Muslim oppression, or the rise of a charismatic jihadist leader.
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Missile Defense
commentary
Why THAAD Is Needed in Korea
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Aug 7, 2017
The Korea Times
As the threat from North Korea has been developing over the last 30 years, the U.S. has responsibly deployed missile defenses in Korea to protect its forces and South Koreans. Today, North Korea's medium- and intermediate-range missiles require a defense able to handle higher missile re-entry speeds like the THAAD system.
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The RAND Blog

Understanding North Korea

When the Car Is a Terror Weapon, Can We Prepare for Attacks?

The Islamic State May Be Failing, but Its Strategic Communications Legacy Is Here to Stay

What Emerging Research Says About the Promise of Personalized Learning

Another Casualty of Climate Change: Peace

Why the IPS Success Story Needs to Be Unpicked

Assad's Attacks Should Not Be Repeated, Forgotten, or Excused

Dealing with Global Hot Spots in Times of Domestic Upheaval

Privatizing the Military Unlikely to Be a Viable Solution in Afghanistan

The North Korea Standoff: Have We Been Here Before?

How Did North Korea Get Its Nuclear Capabilities So Far So Fast?

Islamic State 2.0

Contain, Deter, Transform: A Winning Strategy on North Korea

Lowdown on Pyeongtaek Garrison

Will al Qaeda Make a Comeback?

Why THAAD Is Needed in Korea

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