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Military Intelligence

Urban Warfare

essay
Civilian Casualties: Lessons from the Battle for Raqqa
The United States' emphasis on minimizing civilian harm in Raqqa, Syria, was quite clear and strong up and down the chain of command. But the way in which the U.S. military waged war in Raqqa too often undercut that commitment. The Pentagon asked RAND to find out what happened.
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Jul 1, 2022

Security Cooperation

commentary
South Korea Should Consider Sticking with Intelligence-Sharing Pact with Japan
South Korea announced its intent to withdraw from an intelligence-sharing arrangement with Japan. There are four reasons that Seoul should strongly consider reversing course.
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Nov 5, 2019
Scott W. Harold
Military Intelligence

blog
Roberta Wohlstetter: A Military Analyst Ahead of Her Time
RAND researcher Roberta Wohlstetter is known for her theory about why the attack on Pearl Harbor took the United States by surprise. Her book was later used as a lens for analyzing the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 2001 terrorist attacks.
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Mar 7, 2019
Intelligence Collection

commentary
Intelligence Losses Pose Large Risks as U.S. Troops Head Home
Departing theaters such as Syria and Afghanistan carries a host of associated risks, challenges and potential benefits. Leaders would be well served to factor into the debate the importance of U.S. intelligence collection capabilities, its connection to U.S. presence overseas and its role in anticipating current and future threats.
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Jan 24, 2019
Jason H. Campbell @JasonHCampbell, Javed Ali
Military Intelligence

commentary
Explaining the Defense Intelligence Agency's Critical Role in National Security
Despite its varied roles and responsibilities, the DIA can be boiled down to just two core missions: intelligence analysis and intelligence collection. Having a better understanding of these core missions could help to properly frame the agency’s value to the intelligence, military, and policymaking communities.
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Jan 11, 2019
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
commentary
Presidential Intelligence Briefings: The Process Is Working. But Is Trump Listening?
President Trump receives intelligence briefings on a fairly regular basis and he appears engaged in discussions with senior staff and the intelligence community about content. Ideally, this process is informing his national security decisionmaking.
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Feb 15, 2018
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Space Science and Technology

blog
Mert Davies: All-Star Pioneer of the Cosmos
Merton Davies spent his early years using satellite imagery to spy on terrestrial targets. His work led to the first successful reconnaissance satellite, Corona. Later, he used deep-space photographs to map the planets in our solar system.
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Jan 5, 2018
Intelligence Community

commentary
Adapting the President's Daily Brief to Trump
President-elect Trump is receiving President Obama's version of the daily briefing; it has yet to be tailored to his preferences, to which every president is entitled. The intelligence community should seek to adapt the briefing to maximize its interest and relevance to the president-elect.
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Jan 6, 2017
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Counterterrorism

commentary
ISIS vs Special Ops
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.
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Dec 8, 2015
Linda Robinson
Military Intelligence

commentary
Loose Clicks Sink Ships: When Social Media Meets Military Intelligence
Social media updates can reveal military intelligence. But stopping a soldier from posting a geotagged tweet or Instagram photo presents challenges.
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Aug 14, 2015
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung, Olga Oliker
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

commentary
Disrupting Terrorist Safe Havens
Disrupting the terrorist safe havens in Syria and Iraq would require a balanced approach that makes the business of terrorist planning and training difficult without entangling U.S. forces in new conflicts and angering the very populations the United States seeks to assist.
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Aug 18, 2014
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Military Tactics

commentary
The Downside of Drones
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.
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Nov 1, 2013
Linda Robinson
Counterterrorism

blog
Do U.S. Raids in Libya, Somalia Signal a Shift in Terror Strategy?
The raids that the United States conducted over the weekend in Libya and Somalia could signal a new focus in Washington on capturing terrorist suspects and gathering intelligence rather than relying on drone strikes. RAND experts Linda Robinson, Angel Rabasa, and Seth Jones comment.
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Oct 10, 2013
Military Information Technology Systems

commentary
Calling for a Time-Out in the Army Intelligence Software Debate
The Army's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) program has been getting much attention from Congress, and its future was the subject of a heated exchange between the Army's Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno and Representative Duncan Hunter in May.
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Aug 21, 2013
Christopher G. Pernin, Isaac R. Porche III
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

commentary
Learning Curve
The post-Vietnam “never again” attitude led to a severe atrophy of the U.S. military's counterinsurgency skills and it is quite possible that the U.S. military will go through a similar phase of unlearning over the next several years, writes James Dobbins.
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Mar 14, 2013
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Counterterrorism

commentary
New 'Rule Book' to Set Parameters for Targeted Killings
A constrictive rule book against direct-action counterterrorism techniques could be in tension with operational realities. But it would go some way toward establishing the legal and ethical framework under which such difficult decisions are made, writes Patrick Johnston.
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Dec 5, 2012
Patrick B. Johnston
Terrorist Organizations

commentary
Do Targeted Killings Work?
When terrorists are afraid to poke their heads above ground, it becomes exceedingly difficult for them to communicate, coordinate, and conduct attacks—especially sophisticated ones like 9/11, writes Patrick B. Johnston.
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Sep 28, 2012
Patrick B. Johnston
Intelligence Analysis

commentary
What Should We Expect of Our Spies?
Questions not asked or stories not imagined by policy are not likely to be answered or developed by intelligence, writes Gregory F. Treverton.
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May 25, 2011
Gregory F. Treverton
Terrorist Organizations

commentary
Al-Qaeda after bin Laden
Wary of communicating with each other and with al Qaeda's field commands, al Qaeda central could become more isolated, more dependent on its affiliates, allied groups, and individual acolytes, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
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May 12, 2011
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Nuclear Weapons and Warfare

commentary
Book Review: 'Fallout' by Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz
Anyone concerned about nuclear proliferation or interested in the world of espionage will want to read Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz's provocative new book, "Fallout: The True Story of the CIA's Secret War on Nuclear Trafficking," which tells a fascinating story whose characters come straight out of a spy novel, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
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Jan 9, 2011
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Military Strategy

commentary
Wanted Dead or Alive? When We Don't Get Our Man
On his first day in office, President Barack Obama issued a dramatic series of executive orders intended to symbolize a change of direction in America's "war" on terrorism. Despite the headlines these orders generated, a more significant policy shift may have been the one signaled the week before his inauguration, writes Benjamin Runkle.
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Mar 3, 2009
Benjamin Runkle
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.
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Jan 22, 2009
Gregory F. Treverton
commentary
Iran's Covert War in Iraq
Published commentary by RAND staff: Iran's Covert War in Iraq, in the Washington Times.
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Mar 16, 2007
Rick Brennan, Jr. @rickbrennanjr
commentary
Media Leaks Hinder Intelligence Gathering
Published commentary by RAND staff: Media Leaks Hinder Intelligence Gathering, in the Washington Times.
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Mar 11, 2007
James B. Bruce
commentary
Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda
Published commentary by RAND staff: Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda, in Vanguard magazine.
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Mar 2, 2006
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
commentary
True Intelligence Reform Is Cultural, Not Just Organizational Chart Shift
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Jan 13, 2005
Gregory F. Treverton, Peter A. Wilson
commentary
Why Allies Send Spooks to America
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Oct 25, 2004
Seth G. Jones
commentary
Intelligence -- a Funhouse of Reflections
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Feb 15, 2004
Gregory F. Treverton
commentary
A Perilous Dialogue of Pessimists
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Feb 4, 2004
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
commentary
Why We Didn't Get the Picture
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Feb 1, 2004
Bruce Berkowitz
commentary
Fight Terrorism With Intelligence, Not Might
Fight terrorism with intelligence, not might.
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Dec 26, 2003
Sara A. Daly
commentary
The Big Difference Between Intelligence and Evidence
Usually intelligence does not offer crystal-clear answers, and we should not hang decisions to go to war or do anything else on its ability to do so, writes Bruce Berkowitz in a Washington Post commentary.
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Feb 2, 2003
Bruce Berkowitz
commentary
Dissect the Divisions
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Jun 9, 2002
Gregory F. Treverton
commentary
Terror's Aftermath: A Counterterrorism Policy for Yesterday's Threat
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Sep 16, 2001
Bruce Hoffman
commentary
Intelligence in the Information Age; Spy Data For Sale
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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Apr 8, 2001
Kevin M. O'Connell