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National Security and Terrorism

Wargaming
commentary
Building a Pipeline of Wargaming Talent: A Two-Track Solution
Elizabeth M. Bartels
Nov 15, 2018
War on the Rocks
How does the Department of Defense imagine the future of war and make long-term investments to confront the challenges ahead? On issues ranging from potential conflicts with Russia to the future of transportation and logistics, senior leaders have increasingly turned to wargames to imagine potential futures.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Could America Use Its Leverage to Alter the Saudis' Behavior?
Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai, Becca Wasser @Becca_Wasser
Nov 15, 2018
Newsweek
As the Saudis' chief political and military partner and the undisputed security guarantor in the Middle East, the United States has considerable influence it can wield over Saudi decisionmaking. The Trump administration could consider using its influence to encourage Saudi leadership to moderate its assertive and damaging policies abroad.
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Counterterrorism
blog
Reflecting on the Past to Counter Future Terrorism
Nov 14, 2018
One Night with RAND brought together leaders in business, government, academia, and philanthropy to pay tribute to Brian Michael Jenkins and mark his 50-year affiliation with RAND and his substantial body of research on terrorism. Jenkins and other experts discussed the evolution of terrorism and strategies for countering it in the future.
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Politics and Government
commentary
What Does America's Political Polarization Mean for Competition with China?
Timothy R. Heath
Nov 9, 2018
The Hill
Political polarization in the United States potentially carries significant implications for America's strategic competition with China. Leaders in Washington will need to work to mitigate the effects of polarization and manage competition with China in a stable, effective manner.
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Veterans Health Care
essay
How Private Health Care Providers Could Better Serve Veterans
Nov 7, 2018
Almost a third of U.S. veterans live 40 miles or more from the nearest VA medical center, so the VA is trying to make it easier for them to use private providers closer to home. But it will take significant efforts to better prepare civilian doctors to deliver high-quality care to veterans.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
In Refugee Vetting, How Good Is Good Enough?
Ian Mitch @IanSMitch
Nov 1, 2018
The National Interest
A security policy that depends too heavily on vetting, and expects it to be foolproof, is likely to fall short. A better security standard the administration could consider is not whether vetting failures ever occur, but rather whether they pose an acceptable risk to the United States.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Is Major Realignment Taking Place in the Middle East?
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Oct 31, 2018
Foreign Affairs
The shifting alignments in the Middle East have intensified since the murder of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi in Istanbul. Turkey has drifted away from NATO and toward Iran and Russia. Like Tehran and Moscow, Ankara is now more anti-Western than at any point in recent memory. What does this mean for the United States?
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Enlisted Personnel
essay
An Inside Look at Life in the Army's Junior Ranks
Oct 31, 2018
History records the names of generals, not of the privates filling out supply forms, cleaning out trucks, or huffing through another training exercise. But those privates keep the U.S. Army running. RAND research provides their unfiltered take on life in the ranks.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Cameroon's Days as Reliable U.S. Partner May Be Numbered
Michael Shurkin @MichaelShurkin
Oct 26, 2018
United Press International
The Cameroonian government is becoming more authoritarian under President Paul Biya. His re-election could be bad news for Cameroon and the region, but also for the United States.
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Intelligence Community
commentary
Business Model of the Intelligence Community Needs an Upgrade
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Oct 24, 2018
The Hill
The workplace practices of most intelligence agencies are outdated. Rethinking and redesigning the intelligence business model could help agencies better respond to current-day threats.
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Saudi Arabia
commentary
The Khashoggi Case and the Cost of Subcontracting U.S. Policy
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Oct 23, 2018
The Hill
Following the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United States needs to, at minimum, return toward a distinctly American policy toward the Middle East, one which can be distinguished from that of its local partners.
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Law of the Sea
commentary
The Quad Needs Broadening to Balance China—And Now's the Time to Do It
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Oct 22, 2018
Foreign Policy
Even in its resurrected form, the Quad could be in danger of failing to achieve its mission. The Quad might consider getting its house in order by extending dialogue partnerships to ASEAN maritime counterclaimant states.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Partner Capacity-Building's Next Phase—Embracing Civil Works?
James Schear
Oct 16, 2018
RealClearDefense
The way ahead for civil works capacity-building is not without its challenges. But in places that are plagued by extremist violence and irregular warfare, fostering civil society's trust and confidence isn't just an added benefit. It could instead be a targeted outcome.
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Iran
commentary
America's Indefinite Endgame in Syria
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Oct 16, 2018
The Atlantic
The Trump administration's position on the Syrian civil war has shifted from countering ISIS to containing Iran. America will remain in Syria as long as Iran does. But an unending timetable for the withdrawal of troops is far more problematic for Washington than it is for Tehran.
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Indonesia
commentary
Assessing Recent Developments in Indonesian Maritime Security
Lyle J. Morris @LyleJMorris
Oct 12, 2018
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Despite a daunting set of maritime challenges, Indonesia has placed renewed emphasis on maritime security governance. While the programs in place may take decades to bear fruit, Indonesia is on the path to securing the waterways and infrastructure so key to its overall economic development.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
North Korean Actions Speak Louder Than Its Words
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Oct 11, 2018
Newsweek
Kim Jong Un has regularly promised to denuclearize, but he's been all talk. And this year, North Korea has probably built five to nine more nuclear weapons. There are steps that could make a difference if taken before the North Korean nuclear weapon threat grows any further.
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