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National Security and Terrorism

Lebanon
commentary
Helping Lebanon Succeed Is More Than About Countering Iran
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Jan 16, 2019
The National Interest
As tensions increase on the Israeli-Lebanese border the possibility is growing that a confrontation with Iran may move from Syria to Lebanon. For the United States, turning its back on this small but strategically critical country and conflating U.S. interests in Lebanon solely with countering Iran could be short-sighted, and a missed opportunity at a time when the region has few.
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Military Intelligence
commentary
Explaining the Defense Intelligence Agency's Critical Role in National Security
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jan 11, 2019
War on the Rocks
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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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Does the U.S. Face an AI Ethics Gap?
Benjamin Boudreaux
Jan 11, 2019
RealClearDefense
The view that the United States is in an AI arms race suggests an AI ethics gap in which the United States faces a higher ethical hurdle to develop and deploy AI in military contexts than its adversaries. As a result of this gap, the United States could be at a competitive disadvantage against countries with fewer scruples about AI.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
America's Absence Could Be Syria's New Nightmare
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Jan 10, 2019
The National Interest
President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria reverses his administration's recent policy of retaining them as long as Iranian troops stay. U.S. withdrawal from Syria would give Bashar al-Assad, Iran, and Russia freer rein to subdue opposition forces and Assad could feel emboldened to act with greater impunity and brutality.
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Syria
commentary
Confusion Over the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jan 9, 2019
Reuters
Washington's strategy in Syria has been to impose costs on the Syrian government by diplomatic ostracism and economic sanctions. This punitive approach is morally satisfying and politically expedient, but as a practical matter it just helps perpetuate the conflict and sustain Assad's dependency on Iran.
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Russia
commentary
In Venezuela, a Potential U.S.-Russian Crisis?
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Jan 8, 2019
The Hill
In December, two supersonic nuclear-capable Russian bombers visited Venezuela, the third such excursion for the warplanes since 2008. Might Moscow intend to pose a threat, perhaps even nuclear, to the Western Hemisphere? If so, how could Washington respond?
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Syria
commentary
Withdrawing from Syria Leaves a Vacuum That Iran Will Fill
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Jan 8, 2019
Foreign Affairs
President Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria may be unintentionally signaling that the United States is unwilling to compete in critical geopolitical hotspots. Such a message could embolden powerful states—including Iran—to expand their presence.
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United States Department of Defense
commentary
Book Review: The Heart of War—Misadventures in the Pentagon by Kathleen McInnis
Jonathan P. Wong @jonpwong
Jan 8, 2019
War on the Rocks
Both Washington insiders and the general public may be inspired by Kathleen McCinnis's The Heart of War. The novel prompts readers to think more realistically about the Pentagon and its role in policymaking.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
The United States Can't Rely on Turkey to Defeat ISIS
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Ahmet S. Yayla
Jan 2, 2019
Foreign Policy
Relying on Turkey to shoulder the burden of countering the Islamic State will provide the terrorist group with an opportunity to revive itself at a critical stage in the fight. Turkey's main focus is on the Kurds and Erdogan's opposition. Eradicating the Islamic State is a secondary priority that has often been ignored.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Trump's Syria Withdrawal: Right Idea, Wrong Way, Wrong Time
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Dec 26, 2018
Reuters
President Trump's desire to withdraw from Syria is consistent with his and his predecessor's national strategies, but the manner in which the decision has been taken is highly counterproductive. Unless modified it could have disastrous consequences, says James Dobbins.
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Gun Violence
blog
The Most Popular RAND Research of 2018
Dec 21, 2018
RAND serves as an objective source of facts that help inform the world's most pressing policy debates. When decisions are based on the best evidence, that's when public policy can have a positive impact on people's lives. We're highlighting the 10 research projects that RAND.org readers found most engaging this year.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
The Good and Bad of the Trump Administration's New Africa Strategy
Michael Shurkin @MichaelShurkin
Dec 20, 2018
The Hill
The Trump administration's Africa strategy combines a turn away from counterterrorism as a priority, emphasis on trade, and working to help Africans solve their own problems, all of which could be opportunities for a more positive relationship. The implied prioritization of great power competition, however, suggests the real risk of a return to Cold War-era approach.
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Military Strategy
commentary
An Army Caught in the Middle Between Luddites, Luminaries, and the Occasional Looney
David E. Johnson @DaveJohnsonDC
Dec 20, 2018
War on the Rocks
The creation of the Army Futures Command is an important and necessary move for the U.S. Army. For the first time since the 1970s, the Army has a major command focused on preparing it for future war with a peer competitor.
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Globalization
blog
Most Popular RAND Commentary of 2018
Dec 20, 2018
RAND experts publish hundreds of pieces of commentary every year, weighing in on pressing policy questions, breaking down current events, and untangling complex trends. To look back on some of the policy stories that defined the year, we've rounded up the 10 RAND Blog pieces that resonated most with our readers.
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Cambodia
commentary
Does Nuon Chea Still Have No Regrets?
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Dec 19, 2018
The Diplomat
Nuon Chea was convicted of genocide in a tribunal in Phnom Penh in November for his role in the Cambodian genocide. Shelly Culbertson relays the story of her trip to interview him at his home in Pailin in 2003.
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Social Media Analysis
blog
Best RAND Videos of 2018
Dec 19, 2018
RAND research yields findings that run the gamut of potential applications and promising policy solutions. Here, we highlight three of 2018's most captivating videos featuring RAND research and its potential to inform policy.
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National Security and Terrorism

Helping Lebanon Succeed Is More Than About Countering Iran

Explaining the Defense Intelligence Agency's Critical Role in National Security

Does the U.S. Face an AI Ethics Gap?

America's Absence Could Be Syria's New Nightmare

Confusion Over the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria

In Venezuela, a Potential U.S.-Russian Crisis?

Withdrawing from Syria Leaves a Vacuum That Iran Will Fill

Book Review: The Heart of War—Misadventures in the Pentagon by Kathleen McInnis

The United States Can't Rely on Turkey to Defeat ISIS

Trump's Syria Withdrawal: Right Idea, Wrong Way, Wrong Time

The Most Popular RAND Research of 2018

The Good and Bad of the Trump Administration's New Africa Strategy

An Army Caught in the Middle Between Luddites, Luminaries, and the Occasional Looney

Most Popular RAND Commentary of 2018

Does Nuon Chea Still Have No Regrets?

Best RAND Videos of 2018

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