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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

Military Acquisition and Procurement
commentary
Privatizing the Military Unlikely to Be a Viable Solution in Afghanistan
Molly 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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Military Acquisition and Procurement
commentary
Is It a Good Idea to Privatize the War in Afghanistan?
S. Rebecca Zimmerman @_rebeccaz
Aug 4, 2017
Newsweek
The CEO of the Blackwater Corporation has suggested that the U.S. should privatize the war in Afghanistan, and the administration is reportedly giving it some thought. It is important not to dismiss this plan categorically, but to consider it on the merits. Doing so highlights the risks of such a plan.
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United States
blog
RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress
Aug 4, 2017
Hill staffers can make the most of the Congressional recess with this list of must-read research and commentary on the policy issues they will be addressing this fall.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
While Americans Fight the Taliban, Putin Is Making Headway in Afghanistan
Arturo Munoz
Jul 31, 2017
Newsweek
The Russians are ramping up political, economic, and propaganda activities to improve their image and reestablish their influence amid pervasive corruption that is impeding progress in Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan
commentary
A Peace 'Surge' to End War in Afghanistan
Laurel E. Miller
Jul 24, 2017
New York Times
President Trump has no easy options in Afghanistan. A surge of U.S. commitment to negotiating a political settlement would not remove all the obstacles, but it is a prerequisite.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Moving Beyond Mosul
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Jul 18, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
The Islamic State group has been defeated in Mosul. But this military routing isn't enough to ensure lasting stability, either in Mosul or in Iraq more broadly. What comes next will require careful planning, diplomacy, implementation, and coordination.
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Afghanistan
commentary
Trump's Options for Afghanistan: Losing or Not Losing
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jun 23, 2017
The Cipher Brief
The Trump administration faces the choice of losing quickly by withdrawing from Afghanistan; losing slowly by maintaining America's current, inadequate commitment; or not losing by increasing that commitment enough to maintain a stalemate on the battlefield.
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Japan
commentary
Japan's Mistaken South Sudan Withdrawal
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Jun 8, 2017
The Diplomat
Being a proactive contributor to peace involves risk if a country is serious about gaining real-world experience. Pulling out of South Sudan deprives Japan's Self-Defense Force of crucial operational experience and sends a confusing message to the United States and the international community.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
Developing a Comprehensive Strategy for Countering the Islamic State
Natasha Lander, Kimberly Jackson
Jun 5, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
Despite substantial policy and military focus, U.S. attempts to stop the Islamic State group have met with only varying degrees of success. A patient, long-term U.S. investment in governance—including a renewed commitment to addressing the root causes of instability in the Middle East—is needed in Iraq and Syria.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
NATO's Role in Post-Caliphate Stability Operations
Hans Binnendijk, David C. Gompert
May 2, 2017
The National Interest
Steps are needed to fill the vacuum left as the caliphate collapses, lest forces on the ground turn on each other to gain control. The answer is for NATO to act under U.S. leadership. The alternative is either chaos or Iran, backed by Russia, filling the void.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
U.N. Peacekeeping Is a Good Deal for the U.S.
Heather Peterson
Apr 2, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
Why should America spend taxpayer dollars on foreign peacekeepers when it could use the money to increase the capabilities of its own military? It turns out that U.N. peacekeepers are an incredibly good deal when compared to U.S. forces.
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Disadvantaged Students
commentary
The Urgent Need for an Education Plan in Mosul
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson
Mar 27, 2017
Fox News Channel
In addition to restoring Mosul's damaged infrastructure, efforts to stabilize the city must include a plan to rebuild education. Students need to make up years of missed K-12 and university education, and ISIS indoctrination needs to be undone.
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Afghanistan
commentary
How Trump Should Manage Afghanistan
Seth G. Jones @SethGJones
Mar 21, 2017
Foreign Affairs
While media coverage has focused on Syria and Iraq, Afghanistan remains an important frontline state in the fight against terrorism. The Trump administration should aim to prevent the Taliban from overthrowing the Afghan government, encourage political reconciliation, and pursue terrorists that threaten the United States.
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Syria
commentary
To Take Raqqa, the U.S. Must Work with Its Partner in the Fight Against the Islamic State Group
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Mar 13, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
Turkey strongly opposes the U.S. bid to arm the Syrian Kurds. Rushing into Raqqa without reaching agreement with Turkey would jeopardize larger U.S. regional and even global geopolitical objectives.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
For U.S., Many Options but No Clear Path in Middle East
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Mar 6, 2017
The Hill
The struggle against jihadist terrorism has a long way to go. All courses of action come with risks, but are not mutually exclusive. The U.S. could escalate the fight, work with state partners in the Middle East, or withdraw from the region.
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Iraq
commentary
Stabilizing Mosul After the Battle Against ISIS
Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Feb 9, 2017
Newsweek
U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have retaken the east bank of Mosul and are planning to take the west soon. The military operations that oust ISIS are crucial to the city's liberation but failing to get the civilian response right risks a widening civil war.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

Privatizing the Military Unlikely to Be a Viable Solution in Afghanistan

Is It a Good Idea to Privatize the War in Afghanistan?

RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress

While Americans Fight the Taliban, Putin Is Making Headway in Afghanistan

A Peace 'Surge' to End War in Afghanistan

Moving Beyond Mosul

Trump's Options for Afghanistan: Losing or Not Losing

Japan's Mistaken South Sudan Withdrawal

Developing a Comprehensive Strategy for Countering the Islamic State

NATO's Role in Post-Caliphate Stability Operations

U.N. Peacekeeping Is a Good Deal for the U.S.

The Urgent Need for an Education Plan in Mosul

How Trump Should Manage Afghanistan

To Take Raqqa, the U.S. Must Work with Its Partner in the Fight Against the Islamic State Group

For U.S., Many Options but No Clear Path in Middle East

Stabilizing Mosul After the Battle Against ISIS

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