2017

Saudi Arabia
commentary
Saudi Arabia and Iran May Be Headed Toward War
Alireza Nader
Nov 13, 2017
Atlantic Council
America should encourage Tehran and Riyadh to settle their differences, not facilitate aggressive Saudi action. Otherwise, the region will be plunged into an even bigger crisis—without an end in sight.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Saudi Shakeup Gives the U.S. an Opening with Iran
Amir Handjani, Alireza Nader
Nov 13, 2017
Bloomberg
If Saudi Arabia forces a showdown with Iran, the U.S. will find itself in the middle of it. Washington and Tehran need to come to an understanding so as not to further inflame the region. Demonizing Iran for all the ills of the Middle East is counterproductive and will lead to further escalation.
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commentary
Why the EU Single Market Has Still Not Reached Its Full Potential
Marco Hafner
Nov 8, 2017
Open Access Government
The EU Single Market aimed to promote intra-European trade, increase competition, create more jobs and make Europe more attractive to foreign direct investment. The economic benefits of the Single Market are clear, but closer integration requires political buy-in from individual member states and the EU.
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Retirement and Retirement Benefits
commentary
The Looming Pension Crisis
Dan Grunfeld
Nov 8, 2017
Daily Journal
California leads the nation in pension underfunding. The state government has $464.4 billion in unfunded liabilities — the difference between resources that will be available in the state's pension fund and what will be owed to retiring employees.
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International Economic Relations
commentary
Sustaining America's Economic Strength in the Asia-Pacific: A Narrowing Window of Opportunity
Ali Wyne
Nov 8, 2017
Atlantic Council
Ali Wyne urges President Trump to reassure U.S. allies that the United States has both the capacity and the willingness to maintain an enduring presence in the Asia-Pacific. That reassurance must be grounded in credible geo-economic pledges.
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization
commentary
Deterring the Unthinkable: NATO's Role Along the Eastern Flank
Hans Binnendijk, Anika Binnendijk
Nov 7, 2017
Defense News
As NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to set the stage for the 2018 NATO summit, key issues will include defense burden-sharing and NATO’s role to the south in counterterrorism and refugee management. But strengthening deterrence to the East must remain the top priority for the alliance.
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Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Rethinking the Unthinkable: Recovering from a Nuclear Attack on a U.S. City
David A. Shlapak
Nov 7, 2017
Dallas Morning News
Responding after a nuclear attack will require having planned and prepared for problems that are very different than those encountered after hurricanes and earthquakes. U.S. cities are inadequately prepared to handle a disaster of this magnitude.
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Autonomous Vehicles
article
Why Waiting for Perfect Autonomous Vehicles May Cost Lives
Nov 7, 2017
Some people think autonomous vehicles must be flawless before humans take their hands off the wheel. But putting AVs on the road before they're perfect improves the technology more quickly—and could save hundreds of thousands of lives over time.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
What Is the Sahel G5 Force and Why Should the U.S. Support It?
Michael Shurkin
Nov 6, 2017
The Hill
The French Joint Force G-5 Sahel plan offers the possibility of strengthening the Sahel nations' efforts to combat terrorism. Supporting the French initiative is a worthy undertaking, provided, of course, that everyone understands what it is and is not.
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Community Resilience
commentary
How to Rebuild After This Year's Hurricane Season? Invest in Resilience
Melissa L. Finucane @MelissaFinucane
Nov 6, 2017
The RAND Blog
Investing in resilience in an informed and systematic way can help a wide range of high-risk communities be better prepared for any future disasters.
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Russia
commentary
Covert Influence Is the New Money Laundering
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Nov 6, 2017
TechCrunch
Anti-money laundering laws provide lessons for combating covert influence operations, such as Russian meddling in the U.S. election. These laws could be adapted for online media models that do not require users to be paid customers.
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Military Budgets and Defense Spending
commentary
The Long-Term Budget Shortfall and National Security: A Problem the United States Should Stop Avoiding
Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz
Nov 6, 2017
War on the Rocks
Bold promises and even actions that balance the budget for the short term should not mask the fact that the U.S. government has failed to face its long-term budget problems. Without changes, the ability to pay for many functions — including defense — will rely wholly on borrowed money.
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Cybersecurity
commentary
The Equifax Breach: Yawn, or Yikes?
Sasha Romanosky
Nov 3, 2017
Inside Sources
In cases where personal information is exposed, such as the Equifax data breach, it is critical that consumers take steps to ensure their information is not abused. The simplest and perhaps the most effective way to enhance personal digital security is to protect account credentials using password management software.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Why the Fall of the 'Caliphate' in Syria Will Not Ease Western Security Concerns
Antonia Ward
Nov 3, 2017
Georgetown Security Studies Review
A Syria and Iraq free of ISIS do not, unfortunately, free the West from the ISIS threat. Instead, ISIS is likely to either disperse, with its followers prepared to carry out a range of further attacks, or attempt to regroup in the fragile states of Africa.
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Syria
commentary
How to Help Syrians — Without Helping Assad
Philip Gordon, James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Nov 3, 2017
The Washington Post
The U.S. and others have a major interest in ending the Syrian civil war, helping the millions of displaced Syrians, and preventing the re-emergence of the Islamic State. But they are naturally reluctant to assist rebuilding a country run by Assad and supported by Russia and Iran. What are their options?
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