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2018

Democracy
commentary
In Africa, Presidential Term Limits Are Working
Alexander H. Noyes
Apr 24, 2018
The Washington Post Monkey Cage Blog
World news regularly features headlines about African power grabs and constitutional coups. Presidents Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia both adhered to term limits, stepping aside after finishing their second terms. Are they part of a broader trend?
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Stabilization Is Essential to Accomplishing the Mission
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Apr 24, 2018
The RAND Blog
As the inevitable “what next” questions swirl around Iraq and Syria, and military gains remain fragile, military commanders have come to the forefront in pushing for a new model. They warn that total withdrawal will ensure bad things fill the vacuum.
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Artificial Intelligence
article
How Artificial Intelligence Could Increase the Risk of Nuclear War
Apr 24, 2018
Advances in artificial intelligence have provoked a new kind of arms race among nuclear powers. AI could challenge the basic rules of nuclear deterrence and lead to catastrophic miscalculations.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
Staying Cool—As the Globe Warms
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Apr 23, 2018
Science and Development Network
Studies suggest that the heat of the future will exceed human coping capacity. Taking advantage of smart technology, inexpensive traditional methods that require little energy use, and innovative energy-efficient technologies could provide a sustainable path forward in heat-challenged regions.
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Refugees
commentary
Europe's Great Challenge: Integrating Syrian Refugees
Ernesto F. L. Amaral, Mahlet A. Woldetsadik, Gabriela Armenta
Apr 20, 2018
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Since March, 2011, close to 1 million Syrian refugees have requested asylum in European countries, with Germany being the primary destination. Social and economic policies to deal with the refugee crisis will require collaborative planning, monitoring, and assessment efforts to be successful.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
Defeating the ISIS Nostalgia Narrative
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke, Haroro J. Ingram
Apr 19, 2018
Foreign Policy Research Institute
It is crucial that the United States and its coalition partners take into consideration and preempt the ISIS nostalgia narratives that may seek to define the group's legacy and prepare a foundation for its resurgence throughout the Middle East and beyond. The legacy ISIS should be remembered for is one of misery and despair.
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Chemical Terrorism
commentary
Arms Control Hostage to Skripal and Syria Attacks
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Apr 19, 2018
RealClearDefense
Two prominent poisoning assassination attempts and Kremlin denials of gas attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad raise doubts about Moscow's commitment to the purposes of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Never has the future of negotiated arms control involving Russia been at greater risk.
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Chemical Weapons and Warfare
commentary
A Norm in Crisis: Implications of Persistent Chemical Weapons Use
Natasha Lander
Apr 18, 2018
RealClearDefense
The international community should consider serious options to hold perpetrators of chemical attacks accountable and stop further attacks. These are not easy choices. But the alternative is accepting that long-held norms are crumbling, and the world is sliding back to a time when inhumane tools of war were common.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Why the U.S.-Japan Summit Matters
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Apr 17, 2018
CNN
After a year and half of relative stability, the The United States and Japan now must talk about difficult issues in which they have vested interests. As allies, and close friends, they could both benefit from reconfirming common goals and establishing a set of strategies to deal with challenges.
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Terrorist Bombings
commentary
Austin Bombings Highlight a Potential Vulnerability in the Mail Delivery System
Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis, Michael Pollard
Apr 17, 2018
Inside Sources
USPS is better than private couriers at identifying and detecting suspicious packages. Given that they are increasingly handling "last mile" delivery, how can private mail delivery offices better detect and safely handle suspicious mail?
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Counterterrorism
commentary
Now's the Time to Act on Guantanamo
K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley, Michelle Kezirian, Richard B. Goetz, Jerrold D. Green
Apr 16, 2018
The Hill
Most of the 41 terror suspects who remain confined at Guantanamo Bay are unlikely to be released from custody any time soon. But the possibility that new detainees may soon be sent to the facility argues for early action to accelerate the legal proceedings against those already being held.
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Information Operations
commentary
Political Warfare Is Back with a Vengeance
Raphael S. Cohen, Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Apr 13, 2018
The National Interest
The United States' principal adversaries are fighting and gaining ground by employing a host of tactics short of all-out war. This form of warfare, once called political warfare, is back with a vengeance, empowered by new tools and techniques.
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Turkey
commentary
Turkey's Double Standard: How Ankara's Actions Contradict Its Claims of Opposing the Islamic State
Ahmet S. Yayla, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Apr 13, 2018
Foreign Policy
Turkey wants to take credit for the demise of the Islamic State, insisting that Turkey's actions in northern Syria have helped lay the groundwork for a sustainable peace. But the evidence clearly suggests otherwise.
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Labor Markets
commentary
Bridging the Growing College Divide Among Young Americans
Diana Gehlhaus Carew
Apr 13, 2018
The Hill
Over the last decade, more Americans age 25 to 34 earned four-year college and graduate degrees but the number of those without college degrees also increased. New ways of communicating educational options and outcomes to young people are needed.
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Traffic Congestion
commentary
Congestion Tolls Work in London and Stockholm—Why Not Seattle?
Charlene Rohr
Apr 12, 2018
The Seattle Times
Seattle is considering following in the footsteps of cities like London, Stockholm, Singapore and Milan to introduce a charge for driving on the roads. What can Seattle and its inhabitants learn from other cities that have implemented road user charging?
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Syria
commentary
Conditioning American Withdrawal from Syria
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Apr 9, 2018
Al-Monitor
U.S. forces will soon withdraw from Syria, and the U.S. State Department put a hold on further stabilization assistance to areas liberated from the Islamic State. The U.S. and its partners should offer stabilization and reconstruction help, particularly in regions where much of the damage was the result of American-supported military operations.
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2018

In Africa, Presidential Term Limits Are Working

Stabilization Is Essential to Accomplishing the Mission

How Artificial Intelligence Could Increase the Risk of Nuclear War

Staying Cool—As the Globe Warms

Europe's Great Challenge: Integrating Syrian Refugees

Defeating the ISIS Nostalgia Narrative

Arms Control Hostage to Skripal and Syria Attacks

A Norm in Crisis: Implications of Persistent Chemical Weapons Use

Why the U.S.-Japan Summit Matters

Austin Bombings Highlight a Potential Vulnerability in the Mail Delivery System

Now's the Time to Act on Guantanamo

Political Warfare Is Back with a Vengeance

Turkey's Double Standard: How Ankara's Actions Contradict Its Claims of Opposing the Islamic State

Bridging the Growing College Divide Among Young Americans

Congestion Tolls Work in London and Stockholm—Why Not Seattle?

Conditioning American Withdrawal from Syria

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