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Global security includes military and diplomatic measures that nations and international organizations such as the United Nations and NATO take to ensure mutual safety and security. RAND provides analyses that help policymakers understand political, military, and economic trends around the world; the sources of potential regional conflict; and emerging threats to the global security environment.

Report

How Does Russia View the International Order?

May 18, 2017

Russia sees the U.S.-led international order as a threat to its interests. U.S. and Russian interests overlap in some areas, such as counterterrorism. But they are directly opposed in others. What are America's policy options?
Report

Could Stateless Attribution Promote International Cyber Accountability?

Jun 2, 2017

The public may respond to government claims about who is behind a cyberattack with suspicion and confusion. Could an independent, global organization for cyber attribution help?

Explore Global Security

Q&A

The Post-Arab Spring Experience: Q&A with Shelly Culbertson

It's too early to say whether the Arab Spring will turn out to be a success or not. It was about people in the region deciding what they did not want and rising up against it, but they hadn't worked out what they did want. Many of them still have hope.

Aug 23, 2017
Commentary

How We Can Keep Iran from Becoming the Next North Korea

The U.S. brokered an agreement to constrain North Korea's nuclear program 25 years ago but hard-liners abandoned it with vague intentions of coercing the North into something better. They never did, and now a runaway North Korean program poses real danger. This offers a powerful reason to preserve the Iranian nuclear deal.

Aug 22, 2017
Commentary

Trump's New Afghanistan Strategy: Governing from the Center?

The president has embraced a national security establishment strategy for Afghanistan with a veneer of Trumpian flourishes that do not alter its essence. The result is likely to disappoint some of his supporters and to be criticized by his opponents, but it will also secure a measure of bipartisan support.

Aug 22, 2017
Report

Report

The Global Landpower Network: Recommendations for Strengthening Army Engagement

The U.S. Army's global landpower network concept integrates, sustains, and advances the Army's efforts to meet U.S. national security guidance emphasizing the importance of working closely with partner nations to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.

Aug 21, 2017
Essay

Understanding North Korea

How should the U.S. respond to North Korea's provocative behavior? Even the best military options could be cataclysmically bad, but there are nonmilitary options to convince Kim Jong Un that the costs of his provocations outweigh any benefits.

Aug 18, 2017
Commentary

Assad's Attacks Should Not Be Repeated, Forgotten, or Excused

Despite signing the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty in October 2013, Assad has continued chemical attacks on the Syrian opposition. To counter Assad and others who might turn to the use of chemical weapons, the U.S. could collaborate with other major powers to bolster the international ban on them.

Aug 15, 2017
Commentary

Another Casualty of Climate Change: Peace

The connection between human conflict and climate change is no mere coincidence. Drought, temperature and tensions rise in tandem, with the implicit threat of violent conflict not far behind.

Aug 15, 2017
Commentary

How Did North Korea Get Its Nuclear Capabilities So Far So Fast?

The recent North Korean missile tests and other provocations have sent shock waves through the global national security community and heightened tensions throughout the region. How has North Korea increased its missile capabilities so dramatically in such a short period of time?

Aug 14, 2017
Commentary

Privatizing the Military Unlikely to Be a Viable Solution in Afghanistan

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.

Aug 14, 2017
Commentary

Dealing with Global Hot Spots in Times of Domestic Upheaval

The United States faces growing dangers of war in three parts of the globe: North Korea, Syria, and the South China Sea. How will it manage any—let alone all—of them, especially with political turmoil at the highest levels at home?

Aug 14, 2017
Commentary

Islamic State 2.0

Many of Iraq's Sunnis are frustrated with the slow pace of reconstruction and a Baghdad government they consider too friendly to Iran. The U.S. needs to shift from supporting military operations in cities such as Mosul to helping the Iraqi government better address political grievances. Failure risks sowing the seeds of ISIS's resurgence.

Aug 10, 2017
Commentary

Contain, Deter, Transform: A Winning Strategy on North Korea

North Korea's missile tests and reported progress in nuclear warhead design have produced a volatile new urgency in U.S. policy. Contain, deter, and transform isn't a radical solution, but it's one that has worked before. This approach could preserve U.S. interests while avoiding war.

Aug 9, 2017
Commentary

Lowdown on Pyeongtaek Garrison

Camp Humphreys will become the major U.S. base in Korea. In terms of North Korean threats, the camp is roughly 100 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone. Some North Korean ballistic missiles could cause damage at Camp Humphreys if it's targeted.

Aug 8, 2017
Report

What Is Russia's Strategy in the Middle East?

Russia's regional strategy is an approach of ways and means, where broad principles take the place of prescribed ends. Moscow is constantly seeking to improve its short-term economic, military, and political advantages.

Aug 7, 2017
Commentary

Why THAAD Is Needed in Korea

As the threat from North Korea has been developing over the last 30 years, the U.S. has responsibly deployed missile defenses in Korea to protect its forces and South Koreans. Today, North Korea's medium- and intermediate-range missiles require a defense able to handle higher missile re-entry speeds like the THAAD system.

Aug 7, 2017
Commentary

In Its Relations with Russia, Can the U.S. Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time?

A U.S. policy of unremitting hostility toward Russia won't command domestic support or secure European backing. Neither will a policy of comprehensive collaboration. Washington needs to confront Moscow where necessary and cooperate where possible.

Aug 6, 2017
Multimedia

Making Victory Count After Defeating ISIS

In this Call with the Experts, Senior Policy Researcher Shelly Culbertson discusses the challenges ahead to ensure peace and stability following the defeat of ISIS in Mosul. Media relations director Jeffrey Hiday moderates the call.

Aug 4, 2017
Blog

RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress

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.

Aug 4, 2017
Commentary

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

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.

Aug 4, 2017
Report

Report

Implications of the Security Cooperation Office Transition in Afghanistan for Special Operations Forces: An Abbreviated Report of the Study's Primary Findings

Presents findings from six historical case studies in which the mission of special operations forces in each of the six countries transitioned over time to include some level of inclusion in the U.S. embassy's Security Cooperation Office.

Aug 1, 2017

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Global Security

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