Skip to page content

West Asia

News Release
Follow the Money: How the United States Can Counteract the Islamic State's Plans for a Comeback
With the end of its territorial caliphate, the Islamic State will almost certainly attempt a comeback. Such efforts will require money. A new RAND report examines the group as an insurgency and a self-styled caliphate, with a focus on how the group managed its finances, drawing from the literature, the group's documents, and interviews with individuals who lived under the caliphate.
Aug 8, 2019
Commentary
Development with No Political Framework Is a Car Without an Engine
Pushing an economic development plan for the Middle East without addressing the political issues specific to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is like trying to sell a car without an engine. Why? Because an economic strategy that doesn't address core political issues would have no governing entity to put it into effect.
Jul 9, 2019
Blog
DMZ Meeting, Students with Disabilities, Iran: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un, supporting students with disabilities, the flawed logic of a proportional response in Iran, and more.
Jul 5, 2019
Research Brief
The Battle for Baghdad: Institutionalizing Army Lessons for Urban Combat
This brief recounts the U.S. Army's efforts in the Iraq War, especially in Baghdad, and offers lessons learned and recommendations to enable leaders and soldiers to be better prepared in future conflicts.
Jul 3, 2019
Commentary
The Flawed Logic of Proportionality
President Trump halted a retaliatory strike against Iran on the basis that it would have claimed many Iranian lives and was not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. There are many good reasons to avoid attacking Iran, but if Washington must resort to force in the future, it should avoid the flawed logic of proportionality.
Jul 1, 2019
Commentary
Changing the Way America Goes to War
America's vast power, and the weakness of most of its enemies, has allowed it to get away with a striking absence of deliberative judgment when deciding on war, as the Iraq case makes clear. But that free pass is coming to an end. It's time for the United States to rethink the way it decides on wars of choice.
Jun 25, 2019
Blog
Iran, School Discipline, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the costs of U.S.–Iran confrontation, discipline reform in America's schools, why the North Korea problem is bigger than nukes, and more.
Jun 21, 2019
Commentary
A Post-2020 U.S. Return to the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Now that the United States is out of the Iran nuclear deal, signing back on will not be as simple or as practical as some may hope. Too much has happened since it was first inked in 2015. With the political landscape in Tehran and Washington still taking shape, those who want to return to some kind of deal should start planning.
Jun 20, 2019
Commentary
The Costs of Confrontation with Iran Are Mounting
Even if the United States and Iran avoid a direct military clash, recent escalation and the U.S. maximum pressure campaign are exacting long-term costs for U.S. interests and regional stability in ways that may be difficult if not impossible to reverse.
Jun 17, 2019
Blog
Hong Kong, Education Reform, Baghdad: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on lessons for state education reform, retaining women in the U.S. Coast Guard, recounting the Battle for Baghdad, and more.
Jun 14, 2019
Report
Lessons Learned from the Battle for Baghdad
A review of the U.S. Army's efforts in the Iraq War, especially in Baghdad, offers insights and recommendations that could help leaders avoid the same mistakes in future conflicts. One important lesson is that DoD war plans need to include actions to ensure long-term stability.
Jun 12, 2019
Blog
ISIS, Homelessness, India's Election: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on what can be done about ISIS detainees, a program that helps reduce homelessness, Modi's reelection in India, and more.
Jun 7, 2019
Research Brief
The Growing Need to Focus on Modern Political Warfare
RAND researchers analyzed how political warfare is practiced today and identified ways that the U.S. government, its allies, and its partners can respond to or engage in this type of conflict to achieve U.S. ends and protect U.S. interests.
May 31, 2019
Journal Article
Options for Dealing with ISIS Foreign Fighters Detained in Syria
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are holding thousands of fighters who had joined ISIS's ranks from abroad as well as members of their families. What the world does (or does not do) about them could affect the future stability of the region and the countries from which they came.
May 31, 2019
Blog
Iran, Prison College Programs, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Iran's nonstate partners, lessons from a prison college program, what a fentanyl ban in China means for the U.S. opioid crisis, and more.
May 24, 2019
Commentary
Iran's Network of Fighters in the Middle East Aren't Always Loyal to Iran
Iran's nonstate partners are emerging as central players in the escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, and may be a driver of further escalation. But how involved is Iran with these proxy groups?
May 21, 2019
Commentary
The U.S. and Iran: Beyond the Rhetoric
Since the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran, tensions between the two countries have increased. Washington has stepped up pressure on Tehran in the hopes of reopening negotiations or ushering in the regime's collapse, while inside Iran, President Rouhani is facing pressure to retaliate.
May 17, 2019
Blog
Journalism, U.S.–Iranian Tensions, School Reform: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the news has changed in the digital age, rising U.S.–Iranian tensions, how educators feel about school improvement plans, and more.
May 17, 2019
Commentary
We're Just Beginning to Grasp the Toll of the Islamic State's Archaeological Looting in Syria
During the Islamic State's rise, looted artifacts were said to be a significant source of income for the group. But no one had identified the value, using empirical data and systematic calculations, of the artifacts that were known to exist in Syria's archaeological sites. Until now.
May 15, 2019
Commentary
Can Anyone Save the Iran Nuclear Deal Now?
Europe faces mounting pressure from both Tehran and Washington regarding the Iran nuclear deal. European countries could take steps to signal their commitment to upholding the deal, but doing so may alienate the United States.
May 10, 2019

Previous
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Next

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Charles P. Ries

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Ambassador (Ret.) Charles Ries is an adjunct senior fellow at the RAND Corporation. His research focuses on the economics of development, trade, transatlantic, and Middle East affairs. Previously, Ries served as vice president, International at RAND (2012–2020). Earlier, while on a leave of…
Terrence K. Kelly

Senior Operations Researcher

Terrence Kelly is a principal mathematician at the RAND Corporation. From 2016 to 2022 he served as the first director of the RAND Homeland Security Research Division and as a RAND vice president.

Explore Our People »