The RAND Blog

April 2008

Afghanistan

commentary
Afghan Progress Spotty but Hopeful
As NATO's role in Afghanistan was debated in Bucharest recently, the bad headlines continued rolling in. And yet, on the ground, there is equally compelling evidence that the efforts of the international community are making a difference and conditions are improving, write Obaid Younossi and Peter Dahl Thruelsen.
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Apr 29, 2008
Providence Journal
Obaid Younossi, Peter Dahl Thruelsen
Iraq

commentary
A House of Tribes for Iraq
Many western notions of governance may be struggling to take hold in Iraq, but one that deserves a close look is the effort to create what would amount to a unique upper legislative body: The House of Tribes, write Theodore Karasik and Ghassan Schbley.
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Apr 25, 2008
The Washington Post
Theodore W. Karasik, Ghassan Schbley
Syria

commentary
Good Morning, Syria! – Time to Revisit Our Axis of Evil List?
The time may come to start contemplating whether Syria might follow the example of Libya and make its way off the axis of evil, write Cheryl Benard and Ed O'Connell.
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Apr 22, 2008
Providence Journal
Cheryl Benard, Edward O'Connell
Prescription Drug Benefits

commentary
A Better Way to Pay for Prescriptions
The pricing plans most people choose for their cell phones are simple: Pay one price and talk as much as you want. What if paying for your prescription drugs were as easy and appealing?, writes Dana P. Goldman.
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Apr 19, 2008
Providence Journal
Dana P. Goldman
Iraq

commentary
Iraq Needs an Ownership Surge
The military surge in Iraq has created conditions favorable for long-term stability. Now a new approach to economic reconstruction is needed to sustain the hard-fought military gains, write Clare Lockhart and Joseph Konzelmann.
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Apr 13, 2008
Washington Times
Joseph Konzelmann, Clare Lockhart
Counterterrorism

commentary
The New Deterrence: Overwhelming and Searching Retaliation
[T]he United States should leave no one in doubt: participation or complicity in a WMD attack will trigger "overwhelming" and searching retaliation, writes Elbridge Colby.
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Apr 10, 2008
Weekly Standard
Elbridge A. Colby
Military Force Planning

commentary
Real Roles, Missions Debate
The United States can and should move beyond a "one size fits all" approach to sizing military forces toward a construct that shapes each service for the types of operations it is actually expected to conduct in the future, write Andrew Hoehn and David Ochmanek.
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Apr 7, 2008
Washington Times
Andrew R. Hoehn @AndyHoehn, David A. Ochmanek
Iraq

commentary
Iraq's Sunni Time Bomb
While the recent fighting in Basra and Baghdad has alerted many Americans to the danger that Shiite-on-Shiite violence poses to our goals in Iraq, it should not divert our focus from another looming threat: that the Sunni tribesmen who have sided with the American-led coalition may turn against us, writes Matthew Sherman.
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Apr 3, 2008
New York Times
Matthew Sherman
Afghanistan

commentary
America Is Making a Difference in Eastern Afghanistan
[The United States] has made some progress against the Taliban and other insurgent groups in eastern Afghanistan, and created a window of opportunity to spread this elsewhere, writes Seth G. Jones.
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Apr 1, 2008
The Globe and Mail
Seth G. Jones

Ensuring that Government Use of Technology Serves the Public

Advancing Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence

Six Different Ways: Ukraine Lessons for Japanese Defense Planners

Teacher Well-Being, Russian PMCs, AI Conspiracy Theories: RAND Weekly Recap

Ukraine is running out of ammo. The West doesn’t have enough.

The Policy Currents Podcast

Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

April 2008

Afghan Progress Spotty but Hopeful

A House of Tribes for Iraq

Good Morning, Syria! – Time to Revisit Our Axis of Evil List?

A Better Way to Pay for Prescriptions

Iraq Needs an Ownership Surge

The New Deterrence: Overwhelming and Searching Retaliation

Real Roles, Missions Debate

Iraq's Sunni Time Bomb

America Is Making a Difference in Eastern Afghanistan

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