September 2014

commentary

Using Education to Stop the Prison Revolving Door

Providing education and vocational training to inmates is a cost-effective way to reduce recidivism rates, thus shrinking prison populations and easing the strain on prison budgets. Education is far less expensive than incarceration.

Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis

commentary

Why Iran Can't Walk Away from Nuclear Talks So Easily

If the public inflexibility of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif isn't mere diplomatic posturing, they would be gambling not only with their own political futures, but the futures of 80 million Iranians as well.

Alireza Nader

commentary

An Inconvenient War

Congress has not addressed President Obama's plans to take other military steps against ISIS. Some members of Congress do not want to vote on the use of military force until after the upcoming elections. Among these are some who fear their vote could cost them votes.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

commentary

War with ISIS: What Does Victory Look Like?

We should start the campaign with an achievable definition of victory and a reasonable expectation about what that will take. We want to degrade ISIS so its ability to attack us and our interests is minimized, and to aid allies — particularly Iraqis and Middle Eastern governments who are willing to commit even limited forces.

Andrew Liepman, Philip Mudd

q&a

RAND Experts Discuss U.S. Airstrikes Against ISIS in Syria

The United States and five of its partner nations are conducting strikes against ISIS terrorists in Syria using fighters, bombers, remotely piloted aircraft, and Tomahawk Land Attack missiles. RAND experts discuss the bombings and possible ramifications.

commentary

Afghanistan's Best Bet

On Sunday, Ashraf Ghani was declared the victor in a contest to determine Afghanistan's next president. The process has been infuriating but the end product of this mess was the best possible outcome: best for Afghanistan, best for the region, and best for the United States.

Jonah Blank

commentary

Does France Have the Master Plan to Defeat ISIS?

In Mali, France stopped jihadists from taking over, ejected them from the country almost entirely, and struck a major blow to their ability to threaten France and the region. This success story provides important lessons for the U.S. debate about how to deal with ISIS.

Christopher S. Chivvis

commentary

The More Options, the Better

Preserving the ability of the United States to choose how it will respond to global events is essential. And maintaining options is critical to the calculus.

Christopher G. Pernin

commentary

One Day in the Life of Russia

Russia faces major challenges, some self-inflicted. Freedoms vital to the creation of a modern civil society are declining. Dominant, state-controlled energy and aerospace companies are losing ground, weakening a strained economy. Russia's relationship with Europe, its most important economic partner and a cultural beacon, is fracturing.

William Courtney @courtneywmh

commentary

From Glasgow to Kashmir

Scotland's vote could be a step toward disrupting the historical pattern of independence being won by force, not granted after a vote. This was the paradigm of the past, and it remains the paradigm of the present. But the vote in Scotland just might help set a new roadmap for the future.

Jonah Blank

commentary

Community-Driven Development: How the Poor Can Take Charge to Improve Their Housing

Public housing projects have been controversial for decades in countries around the world. But an informal settlement in Cape Town, South Africa, could serve as a guide for other countries experimenting with community-driven development, an alternative approach to public housing.

Julia Pollak

commentary

Probing the Barriers to Conducting Clinical Research in Sub-Saharan Africa

Developing clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa requires a more holistic approach that considers not only individuals and institutions concerned with clinical research but also the wider health and research systems in these countries.

Gavin Cochrane, Catriona Manville

commentary

What Does North Korea Want?

Currently, three U.S. citizens are being detained in North Korea. It is likely that North Korea wants someone like a former U.S. president to come to North Korea instead of U.S. Ambassador Bob King, whose visits were cancelled.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett

commentary

War Is Not the Word

Iraq, not the United States, is at war with ISIS. This distinction is important because it helps everyone understand each country's role.

Dick Hoffmann

commentary

Another Example of Obama's Light-Footprint Strategy

President Obama's campaign against ISIS militants marks a notable strategic shift in the conduct of warfare against terrorists and insurgents. It eschews the use of overwhelming force and embraces a light-footprint strategy that relies on precision strikes from U.S. aircraft, clandestine ground units, and local allies.

Seth G. Jones