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Saturday November 7, 2009

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Save to My PortfolioShooting Up: Counterinsurgency and the War on Drugs

Vanda Felbab-Brown, November 15, 2009

Felbab-Brown draws on interviews and fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous regions to explain how belligerent groups have become involved in drug trafficking and other illicit activities, including kidnapping, extortion, and smuggling. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioMake American Resources Conditional on Afghan Progress

Michael E. O'Hanlon and Stephen J. Solarz, October 19, 2009, The Washington Times

Congressional leaders and the Obama administration discussing "intermediate options" in Afghanistan, but could such an approach prove successful? Michael O’Hanlon and Stephen Solarz offer insight into what middle-ground steps General Stanley McChrystal is already taking and explain how an active U.S.-Afghan partnership is essential to providing security, safety and success in Afghanistan. Read More

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioAssessing the President’s Policy Options in Afghanistan

Friday, October 16, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC

President Obama's decision on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan is being portrayed as the most momentous of his young presidency. On October 16, Brookings hosted a discussion of the president's policy options for Afghanistan, drawing on experts with a diverse range of views. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPakistan: The Next Nuclear Nightmare?

Bruce Riedel, October 12, 2009, The Daily Beast

Pakistan: The Next Nuclear Nightmare?Bruce Riedel says this weekend’s attack on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, the military center of Pakistan, underscores the volatility and fragility in the world’s second largest Muslim country. Riedel argues that the United States must encourage Pakistan too keep moving against extremists while assuring them we will not abandon the fight in the region. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioShould President Obama Send More Troops to Afghanistan?

Michael E. O'Hanlon, October 11, 2009, CBS' Face The Nation

Michael O'Hanlon joined Bob Shieffer, and guests on Face the Nation, to discuss the current and future U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. O'Hanlon focused on the growth of the Taliban as grounds to back additional troop increases for the counterinsurgency mission and argued the counterterrorism strategy advocated by some has already been tried and did not work. Read More

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioThe Afghanistan and Pakistan Indexes and Assessments of U.S. Policies in the Region

Monday, October 05, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC

Afghanistan and Pakistan have challenged President Obama since he took office, as questions persist about the success of U.S. policies in the region. On October 5, Brookings hosted the launch of a new Pakistan Index with a discussion on the state of the Afghanistan mission and the effort to address extremist activities in Pakistan. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPresident Obama's Decision on Closing Guantánamo

Benjamin Wittes, September 29, 2009, The Washington Post

President Obama's decision not to go to Congress for help in establishing reasonable standards for the continued detention of Guantánamo detainees is a failure of leadership in the project of putting American law on a sound basis for a long-term confrontation with terrorism, writes Benjamin Wittes. It is bad for the country, for national security and for civil liberties, and represents a virtually wholesale adoption of the failed policies of his predecessor. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioAl Qaeda's New Charm Offensive in Europe

Bruce Riedel, September 27, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Al Qaeda's New Charm Offensive in EuropeOsama bin Laden and Mullah Omar recently delivered messages warning Europe about the perils of staying in Afghanistan. After speaking with French officials while in Paris, Bruce Riedel concludes that NATO ally France understands the stakes and will stay in Afghanistan if America stays. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhy We Can't Go Small In Afghanistan

Bruce Riedel and Michael E. O'Hanlon, September 24, 2009, USA Today

Why We Can't Go Small In AfghanistanAs questions about future military deployments to Afghanistan grow more numerous, Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel dissect the argument that the United States can again narrow the mission to only address counterterrorism. O'Hanlon and Riedel conclude the correct path remains the one outlined by President Obama in March, even though it may require more time and resources. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Obama Administration’s New Counternarcotics Strategy in Afghanistan

Vanda Felbab-Brown, September 24, 2009, The Brookings Institution

The Obama Administration’s New Counternarcotics Strategy in AfghanistanAs President Barack Obama considers alternatives to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Vanda Felbab-Brown argues his administration's new counternarcotics policy represents a courageous break with previous misguided efforts there and thirty years of U.S. counternarcotics policies around the world. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioTerrain, Tribes, and Terrorists: Pakistan, 2006-2008

David J. Kilcullen, September 10, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Leading counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen argues that Pakistani security forces have performed inadequately against insurgents in the frontier with Afghanistan because poor governance and societal weaknesses have been exacerbated by decades of violence and lawlessness. Heavy-handed military tactics by the army have resulted in a perpetuation of violence, and have only further undermined local governance. A fundamental rethink of Pakistan’s political strategy is therefore necessary. Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioDetainee Abuse Reviewed

Benjamin Wittes, August 28, 2009

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed a special prosecutor to investigate CIA operatives’ alleged abuse of terrorism detainees. Benjamin Wittes says officials from both parties question the reach of the inquest, but that Holder has acted entirely appropriately.

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioAl-Qaeda's Plot to Murder Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Nayif

Bruce Riedel, August 28, 2009, The Daily Beast

Bruce Riedel says the attempted assassination of Saudi Arabia's counterterrorism chief raises questions about whether al-Qaeda's Saudi branch has recovered from recent crackdowns against the group. Riedel examines al-Qaeda's regrouping in next-door Yemen and analyzes what this first major terror opreation in the country since 2006 means. Read More

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioProspects for Afghanistan's Future: Assessing the Outcome of the Afghan Presidential Election

Tuesday, August 25, 2009
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Washington, DC

Prospects for Afghanistan's Future: Assessing the Outcome of the Afghan Presidential ElectionThe outcome of Afghanistan's presidential election remains in doubt, but most agree that it doesn't matter who wins as much as how the victory occurs. Brookings hosted a panel of experts, moderated by Martin Indyk, to discuss the outcome of the Afghan election. The panel analyzed the result of the election and examined its impact on the future of the country and the conflict. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Lockerbie Trial: A Unique Moment in International Justice and Diplomacy

Cynthia P. Schneider, August 21, 2009, The Huffington Post

Cynthia Schneider says the understandable outrage at the release of the convicted Pan Am 103 bomber should not overshadow the memory of the trial—an extraordinary example of international cooperation, justice and diplomacy—that brought him to justice. Read More

In Brief

Terrorism is a tactic used to create fear and chaos. Terrorist attacks are often directed at civilians and their surroundings such as places where people work, shop and worship. Governments around the world are working to find ways to safeguard against the threat as well as to address the problems that lead people to turn to terrorism.

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ExpertDomenico Lombardi

As president of the Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, Domenico Lombardi’s work at Brookings focuses on the international financial crisis and the reform of the IMF and the World Bank. He is an expert on G-20 and G8 Summits.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

ExpertRichard Joseph

Richard Joseph is John Evans Professor of International History and Politics at Northwestern University. Former fellow of The Carter Center, Atlanta, he focuses on African governance, political economy, and democratization.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any society requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work extends beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions, higher education and the challenges of education in developing countries.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

ExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings.

ExpertAmy Liu

Amy Liu is deputy director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Her policy studies include economic competitiveness, metropolitan growth and development, governance reforms, urban reinvestment, and social equity.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

TopicHealth Care

Brookings is committed to producing innovative policy solutions to our nation’s most difficult challenges. The country may face no more important domestic policy challenge than the much-needed reform of our health care system. Through an institution-wide effort, Brookings delivers new ideas and offers policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

ExpertFederiga Bindi

Federiga Bindi is a leading expert on European political integration. She has a broad experience in government and held a number of posts in international organizations. Bindi currently serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her research focuses on the EU, transatlantic relations; EU states foreign policies, global governance issues.

ExpertMark McClellan

Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

Research ProjectBrookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement monitors displacement problems worldwide, works with governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society to create more effective policies and institutional arrangements for Internally Displaed Persons.

Policy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.

ExpertTed Gayer

Ted Gayer is the co-director of the Economic Studies program and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He conducts research on a variety of economic issues, focusing particularly on public finance, environmental and energy economics, housing, and regulatory policy.

ExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.