Resources & Tools
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USIP's David Smock explores the factors underlying and perpetuating the militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. In this report, based on an 11-day trip to Nigeria in late August 2009, Smock analyzes the prospects for the amnesty process, and why stronger political processes and economic development could help address the roots of the conflict there. |
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USIP Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow Imtiaz Ali testified on July 29, 2009 before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs about "Responding to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Crisis in Pakistan. |
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Countries: Iran
| Issue Areas: International and Regional Organizations, Political Systems and International Relations
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May 2009 | Daniel Brumberg and Eriks Berzins Countries: Iran
| Issue Areas: Capacity Building, Governance, International and Regional Organizations, Political Systems and International Relations, Religion
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A list of links to international organizations' web sites. Issue Areas: International and Regional Organizations
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Overall, Syria has marginally benefited from the war in Iraq at both the regional and international levels. After watching the U.S. military unseat the Baathist regime next door in 2003 with unprecedented speed, it looked to many observers—including some in Damascus—as if Syria would be next in line. Countries: Iraq, Syria
| Issue Areas: Civil-Military Relations, Conflict Management and Resolution, Economics and Development, Governance, Human Rights, International and Regional Organizations, Mediation and Facilitation, Negotiation and Diplomacy, Nongovernmental Organizations, Political Systems and International Relations, Terrorism and Political Extremism
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Since 2004, USIP's "Iraq and its Neighbors" initiative has sponsored track II dialogues and ongoing research on relations between Iraq and its six immediate neighbors. As part of this work, the Institute—in partnership with the Stimson Center—sponsored a bipartisan, independent, and unofficial Study Mission to Syria and Saudi Arabia in mid-January 2009. The delegation met with a wide variety of leading political figures, businesspeople, NGOs and foreign policy experts in both countries, including President Bashar Assad of Syria and Prince Turki al-Faysal of Saudi Arabia. The top concern for both Riyadh and Damascus remains blowback from Iraq: the ascendance of ethnic and sectarian identity and the spread of Islamic militancy. The need to contain this threat is the dominant force that shapes their relations with Iraq. Both Syria and Saudi Arabia have a vital interest in ensuring that Iraq's emerging political order is inclusive of Sunni Arab Iraqis, who have not yet been fully incorporated into Iraqi institutions. This working paper represents the initial findings of the Study Mission. |
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The Iraq PRT program has highlighted the challenges that the U.S. government faces in conducting operations in conflicted environments. The Iraq PRT Project collected insights and lessons learned from government, military, and non-governmental officials. Interviews were conducted by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training under a contract with the Institute of Peace. |
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Peace operations have undergone several evolutions since the first United Nations–administered peace mission in 1948. A characteristic feature of the most recent evolution, which began about a decade ago, is that today peace operations are more broadly accepted as a tool for contending with destabilizing events in all regions of the globe. |
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The UN mission in Haiti's successful campaign against the country's gangs set a precedent for future missions. Based on field research, authors Michael Dziedzic and Robert Perito explore the conduct of military and police operations, Haitians' overwhelmingly positive views of the UN intervention and lessons learned. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: International and Regional Organizations, Peacekeeping, Post-Conflict Activities, Rule of Law, Weapons & Arms Control
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