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USIP's Paul Hughes discusses the formation and mandate of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States as well as some of the commission's key findings and recommendations, such as reengaging Russia and strengthening the international nonproliferation regime.

Speaking at USIP, top Afghan specialists David Kilcullen and Andrew Wilder offered a somber assessment of the next two years of the war.

In September 2009, USIP grantee Gretchen Peters, author of "How Opium Profits the Taliban," discussed the drug trade in Afghanistan, the Obama administration's counterinsurgency strategy and the implications of continued U.S. efforts to stabilize the country.

USAID’s Community Stabilization Program (CSP) in Iraq was designed as a non-lethal counterinsurgency program that aimed to reduce incentives for participating in violent conflict by utilizing job-creation programs and engaging the youth. This event considered the following questions and more:  Was the CSP effective as a counter-insurgency tool in Iraq?  Does the CSP foster local ownership and sustainability?

U.S. attempts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been unsuccessful in training local police to deal with insurgency, terrorism and criminal violence. How are effective, accountable, and legitimate police forces crafted in conflict states?

In recent years, the United Nations has emerged as an indispensible actor in Iraq, implementing a broad mandate which includes political dialogue and national reconciliation, electoral support, regional dialogue and humanitarian relief and reconstruction. As the U.S. role in Iraq diminishes, the U.N. and other international partners will be looked at to take on even greater responsibility. USIP hosted a stimulating discussion on the U.N.’s role in Iraq, Iraq’s political process and ongoing government formation efforts, and what comes next.

Watch the video of an April 7, 2010 event that USIP co-hosted in Islamabad, Pakistan with the Center for Regional and Security Studies (CRSS) on the "Pak-U.S. Strategic Dialogue: Implications for the Bilateral Relationship."

Daniel Benjamin, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism discussed the circumstances in Yemen and provided insight on the current U.S. counterterrorism strategy.

Session 1: “The Failure of International Peacebuilding” showcases USIP Peace Scholar, Severine Autesserre’s new book, “The Trouble with the Congo: Local Violence and the Failure of International Peacebuilding.” Opening remarks and presentation by Séverine Autesserre, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Remarks by Raymond Gilpin, Associate Vice President, Sustainable Economies, Centers of Innovation, U.S. Institute of Peace; and Christine Karumba, Democratic Republic of Congo Country Director, Women for Women International. Moderated by Chantal De Jonge Oudraat, Associate Vice President, Jennings Randolph Fellowship Program, U.S. Institute of Peace.

Session 2: “Sexual Violence and the Failure of Protection” explores the problems for peacekeepers in the DRC, and their inability to prevent local level conflict, particularly sexual and gender-based violence. Speakers include Howard Wolpe, Special Advisor, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of State (Ret); Diane Orentlicher, Deputy Director, Office of War Crimes, U.S. Department of State; and Major-General Patrick Cammaert, Military Advisor, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Moderated by Paula Newberg, Marshall B. Coyne Director, The Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University.