The Latest @ USIP: 20 Years of Counterterrorism in Iraq

The Latest @ USIP: 20 Years of Counterterrorism in Iraq

Monday, March 27, 2023

By: Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata

Over the last 20 years, efforts to stabilize Iraq have been plagued by two powerful terrorist groups: al-Qaida in Iraq and then its progeny, the Islamic State (ISIS). While the country has fortunately managed to hold together in that time, there is still a long way to go toward security and stability in Iraq. Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, the former director of strategy at the National Counterterrorism Center, discusses his time fighting extremist threats in Iraq, why the battle against ISIS is far from over and what the country needs to achieve peace.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & PreventionViolent Extremism

The Latest @ USIP: How Illicit Traffickers Exploit China’s Belt and Road Initiative

The Latest @ USIP: How Illicit Traffickers Exploit China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Thursday, March 23, 2023

By: Mark Shaw

Transnational organized crime is far more than a law enforcement issue, affecting everything from the environment to public health, education and conflict. Meanwhile, big infrastructure projects like China’s Belt and Road Initiative have the potential to widen the scale of the problem even further, as criminal enterprises can exploit the projects to create new trafficking routes and connect one vulnerable area to one another more readily. Mark Shaw, director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, discusses how his organization’s research on the Belt and Road Initiative has improved our understanding of illicit trafficking and explores how U.S. security assistance can better help countries address the multi-faceted impacts of organized crime.

Type: Blog

Justice, Security & Rule of Law

Ask the Experts: What Does Libya Need for Elections to Succeed?

Ask the Experts: What Does Libya Need for Elections to Succeed?

Monday, March 20, 2023

By: Thomas M. Hill;  Tarek Megerisi

Abdoulaye Bathily, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for Libya, recently announced his new plan for elections in Libya, which he hopes will take place later this year. But the plan itself was light on implementation, and after similar plans collapsed in 2021, the U.N. will need to learn from past shortcomings to ensure there is not only a solid basis for elections, but a strong foundation for what comes after as well.

Type: Blog

Democracy & GovernancePeace Processes

The Latest @ USIP: NATO’s Strategic Adaptation to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

The Latest @ USIP: NATO’s Strategic Adaptation to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

By: Kurt Volker

When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, NATO was already in the early stages of drafting its 2022 Strategic Concept. The war quickly overshadowed other issues, and NATO quickly adapted its strategic vision to refocus on the alliance’s primary mission of deterrence and collective defense. Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, discusses how solidarity with Ukraine has united NATO in a way that hasn’t been seen in a long time and examines the threat Russia’s expansionist mindset poses to NATO member states.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & PreventionGlobal Policy

The Latest @ USIP: Ukraine’s Desire to Join the EU and NATO

The Latest @ USIP: Ukraine’s Desire to Join the EU and NATO

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

By: Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch

A growing number of Ukrainians have voiced their support for joining the EU and NATO amid Russia’s all-out war against their country. Given that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stated territorial ambitions stretch beyond Ukraine, international support for a free and democratic Ukraine is not just a matter of charity — it’s an investment in collective values and security. USIP senior advisor and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch discusses Ukraine’s current bid to join the EU and how Ukrainian civil society has managed to mobilize against Russia’s assault on its sovereignty, society and culture.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & PreventionGlobal Policy

The Latest @ USIP: India’s Evolving Nuclear Posture Amid Regional Tensions

The Latest @ USIP: India’s Evolving Nuclear Posture Amid Regional Tensions

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

By: Chris Clary;  Karthika Sasikumar;  Ashley Tellis

In the 25 years since it became a full nuclear power, India has expanded its nuclear arsenal as part of its playbook for handling a severe crisis with neighboring Pakistan or China. But with increased nuclear readiness comes the elevated risk that miscommunication between the region’s various nuclear states and armed actors could result in a nuclear escalation. The University at Albany’s Chris Clary, San José State University’s Karthika Sasikumar and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Ashley Tellis discuss the biggest changes to India’s nuclear program, the most worrisome threats to nuclear peace in Southern Asia and how to boost strategic stability in the region.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

The Latest @ USIP: Colombian Women’s Contribution to Peacebuilding

The Latest @ USIP: Colombian Women’s Contribution to Peacebuilding

Thursday, March 9, 2023

By: Viviana Sarmiento

Women have been both victims and combatants throughout Colombia’s history of civil conflicts. But it wasn’t until recently that they were included as active negotiators in the peacebuilding process. Viviana Sarmiento, a Colombian political scientist and researcher, discusses how Colombian women contributed to the design and implementation of 2016 FARC peace accords, the opportunity to bring gender-inclusive perspectives into negotiations with other armed groups, and what Colombian women can teach others around the world about women’s inclusion in peacebuilding.

Type: Blog

GenderPeace Processes

In Pakistan, Women Police Push for Gender Equality

In Pakistan, Women Police Push for Gender Equality

Thursday, March 9, 2023

By: Amna Kayani;  Jumaina Siddiqui

In Pakistan, few institutions epitomize the connection between power and male dominance better than the police. Even after a decade of Pakistani government efforts to recruit more women in police departments, policing in Pakistan remains an overwhelmingly masculine profession — with women making up less than 3 percent of the country’s police force, despite quotas in place. And for the policewomen who do serve, institutional barriers and societal prejudices have made career progression an increasingly uphill battle.

Type: Blog

GenderJustice, Security & Rule of Law

The Latest @ USIP: Why Women Are So Vital to Sustaining Peace and Security

The Latest @ USIP: Why Women Are So Vital to Sustaining Peace and Security

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

By: Jennifer Hawkins;  Brigadier General Maura Hennigan;  Lida Noory;  Brooke Owens

On International Women’s Day, USIP spoke with senior U.S. government officials about women’s role in peace and national security. Lida Noory, the director for women, peace and security at the State Department’s Office of Global Women's Issues; Jennifer Hawkins, a senior women, peace and security advisor at USAID; Brooke Owens, a women, peace and security advisor working with the Department of Defense; and Brigadier General Maura Hennigan, the president of Marine Corps University, explain why the security of any nation is directly tied to the status and security of its women and how in conflict-torn countries, women’s meaningful participation in peace processes is vital to building and sustaining peace.

Type: Blog

GenderPeace Processes

The Latest @ USIP: The Fight for Uyghur Women’s Human Rights in China

The Latest @ USIP: The Fight for Uyghur Women’s Human Rights in China

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

By: Gulchehra Hoja

Uyghur journalist Gulchehra Hoja discusses the human rights situation for Uyghur women in the Xinjiang region of China, why authoritarian regimes feel threatened by women in particular, and how the global community can help by pressuring China to open the region to independent investigations and foreign journalists.

Type: Blog

GenderHuman Rights