Question And Answer
Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
On the Issues: North Korea
One day after North Korea’s nuclear test drew widespread condemnation, the country on May 26th test-launched two more short-range missiles. This marks Pyongyang's second nuclear test, after its first in October 2006. Amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, South Korea joined the Proliferation Security Initiative, a U.S. initiative to curb the trade of weapons of mass destruction, an action North has called a declaration of war.
On the Issues: Pakistan
President Barack Obama recently met with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai and pressed the two leaders to do more to combat Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in the border area. Rodney W. Jones, program officer for USIP’s Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, assesses Pakistan’s efforts to battle insurgents, the Obama administration’s new approach on Pakistan and Afghanistan, and what USIP is doing to address the problems in the troubled region.
On the Issues: Sri Lanka
Recognizing the need to promote peace and minority rights in this conflict-ridden country, on March 23rd and 25th the Institute hosted a group of 17 young Sri Lankan professionals as part of a State Department professional exchange program in conjunction with NGO Relief International. Relief International’s Sri Lanka office selected the participants.
Terror on the Internet: Questions and Answers
What are the key elements of terrorism? Acts of terrorism are premeditated, politically motivated, and directed at civilians and are perpetrated by subnational groups rather than by the army of a state. Terrorism is a form of psychological warfare that seeks to spread fear, mistrust, and helplessness among the ordinary citizens of a society. Modern terrorists rely heavily on the mass media and use a constant stream of broadcasting (radio, television, video, and the Internet) to achieve the f...
Questions and Answers
How does the presence of oil resources in developing countries present a paradox?
Suicide Bombers in Iraq: Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers
How We Missed the Story: Questions and Answers
1. Two successive U.S. administrations were unable to head off the assault of 9/11. What went wrong? Democrats and Republicans walked away from Afghanistan as a place of American concern after the fall of the Soviet installed regime.
Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: Questions and Answers
1. What were the motivating factors for publishing this book? Since the end of the Cold War—when the strategic environment seemed so promising for Mideast peace—failures in U.S. diplomacy have far outweighed successes. Understanding why our track record has been so poor, and applying those lessons for future negotiators, were the twin motivating factors behind this project. The existing memoirs and insider accounts are incomplete. Moreover, none of the numerous analytical wo...
On the Issues: North Korea
The White House said North Korea had taken "a serious step in the wrong direction" when the regime expelled international inspectors from the country and announced it would restart its nuclear program. USIP’s John S. Park provides regional context to the latest developments.
On the Issues: Somalia
Raymond Gilpin, Associate Vice President and director of USIP’s Sustainable Economies Center of Innovation, talked about this new development, factors fueling Somali piracy, and offers policy options to address the problem.