Experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest analysis and perspective on the world’s critical hot spots, U.S. and global security and issues involved in violent conflict, based on the Institute’s work on the ground and with key individuals, governments and organizations. They give interviews and background briefings to journalists and write for news outlets around the world.
Top Afghan officials see a genuine chance for peace with elements of the Taliban and the Haqqani network but worry the latest effort at reconciliation could be undermined, both by internal rivals and by Pakistan and other foreign influences.
Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, charged with holding a troubled State Department together until CIA Director Mike Pompeo can take over, offered a sober plea to diplomats Thursday to stay “inspired” at a moment of transition and uncertainty in the Trump administration.
“For Pakistan, the present situation is favorable because at a very minimal cost, it is achieving good dividends in Kashmir. India is profusely bleeding both in terms of war casualties as well as losses of its material resources. It is very unlikely that India would continue to bear such a high cost of confrontation for much too long.” — Pakistan’s former Army Chief Aslam Beg, 2000
Eight years ago in Syria, before the war there broke out, locals complained about government corruption, high rates of unemployment and restrictions on their political freedoms under President Bashar al-Assad. It was fertile and fragile ground for conflict, but why more so than other Arab nations where activist uprisings led to hope for democracy?
Before being fired by President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson concluded his first and last official visit to Sub-Saharan Africa on March 12, after a one-week trip to Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Chad and Nigeria. His itinerary, along with the president’s statements, suggest U.S. policy toward the continent...
US Vice President Mike Pence wants Pakistan to work more closely with Washington to defeat terrorism on its soil.
Former U.S. government officials talked about Syria’s civil war. They focused on the future of Syria and why the U.S. and other countries must stay engaged and address the security challenges from a potential failed Syria. Joshua Johnson, host of NPR’s “1A,” moderated the conversation
Caught in an interregnum between two secretaries of state, the United States is facing immediate challenges in the Middle East that will test the Trump administration on key issues in the region.
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with former national security adviser Stephen Hadley about President Trump's foreign policy and his criticism of the FBI.
Policymakers and practitioners have often engaged in a top-down approach in the design of programs to counter violent extremism in Afghanistan. This top-down approach relies heavily on the insights of religious leaders, elders, politicians, and other elite...