Iraq, Its Neighbors, and the United States

Iraq, Its Neighbors, and the United States

Thursday, December 1, 2011

By: Henri J. Barkey;  Scott B. Lasensky;  Phebe Marr;  editors

Iraq, Its Neighbors, and the United States examines how Iraq's evolving political order affects its complex relationships with its neighbors and the United States. The book depicts a region unbalanced, shaped by new and old tensions, struggling with a classic collective action dilemma, and anxious about Iraq's political future, as well as America's role in the region, all of which suggest trouble ahead absent concerted efforts to promote regional cooperation. In the volume's case studies, acc...

Type: Book

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

State Building in South Sudan

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

With its secession from Sudan on July 9, 2011, South Sudan not only gained its eagerly-awaited independence, but also embarked onto the long road of state building. Over the past several months, the new country has begun to confront the myriad challenges it faces in sustainable development, good governance, and capacity building. In addition, the world's newest state is also coping with cross-cutting issues of managing resources, constructing a sense of nationhood, and contending with problem...

Education & TrainingGenderReligionEnvironmentEconomics

From Militants to Policemen: Three Lessons from U.S. Experience with DDR and SSR

From Militants to Policemen: Three Lessons from U.S. Experience with DDR and SSR

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

By: Alison Laporte-Oshiro

Consolidating the legitimate use of force in the hands of the state is a vital first step in post-conflict peacebuilding. This USIP Peace Brief analyzes two processes that are vital to securing a monopoly of force: disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR).  

Type: Peace Brief

Conflict Analysis & PreventionMediation, Negotiation & Dialogue

‘Worrying Fragility' Marks Afghan Nation-Building

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

By: Thomas Omestad

Afghanistan has benefited from some “amazing” social and economic advances in recent years, but “at the same time, there is a very worrying fragility” as military forces and aid from the United States and other countries wind down, J. Alexander Thier, director of the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told an audience at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on November 17.

Type: Analysis

Conflict Analysis & PreventionMediation, Negotiation & Dialogue