RAND Corporation
Associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation and author of Hunting in the Shadows: The Pursuit of al Qa'ida after 9/11; former adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's School for Advanced International Studies; former senior advisor at US Special Operations Command
The battle for Mosul and the future of ISIS A conglomerate army of some 30,000 is moving toward Mosul—the last urban stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq. Turkish warplanes are now part of what’s called a “US led coalition,” which has captured nine villages southeast of the city. At today’s news conference, President Obama said the US has spent as much time on humanitarian planning as it has on military preparations.
Peace Talks and Warfare in Syria In four and a half years, Syria's civil war has killed 250,000 people and displaced 12 million -- half the nation's entire population. Supporters of both sides agree there cannot be a military solution, but the fighting continues, now to include about 50 American Special Forces . The US and Russia joined 15 other nations last week -- including archrivals Iran and Saudi Arabia — to discuss a diplomatic solution. The al-Assad regime was not represented. The closed-door meeting produced nine points of agreement as well as plans to meet again soon, but international rivalries already threaten to derail any progress.
Drone Strikes in Yemen Kill 16 Alleged al Qaeda Members In Yemen this past weekend, two American drone strikes killed between 13 and 55, according to different sources. The targets were alleged al Qaeda militants, but some of the dead reportedly were civilians. Seth Jones is an official at the RAND Corporation and author of Hunting in the Shadows : The Pursuit of al Qa'ida Since 9/11.
Al Qaeda Is Making a Comeback Al Qaeda militants in Iraq, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, have fought to seize control of Fallujah and Ramadi in Anbar Province, where at least 100 American troops were killed during the Iraq War. Although US troops are no longer there, the civil war rages on. According to the United Nations, more than 7800 people were killed in Iraq last year. Just today, dozens were killed at an Iraqi Army Recruiting Center. ISIS' resurgence is mirrored in other conflicts in the Mideast, stemming from the Syrian war and creating instability from Baghdad to Beirut, as Shiite-Sunni sectarian violence is creating fault lines from Saudi Arabia to Iran. How do veterans feel about the resurgence of al Qaeda? What does it say about the sectarian violence? What, if anything, should the US do about it?
Coming Soon: A Terror Trial in a New York Courtroom Suleiman abu Ghaith is Osama bin Laden's son-in-law. A spokesman for al Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, he threatened Americans with more attacks on airliners and high rise buildings. After disappearing for ten years, in February he was seized by US operatives in Jordan. On Friday he turned up in a courtroom in Manhattan, to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy to kill Americans. Who is abu Ghaith? Where has he been for the last decade? What does he know about possible terrorist plots? Should he be tried in a US court in New York or transferred to Guantanamo for a military tribunal?
Coming Soon: A Terror Trial in a New York Courtroom Suleiman abu Ghaith is Osama bin Laden's son-in-law. A spokesman for al Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, he threatened Americans with more attacks on airliners and high rise buildings. After disappearing for ten years, in February he was seized by US operatives in Jordan. On Friday he turned up in a courtroom in Manhattan, to plead not guilty to charges of conspiracy to kill Americans. Who is abu Ghaith? Where has he been for the last decade? What does he know about possible terrorist plots? Should he be tried in a US court in New York or transferred to Guantanamo for a military tribunal?
Rethinking the 'War on Terror' Al Qaeda has evolved and adapted, and has committed more terrorist actions since September 11 than it did before. President Bush's "War on Terror" has not been successful. That's according to a study by the RAND Corporation, which has analyzed strategies against terrorist groups from 1968 to 2006. The prestigious Defense Department contractor says there's a better way. Although "intelligence and local police work" is a lot less politically sexy, RAND says it has worked where military action has failed. Is it time to rethink US strategy? In the age of nuclear weapons, is there a third way?
The Forgotten War in Afghanistan Six years after driving the Taliban from power, the Bush Administration faces the prospect of failure in Afghanistan. Levels of violence are higher than ever. Although major combat will decline during winter, suicide bombings and roadside explosions will likely continue. As winter sets in, and major combat declines, both the US and NATO are "reviewing their missions." What about corruption in local government and flagging support from the nations of Europe? We talk to a colonel who has learned the Pushtunwali —the Pushtun tribal code of honor, and whose Task Force Fury troops are building roads, schools and clinics six south-eastern provinces.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.