Myanmar’s already-stalled democratic transition was derailed in February 2021, when the military seized control of the government, arresting dozens of senior civilian officials and preventing the newly elected parliament from convening. The National League for Democracy (NLD), which won a sweeping victory in the November 2020 elections, has led a broad-based opposition to the takeover
The RAND BlogUrban Warfare Gaza Strip commentaryThe West's Incoherent Critique of Israel's Gaza StrategyThe battlefield geography of Gaza means that any operation there would turn into a bloody, highly destructive ground operation, with a lot of civilians caught in the crossfire. While Israel can mitigate some of these effects, neither Israel nor any other military
The RAND Blog Nuclear Weapons and Warfare Security Cooperation commentary A Trilateral Summit to Deal with Trilateral Threats The leaders of Japan, South Korea, and the United States held a trilateral summit in August, focused on countering military threats in East Asia. Not surprisingly, China and North Korea were upset by the summit, designed as […]
The RAND BlogGlobal Climate Change North Atlantic Treaty Organization commentaryCan NATO Supercharge Military Greening?NATO has taken significant steps to reduce environmental impacts of military activities and has set voluntary emissions reduction targets for its member states. By leveraging its existing standardization processes to encompass a wider range of equipment, supplies, and practices, NATO can solidify
The RAND BlogThreat Assessment Russia commentaryRightsizing the Russia ThreatA proper understanding of the threat Russia poses must begin with an accurate appraisal of Russian power. Putin might harbor fantasies of world conquest. But his military cannot even fully conquer any of the four Ukrainian provinces he claims to have annexed last year. Ultimately, those are
The RAND BlogNuclear Deterrence Nuclear Deterrence blogNuclear Deterrence, Russia and Iran, Deepfakes: RAND Weekly RecapThis weekly recap focuses on how much is “enough” for U.S. nuclear forces, the budding Russia-Iran partnership, the challenge of detecting deepfakes, and more.Read More »Oct 6, 2023 North Korea commentaryNorth Korea and China Aren't the Allies You Think They AreChina
The RAND BlogPalestinian Territories Gaza Strip commentarySparing Civilian Lives in GazaHow do you protect innocent civilians while conducting effective urban military operations against an enemy who is integrated into the civilian population and entrenched in a location's infrastructure? Despite the ferocity of the Hamas attack and the Israeli response, the moral obligation to reduce civilian
The RAND BlogWarfare and Military Operations Gaza Strip commentarySparing Civilian Lives in GazaHow do you protect innocent civilians while conducting effective urban military operations against an enemy who is integrated into the civilian population and entrenched in a location's infrastructure? Despite the ferocity of the Hamas attack and the Israeli response, the moral obligation to
Warfare and Military Operations commentaryWhy Improve Ukraine's Deep-Strike Capability?Coordinated deep-strike capabilities—air-launched and ground-launched—will be most effective in degrading Russian forces and operations. Using air and ground launchers would force Russian commanders to devote substantial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to attempt to find these systems.Read More »Andrew R. Hoehn @AndyHoehn, Hunter Stoll, et al. Ukraine
Terrorism Threat Assessment commentaryThe Israel-Hamas War Has Upended the Terrorist Threat MatrixToday's terrorist threat matrix seems more like an abstract expressionist painting. To those accustomed to traditional landscapes, it is difficult to discern what it depicts. The fighting in Gaza may well provoke terrorist repercussions beyond the region, the magnitude and shape of which will