Urban Warfare
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commentary
The West's Incoherent Critique of Israel's Gaza Strategy
The 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 can prevent them entirely. In this war, there is no happy medium.
Nov 16, 2023
Foreign Policy
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commentary
Why the Oct. 7 Attack Wasn't Israel's 9/11
There are some basic strategic lessons to be learned from the U.S. response to 9/11 that are applicable to Israel's unfolding operation in Gaza. But in many key ways, the two conflicts couldn't be further apart.
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blog
Supporting Veterans, Israel-Hamas War, AI and Geopolitics: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on supporting America's veterans, what Israel's ground offensive in Gaza can and cannot accomplish, how AI might affect the rise and fall of nations, and more.
Nov 10, 2023
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commentary
What Israel's Ground Offensive Can—and Cannot—Accomplish
Weeks after terrorist attacks left 1,400 Israelis dead, Israel has started its much-anticipated ground offensive in Gaza. But what can such an operation hope to achieve, and why launch such a campaign now?
Nov 6, 2023
Fox News Channel
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commentary
The Four Questions the U.S. Military Should Be Asking About Operation Swords of Iron
The war in Gaza, much like previous Israeli wars, will likely yield a host of lessons for American military planners. It's not too early to identify the right questions to be asking as the conflict unfolds.
Oct 23, 2023
War on the Rocks
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blog
Gun Storage, the Dangers of Replacement Theory, War in Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how Americans store their guns, why ‘replacement theory' is a danger to us all, the war in Ukraine, and more.
Jul 15, 2022
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essay
Civilian Casualties: Lessons from the Battle for Raqqa
The United States' emphasis on minimizing civilian harm in Raqqa, Syria, was quite clear and strong up and down the chain of command. But the way in which the U.S. military waged war in Raqqa too often undercut that commitment. The Pentagon asked RAND to find out what happened.
Jul 1, 2022
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blog
Employing Insurgency in Ukraine, U.S. Hospital Prices, Reaching the Middle Class: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how insurgency could give Ukraine an edge over Russia, repurposing commercial buildings to help address L.A.’s housing crisis, Americans’ options for reaching the middle class, and more.
Apr 8, 2022
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blog
Hong Kong, Education Reform, Baghdad: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on lessons for state education reform, retaining women in the U.S. Coast Guard, recounting the Battle for Baghdad, and more.
Jun 14, 2019
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commentary
Urban Legend: Is Combat in Cities Really Inevitable?
Future combat will take place in dense urban areas and likely in megacities. These are the new “truths” that are taking hold in the U.S. military. But before going all-in on optimizing for urban operations, the U.S. military should take a deep breath and think carefully about future operations within the context of the National Defense Strategy.
May 7, 2019
War on the Rocks
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commentary
Five Thoughts on Jerusalem, Gaza, and What's in Between
Dozens of people have been killed and over 2,000 injured in protests in the Gaza Strip along the border with Israel. Continued clashes are expected until the fundamental problems of the strip are solved, including the governance vacuum, the Palestinian Authority-Hamas rift, and the conflict with Israel.
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commentary
Five Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
After a decade of operating against Hamas in Gaza, the Israel Defense Force has learned many lessons about urban warfare against hybrid adversaries. The last confrontation teaches five basic lessons that apply well beyond Gaza.
Aug 3, 2017
War on the Rocks
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commentary
A New Kind of Battlefield Awaits the U.S. Military — Megacities
Megacities are urban areas that seep into one another and have more than 10 million inhabitants. To counter violent non-state actors operating in megacities in the future, the U.S. military will have to be able to piece together a comprehensive and actionable intelligence picture, and under enormously challenging circumstances.
Apr 6, 2016
Reuters, The Great Debate blog
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blog
Gaza: Hard Fighting Looms Without a Broader Peace Strategy
The United States and Israel should capitalize on Egypt's active role in mediating a cease-fire and thus revisit initiatives like the Arab Peace Initiative, which in the new regional strategic environment may be the best hope of reviving the moribund peace process before it is too late.
Nov 20, 2012
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commentary
Could Mexico Fail?
The lawlessness along the mexicanborder has gone way beyond alocal crime wave: there has beena dramatic increase in armed robberies, not by lone gunmen but by heavily armed gangs. Kidnappings and homicides are way up—and not just murders but beheadings.... It is starting to look like a terrorist campaign, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Feb 13, 2009
Homeland Security Today
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commentary
Afghan Progress Spotty but Hopeful
As NATO's role in Afghanistan was debated in Bucharest recently, the bad headlines continued rolling in. And yet, on the ground, there is equally compelling evidence that the efforts of the international community are making a difference and conditions are improving, write Obaid Younossi and Peter Dahl Thruelsen.
Apr 29, 2008
Providence Journal
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commentary
U.S. Should Take Advantage of Improved Security in Iraq to Withdraw
Because security in Iraq is improving, the United States now has a chance to achieve the best realistic outcome of its unfortunate invasion and occupation: extricating the bulk of U.S. forces without making things worse, write David C. Gompert.
Dec 2, 2007
San Francisco Chronicle
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commentary
Atlantic Monthly and RAND View the Future
The Atlantic Monthly Magazine features a compilation of ten short essays written by experts at RAND, collectively titled Headlines Over the Horizon. The RAND authors examined developments in international and military affairs drawing little attention today that are expected to be major issues in the next three to five years.
Aug 1, 2003
Atlantic Monthly
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commentary
Atlantic Monthly and RAND View the Future
The July/August 2003 issue of The Atlantic Monthly Magazine features Headlines Over the Horizon, a compilation of ten essays by RAND experts. The RAND authors examined developments in international and military affairs drawing little attention today that are expected to be major issues in the next three to five years.
Jul 1, 2003
Atlantic Monthly