In the past fourteen years, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have developed into a collection of professional institutions that are both committed to their mission and highly respected. However, they still face major challenges in… Read more
The al-Qaeda presence in the Pech valley is greater now than when U.S. forces arrived in 2002, and counterterrorism efforts in the region continue. This report looks at U.S. military involvement in the Pech valley and the lessons it offers both the… Read more
Four international programs designed to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate militias in Afghanistan since 2001 have largely failed. They have instead largely reinforced existing power relations. Perhaps their gravest impact has been to deepen patterns of… Read more
Traditionally ruled by military or quasi-military regimes, Pakistan is struggling to strengthen its democratic governance but the military remains in charge of country’s security policy. This period of incremental democratization corresponds to the… Read more
By building a strong coalition around the need to reform Egypt’s military and interior ministry, Egypt’s political groups can move toward the critical goal of subordinating its military and security establishment to civilian authority. Summary In Egypt,… Read more
International efforts to help Arab transition countries with security reform must be driven by country requests, involve many partners, and be tied to broader aims for justice, stability, and economic development. Summary The events of the Arab Spring… Read more
Summary Embedded provincial reconstruction teams (ePRTs) were small State Department–led units inserted into U.S. combat brigades in Iraq from 2007 to 2010 to support military counterinsurgency efforts at the local level. During major combat operations… Read more
This report reviews the design and implementation of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) in Afghanistan, assessing the extent to which the DDR program met its goals and the effect this had on security sector reform (SSR). Summary… Read more
This report reflects views expressed during a conference held at the United States Institute of Peace on June 29–30, 2010, titled “International Policy on Security Sector Governance: Opportunities and Gaps.” The conference sought to promote the security… Read more
This report offers a framework for institutionalizing security sector reform (SSR) within the U.S. government. It is informed by the work of the Institute’s Initiative for Security Sector Governance and presentations at its June 29–30, 2010, conference, … Read more
Summary Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR) processes should be interrelated and mutually reinforcing. As DDR and SSR share the same objective--consolidation of the state’s monopoly of force to uphold the… Read more
SummaryUSIP's Alex Thier and Bill Taylor argue why leadership of civilian assistance is necessary for success in Afghanistan, and lay out the best options to move forward. Read more