USIPeace Briefings
USIPeace Briefings offer summaries of USIP's recent and forthcoming reports and events.
Latest Releases:
Depoliticizing Zimbabwe’s Economy: Solutions for Two Million Percent
August 2008 | Zimbabwe is saddled with two million percent annual price increases, rampant corruption and pervasive unemployment. Experts believe that an effort to reform the country's political corruption and irresponsible monetary policies will be central to establishing social and economic stability in the long run.
Moving Beyond Relief: The Challenges of Settling Kenya's Internally Displaced
August 2008 | This briefing by Sheila Mwiandi explores various dimensions of Kenya's post-election IDP problems, including elections-related issues prior to 2008, challenges to relocating IDPs and strategies for improving the situation.
Iraq: Positive Change in the Detention System
July 2008 | This USIPeace Briefing, summarizing remarks from a former commander for detainee operations in Iraq, discusses recent successes in improving the conditions of insurgent detainees in the country.
Killing Friends, Making Enemies: The Impact and Avoidance of Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan
July 2008 | This USIPeace Briefing discusses the enormous problem of civilian casualties in Afghanistan; the “troops-in-contact” dilemma regarding air power; challenges in intelligence gathering; losses in the information war with Taliban forces; and policy recommendations to mitigate this trend.
Opposition Alliances and Democratization in Egypt
June 2008 | What is the future of democracy in Egypt? What are the prospects for cooperation between the country’s Islamist and non-Islamist political opposition groups? These questions were recently explored at a USIP co-hosted conference in Cairo.
Colombia's Crossroads: The FARC and the Future of the Hostages
June 2008 | This USIPeace Briefing discusses the condition of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, their hostages and the potential direction of this situation. The briefing stresses insights that key figures in the issue raised in recent visits to Washington, DC.
Making Bosnia Work: Why EU Accession is Not Enough
June 2008 | On June 16, 2008, Bosnia will sign a Stabilization and Association agreement with the European Union, more than 13 years after the Dayton Agreement ended the war there. This USIPeace Briefing examines this complex, timely issue.
Domestic Agencies in Reconstruction and Stabilization: The "4th D"
June 2008 | Defense, diplomacy and development have been pillars of U.S. government reconstruction and stabilization programs. Recently, however, the "4th D"—the domestic interagency community—has come into the picture.
Afghanistan: Not Lost, But Needs More Attention
June 2008 | In this report prepared in anticipation of the June 2008 Afghanistan donor conference, Afghanistan Senior Fellow Mohammad M. Stanekzai analyzes the country's challenges and offers policies to aid economic development, project implementation, coordination and security.
Bringing Peace to the Niger Delta
June 2008 | The conflict in the Niger Delta has posed a fundamental challenge to the country's security for over a decade. What is the nature of the conflict? What steps can the government and international community take to restore peace to the region?
Half Full or Half Empty: Assessing Prospects for Peace in Lebanon
May 2008 | On the surface, peace has broken out in Lebanon, bringing to an end the 18-month political impasse. However, many questions remain. Alistair Harris, a Beirut-based expert on security and reform, explores these issues.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry: Frustrating Reform
May 2008 | Iraq's Ministry of Interior has been fraught with rivalries since 2003. How can it address these challenges?
Analyzing Iran's Domestic Political Landscape
May 2008 | The surprising success of Iran's "third way" movement in the March 2008 parliamentary elections may pose a significant challenge in the country's 2009 presidential election.
Is Liberia’s Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program a "Necessary Intrusion?"
May 2008 | Liberia's Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) is improving the country's fiscal profile after years of neglect. Is this internationally-monitored system a "necessary intrusion" into Liberia's sovereignty?
Kenya: Setting the Stage for Durable Peace?
April 2008 | After botched elections, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Kenya’s recent National Accord? Will the deal hold up? What are the costs of withdrawing from the coalition government?
Resurrecting the Wall of Fear: The Human Rights Situation in Syria
April 2008 | Over the past several months, Syrian authorities have engaged in a harsh campaign of repression against leading dissidents and human rights activists. The crackdown, overshadowed by developments elsewhere in the region, has received scant media coverage in the U.S. and Europe.
Iraq After the Surge: Options and Questions
April 2008 | The Bush Administration and Congress face difficult choices in Iraq. How can the relative success during the surge be prolonged and solidified? Should the drawdown continue? When will the Iraqi security forces be ready to take over? What can be done to accelerate political progress?
From Gridlock to Compromise: How Three Laws Could Begin to Transform Iraqi Politics
March 2008 | Iraqi lawmakers, breaking a prolonged stalemate, recently passed key legislation on regional powers, amnesty and the national budget. Five years after the U.S.-led invasion, is rule of law starting to take hold?
