Working Papers
USIP Working Papers is a new series that allows academics in the field of international conflict resolution an opportunity to publish unedited works in progress. These papers may appear in future USIP publications, peer-reviewed journals, and edited volumes. This product is only distributed online and does not have a hard copy counterpart.
All Working Papers are available in PDF format.
2009
The Real Bridge to Nowhere: China’s Foiled North Korea Strategy
May 2009 | Carla Freeman and Drew Thompson | 668KB
On January 1, 2009, Chinese President Hu Jintao and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il exchanged greetings and declared 2009 the "year of China-DPRK friendship," marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Despite pledges to deepen cooperation and promote exchanges, however, the New Year began with the China-North Korean border closed and pervasive uncertainty about Kim’s health and the political stability of the DPRK.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor: Syria, Iraq and the Changing Strategic Context in the Middle East
April 2009 | Steven Simon | 593KB
Overall, Syria has marginally benefited from the war in Iraq at both the regional and international levels. After watching the U.S. military unseat the Baathist regime next door in 2003 with unprecedented speed, it looked to many observers—including some in Damascus—as if Syria would be next in line.
Securing Afghanistan: Getting on Track
February 2009 | C. Christine Fair and Seth G. Jones | 1.3MB
| 
Read the press release
New USIP report, "Securing Afghanistan," strengthens case for urgent, sustainable reforms. This first-ever comprehensive analysis of international security assistance shows many donors have not met their Afghan commitments. A lack of focus on long-term sustainability, an inability to map the entirety of donor nations' security assistance programs and the subsequent failure on the part of the international community to understand precisely what is needed in Afghanistan are among the leading reasons why international stabilization efforts in the country have not been more successful over the last seven years, says the new report.
Iraq, its Neighbors, and the Obama Administration:
Syrian and Saudi Perspectives
February 2009 | 360KB
Since 2004, USIP's "Iraq and its Neighbors" initiative has sponsored track II dialogues and ongoing research on relations between Iraq and its six immediate neighbors. As part of this work, the Institute—in partnership with the Stimson Center—sponsored a bipartisan, independent, and unofficial Study Mission to Syria and Saudi Arabia in mid-January 2009. The delegation met with a wide variety of leading political figures, businesspeople, NGOs and foreign policy experts in both countries, including President Bashar Assad of Syria and Prince Turki al-Faysal of Saudi Arabia. The top concern for both Riyadh and Damascus remains blowback from Iraq: the ascendance of ethnic and sectarian identity and the spread of Islamic militancy. The need to contain this threat is the dominant force that shapes their relations with Iraq. Both Syria and Saudi Arabia have a vital interest in ensuring that Iraq's emerging political order is inclusive of Sunni Arab Iraqis, who have not yet been fully incorporated into Iraqi institutions. This working paper represents the initial findings of the Study Mission.
2008
Pakistani Public Opinion on Democracy, Islamist Militancy, and Relations with the U.S.
February 2008 | C. Christine Fair, Clay Ramsay, and Steve Kull | 243KB
In this volatile election season in Pakistan, attention is once again turning toward Pakistani national identity, security, and foreign policy. To better assess the situation, USIP and WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted a joint public opinion survey of urban Pakistanis on a wide array of compelling policy questions.
Keeping an Eye on an Unruly Neighbor: Chinese Views of Economic Reform and Stability in North Korea
January 2008 | Bonnie Glaser, Scott Snyder, and John S. Park | 712KB
What is the nature of internal Chinese debate regarding North Korea? In the event of instability in the Korean peninsula, how would Beijing respond? Drawing on discussions with North Korea specialists during a Center for Strategic and International Studies-USIP delegation visit to the People's Republic of China, this report explores these and related issues.
2007
Disabling DPRK Nuclear Facilities
October 2007 | David Albright and Paul Brannan | 377KB
While the October 3, 2007 Six-Party Talks accord outlines a roadmap for the disablement of North Korea’s core nuclear facilities, the specific details of the nuclear disablement process are still being developed. USIP’s Korea Working Group commissioned this Working Paper in order to facilitate a better understanding of nuclear disablement.
New Hopes for Negotiated Solutions in Colombia
September 2007 | Virginia M. Bouvier | 455KB
Drawing from a series of conferences and events organized by USIP, this report examines the status of current peace initiatives in Colombia with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC). It also assesses the paramilitary demobilization process and analyzes the role of local, national, and international third-party actors in each of these processes. The analysis reflects developments on the ground through the end of September 2007.
Seven Months Into the Surge: What Does It Mean For Iraqis?
September 2007 | Rend Francke | 240KB
Based on conversations held in the summer of 2007 with Iraqi political leaders, senior government officials, members of parliament, and Iraqi citizens, this report shows that the security and political situations in Iraq in the summer of 2007 were tentatively and marginally improved in Baghdad but in a state of flux, and that the political process was far behind the military effort.
Building Democracy in Burma
July 2007 | Priscilla Clapp | 820KB
This report was commissioned by USIP's Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention. It draws on the deliberations of prominent U.S. and international academics and NGO/IGO representatives on how the international community can prepare itself to support the inevitable future political transition in Burma.
Read Priscilla Clapp's Special Report, Burma's Long Road to Democracy, published in November 2007.
Correlates of Public Support for Terrorism in the Muslim World
May 2007 | Ethan Beuno de Mesquita | 1.97 MB
This report was commissioned by USIP's Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention. Consistent with the center’s commitment to conflict prevention, this report aims to inform the center’s ongoing work to expand the understanding of the determinants of terrorism and its support base.
