POLICY UPDATE National Security and Terrorism June 16, 2022

 

 

POLICY UPDATE National Security and Terrorism June 16, 2022
Composite image by denisismagilov and Piotr Krzeslak/Adobe Stock
Map of Online Violent Extremist Rhetoric Can Inform Counter-Efforts An analysis of White identity terrorism and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism discourse on social media finds that this content is largely created and fueled by users in the United States. A national strategy to counter these threats is needed. Read more »

Reports and Journal Articles

Photos by Pichi Chuang/Reuters and pete/CC by 2.0 Implications of a Coercive Quarantine of Taiwan by China It's possible that China could enact a quarantine of Taiwan, preventing it from sending exports or receiving imports. Quarantine exploits Taiwan's economic vulnerability but also has consequences for the United States and other allies. How might they respond? Read more »

Photo by EyePress via Reuters U.S. Policy Toward the Taliban: Engage, Isolate, or Oppose? With the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and a growing humanitarian crisis, the United States faces several policy options. While isolation is the usual response to an unwelcome regime change, engagement offers the only prospect to advance U.S. interests in the country, mainly counterterrorism and humanitarian relief. Read more »

Photo by Grant Miller/Bush Institute Standards for Delivering High-Quality Care to Veterans with Invisible Wounds Depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders interfere with veterans' employment, family life, community engagement, and well-being. There are effective treatments but also barriers to accessing them. A set of standards can help identify providers who serve veterans and deliver high-quality care. Read more »

Photo by the RAND Corporation Implications of the Pandemic for Terrorist Interest in Biological Weapons Some policymakers and analysts have expressed concern that weaknesses in responses to the COVID-19 pandemic will motivate terrorists to seek biological weapons. While the prospect of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda pursuing biological weapons is not zero, it is unlikely, given the difficulties involved and the availability of simpler alternatives. Read more »

Images by A1C Ariel Owings/U.S. Air Force and Jamesteohart/Adobe Stock; Design by Carol Ponce/RAND Corporation Exploring the Civil-Military Divide over Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence is anticipated to be a key capability for enabling the U.S. military to maintain its dominance. How do software engineers and other technical staff in the industry view the defense community? Are they willing to contribute to AI-related projects for military use? Read more »

Handout from Sahara Reporters via Reuters How to Reduce Violent Nonstate Actors' Abilities to Adapt Violent nonstate actors—terrorist groups, drug trafficking organizations, and others—pose durable and direct threats to U.S. security interests. Why are they so capable of adapting to changes in their environments, and how might the Army detect and mitigate such adaptations before they occur? Read more »

Image by Anton Balazh/Adobe Stock Russia's Information Warfare with the West Popular portrayals of the Russian disinformation machine imply an organized and well-resourced operation, but evidence suggests that it is neither. Nonetheless, Russian social media activity can be harmful to U.S. interests and is likely to evolve. Read more »

Blog Posts

Photo by Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters The Return of 'Don’t Poke the Bear' Some argue that, in order to avoid antagonizing Russia, the West should call for Ukraine to back down and move toward a negotiated peace. But this strategy comes with its own set of consequences. Read more »

Photo by Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Modi's Multipolar Moment Has Arrived Russia's war in Ukraine has benefited India as great powers are competing more vigorously for New Delhi's affection, particularly the United States and China. India has also prevented its Russia policy from spoiling partnerships with key European and Indo-Pacific partners. These trends, if sustained, will contribute to India's rise to great-power status and in turn, shift the global system toward even greater multipolarity. Read more »

Photo by CSA-Printstock/Getty Images An Alternative Way to Think About Space Regulation There are currently no international binding rules that would address growing threats in space. Without more-defined and enforceable rules of war regarding space and space assets, the danger of a destructive conflict in space grows significantly. Read more »

Photo by Ann Wang/Reuters Ukraine War Is Motivating Taiwan to Better Secure Its Own Future Russia's invasion of Ukraine is probably motivating Taiwan to better secure its own future versus China. But many of the challenges currently facing Taiwan, such as shortcomings in reservist training or lingering confusion over its military strategy, are difficult to fix, assuming they are even fixable. Read more »

Photo by Str Old/Reuters Three Principles for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security In his inaugural address in 1998, former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung defined three principles for Korean peninsula peace and security. How might these principles be adjusted to manage today's changing North Korean threats and the Korean security environment? Read more »

Photo by Yves Herman/Reuters Rethinking the EU's Role in European Collective Defence Russia's invasion of Ukraine is forcing European nations to quickly re-evaluate how best to maintain their collective security. This makes the concept of European strategic autonomy—the EU's increased ability to operate independently and with partners of choice on defence and security matters—more relevant than ever. Read more »

Photo by Pornpak Khunatorn/Getty Images Addressing the Shortage of Behavioral Health Clinicians: Lessons from the Military Health System Access to behavioral health services is one of the top challenges for the U.S. health care system, due in part to a shortage of licensed mental health providers. One potential solution to expanding the behavioral health workforce can be found in the U.S. military. Read more »

Photo by Zhang Xiaoyu/Pool via Reuters Russia's Invasion of Ukraine May Harden U.S. Indo-Pacific Allies The effects of Russia's war against Ukraine stretch worldwide as countries watch Ukraine's unfolding tragedy to glean possible lessons for their own security. Understanding how Australia and Japan are perceiving the conflict could be critical for allied strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Read more »

Multimedia

Art by V+J Russia's Propaganda Model RAND artists-in-residence Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre, known as V+J, created a powerful animated video to show how Russian propaganda spreads—and how it can influence its audience by entertaining, confusing, and overwhelming them. Read more »

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