This report from the United States Institute of Peace concludes a two-year study on Iraq’s new political leaders and their visions for the future, based on extensive background data and personal interviews with over seventy top leaders since 2003. The study finds that rapid and continuous change in political leaders is making it difficult for them to acquire experience and achieve effective government. Also, tensions between outsiders who were opponents of Saddam, and insiders, mainly those who served in the previous regime, are generating distrust and making compromise difficult. However, although ethnic and sectarian polarization persists, elections have produced a new political constellation of parties—and militias—with a greater variety of views and constituencies. This development may provide some opportunity for new alignments across the ethnic and sectarian divides.

The RAND Corporation presents a doctrine for conducting effective nation building operations based on historical research into the conduct of such operations by the United States, Europe, the UN, and other states and organizations over the past 60 years.

Why should the United States care about rogue regimes or failed states? Simply put, unstable regimes are a threat to U.S. interests. Terror groups and criminal networks find haven in weak or failed states. They exploit porous borders to move people, money, weapons, and drugs. Human security is affected when government institutions are unable to meet basic needs or provide essential services. Poverty, disease, and humanitarian emergencies have transnational implications. Not only are conflict prevention and nation-building investments in U.S. security, they are also consistent with American ideals.

The ICG agrees with the assessment of Iraq as given in the Baker-Hamilton report but recommends even more radical changes in U.S. policy toward the region.

Two years ago the Asian tsunami devastated the Indonesian province of Aceh. A huge amount of rebuilding has been done but thousands of the poorest Acehnese families have yet to be re-housed; the wave washed away their land and also many documents showing who owned land in Aceh. According to this report from the development charity Oxfam the question of who owns what land is now an urgent issue that must be solved if Acehnese society is to be rebuilt on a secure footing.

New polls reveal that Afghans increasingly are losing faith in their government and throwing their support behind the Taliban, which has staged a strong comeback in Kandahar.

This briefing by the Afghanistan Reconstruction Group (ARG) details the central points made during an off-the-record session in July 2006. The goal of the meeting was to assess the ARG experience and to develop lessons learned from ARG veterans, former Afghan officials, and U.S. government representatives.

This CSIS briefing by Famid Sinha and Teresita Schaffer on security issues in Afghanistan as NATO takes over from the US-led coalition concludes that NATO faces an uphill task.

A resurgent Taliban and a bumper crop of opium poppies are adding to the instability in Afghanistan. With NATO forces set to take the security lead at the end of July, a new campaign seeks to drive out Afghan insurgents.

Ivo H. Daalder, senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution, says he sees no end to the heavy violence within Iraq following last week's death of insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. "To argue that Zarqawi's death is going to make much of a difference I think is quite mistaken," says Daalder. He says President Bush's visit only underscored the lack of security in Iraq when it was revealed Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki only learned Bush was in Baghdad five minutes before their meeting.

The latest report by the U.S. inspector general for Iraq's reconstruction says work continues to be hobbled by security concerns, poor oversight and corruption. Stuart Bowen Jr. tells cfr.org that international actors, from the World Bank to donor nations, must become more committed to the rebuilding of Iraq.

The rebuilding of Iraq remains mired in bureaucracy, corruption, and security lapses, says Stuart Bowen Jr., the U.S. special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, but he expects more progress to be made this year.

Stabilization and reconstruction operations in Afghanistan have been overshadowed by developments in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, says the report, Afghanistan’s Uncertain Transition From Turmoil to Normalcy , by Afghanistan expert and New York University Professor Barnett R. Rubin.

Total U.S. assistance to Iraq thus far is roughly equivalent to total assistance
(adjusted for inflation) provided to Germany—and almost double that provided to
Japan—from 1946-1952.

Iraq's sectarian killings have many convinced the country has slipped into civil war. President Bush says he is not so sure—and sees signs Iraqis have stepped back from the brink.

Listen to Council experts discuss U.S. military action in Iraq.

On the anniversary of U.S. military action in Iraq, Stephen Biddle and Jane Arraf discuss the nature of the conflict and strategies for moving forward.