Flexibility and Sensitivity to Local Concerns are Crucial to Long-Term U.S. Security Relations with Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract

The United States has a huge stake in the long-term development of Iraq and Afghanistan, having expended considerable diplomatic, economic, and military resources -- not to mention the personal sacrifices of U.S. troops and civilians -- pursuing security in these countries. While the United States is currently focused on near-term stability, its long-term intentions remain in flux. In Iraq, it is building base infrastructure at the same time that its policy makers are debating exit strategies. It has signed a strategic partnership with Afghanistan, but that country remains a distant second to Iraq in terms of focus and resources, despite the fact that it is now the more violent and unstable of the two. Such mixed signals only increase the sense of threat and mistrust that people within each country and throughout the surrounding region feel over the prospect of continued U.S. engagement. According to a study by RAND Project Air Force, future security depends on the United States clarifying its long-term intentions toward Iraq, Afghanistan, and the region. Bilateral and multilateral security relationships will need to be robust enough to advance mutual interests, flexible enough to respond to emerging political conditions, and muted enough to avoid inflaming local sensitivities. This Research Brief focuses on the following topics: Bilateral Security Objectives Currently Coincide, but Outcomes Are Uncertain; The United States Should Be Prepared to Offer Baghdad a Strong Situational Partnership; The United States Should Seek a More Detailed, Resourced Strategic Partnership with Kabul; The United States Should Encourage a Cooperative, Multilateral Regional Security Framework; The U.S. Air Force Will Play a Central Role; and The U.S. Air Force Should Prepare for High Demand.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA484464

Entities

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan
  • Air Force
  • Corporations
  • Governments
  • Health Care
  • Homeland Security
  • Infrastructure
  • Intellectual Property
  • Military Facilities
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Regional Security
  • Security
  • Sensitivity
  • Training
  • United States

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Systems Analysis and Design