OCCASIONAL PAPERS
AP Photo
September 2010
"Shiism and Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan: Identity Politics, Iranian Influence, and Tit-for-Tat Violence"
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Western analysts can no longer afford to ignore the growing potential for sectarian violence in Pakistan, for uncontrolled sectarian violence can destabilize Pakistan and the region at large. Internally, sectarian groups prefer to conduct their attacks in the Punjab, the center of gravity of the country's military and political elite. Attacks against Pakistan's Shia are also bound to have regional implications, since they can further stoke tensions between Pakistan and its neighbor Iran, a Shia-majority state."
February 11, 2011
"US and Russian Intelligence Cooperation during the Yeltsin Years"
By Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Over the years, cooperation between the US and Russia has waxed and waned. Trust has come and gone. As we look to the future to find new ways of strengthening this enigmatic relationship, we should draw on propitious times in the past, when Russians and Americans managed to bridge the divide – most notably, during world war two. History once again favors a genuine partnership between our two nations. Today, there is more that unites us than divides us. We confront common threats of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and the challenges of globalization and an interconnected world. The question is: will we have the courage to do the right thing?"
AP Photo
February 25, 2010
"The Failure of Jihad in Saudi Arabia"
By Thomas Hegghammer, Former Associate, Initiative on Religion in International Affairs/International Security Program, 2009–2010; Former Research Fellow, Initiative on Religion in International Affairs/International Security Program, 2008–2009
The paper argues that despite the widespread view of Saudi Arabia as "al-Qa'ida country," and despite the recent developments in Yemen, the jihad in Saudi Arabia has failed so far. The late 1990s saw no operations in the Kingdom because Bin Ladin's infrastructure there was too weak. The AQAP campaign, made possible by the massive influx in 2002 of al-Qa'ida members from Afghanistan, petered out in 2006. Today, practically nothing remains of the original AQAP organization. Nevertheless, its legacy and propaganda continues to inspire amateur cells, and al-Qa'ida in Yemen is actively planning operations in the Kingdom.
June 30, 2004
Russian and American Nonproliferation Policy: Success, Failure, and the Role of Cooperation
By James Walsh, Former Executive Director, Project on Managing the Atom/Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, 2002-2006; Former Research Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 1999-2002
June, 2004
Russian and American Nonproliferation Policy: Success, Failure, and the Role of Cooperation
By James Walsh, Former Executive Director, Project on Managing the Atom/Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, 2002-2006; Former Research Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, 1999-2002
December 2002
"War with Iraq: Costs, Consequences, and Alternatives"
By Carl Kaysen, Steven E. Miller, Director, International Security Program; Editor-in-Chief, International Security; Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom, Martin B. Malin, Executive Director, Project on Managing the Atom, William D. Nordhaus and John D. Steinbruner, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1973-1977
A December 2002 report, published under the auspices of the Academy’s Committee on International Security Studies (CISS), finds that the political, military, and economic consequences of war with Iraq could be extremely costly to the United States. William D. Nordhaus (Yale University) estimates the economic costs of war with Iraq in scenarios that are both favorable and unfavorable to the United States. Steven E. Miller (Harvard University) considers a number of potentially disastrous military and strategic outcomes of war for the United States that have received scant public attention. Carl Kaysen (MIT), John D. Steinbruner (University of Maryland),and Martin B. Malin (American Academy) examine the broader national security strategy behind the move toward a preventive war against Iraq.
September, 2000
A Comprehensive Approach to Nuclear Arms Control
By Steven E. Miller, Director, International Security Program; Editor-in-Chief, International Security; Co-Principal Investigator, Project on Managing the Atom
August 1999
Preventive Diplomacy and Preventive Defense in South Asia: The U.S. Role
volume 2
By Warren Christopher, David Hamburg, International Council Member, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Dr. William J. Perry, Former Co-Director, Preventive Defense Project
Conference Report on the challenges of preventive diplomacy and preventive defense in South Asia.
February 1999
"Reforming the Department of Defense: The Revolution in Business Affairs"
volume 1
By John P. White, Member of the Board, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Steven J. Kelman and Michael J. Lippitz, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2003-2004
Conference Report on the "Revolution in Business Affairs" that is improving efficiency at the Department of Defense.
