This study examines several case studies of sustained campaigns of urban terrorism perpetrated by various domestic groups in the countries of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. One focus of this research addresses the modus operandi of the militant outfits. It describes the tactics they employ, their targeting means and objectives, and the ways in which these groups have innovated and evolved over time. This report illuminates, where possible, links that...

A number of important steps have been taken in recent years to improve the planning and management of Army International Activities (AIA). Still, a need remains, and is widely recognized, for a high-level assessment mechanism to allocate AIA resources more efficiently, execute AIA programs more effectively, and highlight the contributions of AIA to the National Military Strategy, the DoD Security Cooperation Guidance, and The Army Plan. This report...

This monograph begins by examining prewar planning efforts or postwar Iraq, in order to establish what U.S. policymakers expected the postwar situation to look like and what their plans were for reconstruction. The monograph then examines the role of U.S. military forces after major combat officially ended on May 1, 2003; the analysis covers this period through the end of June 2004. Finally, the monograph examines civilian efforts at reconstruction...

"As a result of the generally low quality of child care in the United States and the increased emphasis on accountability in education policy, quality rating systems (QRSs) are proliferating in the child-care arena. QRSs assess child-care providers on multiple dimensions of quality and integrate these assessments into an easily understood summary rating (such as from 0 to 4 stars). These ratings are intended to help parents, funders, and other stakeholders...

"Escalation is a natural tendency in any form of human competition. When such competition entails military confrontation or war, the pressure to escalate can become intense due to the potential cost of losing contests of deadly force. Cold War-era thinking about escalation focused on the dynamics of bipolar, superpower confrontation and strategies to control it. Today's security environment, however, demands that the United States be prepared for...

Changes in technology and adversary behavior will invariably produce new threats that must be assessed by defense and homeland security planners, and a decision must be made about whether they merit changes in current defenses or the development of new defensive approaches. An example of such a novel threat is the use of cruise missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by terrorist groups or other asymmetric actors to attack homeland targets. Individual...

"The United States is heavily invested -- diplomatically, economically, and militarily -- in Iraq and Afghanistan, and developments in these two nations will affect not only their own interests but those of their neighbors and the United States as well. The authors emphasize that the United States must clarify its long-term intentions to the governments and peoples in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding regions. They describe possible regional...

Actual statements and writings of jihadis expressing their views on virtually every subject relevant to their cause, with introductory and contextual material that provides the background and origins of what they are saying. The stories, rationales, ideas, and arguments of jihadi terrorists and those who support them should provide greater insights into their motives and plans, as well as the nature of the threat they pose.

Presents information regarding the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania from 20032004 through 20052006, including the final results of the Implementing Standards-Based Accountability project.

The United States Postal Service has a statutory monopoly to deliver mail to mailboxes, but there are arguments to relax that monopoly. This study assesses the public safety concerns of doing so and makes recommendations to address these concerns.