Analysis / Strategy

Hold My Chai: Escalation and De-Escalation Scenarios in South Asia

In the past, U.S. leadership played a significant role in backchannel mediating between India and Pakistan, counseling strategic patience and brokering diplomatic talks even at the height of Indo-Pak tensions. With the United States currently showing little leadership in South Asia, what scenarios could play out and what might their implication be for the United States and other interests?

Analysis / Acquisition, Budget, Forces, Strategy

What to Look for in the FY 2020 Defense Budget Request

Expectations have been building for the FY 2020 defense budget request, a budget that acting secretary of defense Shanahan has called the “masterpiece.” As the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) works on finalizing the request, experts from the CSIS International Security Program outline what to look for in the FY 2020 defense budget.

Analysis / Reform

Pursuing Effective and Conflict-Aware Stabilization: Framing and Constructing a Roadmap

The U.S. government’s Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) framework provides an opportunity to clarify and streamline stabilization assistance, though implementation will require sustained leadership, an interagency roadmap, new processes, bureaucratic incentives, and a review of authorities and resources.