Defense Policy | Mass Historia

On Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

CFR - 5 hours 17 min ago

Former UN Undersecretary-General Sigrid Kaag discusses the state of humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the role of the international community in supporting relief efforts.

Background Reading:

Malnutrition has reached alarming levels in Gaza, with famine declared in the territory’s most populated region. As Israel continues to block aid from entering Gaza, this backgrounder explains how hunger is now reportedly affecting more than just civilians on the ground.
As the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip continues, some countries have announced their intent to recognize the Palestinian territories as a sovereign nation, but full independence and UN membership remain elusive. This backgrounder unpacks the quest for Palestinian statehood.

Host:

Steven Kalin, Foreign Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal

Guest:

Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; Former United Nations Undersecretary-General

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To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUiqLythfc

Categories: Defense Policy

On Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

CFR - 5 hours 17 min ago

Former UN Undersecretary-General Sigrid Kaag discusses the state of humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the role of the international community in supporting relief efforts.

Background Reading:

Malnutrition has reached alarming levels in Gaza, with famine declared in the territory’s most populated region. As Israel continues to block aid from entering Gaza, this backgrounder explains how hunger is now reportedly affecting more than just civilians on the ground.
As the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip continues, some countries have announced their intent to recognize the Palestinian territories as a sovereign nation, but full independence and UN membership remain elusive. This backgrounder unpacks the quest for Palestinian statehood.

Host:

Steven Kalin, Foreign Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal

Guest:

Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; Former United Nations Undersecretary-General

Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUiqLythfc

Categories: Defense Policy

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Pope Leo XIV’s First 100 Days

CFR - Tue, 08/12/2025 - 2:00pm

Thomas J. Reese, senior analyst for Religion News Service; Stephen Schneck, commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; and George Weigel, senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, discuss Pope Leo XIV’s foreign policy priorities during his first 100 days and the Vatican’s evolving role in international diplomacy. Claire Giangravé, Vatican reporter for Religion News Service, moderates the conversation.

Categories: Defense Policy

Media Briefing: The U.S. Strikes Iran

CFR - Mon, 06/23/2025 - 12:30pm

CFR experts discuss the U.S. strikes on three of Iran's key nuclear sites, Iran's possible response, and implications for the region.

Categories: Defense Policy

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: AI’s Religious and Policy Implications

CFR - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 2:00pm

Ilia Delio, founder of the Center for Christogenesis and a Franciscan sister of Washington, DC, and Noreen Herzfeld, the Nicholas and Bernice Reuter professor of science and religion at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, discuss how religious worldviews and spiritual traditions can inform global AI policy and explore the role of faith leaders in shaping inclusive, ethical, and internationally responsible governance of artificial intelligence.

Categories: Defense Policy

Defensive Space Analysis Tool (DSPAT): Version 2.0

RAND - Fri, 01/05/2018 - 2:00am

This user's manual explains how to employ Defensive Space Analysis Tool (DSPAT) within a game-theoretic framework for assessing the potential deterrent value, escalation risks, and political costs of alternative space control options. This manual describes the tool; guides users through the processes of opening, populating, and running it; and explains how to interpret its outputs.

Categories: Defense Policy

Gaming Space: A Game-Theoretic Methodology for Assessing the Deterrent Value of Space Control Options

RAND - Fri, 01/05/2018 - 2:00am

This report introduces and explains a game-theoretic methodology to help decisionmakers assess the potential effects of alternative approaches to space control. Specifically, we sought to develop a methodology to identify those defensive space control options that would likely contribute to deterrence without increasing political costs and risks of escalation.

Categories: Defense Policy

Assessing Bid Protests of U.S. Department of Defense Procurements: Identifying Issues, Trends, and Drivers

RAND - Thu, 01/04/2018 - 7:30am

Bid protests have been a feature of the U.S. defense acquisition environment for decades. In recent years, the bid protest process has come under increased scrutiny. In response, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 called for a "comprehensive study on the prevalence and impact of bid protests on DoD acquisitions," including the systematic collection and analysis of the characteristics of bid protests and their outcomes.

Categories: Defense Policy

Air Force Non-Rated Technical Training: Opportunities for Improving Pipeline Processes

RAND - Mon, 12/18/2017 - 1:15am

In recent years the U.S. Air Force has faced persistent resource constraints while trying to deliver necessary training to its officer and enlisted forces. The Air Force therefore asked RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) to identify opportunities for optimizing processes at all levels of the nonrated technical training pipeline. This report presents PAF's assessment and recommends process and policy changes that could improve efficiency.

Categories: Defense Policy

Airpower in Counter-Terrorist Operations: Balancing Objectives and Risks

RAND - Wed, 12/06/2017 - 3:00am

Overview and analysis of harnessing airpower in counter-terrorist operations.

Categories: Defense Policy

Accelerating the Transition of Technologies Created through the U.S. Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program

RAND - Thu, 11/16/2017 - 6:30am

This dissertation gains to understand the contextual effects on the success of the transition of technologies generated through the U.S. Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research program.

Categories: Defense Policy

Air Force Installation Energy Assurance: An Assessment Framework

RAND - Mon, 11/06/2017 - 4:30am

Air Force mission success is increasingly dependent on assured access to electricity. A number of factors can interrupt supply of electric power, including natural disasters, accidents, and deliberate interference. The authors present a framework to assess energy assurance at Air Force installations.

Categories: Defense Policy

Air Force Officer Management Flexibilities: Modeling Potential Policies

RAND - Wed, 10/11/2017 - 1:00am

This report assesses the effect that proposed military human resource management flexibilities could have on Air Force officer accessions, promotions, separations, and other force management outcomes. The assessments identified flexibilities that would benefit the Air Force and characterized subsets of the military workforce to which they could be advantageously applied.

Categories: Defense Policy

Assessing Russian Reactions to U.S. and NATO Posture Enhancements

RAND - Tue, 10/10/2017 - 12:45am

Heightened tensions between Russia and NATO since 2014 have prompted the Alliance to take a fresh look at NATO's ability to deter potential Russian aggression. In this report, RAND researchers develop a framework that analysts can use to assess likely Russian reactions to ongoing and proposed NATO posture enhancements in Europe, which can help policymakers determine the utility and advisability of different options.

Categories: Defense Policy

Air Force Senior Leader Representation in the Joint Community

RAND - Tue, 10/03/2017 - 3:30am

Airmen are underrepresented in senior joint positions critical to shaping U.S. national security strategy and warfighting capability. Increasing competitiveness for senior joint positions may entail risks and will require cultural transformation.

Categories: Defense Policy