This paper argues the importance of a more effective engagement of Afghanistan’s tribes, particularly in the country’s south east. This could help improve stability in a strategically important part of the country and avoid a situation where local tribes were turned against the Afghan national government and international military forces operating in the region. 'Caught...

This Policy Analysis examines a coalition counter-insurgency strategy in a state of flux following a sobering campaign assessment by the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, General Stanley McChrystal, and the deeply flawed August 20 Afghan presidential election. Mr Khosa also discusses the implications of the resulting policy debate in Washington for Australia’s military...

Australia's current role in Afghanistan is the latest experience in a long history of involvement in counterinsurgency conflicts or 'small wars'. Such commitments may begin as wars of choice, but history suggests they can turn into wars of necessity, and their costs and political impact can be large. In this Lowy Institute Paper, Mark O’Neill...

Migration not infrequently gets a bad press, especially in times of recession. This report seeks to broaden and rebalance perceptions of migration to reflect a complex and highly variable reality. This report applyies a human development approach to the study of migration. It discusses who migrants are, where they come from and go to, and...

The bottom is starting to fall out of the Afghan opium market. For the second year in a row, cultivation, production, work-force, prices, revenues, exports and its GDP share are all down, while the number of poppy-free provinces and drug seizures continue to rise. Yet, Afghan drugs still have catastrophic consequences. They fund criminals, insurgents...