Publication

This report argues that nation-building is not just a humanitarian concern, but a critical national security priority that should be on par with war-fighting, and urges US policy makers to acknowledge that winning the peace is as important as winning the war. It explains that the failure to take nation-building as seriously as initial combat operations has had serious consequences for international efforts to stabilize nations after conflict. The authors call on the US president to improve the country's ability to conduct stabilization and reconstruction operations, and recommend concrete ways for the Bush administration to take on these challenges, including giving greater authority to the State Department.