Seth G Jones
Biographic Data
| ID | 1067960 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Seth G Jones |
| GIVEN NAMES | Seth G |
| FAMILY NAME | Jones |
| SIGNATURE | JONES S G |
| AFFILIATIONS | RAND Corporation |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 29 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 68 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 29 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Russia’s Sabotage Campaign in Europe
Legion of Doom? China, Russia, Iran and North Korea
The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age
Al-Qaeda's Quagmire in Syria
Even though al-Qaeda has largely failed to take advantage of the Syrian war, there could be opportunities for a resurgence among Salafi jihadists in Syria
Rolling Back the Islamic State
The Islamic State has lost substantial amounts of territory but continues to conduct and inspire attacks around the world. This report assesses the threat the Islamic State poses to the United States and examines strategies to counter the group and prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State or other Salafi-jihadist groups
The End of a Caliphate
It is not clear that the United States will commit to the long-term efforts needed to prevail against the Islamic State’s affiliates, and to ensure the organisation does not re-emerge in Iraq and Syria
PLA Influence on China's National Security Policymaking
This book assesses the relationship between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its civilian masters by moving beyond media and pundit speculation to mount an in-depth examination and explanation of the PLA's role in national security policymaking.
A Persistent Threat: The Evolution of al Qa'ida and Other Salafi Jihadists
This report examines the status and evolution of al Qa'ida and other Salafi-jihadist groups, and uses qualitative and quantitative data to assess whether this movement has strengthened. The author uses this analysis to examine U.S. strategic options to counter al Qa'ida and other terrorist groups based on the threat level and the capacity of local governments
Syria's Growing Jihad
Syria is becoming a training ground for foreign fighters and a microcosm of sectarian conflict. The quicker the Assad regime falls, the better. Notes Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, Join the Caravan (London: Azzam Publications, 2001). Joseph Felter and Brian Fishman, Al Qa'ida's Foreign Fighters in Iraq: A First Look at the Sinjar Records (West Point, NY: Harmony Project, Combating Terrorism Center, 2007). Brian Fishman, ed., Bombers, Bank Accounts,…
The Future of Insurgency
What are key historical trends in insurgencies? And what do these finding suggest about the future of insurgency? We examine four aspects: causes of insurgency, outside support, strategies, and tactics. Based on an examination of quantitative and qualitative data, we make several arguments about the future. China could become increasingly involved in supporting insurgencies and counterinsurgencies if its economic and military power continues to i…
The Terrorist Threat from Pakistan
Despite an air of Western triumphalism over bin Laden's killing, Pakistan remains a major hub of international terrorism, especially for groups plotting attacks against Western countries. Notes Greg Miller and Peter Finn, 'CIA Sees Increased Threat from Al-Qaeda in Yemen', Washington Post, 24 August 2010. Alex Spillius, 'Is Al-Qaeda On the Run?', Telegraph, 3 July 2011. President Barack Obama, 'Remarks by the President on the Way Forward in Afgha…
The Lessons of Mumbai
This study of the Mumbai terrorist attack of November 2008 is part of the RAND Corporation Occasional Papers series. The research for this report was completed in December 2008 and updated as of January 9, 2009. Much of the information available for this necessarily preliminary analysis comes from reporting by the news media, which in such circumstances is often inaccurate, and from information provided by well-placed Indian and U.S. Government s…
Pakistan's War Within
Prior to 2001, Pakistan had limited experience countering domestic militants. Today, the Pakistani army still prefers to focus on a potential war with India rather than against sub-state actors. Nonetheless, there have been noted improvements since 2001, and throughout 2009 Islamabad has demonstrated increasing resolve to defeat militants challenging the writ of the state. Earlier operations such as Al Mizan revealed serious deficiencies in the a…
Women and Nation-Building
Using a case study of Afghanistan, this study examines gender-specific impacts of conflict and post-conflict and the ways they may affect women differently than they affect men. It analyzes the role of women in the nation-building process and considers outcomes that might occur if current practices were modified. Recommendations are made for improving data collection in conflict zones and for enhancing the outcomes of nation-building programs
How Terrorist Groups End: Implications for Countering al Qa'ida
This research brief describes an analysis of how terrorist groups end. The evidence since 1968 indicates that most groups have ceased to exist as a result of police and intelligence actions or of political accommodations, not military efforts
How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida
All terrorist groups eventually end. But how? Most modern groups have ended because they joined the political process or local police and intelligence agencies arrested or killed key members. This has significant implications for dealing with al Qa'ida and suggests fundamentally rethinking post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism strategy: Policing and intelligence, not military force, should form the backbone of U.S. efforts against al Qa'ida
The Rise of Afghanistan's Insurgency: State Failure and Jihad
In 2002 Afghanistan began to experience a violent insurgency as the Taliban and other groups conducted a sustained effort to overthrow the Afghan government. Why did an insurgency begin in Afghanistan? Answers to this question have important theoretical and policy implications. Conventional arguments, which focus on the role of grievance or greed, cannot explain the Afghan insurgency. Rather, a critical precondition was structural: the collapse o…
The Rise of European Security Cooperation
One of the most striking developments in recent international politics has been the significant increase in security cooperation among European Union states. Seth Jones argues that this increase in cooperation, in areas such as economic sanctions, weapons production and collaboration among military forces, has occurred because of the changing structure of the international and regional systems. Since the end of the Cold War, the international sys…
Fighting Networked Terrorist Groups: Lessons from Israel
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States faced “networked” adversaries: insurgent groups that communicated and coordinated their political and military campaigns without a central command. The rise of networked groups is a direct result of the preponderance of U.S. military power. Consequently, this article asks: What strategies have been most effective in defeating networked groups? To answer this question, the article examines Israeli operati…
Pakistan's Dangerous Game
Securing Tyrants or Fostering Reform? U.S. Internal Security Assistance to Repressive and Transitioning Regimes: U.S. internal security assistance to repressive and transitioning regimes
This study examines the results of U.S. assistance to the internal security forces of four repressive states: El Salvador, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Efforts to improve the security, human rights, and accountability of security forces appear more likely to succeed in states transitioning from repressive to democratic systems. In addition, several factors are critical for success: the duration of assistance, viability of the justice sy…
Averting failure in Afghanistan
The Rise of a European Defense
Measuring National Power
Reports the results of a two-day workshop that brought together a diverse group of modelers, specialists in international relations, and thinkers about power from both the public and the private sectors. They considered how to measure state power and the power of non-state actors, and how states and non-state actors wield power on a continuum ranging from persuasion, through economic aid, to military action.
Law and Order in Palestine
In 2004, the Gaza Strip and West Bank deteriorated into intra-Palestinian violence on several occasions. This violence escalated demands across Palestinian society that the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat surrender some of his powers and reform a judicial system riddled with inefficiency and corruption. An examination of past nation-building efforts in countries such as East Timor and Bosnia illustrates a number of steps the Palestinians and int…
The Rise of Afghanistan's Insurgency: State Failure and Jihad
In 2002 Afghanistan began to experience a violent insurgency as the Taliban and other groups conducted a sustained effort to overthrow the Afghan government. Why did an insurgency begin in Afghanistan? Answers to this question have important theoretical and policy implications. Conventional arguments, which focus on the role of grievance or greed, cannot explain the Afghan insurgency. Rather, a critical precondition was structural: the collapse o…
Pakistan's War Within
Prior to 2001, Pakistan had limited experience countering domestic militants. Today, the Pakistani army still prefers to focus on a potential war with India rather than against sub-state actors. Nonetheless, there have been noted improvements since 2001, and throughout 2009 Islamabad has demonstrated increasing resolve to defeat militants challenging the writ of the state. Earlier operations such as Al Mizan revealed serious deficiencies in the a…
The Future of Insurgency
What are key historical trends in insurgencies? And what do these finding suggest about the future of insurgency? We examine four aspects: causes of insurgency, outside support, strategies, and tactics. Based on an examination of quantitative and qualitative data, we make several arguments about the future. China could become increasingly involved in supporting insurgencies and counterinsurgencies if its economic and military power continues to i…
Fighting Networked Terrorist Groups: Lessons from Israel
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States faced “networked” adversaries: insurgent groups that communicated and coordinated their political and military campaigns without a central command. The rise of networked groups is a direct result of the preponderance of U.S. military power. Consequently, this article asks: What strategies have been most effective in defeating networked groups? To answer this question, the article examines Israeli operati…
The European Union and the Security Dilemma
(2003). The European Union and the Security Dilemma. Security Studies: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 114-156
Pakistan's Dangerous Game
The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age
Syria's Growing Jihad
Syria is becoming a training ground for foreign fighters and a microcosm of sectarian conflict. The quicker the Assad regime falls, the better. Notes Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, Join the Caravan (London: Azzam Publications, 2001). Joseph Felter and Brian Fishman, Al Qa'ida's Foreign Fighters in Iraq: A First Look at the Sinjar Records (West Point, NY: Harmony Project, Combating Terrorism Center, 2007). Brian Fishman, ed., Bombers, Bank Accounts,…
The Terrorist Threat from Pakistan
Despite an air of Western triumphalism over bin Laden's killing, Pakistan remains a major hub of international terrorism, especially for groups plotting attacks against Western countries. Notes Greg Miller and Peter Finn, 'CIA Sees Increased Threat from Al-Qaeda in Yemen', Washington Post, 24 August 2010. Alex Spillius, 'Is Al-Qaeda On the Run?', Telegraph, 3 July 2011. President Barack Obama, 'Remarks by the President on the Way Forward in Afgha…
Averting failure in Afghanistan
The Rise of a European Defense
Transatlantic Divisions
America's Role in Nation-Building: From Germany to Iraq
In Iraq, the United States is facing its most challenging nation-building project since the 1940s. The authors draw lessons from seven case studies — Germany, Japan, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan — then apply these to the Iraq case. The results suggest that nation-building will be difficult but possible. Success will, however, require investing sufficient financial, military, and political resources — and time.
The European Union and the Security Dilemma
(2003). The European Union and the Security Dilemma. Security Studies: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 114-156
Law and Order in Palestine
In 2004, the Gaza Strip and West Bank deteriorated into intra-Palestinian violence on several occasions. This violence escalated demands across Palestinian society that the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat surrender some of his powers and reform a judicial system riddled with inefficiency and corruption. An examination of past nation-building efforts in countries such as East Timor and Bosnia illustrates a number of steps the Palestinians and int…
An Independent Palestine: The Security Dimension
If negotiations produce an end to the Israeli—Palestinian conflict then a sovereign, independent Palestine may emerge. But what is required for it to succeed? Nothing is more important than the security of a Palestinian state—for itself, for Israel, and for the region: security trumps all else. In addition to the problem of dealing effectively with opposition to a peace agreement within Palestine or directed against it from outside, the nature an…
Measuring National Power
Reports the results of a two-day workshop that brought together a diverse group of modelers, specialists in international relations, and thinkers about power from both the public and the private sectors. They considered how to measure state power and the power of non-state actors, and how states and non-state actors wield power on a continuum ranging from persuasion, through economic aid, to military action.
Securing Tyrants or Fostering Reform? U.S. Internal Security Assistance to Repressive and Transitioning Regimes: U.S. internal security assistance to repressive and transitioning regimes
This study examines the results of U.S. assistance to the internal security forces of four repressive states: El Salvador, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Efforts to improve the security, human rights, and accountability of security forces appear more likely to succeed in states transitioning from repressive to democratic systems. In addition, several factors are critical for success: the duration of assistance, viability of the justice sy…
Averting failure in Afghanistan
The Rise of a European Defense
The Rise of European Security Cooperation
One of the most striking developments in recent international politics has been the significant increase in security cooperation among European Union states. Seth Jones argues that this increase in cooperation, in areas such as economic sanctions, weapons production and collaboration among military forces, has occurred because of the changing structure of the international and regional systems. Since the end of the Cold War, the international sys…
Fighting Networked Terrorist Groups: Lessons from Israel
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States faced “networked” adversaries: insurgent groups that communicated and coordinated their political and military campaigns without a central command. The rise of networked groups is a direct result of the preponderance of U.S. military power. Consequently, this article asks: What strategies have been most effective in defeating networked groups? To answer this question, the article examines Israeli operati…
Pakistan's Dangerous Game
Women and Nation-Building
Using a case study of Afghanistan, this study examines gender-specific impacts of conflict and post-conflict and the ways they may affect women differently than they affect men. It analyzes the role of women in the nation-building process and considers outcomes that might occur if current practices were modified. Recommendations are made for improving data collection in conflict zones and for enhancing the outcomes of nation-building programs
How Terrorist Groups End: Implications for Countering al Qa'ida
This research brief describes an analysis of how terrorist groups end. The evidence since 1968 indicates that most groups have ceased to exist as a result of police and intelligence actions or of political accommodations, not military efforts
How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida
All terrorist groups eventually end. But how? Most modern groups have ended because they joined the political process or local police and intelligence agencies arrested or killed key members. This has significant implications for dealing with al Qa'ida and suggests fundamentally rethinking post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism strategy: Policing and intelligence, not military force, should form the backbone of U.S. efforts against al Qa'ida
The Rise of Afghanistan's Insurgency: State Failure and Jihad
In 2002 Afghanistan began to experience a violent insurgency as the Taliban and other groups conducted a sustained effort to overthrow the Afghan government. Why did an insurgency begin in Afghanistan? Answers to this question have important theoretical and policy implications. Conventional arguments, which focus on the role of grievance or greed, cannot explain the Afghan insurgency. Rather, a critical precondition was structural: the collapse o…
The Lessons of Mumbai
This study of the Mumbai terrorist attack of November 2008 is part of the RAND Corporation Occasional Papers series. The research for this report was completed in December 2008 and updated as of January 9, 2009. Much of the information available for this necessarily preliminary analysis comes from reporting by the news media, which in such circumstances is often inaccurate, and from information provided by well-placed Indian and U.S. Government s…
Pakistan's War Within
Prior to 2001, Pakistan had limited experience countering domestic militants. Today, the Pakistani army still prefers to focus on a potential war with India rather than against sub-state actors. Nonetheless, there have been noted improvements since 2001, and throughout 2009 Islamabad has demonstrated increasing resolve to defeat militants challenging the writ of the state. Earlier operations such as Al Mizan revealed serious deficiencies in the a…
The Terrorist Threat from Pakistan
Despite an air of Western triumphalism over bin Laden's killing, Pakistan remains a major hub of international terrorism, especially for groups plotting attacks against Western countries. Notes Greg Miller and Peter Finn, 'CIA Sees Increased Threat from Al-Qaeda in Yemen', Washington Post, 24 August 2010. Alex Spillius, 'Is Al-Qaeda On the Run?', Telegraph, 3 July 2011. President Barack Obama, 'Remarks by the President on the Way Forward in Afgha…
The Future of Insurgency
What are key historical trends in insurgencies? And what do these finding suggest about the future of insurgency? We examine four aspects: causes of insurgency, outside support, strategies, and tactics. Based on an examination of quantitative and qualitative data, we make several arguments about the future. China could become increasingly involved in supporting insurgencies and counterinsurgencies if its economic and military power continues to i…
Syria's Growing Jihad
Syria is becoming a training ground for foreign fighters and a microcosm of sectarian conflict. The quicker the Assad regime falls, the better. Notes Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, Join the Caravan (London: Azzam Publications, 2001). Joseph Felter and Brian Fishman, Al Qa'ida's Foreign Fighters in Iraq: A First Look at the Sinjar Records (West Point, NY: Harmony Project, Combating Terrorism Center, 2007). Brian Fishman, ed., Bombers, Bank Accounts,…
A Persistent Threat: The Evolution of al Qa'ida and Other Salafi Jihadists
This report examines the status and evolution of al Qa'ida and other Salafi-jihadist groups, and uses qualitative and quantitative data to assess whether this movement has strengthened. The author uses this analysis to examine U.S. strategic options to counter al Qa'ida and other terrorist groups based on the threat level and the capacity of local governments
PLA Influence on China's National Security Policymaking
This book assesses the relationship between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its civilian masters by moving beyond media and pundit speculation to mount an in-depth examination and explanation of the PLA's role in national security policymaking.
Rolling Back the Islamic State
The Islamic State has lost substantial amounts of territory but continues to conduct and inspire attacks around the world. This report assesses the threat the Islamic State poses to the United States and examines strategies to counter the group and prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State or other Salafi-jihadist groups
The End of a Caliphate
It is not clear that the United States will commit to the long-term efforts needed to prevail against the Islamic State’s affiliates, and to ensure the organisation does not re-emerge in Iraq and Syria
Political science (27 works) · Law (23 works) · Politics (15 works) · Law (13 works) · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence (12 works) · Terrorism (11 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Political economy (8 works) · Sociology (8 works) · History (7 works)