Winning the Peace

An American Strategy for Post-Conflict Reconstruction

"The United States knows how to win war, but not how to secure lasting peace. Winning the Peace provides a convincing blueprint for establishing a more effective division of labor between our military forces and a reinvigorated civilian capacity, while achieving the unity of direction lacking in previous efforts. It must be one team with one mission."--Gen. George Joulwan, USA (Ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Recent events in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans have proved that failed and defeated states can and do threaten the national interests of the United States and the stability of entire regions. But success in addressing these threats clearly depends on much more than military might: the post-conflict period is equally crucial in reestablishing regional stability and securing U.S. national interests. Drawing on the expertise of a number of well-known specialists, this book seeks to answer three fundamental questions: When a state falls apart, what does it take to put it together again? How can the United States improve its ability to rebuild states after conflict? And, when and how should the United States use this capacity?

Winning the Peace examines the "four pillars" of post-conflict reconstruction--security; governance and participation; economic and social well-being; and justice and reconciliation. And case studies examine how the U.S. approach to post-conflict reconstruction has evolved, from the occupation of Japan after World War II; to the post-Cold War interventions in Kosovo, East Timor, and Sierra Leone; to the recent experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. The book offers policy guidance both on how to handle current reconstruction challenges and on building capacity to do a better job when America is inevitably called on to restore failed nations in the future.

Robert C. Orr is the executive director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Prior to that appointment, he served as director of the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., and as senior fellow and codirector of the joint CSIS/AUSA Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project. Earlier, he was director for global and multilateral affairs at the National Security Council in the White House.

Bathsheba Crocker, Scott Feil, Michele Flournoy, Johanna Forman, Michael Pan, Milan Vaishnav

Robert C. Orr (ed.)