A new article popped up in Foreign Affairs yesterday about why civilians should reclaim stabilization aid by Michael Young. Young is the Regional Director for Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East at the International Rescue Committee, a USGLC Global Trust member.

In his article, Young makes a compelling case for why aid should not be a military mission, writing “the military should do what it does best, by focusing on public safety and building the capacities of local security and law enforcement agencies. Freed from the urgent need to spend aid dollars, armed forces can better provide security, which would reopen the civic space for civilians.”

This fits with the views of top military leaders, from Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. To read the whole article, titled “Development at Gunpoint?” please click here.