The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Risk to Refugee Return
English Summary
The return of Syrian refugees is significantly jeopardized by widespread unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination, posing a major obstacle to safe resettlement. Analysis shows that while Syria is a major recipient of returnees, specific northeastern governorates like Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa record the highest ratios of returnees to UXO presence, particularly impacting agricultural lands. Given that farming activities are crucial for returnees' livelihoods, mine clearance and risk awareness efforts must be highly prioritized and tailored to local contamination levels. Policymakers must integrate contamination data with return patterns to effectively guide mine action and support sustainable, safe reintegration.
中文摘要
大量未爆彈（UXO）污染嚴重危及敘利亞難民的返鄉，構成安全重返的重大障礙。分析顯示，儘管敘利亞是大量回民的接收地，但特定東北省份，如哈薩凱和拉卡，回民與未爆彈存在的比率最高，尤其對農業用地造成衝擊。鑑於農業活動對回民生計至關重要，因此必須高度優先並根據當地污染程度量身打造地雷清除和風險意識提升工作。政策制定者必須將污染數據與回流模式整合，才能有效地指導地雷清除行動，並支持可持續、安全的重返融入。
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