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Topics in this
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July 1, 2009
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 U.S.
President Barack Obama, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
left, talk in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on
June 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Guido Bergmann, Pool) |
U.S. - EU Issues
BEYOND BULLETS: STRATEGIES FOR COUNTERING
VIOLENT EXTREMISM. Alice e. Hunt et al, Center for a New
American Security, June 2009, pp. 1-127. "To counter the
threat from violent Islamist extremism more effectively, the Center
for a New American Security launched a strategy development process
modeled after President Eisenhower’s Project Solarium. The editors
asked five experts to recast the effort to defeat al-Qaeda in
sustainable terms consistent with American values. The result is a
series of essays, produced in this report, that recommend a rich
array of counterterrorism tools and strategies for the new
administration."
READ MORE
BEYOND CLOSING GUANTANAMO: REBUILDING A
TRANSATLANTIC PARTNERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL LAW. Atlantic Council
of the United States, March 9, 2009, var. pages. "In one of
his first acts as president, Barack Obama signed an executive order
closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp within a year. Tthis is a
step in the right direction, but the new U.S. administration should
undertake several additional measures aimed at restoring the United
States as a leader in the international legal system."
READ MORE
THE FALL AND RISE AND FALL AGAIN OF THE
BALTIC STATES. Edward Lucas, Foreign Policy, July-August
2009, var. pages. "Portraying the Baltic states in their
current mess requires more than words and numbers. Only an
old-fashioned chart, with a sea monster, a whirlpool, or perhaps a
skull and crossbones, would begin to do justice to the plight of
what were until recently the shining success stories of the
ex-communist world. Eating a meal in a deserted restaurant in one of
the fine old capital cities of Tallinn, Riga, or Vilnius gives a
sense of the collapse. So does the silence of the half-finished
construction sites, the rock-bottom rates in the glitzy hotels that
shot up during the boom years, and the fall of a Latvian government
under the weight of the current troubles. The Baltic states today
are prime candidates to be the new basket cases of Europe, with
their double-digit economic declines, beleaguered governments, and
shriveling state spending."
READ MORE
HOMEGROWN JIHADIST TERRORISM IN THE UNITED
STATES: A NEW AND OCCASIONAL PHENOMENON ? Lorenzo Vidino,
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, January 2009, pp. 1-17.
"Over the last few years, much attention has been devoted to the
phenomenon of homegrown jihadist networks in the West. Most analyses
have been based on the dual assumption that this phenomenon has
manifested itself only extremely recently and that it is largely
limited to Europe. While these two assertions are not completely
unfounded, they do not take into consideration significant anecdotal
evidence pointing to a long history of homegrown networks inspired
by radical Islam operating within the United States. After an
extensive overview of such history, the article analyzes the
phenomenon of radicalization in America in comparison to Europe and
the evolution of U.S. authorities' reaction to it."
READ MORE
RUSSIA
AND THE WEST. Eugene Rumer, Angela Stent,
Survival, April/May 2009, pp.91-104.
"After a
turbulent decade in transatlantic relations, the 2008 US
presidential election has raised hopes for improved ties between
Europe and the United States and a more constructive approach to
dealing with some of the more troubling issues facing the
Alliance. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in
February, US Vice President Joe Biden promised closer
cooperation with America’s allies and re-engagement with Russia.
Perhaps the greatest foreign-policy challenge on the European
continent is how to achieve a more productive relationship with
Russia while developing policies toward other former Soviet
states that would be true to European and US values and advance
European and US interests."
READ MORE
Afghanistan
THE LONG MARCH: BULDING AN AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY. Obaid Younossi, Peter Dahl Thruelsen,
et al. RAND, May 2009, var. pages. "The Afghan National Army (ANA) is critical to the success of the
allied efforts in Afghanistan and the ultimate stability of the
national government. This monograph assesses the ANA's progress in
the areas of recruitment, training, facilities, and operational
capability. It draws on a variety of sources: in-country interviews
with U.S., NATO, and Afghan officials; data provided by the U.S.
Army; open-source literature; and a series of public opinion surveys
conducted in Afghanistan over the past several years. Although the
ANA has come a long way since the outset of the recent conflict in
the country, the authors conclude that coalition forces, especially
those of the United States, will play a crucial role in Afghanistan
for the foreseeable future, particularly in light of the increased
threat from Taliban forces and other illegally armed criminal
groups."
READ MORE
THE DANGERS OF DIPLOMATIC DISENGAGEMENT IN
COUNTERTERRORISM. Tara Maller,
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, June 2009, pp.
511-536. "This article assesses the utility of diplomatic sanctions in U.S.
counterterrorism efforts. Through an examination of the United
States' use of diplomatic sanctions in Afghanistan and Sudan in the
1990s, the article argues that diplomatic disengagement runs the
danger of being more costly than beneficial. The blowback from
diplomatic disengagement in counterterrorism includes, but is not
limited to, the loss of valuable intelligence, a diminished public
diplomacy capability, and the potential radicalization of moderates
in the target regime. The article also highlights some of the
general benefits of diplomatic engagement with problematic regimes
and closes with recommendations aimed at enhancing the role of
diplomacy in both counterterrorism and non-proliferation foreign
policies."
READ MORE
IS IT
WORTH IT? THE DIFFICULT CASE FOR WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN. Stephen Biddle,
The American
Interest,
July-August 2009, pp. 4-11.
"The war in
Afghanistan has been nearly invisible to the
American public since its initial combat
phase ended in early 2002, but it has
rapidly come once again into view. Indeed,
the war is now poised to become perhaps the
most controversial and divisive issue in
U.S. defense policy. Managing this war will pose difficult
problems both in Afghanistan and here at
home. The strategic case for waging war is
stronger than that for disengaging, but not
by much: The war is a close call on the
merits. The stakes for the United States are
largely indirect; it will be an expensive
war to wage; like most wars, its outcome is
uncertain; even success is unlikely to yield
a modern, prosperous Switzerland of the
Hindu Kush; and as a counterinsurgency
campaign its conduct is likely to increase
losses and violence in the short term in
exchange for a chance at stability in the
longer term."
READ MORE
Iran
HOW IRAN COULD SAVE THE MIDDLE EAST. Jeffrey Goldberg, Atlantic Monthly, July-August,
var. pages. "An unlikely alliance with Israel might bring peace to the region.
The definitive Middle East cliché is “The enemy of my enemy is my
friend.” With Shiite Iran growing stronger, Jews and Sunni Arabs
suddenly have a potent basis for friendship. Could leveraging Sunni
fears of rising Shiite power finally solve the Israeli-Palestinian
problem? The case for a Sunni-Jewish alliance."
READ MORE
DANGEROUS BUT NOT OMNIPOTENT: EXPLORING THE
REACH AND LIMITATIONS OF IRANIAN POWER IN THE
MIDDLE EAST. Frederic Wehrey, David E.
Thaler, Nora Bensahel, et al. RAND, 2009, var.
pages. "In an analysis grounded in the
observation that although Iranian power
projection is marked by strengths, it also has
serious liabilities and limitations, this report
assesses four critical areas — the Iranian
regime's perception of itself as a regional and
even global power, Iran's conventional military
buildup and aspirations for asymmetric warfare,
its support to Islamist militant groups, and its
appeal to Arab public opinion. Based on this
assessment, the report offers a new U.S. policy
paradigm that seeks to manage the challenges
Iran presents through the exploitation of
regional barriers to its power and sources of
caution in the regime's strategic calculus."
READ MORE
U.S.–IRAN CONFRONTATION IN THE POST-NIE
WORLD: AN ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE POLICY OPTIONS. Masoud Kazemzadeh,
Comparative Strategy, pp. 37–59. "The United
States, Israel, and several European allies have explicitly stated
that they will not accept the possession of nuclear weapons by the
Islamic fundamentalist regime ruling Iran. Iran has defied several
UN Security Council resolutions and continued its uranium
enrichment. On December 3, 2007, the U.S. released the November 2007
National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran. If the NIE assessment
that Iran could develop nuclear weapons sometimes between 2010 and
2015 is correct, the new American president has twelve options
available in dealing with Iran. This study analyzes potential
consequences, shortcomings, costs, and benefits of each option."
READ MORE
Clean and Green Energy
THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN CLEAN
ENERGY. Robert Pollin, James Heintz, Heidi Garrett-Peltier,
Center for American Progress, June 18, 2009, var. pages.
"The United States in the 21st century faces an enormous
challenge—successfully managing the transformation from a
predominantly carbon-intensive economy to becoming a predominantly
clean energy-based economy. This economic transformation will engage
a huge range of people and activities. But there are only three
interrelated objectives that will define the entire enterprise:
Dramatically increasing energy efficiency. Dramatically lowering the
cost of supplying energy from such renewable sources of energy as
solar, wind and biomass. Mandating limits and then establishing a
price on pollution from the burning of oil, coal, and natural gas.
READ MORE
THE ELUSIVE GREEN ECONOMY. Joshua Green,
Atlantic Monthly, July-August, var. pages. "It feels like 1977 all over again: economy in the doldrums, crisis
in the Middle East, and a charismatic new Democrat in the White
House preaching the gospel of clean energy. Can Obama succeed where
Carter did not? Yes—but only if we’ve learned the lessons of three
decades of failure."
READ MORE
Maritime
Piracy
MARITIME PIRACY IN EAST AFRICA.
James Kraska and Brian Wilson,
Journal of
International Affairs, Spring/Summer 2009, pp. 55-70.
"This
article focuses on the international laws and policies that
connect the many nations, regional initiatives and international
organizations in a common enterprise to repress maritime piracy.
Developing workable legal and policy solutions provides the
basis for collective action and can tie regional and global
efforts into a more effective approach. With such diverse and
varied interests converging to address piracy, ensuring that
there is a unity of effort, effective communication,
coordination and support for punishing perpetrators is critical.
To successfully contain piracy, collective action should connect
the efforts of the private industry with those of governments
and international organizations, and encompass political,
military, financial and legal support."
READ MORE
PIRATES, THEN AND NOW. Max Boot,
Foreign Affairs, July/August 2009, var. pages.
"Piracy was rampant for centuries past-just as it is again today off
the coast of East Africa. To combat present-day marauders,
governments should look to the tactics used to defeat piracy in the
past: a more active defense at sea and the pursuit of a political
solution onshore."
READ MORE
Nuclear Weapons Policy
UNDERSTANDING THE
U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY DEBATE.
Christopher
F. Chyba and J. D. Crouch,
The
Washington Quarterly, July 2009, pp. 21-36.
"The National Defense
Authorization Act of 2008 requires the U.S. secretary of defense
to conduct a nuclear posture review (NPR) in consultation with
the secretaries of energy and state, and to report the results
to Congress before the end of 2009. The NPR, therefore, will be
the Obama administration’s forum for reviewing U.S. nuclear
weapons policy, posture, and related programmatic and technical
issues. Navigating and choosing among sharp disagreements in
each of these areas, in order to map the wisest path forward for
national and international security, is a difficult task.
President Barack Obama has already made decisions on a number of
important nuclear issues, but the NPR will need to relate these
to the overall nuclear weapons posture. How will his desire to
ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) relate
to the size and capabilities of the U.S. nuclear weapons
complex? Should the United States arm some Trident submarines
with conventionally-tipped ballistic missiles? Should it pursue
new arms control agreements with Russia beyond negotiating a new
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)? What should medium-term
U.S. objectives for strategic and non-strategic warhead numbers
and types be? What about ballistic missile defense? The list of
important questions is long and, unless integrated into a
broader strategic vision, presents a disparate jumble of
choices."
READ MORE
Health Care Reform
TAKING THE HILL. Matt Bai.
New York Times Magazine, June 7, 2009,
pp. 30//47. Sometime this summer, Congress and the White House will try to put
together a comprehensive health care reform package. For Barack
Obama, this signals the end of the eventful prologue to his
presidency. Impressive as they are, Obama's legislative victories so
far have been easily accomplished, for a popular new president
installed at a time of economic crisis and supported by comfortable
majorities in the House and Senate. A new health care system, on the
other hand, is a legislative goal that has eluded every Democratic
president since Harry Truman. Making good on his campaign promise
will require not just public expenditure on a mammoth scale but also
the kind of activism and creativity at which Washington hasn't
succeeded for generations. Health-care spending in the U.S. nearly
doubled in the decade after Clinton's plan died, reaching about 16
percent of the gross domestic product, the highest percentage on
record. Some businesses that might have opposed reform in 1993 are
now desperate to address their growing health care costs, and
insurance companies and health care providers seem increasingly open
to compromise if it means they can avoid more drastic forms of
government regulation.
READ MORE
US Society & Values
RETHINKING RETIREMENT.
CAN AMERICANS AFFORD TO RETIRE?
Thomas J. Billitteri.
CQ Researcher, June 19, 2009, pp.
552-571.
Prospects for a secure retirement are more imperiled now than at any
time since before the creation of the Social Security program in
1935. Low savings rates and credit abuse have contributed to the
problem, but the recent economic crisis, which has led to massive
layoffs and a collapse of the stock market, is forcing even those
who have prepared and saved to rethink their retirement strategies.
The entire retirement structure, including the shift away from
traditional guaranteed pension plans toward 401(k) accounts, is
under scrutiny, and Congress has called for greater transparency in
the way such accounts are administered. Meanwhile, retirement
experts are counseling workers to stay on the job longer to ensure
their retirement security, and some economists are calling for
reductions in Social Security benefits to shore up the entitlement
system and accommodate the impending wave of retirements among the
post-World War II baby-boom generation.
READ MORE
BINDING THE NATION: NATIONAL SERVICE IN
AMERICA.
Carol Armistead Grigsby. Parameters,
Winter 2008-09, pp. 109-123. The author feels that
civilian national service could strengthen American identity and
further contribute to this country by forging a new sense of
community, rebuilding the connection between the rights and
responsibilities of citizenship, and restoring sound civil-military
relationships. A history of national service in the United States is
also presented in this article. National service could be structured
in a way to encourage a lifelong spirit of volunteerism for all
Americans.
READ MORE
RESEARCHERS MULL STEM GENDER GAP.
Debra Viadero. Education Week, June 17, 2009, pp.
1, 15. As an increasing number of studies show that American girls have now
reached parity with boys in math, researchers have turned to the
question of why there are far fewer women entering the science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and why they leave
those fields at a far higher rate. At each higher stage in the STEM
pipeline, there are fewer women. For example, though women comprise
56 percent of undergraduates, they earn just 19 percent of
engineering bachelor’s degrees and 17 percent of engineering
doctorates; moreover, they hold only 7 percent of faculty
engineering positions. Experts from across the spectrum of opinion
agree that the “missing women” in the STEM fields is an increasingly
important issue because of its implications for U.S. economic
competitiveness. While no one doubts that there is some lingering
sexism in the STEM fields and university departments, a growing
number of studies suggest that qualified young women are avoiding or
leaving STEM careers “because they perceive them to be less
compatible with the family lives they hope to shape for themselves,”
writes Debra Viadero. In a recent study of valedictorians, boys
planned to study one of the STEM fields and to enroll in highly
competitive colleges, while girls with identical GPAs planned to
study the humanities and social sciences and to enroll in less
competitive colleges. The gender gap in the study was sufficiently
large to explain the gender gap in earnings that statistics have
identified at the national level. To get the most talented young
women to re-consider their career choices, practitioners in STEM
fields may have to change the image of their particular field –
emphasizing, for example, the way it helps people. Information about
the STEM fields “is very scant for women in high school;” the key
issue, according to some, is girls’ lack of exposure to STEM
careers.
READ MORE
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