International Affairs

International Affairs http://tcf.org/international/rss-2/rss In the first years of the new century, a more assertive foreign policy took a toll on the long-cultivated role of the U.S. as a responsible global leader. The Century Foundation's work in this area provides perspective on the complex difficulties the U.S. is facing today, while providing policy recommendations to best promote the nation's security interests. Research and analysis in this area includes weapons proliferation, the Middle East, America's image in the world, and U.S.-Asia relations. 2012-02-23T17:35:40Z vice Movement in Somalia--Does Anyone Care? urn:syndication:e7d1d9c7-5f40-11e1-bcad-002219154821 http://botc.tcf.org/2012/02/movement-in-somalia.html Senior fellow Jeffrey Laurenti writes in Blog of the Century. 2012-02-24T23:33:31Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Senior fellow Jeffrey Laurenti writes in Blog of the Century.</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/movement-in-somalia-does-anyone-care/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://botc.tcf.org/2012/02/movement-in-somalia.html</p> <div><p>Senior fellow Jeffrey Laurenti writes in Blog of the Century.</p></div> </body> </html> Clear and Present Safety urn:syndication:a8944885-5e2b-11e1-b405-002219154821 http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137279/micah-zenko-and-michael-a-cohen/clear-and-present-safety?gp=134485:5d630eb24f8dbb71 Fellow Michael Cohen and Micah Zenko say the U.S. is more secure than Washington thinks, in Foreign Affairs. 2012-02-24T18:05:32Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Fellow Michael Cohen and Micah Zenko say the U.S. is more secure than Washington thinks, in Foreign Affairs.</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/clear-and-present-safety/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137279/micah-zenko-and-michael-a-cohen/clear-and-present-safety?gp=134485:5d630eb24f8dbb71</p> <div><p><span style="float: none; ">Fellow Michael Cohen and Micah Zenko say the U.S. is more secure than Washington thinks, in<span> </span></span><i>Foreign Affairs</i><span style="float: none; ">.</span></p></div> </body> </html> What's the Matter With Martin Dempsey? urn:syndication:855a6611-5f06-11e1-b87f-002219154821 http://botc.tcf.org/2012/02/whats-the-matter-with-martin-dempsey-.html TCF fellow Michael Cohen writes on Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey in Blog of the Century 2012-02-24T17:06:17Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>TCF fellow Michael Cohen writes on Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey in Blog of the Century</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/whats-the-matter-with-martin-dempsey/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://botc.tcf.org/2012/02/whats-the-matter-with-martin-dempsey-.html</p> <div><p>TCF fellow Michael Cohen writes on <span style="text-align: left; ">Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey in Blog of the Century.</span></p></div> </body> </html> Syria at the Epicenter: New Relationships Across the Middle East urn:syndication:a7cd9321-597f-11e1-8946-002219154821 http://tcf.org/events/2012/syria-at-the-epicenter-new-relationships-across-the-middle-east We invite you to this breakfast discussion on Tuesday, February 28. Follow #SyriaTCF on Twitter for more updates. 2012-02-24T16:07:07Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>We invite you to this breakfast discussion on Tuesday, February 28. Follow #SyriaTCF on Twitter for more updates. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/events/2012/syria-at-the-epicenter-new-relationships-across-the-middle-east/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><div style="text-align: left; "><span>Over the past year, longstanding international alignments across the Middle East have been in flux, now spotlighted by the responses to the violent political crisis gripping Syria. </span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><br /> Neighbors have sought, with increasing frustration and alarm, to facilitate resolution of the grievances that sparked the tenacious challenge to the authority of the government led by Bashar al-Assad. The League of Arab States has attempted mediation, undertaken an unprecedented monitoring mission, and proposed hybrid novel measures for adoption by the United Nations Security Council. How the precedents and realignments taking shape over Syria finally play out will have a profound effect on the region and how the broader international community engages with it. </span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><br /> <span>The Century Foundation has been analyzing these issues and closely following the developments affecting the wider Middle East through the work of its experts. We invite you to a breakfast discussion on Tuesday, <strong>February 28</strong>, of <strong>Syria at the Epicenter: New Relationships Across the Middle East</strong>.</span><br /> </span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><br /> 8:15 Breakfast</span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span>8:30 Discussion</span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span>9:45 Adjournment</span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span>Live Tweeting Hashtag: #SyriaTCF<br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><span><strong>Discussants</strong></span>:</span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><strong>Mort Abramowitz</strong><span>, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation</span></span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><strong>Michael Wahid Hanna</strong>, Fellow, The Century Foundation</span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><b>Raghida Dergham</b>, Columnist and Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, <i>Al Hayat</i></span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><strong>James Traub</strong><span> (moderator), contributing writer, the </span><i><span>New York Times Magazine</span></i>; <span>Senior Fellow, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect</span></span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span><br /> </span></div> <div style="text-align: left; "><span>This event will take place at the New York City Headquarters of The Century Foundation, located at 41 East 70th Street. Breakfast will be served and seating is limited. RSVP to Neil Bhatiya, <a href="mailto:events@tcf.org?subject=Syria+Forum" rel="events@tcf.org" target="_blank">events@tcf.org</a>, or by phone <a href="tel:212-452-7704" target="_blank">212-452-7704</a>. The event will also be live streamed.<br /></span></div></div> </body> </html> What's the Matter With Martin Dempsey? urn:syndication:5f65394f-5f26-11e1-9706-002219154821 http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb96988833016301f27a58970d Over at Foreign Affairs, Micah Zenko and I have a new piece that makes the somewhat obvious and yet counter-intuitive point that for all the... 2012-02-24T16:00:43Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p> Over at Foreign Affairs, Micah Zenko and I have a new piece that makes the somewhat obvious and yet counter-intuitive point that for all the...</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb96988833016301f27a58970d/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><p>Over at Foreign Affairs, Micah Zenko and I have a <a href="http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137279/micah-zenko-and-michael-a-cohen/clear-and-present-safety" target="_self">new piece</a> that makes the somewhat obvious and yet counter-intuitive point that for all the doom-saying and threat-mongering of foreign policy elites . . . the world today (and the United States) is actually pretty safe:</p> <blockquote>The world that the United States inhabits today is a remarkably safe and secure place. It is a world with fewer violent conflicts and greater political freedom than at virtually any other point in human history. All over the world, people enjoy longer life expectancy and greater economic opportunity than ever before. The United States faces no plausible existential threats, no great-power rival, and no near-term competition for the role of global hegemon. The U.S. military is the world’s most powerful, andeven in the middle of a sustained downturn, the U.S. economy remains among one of the world’s most vibrant and adaptive. Although the United States faces a host of international challenges, they pose little risk to the overwhelming majority of American citizens and can be managed with existing diplomatic, economic, and, to a much lesser extent, military tools.</blockquote> <p>And yet for a variety of reasons this singular reality of global affairs in the 21st century is pretty much not reflected in our foreign policy and national security decision-making. If you want a good explanation as to why this is - I present to you the words of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey, who in testifying before Congress earlier this month <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/zenko/2012/02/23/clear-and-present-safety-the-united-states-is-more-secure-than-washington-thinks/" target="_self">said this</a>, <em>“I can’t impress upon you that in my personal military judgment, formed over thirty-eight years, we are living in the most dangerous time in my lifetime, right now.”</em></p> <p>Now keep in mind, Martin Dempsey wasn't born yesterday. While this might seem obvious it's also relevant. You see, Martin Dempsey was born in 1952 and lived through 39 years of the Cold War. He lived through the end of the Korean War, the Berlin crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War (which almost sparked a superpower conflict) the first few years of the Reagan Administration etc and yet in Martin Dempsey's personal judgment the most dangerous moment in his lifetime . . was February 15th, 2012.</p> <p>Not only is this quite clearly and empirically incorrect - it's also completely insane. To believe that February 15th, 2012 is the most dangerous moment in Martin Dempsey's lifetime is to have a stunningly poor grasp of international relations, history and common sense.</p> <p>Someone who holds such views would barely be qualified to teach undergrad IR no less be the highest ranking officer in the American military. To be sure, I don't know if Martin Dempsey actually believes what he is saying here. It may be that he is engaging in the endless bureaucratic activity of protecting his budget (i.e. if the world is really dangerous then the military needs even more advanced toys that blow s**t up) or perhaps he simply skipped over the Cold War in his academic training. (And in fairness to Dempsey he certainly has some positive attributes, like believing that an Israeli attack on Iran would be "<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-22/israeli-attack-on-iran-would-be-destabilizing-dempsey-says.html" target="_self">destabilizing</a>.")</p> <p>Whatever the rationale, however, the far bigger problem is that such statements can be made and not be dismissed as complete balderdash and gobsmackingly uninformed about the world we live in. Either way it's a problem - and that's a big part of the reason Micah and I wrote this piece (and why you should read it!)</p> <p>TCF fellow Michael Cohen is a writer and commentator on American politics and U.S. foreign policy. This piece was <a href="http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2012/02/whats-the-matter-with-martin-dempsey.html" target="_blank">cross posted from Democracy Arsenal</a>.</p> <p> </p></div> </body> </html> TCF's Coverage of Egypt urn:syndication:e4cab4a8-2d55-11e0-bee2-002219154821 http://tcf.org/commentary/2011/analysis-on-egypt The Century Foundation's ongoing analysis of the events in Egypt, featuring commentary by TCF fellow and Middle East expert, Michael Wahid Hanna. 2012-02-23T19:20:01Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>The Century Foundation's ongoing analysis of the events in Egypt, featuring commentary by TCF fellow and Middle East expert, Michael Wahid Hanna. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/commentary/2011/analysis-on-egypt/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><p><i><a class="external-link" href="../../videos/2011/after-mubarak-prospects-for-democratic-change-in-egypt">View video</a> from the TCF event featuring Michael Wahid Hanna and Thanassis Cambanis, two experienced commentators on Arab politics. Both Hanna and Cambanis have recently returned from a trip to Egypt and will be able to provide a unique on-the-ground perspective of the state of Egyptian politics and society.</i></p> <dl class="portletVideosForEvent portlet"><dd class="odd portletItem"> <a href="../../videos/2011/after-mubarak-prospects-for-democratic-change-in-egypt-q-a"></a> <p><i>The Century Foundation's ongoing analysis of the events in Egypt, featuring commentary by TCF fellows and Middle East experts, Michael Wahid Hanna (Follow Michael on Twitter </i> <a class="external-link" href="http://twitter.com/mwhanna1">@mwhanna1</a>) <i>and Geneive Abdo. Visit <a class="external-link" href="tcfs-ongoing-coverage-of-the-middle-east">here</a> for more on the Middle East protests. </i></p> </dd></dl> <ul> <li><a class="external-link" href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/0301/Take-it-slow-Egypt-Rushing-the-transition-may-actually-kill-real-reforms"> Take it Slow, Egypt </a>Rushing the transition may actually kill real reforms, writes Michael Wahid Hanna in <i>Christian Science Monitor.</i> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/world/middleeast/18military.html?_r=2&ref=global-home" target="_blank">Egyptians Say Military Discourages an Open Economy </a>Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in New York Times.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/egypt2019s-future" target="_blank">Egypt’s Future</a> Michael Wahid Hanna was interviewed on PBS's Need to Know.</div> </li> </ul> <div id="tabs-new"> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.thetakeaway.org/2011/feb/16/egyptian-rewrites-its-constitution/">Egypt Rewrites Its Constitution</a> Michael Wahid Hanna interviewed on The Takeaway.</div> </li> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/world/middleeast/16egypt.html?_r=1&src=twrhp" target="_blank">In Egypt, a Panel of Jurists Is Given the Task of Revising the Country’s Constitution</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in New York Times.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/mubarak-style-government-without-mubarak" target="_blank">Mubarak-Style Government Without Mubarak</a>Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in the Huffington Post.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/how-much-does-egypts-military-know-about-running-an-economy" target="_blank">How Much Does Egypt's Military Know About Running an Economy?</a>Michael Wahid Hanna on American Public Media's Marketplace</div> </li> </ul> </div> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/14/133740008/doubts-persist-egypts-army-will-turn-over-power">For Egyptians, Trust Is Key As Army Takes Lead </a>Michael Wahid Hanna interviewed on NPR's Morning Edition.</div> </li> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/february-11-2011/religion-in-a-changing-egypt/8132/">Religion in a Changing Egypt</a> Geneive Abdo interviewed on PBS's Religion & Ethics.</div> </li> <li><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/egypt-faces-difficult-process-of-drafting-or-amending-its-constitution" target="_blank">Egypt faces difficult process of drafting, or amending, its constitution </a>Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in LA Times. <a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/egypt-faces-difficult-process-of-drafting-or-amending-its-constitution" target="_blank"><br /></a></li> <li>From <a class="external-link" href="../../audio/2011/fellow-michael-wahid-hanna-in-cairo-2-11/download.mp3">Tahrir to Stability</a> Michael Wahid Hanna interviewed by TCF on the evening of the historic Mubarak resignation</li> <li><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/the-conversation-mubarak-resigns.-now-what" target="_blank">The conversation: Mubarak resigns. Now what? </a>Geneive Abdo quoted in LA Times. <a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/the-conversation-mubarak-resigns.-now-what" target="_blank"><br /></a></li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/world/middleeast/11military.html?_r=2&hp" target="_blank">Military Caught Between Mubarak and Protesters</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in the New York Times.</div> </li> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/10/egypt_s_constitutional_conundrum" target="_blank">Egypt’s Constitutional Conundrum</a> Michael Wahid Hanna published in Foreign Policy.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110209/ap_on_an/ml_egypt_military_s_reach_analysis">Egypt Military in Power Grab Amid Unrest</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in Associated Press article.</div> </li> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/09/133614346/Egypt-Arab-Leaders" target="_blank">Arab Leaders Feel U.S. Abandoned Egypt's Mubarak</a> Michael Wahid Hanna interviewed on NPR's Morning Edition.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geneive-abdo/irans-greens-seek-to-foll_b_820958.html" target="_blank">Iran's Greens Seek to Follow Egypt's Lead, But Can They?</a> Geneive Abdo published in Huffington Post.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2046815,00.html">Tahrir Stalemate Shows that Egypt's Regime is Recovering </a>Michael Wahid Hanna published in Time.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/npr.php?id=133567583">In Arab Conflicts, The Young Are The Restless </a>Geneive Abdo quoted in NPR story.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2046463,00.html" target="_blank">How a Stalemate on the Streets May Suit Egypt's Regime</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in Time.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54383"><span class="external-link">Bush's Democracy Sage Offers Obama Advice</span> </a>Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in ISP.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/president-obama-and-egypt" target="_blank">President Obama and Egypt</a> Michael Wahid Hanna a quoted in France's Liberation.</div> </li> <li><a class="external-link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/nyregion/05astoria.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=michael%20wahid%20hanna&st=cse">In Astoria's Little Egypt, the Young Get a New Awareness </a>Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in The New York Times. </li> <li><a class="external-link" href="http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/spanish/2011/02/04/hauser.egypt.effect.cnn">Fury in Egypt </a>Jeffrey Laurenti interviewed on CNN Espanol. </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/02/is-yemen-better-suited-for-reform-than-egypt-or-tunisia/70861/" target="_blank">Is Yemen Better Suited for Reform Than Egypt or Tunisia?</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in The Atlantic.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/04/133440196/with-upheaval-how-large-is-the-opening-for-islam">With Upheaval, How Large Is The Opening For Islam?</a> Geneive Abdo quoted in NPR.</div> </li> <li><a class="external-link" href="http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/egypts-fate-is-uncertain-but-irans-example-is-misleading">Egypt's Fate is Uncertain </a>Geneive Abdo quoted in The National. </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a class="external-link" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-schlesinger/egypt----another-iranian_b_818475.html">Another Iranian-Style Crackdown in Egypt? Another Tiananmen Square? </a>by Stephen Schlesinger for the Huffington Post.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/mr.-mubarak-holds-egypt-hostage" target="_blank">Mr. Mubarak Holds Egypt Hostage</a> Michael Wahid Hanna published in Foreign Policy.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/is-egypt-the-next-iran" target="_blank">Is Egypt the Next Iran?</a> Geneive Abdo quoted in Al Jazeera.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/former-u.n.-official-mohamed-elbaradei-the-unlikely-face-of-egypts-protesters" target="_blank">Former U.N. Official Mohamed ElBaradei, the Unlikely Face of Egypt's Protesters</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in The Washington Post.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/egypt-revolt-has-iran-in-a-spin" target="_blank">Egypt Revolt has Iran in a Spin</a> insideIRAN quoted in The Guardian.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/change-in-egypt" target="_blank">Change in Egypt</a> Michael Wahid Hanna interviewed on PRI's The World.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/an-iran-style-outcome-for-egypt" target="_blank">An Iran-style outcome for Egypt?</a> Geneive Abdo quoted in the Christian Science Monitor.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/what-we-are-seeing-army-vs.-police" target="_blank">What We Are Seeing: Army vs. Police</a> Michael Wahid Hanna interviewed on The Takeaway.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li><a class="external-link" href="http://takingnote.tcf.org/2011/02/re.html">The Tunisian Catalyst</a> by Michael Wahid Hanna for Taking Note blog. </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/cairo-is-not-tehran-of-1979" target="_blank">Cairo Is not Tehran of 1979</a> by Geneive Abdo for Foreign Policy.</div> </li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.insideiran.org/critical-comments/iran-launches-pr-campaign-to-portray-egypt-as-an-islamic-revolution/" title="Iran Launches PR Campaign to Portray Egypt as an Islamic Revolution">Iran Launches PR Campaign to Portray Egypt as an Islamic Revolution</a> by Shayan Ghajar for insideIRAN.</li> <li><a href="http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/green-movement%e2%80%99s-leaders-applaud-egyptian-uprising/" rel="bookmark" title="Green Movement’s Leaders Applaud Egyptian Uprising">Green Movement’s Leaders Applaud Egyptian Uprising</a> by Arash Aramesh for insideIRAN. </li> <li> <p><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/2/complicating-the-transition-in-us-egyptian-relations" target="_blank">Complicating the Transition in US-Egyptian Relations</a> Daniel Levy published in Foreign Policy.</p> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/1/what-obama-can-do-to-save-egypt" target="_blank">What Obama Can Do to Save Egypt</a> Michael Wahid Hanna quoted in The Atlantic.</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/1/the-egyptian-military-loyal-to-the-people" target="_blank">The Egyptian Military, Loyal to the People?</a> Michael Wahid Hanna on The Take Away</div> </li> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/1/will-egypts-military-officers-free-the-revolution" target="_blank">Will Egypt's Military Officers Free the Revolution?</a> Michael Hanna writes at TheAtlantic.com</div> </li> </ul> <div id="tabs-new"> <ul> <li> <div><a href="../../in-the-news/2011/1/katulis-on-egypt-quoted-by-yglesias" target="_blank">Brian Katulis’ prescient TCF report on Democracy Promotion in Egypt</a> Brian Katulis authored the report: Democracy Promotion in the Middle East and the Obama Administration for TCF in February of 2009.</div> </li> </ul> </div> </li> </ul></div> </body> </html> Rotting From the Inside Out urn:syndication:9a025526-5cbc-11e1-8459-002219154821 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/21/rotting_from_the_inside_out Michael Cohen in Foreign Policy. 2012-02-23T15:50:12Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Michael Cohen in Foreign Policy.</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/rotting-from-the-inside-out/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/21/rotting_from_the_inside_out</p> <div><p>Michael Cohen in Foreign Policy.</p></div> </body> </html> Is Israel Fuelling Fear Not Facts Over Iran? urn:syndication:ea387e23-5d63-11e1-8fbd-002219154821 http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/02/201222272434144338.html Geneive Abdo interviewed on Al Jazeera. 2012-02-22T14:41:48Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Geneive Abdo interviewed on Al Jazeera.</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/is-israel-fuelling-fear-not-facts-over-iran/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/02/201222272434144338.html</p> <div><p>Geneive Abdo interviewed on Al Jazeera.</p></div> </body> </html> What The Anti-Declinists Get Wrong urn:syndication:bb9e2eee-5cf8-11e1-8a92-002219154821 http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb969888330168e7c00eeb970c Over at Foreign Policy I have a new up that takes on the argument that tales of American decline are a myth - by noting that relative US power on... 2012-02-21T19:46:13Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p> Over at Foreign Policy I have a new up that takes on the argument that tales of American decline are a myth - by noting that relative US power on...</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb969888330168e7c00eeb970c/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><p style="text-align: left; ">Over at <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/21/rotting_from_the_inside_out?page=full" target="_self"><i>Foreign Policy</i></a> I have a new up that takes on the argument that tales of American decline are a myth - by noting that relative US power on the global stage is all well and good but it doesn't mean much if its built on a shaky foundation:</p> <p style="text-align: left; ">U.S. global power remains unparalleled and its hegemony is uncontested . . . America today faces no great power rival, no existential threat, and an economy that -- while currently in the doldrums -- remains vibrant and adaptive. Compared to other nations, the United States is not simply a great power, it is the greatest power. Even if its influence declines, it is likely to continue to enjoy an outsized role on the international stage, in part because there is a consensus among foreign-policy elites -- like Romney and Obama, for instance -- that the U.S. must do whatever it takes to remain, as Madeline Albright once put it, "the world's 'indispensable nation.'"</p> <p style="text-align: left; ">There is, however, one serious problem with this analysis. Any discussion of American national security that focuses solely on the issue of U.S. power vis-à-vis other countries -- and ignores domestic inputs -- is decidedly incomplete.</p> <p style="text-align: left; ">A focus on U.S. global dominance or suasion that doesn't factor in those elements that constitute American power at home ignores substantial and worsening signs of decline. Indeed, by virtually any measure, a closer look at the state of the United States today tells a sobering tale of rapid and unchecked decay and deterioration in a host of areas. While not all of them are generally considered elements of national security, perhaps they should be.</p> <p style="text-align: left; ">You can read the whole thing <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/21/rotting_from_the_inside_out?page=full" target="_self">here</a> - and please do! But the bottom line is that any discussion of national security that ignores our worsening education system, our inefficient health care system, our lack of technological innovation and our horrible legislative dysfunction tells a very incomplete tale of what defines national power in the 21st century</p></div> </body> </html> Israeli Soldiers Speak Out: Occupation and the Future of Israel’s Democracy urn:syndication:d26468dc-2e4e-11e0-8bdc-002219154821 http://tcf.org/events/2011/israeli-soldiers-speak-out-occupation-and-the-future-of-israel2019s-democracy An event hosted by The Century Foundation. 2012-02-21T14:36:50Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>An event hosted by The Century Foundation. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/events/2011/israeli-soldiers-speak-out-occupation-and-the-future-of-israel2019s-democracy/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><p>The Century Foundation held a conversation with <b>Mikhael Manekin</b>, co-director of the Israeli NGO <b>Breaking the Silence</b>, which has just published a 10-year retrospective of IDF veterans’ testimonies compiled since the second Intifada. Manekin, himself an honorably discharged IDF infantry lieutenant, will discuss what the occupation looks like from the Israeli soldier’s standpoint, and in so doing will offer a rarely-heard boots on the ground perspective of how the IDF works in the Territories, interacts with settlers and Palestinians, and the dilemmas confronting those soldiers on a daily basis.</p> <p>The rancorous debate that Breaking the Silence has helped set off in Israel has become all the more important with the recent Knesset decision to set up a parliamentary inquiry into Israeli civil rights and human rights organizations reporting on the occupation. Breaking the Silence finds itself at the heart of the struggle over the democratic space and the democratic debate in Israel – raising the question, will Lieberman and Netanyahu be able to silence Breaking the Silence?</p> <p><b>Breaking the Silence</b> is a group of veteran Israeli soldiers whose mission is to bear public witness to their experiences of military service in the West Bank and Gaza in order to force Israeli society to address the reality of Israeli policies. Since 2004, Breaking the Silence has interviewed hundreds of soldiers, presenting a unique on-the-ground perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their latest report, <a href="http://www.shovrimshtika.org/publications_e.asp">“Occupation of the Territories,”</a> is about to be released in English and will be available at the event with Manekin.</p> <p><a class="external-link" href="../pdfs/Manekin%20Participants%20List.pdf/++atfield++file"><span class="internal-link">View Participant List. </span></a></p></div> </body> </html> Remembering Anthony Shadid urn:syndication:e4bd7545-59b0-11e1-8a83-002219154821 http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb969888330168e784cde4970c Last night The New York Times announced that Anthony Shadid, the newspaper's foreign correspondent, died of an asthma attack while reporting on... 2012-02-17T21:40:24Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p> Last night The New York Times announced that Anthony Shadid, the newspaper's foreign correspondent, died of an asthma attack while reporting on...</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb969888330168e784cde4970c/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><p>Last night <i>The New York Times</i> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/world/middleeast/anthony-shadid-a-new-york-times-reporter-dies-in-syria.html?hp" target="_self">announced</a> that Anthony Shadid, the newspaper's foreign correspondent, died of an asthma attack while reporting on the conflict in Syria. TCF Fellow Thanassis Cambanis, former Middle East correspondent for the <i>Times</i> and Middle East Bureau Chief for <i>The Boston Globe</i>, remembers his friend and colleague in a tribute for <i>The Atlantic, </i><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/" target="_self">"</a><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/" target="_self">What Anthony Shadid Taught Me</a><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/" target="_self">.</a>" Writes Cambanis:</p> <p>I can't begin to enumerate the lessons I learned from Anthony. Over whiskey after 18-hour days covering the war in south Lebanon, he taught me to dump my notebooks every day, no matter how tired I was. With his children, he taught me to appreciate the majesty and wonder of a small person growing up. He outlined before he wrote, and then poured out the words in one fluid swoop. He almost always seemed delighted by what he was doing. We teased him and honored him through affairs like the Anthony Shadid contest, in which friends tried to top one another with ever-more absurd Shadidian turns of phrase that piled history upon olfactory sensation upon narrative upon character. When we tried it, it was an uproarious joke. When Shadid did it, it was poetry.</p> <p><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/" target="_self"><img src="http://tcftakingnote.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54ffb969888330163018f89c7970d-800wi" alt="Sadid" title="Sadid" width="532" height="401" /></a></p> <p>As the Shadid story trends on Twitter, Cambanis's piece is now featured in the Discover section of Twitter. See image above. You can read the whole piece at <i>The Atlantic </i><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/" target="_self">here</a>.</p></div> </body> </html> The Things That Anthony Shadid Taught Me urn:syndication:8eca0800-5985-11e1-8f51-002219154821 http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/ Thanassis Cambanis remembers Shadid in The Atlantic. The article is now a top trending story on Twitter. 2012-02-17T19:38:33Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Thanassis Cambanis remembers Shadid in The Atlantic. The article is now a top trending story on Twitter. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/02/the-things-that-anthony-shadid-taught-me/253254/</p> <div><p>Thanassis Cambanis published in The Atlantic. The article is now a top trending story on Twitter.</p></div> </body> </html> Challenges Remain for Kosovo, Four Years After Declaring Independence urn:syndication:451bf70a-597a-11e1-8da3-002219154821 http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Challenges-Remain-for-Kosovo-Four-Years-After-Declaring-Independence-139470133.html Morton Abramowitz quoted in Voice of America. 2012-02-17T18:03:34Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Morton Abramowitz quoted in Voice of America.</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/challenges-remain-for-kosovo-four-years-after-declaring-independence/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Challenges-Remain-for-Kosovo-Four-Years-After-Declaring-Independence-139470133.html</p> <div><p>Morton Abramowitz quoted in Voice of America.Morton Abramowitz quoted in Voice of America.</p></div> </body> </html> As Wars Wind Down, What Are U.S. Security Needs? urn:syndication:ae65d3ca-57fe-11e1-b800-002219154821 http://www.npr.org/2012/02/15/146892853/as-wars-wind-down-what-are-u-s-security-needs Michael Cohen in NPR previewing his upcoming Foreign Affairs article. 2012-02-15T17:56:37Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Michael Cohen in NPR previewing his upcoming Foreign Affairs article. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/as-wars-wind-down-what-are-u.s.-security-needs/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.npr.org/2012/02/15/146892853/as-wars-wind-down-what-are-u-s-security-needs</p> <div><p>Michael Cohen in NPR previewing his upcoming Foreign Affairs article.</p></div> </body> </html> The U.N.'s Return on Syria urn:syndication:afe2f1ba-57ea-11e1-bf0b-002219154821 http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb96988833016762592328970b Iran was the one country to stand up in support of Syria’s procedural challenge to the right of the U.N. General Assembly to debate the spiraling... 2012-02-15T15:34:22Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p> Iran was the one country to stand up in support of Syria’s procedural challenge to the right of the U.N. General Assembly to debate the spiraling...</p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/blogs/blog-of-the-century/6a00e54ffb96988833016762592328970b/image" /> <span></span> </div> <div><p>Iran was the one country to stand up in support of Syria’s procedural challenge to the right of the U.N. General Assembly to debate the spiraling political violence back home, and with good reason: The aggressiveness with which the Arab states along the Persian Gulf are pressing for the ouster of Bashar al-Assad from Damascus is really aimed at crippling his Iranian ally.</p> <p>Syria’s representative quickly decided not to press the procedural challenge when the only other country willing to back him turned out to be North Korea, itself a pariah state; even Cuba stayed silent. The Syrian delegation glumly sat through the dramatic report by Navi Pillay, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, on Syria’s skyrocketing death toll, on the government’s use of hospitals as “torture chambers,” and its gross failure to fulfill its responsibility to protect its people. An unusually lively and revealing <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/ga11206.doc.htm">assembly debate</a> followed her appeal for effective U.N. action.</p> <p>Already circulating among delegations was a draft resolution from Saudi Arabia, under which the full assembly would essentially ratify the text that Russia and China had blocked in the Security Council nine days before—minus the provision strictly barring foreign intervention.</p> <p>And the resolution text incorporates the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/12/us-syria-idUSL5E8DB0BH20120212">Arab League’s latest statement</a> this Sunday, which calls for “opening communication channels with the Syrian opposition and providing all forms of political and material support to it.” Thus would the General Assembly tacitly bless Saudi arms shipments to rebel forces.</p> <p>Since foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Damascus last week, the Russians have been signaling growing interest in going back to the Security Council to forge agreement on the Syrian crisis. Lavrov <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/as-syria-convulses-a-rapidly-shifting-calculus-for-russia/article2337173/">says</a> that now Russia, “together with other permanent members of the UN Security Council, is ready to promote…dialogue and an agreement on regional security.”</p> <p>The Arab League’s surprise call for a U.N. peacekeeping force struck not only the Russians, but the Americans as well, as premature. The Syrian government and its armed opponents are nowhere near a ceasefire, and the government was quick to repudiate the notion of foreign peacekeepers as an intolerable infringement on its sovereignty.</p> <p>But an on-the-ground U.N. mission may actually be much closer than anybody acknowledges.</p> <p>The discovery that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/world/middleeast/for-iraqis-aid-to-syrian-rebels-repays-a-war-debt.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Syria%20Al%20Qaeda&st=cse">Al Qaeda in Iraq</a> has now joined the fray to overthrow the Assad government, with signature car bombings in Aleppo and Damascus, gives Western countries pause about the dangers of Syrian implosion without a managed political process. As Libya’s current travails underscore, war conditions are not conducive to forging a coherent political movement from a multiplicity of armed militias.</p> <p>The Russians see clearly that the spread of the uprising to more and more Syrian cities, despite all the government’s ferocious counterattacks, means that Assad’s security forces cannot reestablish control over the whole country. Perhaps Moscow can help Assad understand the lesson that Americans began to learn in Iraq and Afghanistan: the more relentless your use of force, the more force you engender in resistance.</p> <p>Russian U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Monday that Moscow was willing to support a U.N.-Arab League monitoring mission—suggesting a renewed interest in returning to the Security Council. He repeated the Russian mantra of “all-inclusive dialogue” between the Syrian government and political opposition--a dialogue, he curiously noted, that Syria’s vice-president (not Bashar) is prepared to lead, a possible diplomatic signal in the direction of the Arab League plan for Assad to step aside as a political settlement is negotiated.</p> <p>Churkin emphasized, however, that there are intransigent opposition groups that now refuse to negotiate with anyone in Damascus and “do not seem to answer to anyone.” Their foreign backers, he said, need to press them to join the U.N.-Arab League political process.</p> <p>Perhaps Washington might help by telegraphing that, while Assad is too radioactive to be part of negotiating a new political order, it is not inconceivable that he could run in internationally conducted elections that implement a new constitution. Assad taking such a risk, for a measurably less powerful presidency, seems improbable, but mooting the possibility might create political space for a peaceful path out of the crisis.</p> <p>Of course, even a theoretical possibility of Assad’s competing in a post-crisis political order could be upended by the fervent recommendation of human rights commissioner Pillay: Security Council referral of the Syrian violence to the International Criminal Court. It may not be hard for international prosecutors to trace responsibility for the security forces’ murderousness to the government’s highest levels. To date, however—in contrast to Libya a year ago—members of the Security Council have been singularly uninterested in inviting the court into Syria.</p> <p>If the court seems invasive, a peacekeeping force appears even more so. Yet Churkin himself noted that if the Security Council can achieve a ceasefire, a peacekeeping force with clear ‘legal and practical responsibilities” could be feasible. Wisely, British foreign secretary William Hague has already ruled out participation by leading Western powers.</p> <p>But the Security Council currently counts among its members two of the U.N.’s largest peacekeeper contributors, India and Pakistan—and both of them have been notably prudent on Syria. A number of other countries in the Mediterranean region might also not have burned bridges to Syria’s various sides and could be part of a mission at least as delicate as the U.N.’s in nearby Lebanon.</p> <p>Whether it has U.N. peacekeepers or not, Syria needs concerted pressure from a reasonably united Security Council if it is to avoid a bloody fracturing in a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran. The General Assembly debate this week just might be helping push the international community back to appreciating the larger stakes.</p> <p><span><i>This article was first published on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-laurenti/syria-un-iran_b_1277183.html" target="_self">Huffington Post.</a></i></span></p></div> </body> </html> Iraq on the Brink urn:syndication:1055b46b-571c-11e1-9d9d-002219154821 http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/iraq-the-brink-6498#.Tzpj3aWWjWA.email Morton Abramowitz in The National Interest. 2012-02-14T22:19:16Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Morton Abramowitz in The National Interest. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/1/iraq-on-the-brink/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/iraq-the-brink-6498#.Tzpj3aWWjWA.email</p> <div><p>Morton Abramowitz in The National Interest.</p></div> </body> </html> The U.N.'s Return on Syria urn:syndication:0e2a148c-575b-11e1-9e0d-002219154821 http://botc.tcf.org/2012/02/the-uns-return-on-syria.html Jeffrey Laurenti published in Blog of the Century and Huffington Post. 2012-02-14T22:13:32Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Jeffrey Laurenti published in Blog of the Century and Huffington Post. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/the-u.n.s-return-on-syria/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://botc.tcf.org/2012/02/the-uns-return-on-syria.html</p> <div><p>Jeffrey Laurenti published in Blog of the Century and Huffington Post.</p></div> </body> </html> Syria Uprising Gives Opportunity for Sunni Saudis to ‘Defang’ Shiite Iran urn:syndication:8138defa-5728-11e1-9051-002219154821 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-14/syria-uprising-gives-opportunity-for-sunni-saudis-to-defang-shiite-iran.html Jeffrey Laurenti quoted in Bloomberg. 2012-02-14T16:43:56Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Jeffrey Laurenti quoted in Bloomberg. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/2/syria-uprising-gives-opportunity-for-sunni-saudis-to-2018defang2019-shiite-iran/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-14/syria-uprising-gives-opportunity-for-sunni-saudis-to-defang-shiite-iran.html</p> <div><p>Jeffrey Laurenti quoted in Bloomberg.</p></div> </body> </html> The Counterterrorism Consensus urn:syndication:826eee5c-5682-11e1-a851-002219154821 http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/13/counterterrorism_consensus_obama_bush Michael Cohen published in Foreign Policy. 2012-02-13T22:47:15Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Michael Cohen published in Foreign Policy. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/1/the-counterterrorism-consensus/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/13/counterterrorism_consensus_obama_bush</p> <div><p><a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/02/13/counterterrorism_consensus_obama_bush">Michael Cohen published in Foreign Policy. <br /></a></p></div> </body> </html> Ahmadinejad’s ‘Major’ Nuclear Progress Comment Follows Rhetorical Pattern urn:syndication:8157da91-5685-11e1-b950-002219154821 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-12/ahmadinejad-s-major-nuclear-progress-comment-follows-rhetorical-pattern.html Geneive Abdo quoted in Bloomberg. 2012-02-13T21:21:19Z <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <body> <p>Geneive Abdo quoted in Bloomberg. </p> <div style="float: right"> <img src="http://tcf.org/in-the-news/2012/1/ahmadinejad2019s-2018major2019-nuclear-progress-comment-follows-rhetorical-pattern/image" /> <span></span> </div> <p>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-12/ahmadinejad-s-major-nuclear-progress-comment-follows-rhetorical-pattern.html</p> <div><p>Geneive Abdo quoted in Bloomberg.</p></div> </body> </html>