"Can Humpty Dumpty Be Saved?"

Mr. Kiehl argues that our Public Diplomacy efforts have had a great fall, but all is not lost. He proposes a new organization for a new public diplomacy, a middle ground between the old, independent USIA and the weak structure that currently exists. —Assoc. Ed.

"China in the 21st Century"

Sir John Bond, Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc, addressed attendees at the Foreign Policy Association's 2003 Financial Services Dinner. Bond examined the increasing importance of understanding Asian markets and mentalities as economic relations between the U.S. and countries like China continue to grow.

"Democracy in Iraq?”

The Coalition Provisional Authority, led by L. Paul Bremer of the United States, has set up a ‘Governing Council' in Iraq consisting of professionals representing diverse backgrounds until a permanent constitution and subsequently a new Iraqi government is in place. The members of the Governing Council have been accused by the Coalition of advancing private agendas as opposed to making ‘important collective decisions,' raising doubts as to the effectiveness of this arrangement. As to the kind of finalized government Iraqi's want—that remains to be decided. In a poll conducted by Zogby International, only one in five want a “secular democracy with elected representatives.” For more revealing statistics on Iraqi sentiment click on: "Poll" Whether or not a democracy will ever take hold in Iraq has been heavily debated. A Brookings Institution report explores the possible failure of the US's intention to democratize Iraq in the report, “Democracy in Iraq?”

"Democratizing the Middle East"

Bush said that the resolve the U.S. shows in Iraq “will shape the next stage of the world democratic movement” last week in speech to National Endowment to Democracy "RAND" . As the U.S. struggles to promote democratic principles in Iraq, President Bush continues to urge other Middle Eastern nations to try to embrace the same ideologies and politically transform their countries as well. However, policy analysts have foreseen the trials and tribulations of setting up such democracies in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq. The report, “Democracy in Iraq?” addresses the obstacles facing the US in setting up a democracy and considers deterrents pertaining to the case of Iraq.

"FLYING SOLO: THE LAST SUPER POWER."

GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PRODUCED BY THE FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK NEIL D. LEVIN GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSAND COMMERCE.

FUNDING FOR GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PROVIDED BY THE STARR FOUNDATION AND THE WILLIAM & KAREN TELL FOUNDATION.

"IS OIL ENOUGH? U.S.-SAUDI RELATIONS ON THE BRINK."

GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PRODUCED BY FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION

AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK NEIL D. LEVIN GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMMERCE.

FUNDING FOR GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PROVIDED BY THE STARR FOUNDATION

AND THE WILLIAM & KAREN TELL FOUNDATION.

"Kim's Nuclear Gamble"

For general background on the North Korean conflict, its' past history and where it stands with the United States today or to watch the informative program "Frontline" on this specific topic, click on the above PBS web-site. Also hear opinions from leading political figures, scholars and intellectuals on issues as US policy towards North Korea, personal accounts of experiences while visiting the regime and human rights violations on the part of the communist state.

"New Thinking on Transatlantic Security: Terrorism, NATO, and Beyond"

While US-European relations remain weak over the disagreement on going to war in Iraq, Europe's “rapid reaction force”, a controversial plan of setting up an independent European military headquarter has further exacerbated relations and has seriously threatened NATO's future. But in a speech Tony Blair has been quoted as allaying such fears, “…Europe has too much in common, too many shared interests, too many solid reasons for cooperation, to have any intention of letting a temporary divergence of view become a permanent rupture.” For more on shifts in American and European viewpoints and philosophies of their role in the world and how the world, itself, has changed presenting new challenges for the partnership, read “New Thinking on Transatlantic Security: Terrorism, NATO, and Beyond,” by Peter Singer of the Brookings Institution.

"NIGERIA: A NATION ON A KNIFE EDGE"

GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PRODUCED BY FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION

AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK NEIL D. LEVIN GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMMERCE.

FUNDING FOR GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PROVIDED BY THE STARR FOUNDATION

AND THE WILLIAM & KAREN TELL FOUNDATION.

"Preventing Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons"

John R. Bolton, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, speaks on  Iran.

"REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN"

GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PRODUCED BY FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION

AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK NEIL D. LEVIN GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMMERCE.

FUNDING FOR GREAT DECISIONS 2003 IS PROVIDED BY THE STARR FOUNDATION

AND THE WILLIAM & KAREN TELL FOUNDATION.

"Reconstruction: Continuing with plan"

Meanwhile, US forces find it difficult to continue with reconstruction efforts as attacks continue by insurgents and additional U.S. casualties. In Iraq, strong anti-American sentiment still reverberates in areas like Falluja, where locals celebrated the downing of an American chopper. Despite this, Vice President Dick Cheney urged the continuation of U.S. policy in Iraq stating that, “America cannot retreat from our responsibilities and hope for the best. There is only one option –we must fight this war until our work is done,” though becoming growingly unpopular among the US public. A Gallup poll indicates the increasing pessimism surrounding how ‘well' the Iraqi war is going due to such events.

"The global financial crisis and developing countries: taking stock, taking action"

This briefing paper published by the Overseas Development Institute in September 2009 examines how the global financial crisis has benefited some economies in the developing world.

"The Paradox of American Power:" Joseph Nye Jr.

"The Paradox of American Power:" Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Dean and Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, spoke at FPA on April 3. Watch the video here.

"The Sentry's Solitude"

Against the backdrop of rampant anti-Americanism in the Middle East, which governments can the U.S. count on and at what price?

"Toward a Grand Bargain with North Korea"

Regardless of what goes on with the Norths' nuclear program, both North and South Korea aim at solidifying their business and economic ties across borders and continue to develop relations on a diplomatic level as well. Above, is a report of third quarter findings surrounding the main activities between the two countries called, "Never Mind the Nukes?"

"Turkey-US Relations: Redefining and Rebuilding”

A series of articles published in the spring of 2005 that examine changing Turkey-U.S. relations.  

"We Will Finish What They Began" - Transcript

John Manley, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke to the Fellows of the Foreign Policy Assocaition on November 5, 2001. Transcript.

Capitol Watch
Limited Powers

Although the culmination of this election year will not arrive until November, political battles are already being won and lost. In Connecticut, challenger Ned Lamont defeated incumbent Joseph Lieberman in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Many suspect that Lieberman's steadfast support for President Bush's Iraq policy was responsible for his defeat, and it is certainly true that the persistent violence and instability in that country has fed domestic discontent with the war for some time. But Lamont's primary victory suggests that such discontent has moved beyond the editorial pages; it may have reached a critical mass where it could actually affect electoral politics. If that discontent really does reshape Congress in November, however, the legislature may not be able to do much to affect U.S. policy in Iraq.

Global Views
Looking at Lebanon: America's Role

As fighting between Israeli Defense Forces and Hezbollah militants continues in southern Lebanon, pundits in the American media and beyond are debating the U.S. role in the conflict.  While many say an incoherent and overly ambitious U.S. policy in the Middle East has contributed to the recent flare-up in violence and offer their support for a UN-backed ceasefire, others say the Bush administration is correct in giving Israel time to dismantle what many view as one of the region's most destabilizing terrorist organizations backed by two U.S. adversaries – Syria and Iran.  In the meantime, Lebanon - recently championed by the Bush administration as a success story for transformational diplomacy in the Middle East – continues to withstand blows to its civilian population and infrastructure after a horrific week of conflict.

[Book Review] How the Taliban Got Their Way in Afghanistan

Review of Ahmed Rashid's new book, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central.

[FPA ANALYSIS] Justice without borders

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights will hold its 60 anniversary this coming December. The declaration lays out the moral, political, and legal basis of human rights and yet there are perpetrators who evade justice. However the culture of sovereign and individual impunity is gradually shifting toward national and international accountability. Individual rights, not the prerogatives of the state, should help drive policy in matters of conflict prevention and resolution. There is hope though more work is required so that justice knows no borders.

[INTERVIEW] Crisis Between Kurds and Iraqi Government Needs U.S. Mediation

The power struggle between Iraq and Kurdistan is proving to be a growing issue. In this article, Bernard Gwertzman interviews Daniel P. Serwer, former executive director of the Baker-Hamilton Commission on Iraq, who believes we must resolve this problem before the U.S. completely leaves Iraq.

[LINK] International Food Policy Research Institute

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI has an extensive set of publications, briefings and links to valuable resources and projects regarding global hunger and the food crisis.

[LINK] World Food Programme Publications

Publications issued by the World Food Programme, the United Nation's frontline agency in the fight against global hunger.

‘We Will Not Turn Inward': Q&A with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

In her first speech to the United Nations, Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice on Saturday urged diplomats to be tough on Iran's nuclear ambitions. The United Nations “must be able to deal with great challenges like terrorism and nuclear proliferation, especially when countries like Iran threaten the effectiveness of the global nonproliferation regime,” she said. Earlier in the week, Rice, accompanied by Gen. Raymond Odierno, sat down with Newsweek editors and discussed Iran, Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq and a number of other topics.

“Humanitarian Aid and Nation Building: Can Outsiders Really Help?”

H.E. Kishore Mahbubani, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations, William J. Garvelink, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID and H.E. Pierre Schori, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations speak on Humanitarian Aid and Nation Building at the FPA/Yale Town Hall

Moderator: Michael Reisman, Myres S. McDougal Professor of

International Law, Yale University

2007 Arctic Report Card

NOAA's 2007 Arctic Report Card

21st Century Defense Initiative

The 21st Century Defense Initiative produces cutting-edge research, analysis, and outreach that address some of the most critical issues facing leaders shaping defense policy in the coming century.

21st Century Socialism in Latin America

An analysis of current trends in Latin American politics written by Michael Radu, Ph.D., Co-Chair of the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Center on Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Homeland Security

400 days and out: A strategy for resolving the Iraq impasse

The memo outlines a strategy for substantially defusing the Iraqi insurgency, de-escalating the inter-communal conflict there, and enabling near-total US troop withdrawal by September 2006.

60 Minutes interview with Gen. McChrystal

Watch the full interview with General Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander for the war in Afghanistan, from the CBS News program 60 Minutes, originally airing on September 4, 2009.

9/11: A New Day for Counterterrorism

Not since the early days of the cold war has foreign policy been so important for Americans, nor have foreign policy choices been so deeply enmeshed in the moral foundations of the American polity. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the outbreaks of anthrax that followed, may or may not have given us our first glimpse of a “new world” of vastly heightened vulnerability, but they certainly have undermined Americans' sense of security and well-being to a degree not experienced since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, perhaps since the Soviet Union exploded its first nuclear weapon in 1949. Read more...

A Benchmark of Progress, Electrical Grid Fails Iraqis

As the American's seven-year combat mission comes to a close this month, a New York Times article critiques the United States and its allies failed attempts to provide one of the most basic services, often considered a significant indicator of Iraq's progress, to the Iraqi people: electricity.

A Black Ambassador to Apartheid South Africa

When apartheid ruled South Africa, Edward Perkins became the U.S. ambassador to the tumultuous country.

A Call for a Strategic U.S. Approach to the Global Food Crisis

The July 2008 report of CSIS's Task Force on the Global Food Crisis.

A Conversation with James A. Baker III, Part 2

Transcript of show #11 of the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. The second part of a conversation, hosted by John McWethy, with former Secretary of State James Baker.

A Conversation with James Baker III, Part 1

Transcript of show #10 of the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by John McWethy, this show features the first part of a conversation on foreign policy with former Secretary of State James Baker.

A Failure to Communicate: Foreign Policy & Public Understanding

"A Failure to Communicate: Foreign Policy & Public Understanding." Transcript of show #13 from the Great Decisions Television series.

A Force in Fragments: Reconstituting the Afghan National Army

The International Crisis Group (ICG) assesses the Afghan National Army (ANA), which is expected to be a partner in defeating the Taliban, and a pillar in the post-American security landscape in Afghanistan. ICG evaluates how the ANA's strategic value and its current state of readiness.

A Foreign Policy Report Card on the Clinton-Gore Administration

Jonathan G. Clarke, research fellow in foreign policy at the Cato Institute, takes a critical look at the development of U.S. foreign relations during the Clinton presidency. Citing a variety of missed opportunities, Clarke criticizes the Clinton administration for what he describes as a lack of progress during an unusually opportune point in history.

A Globalization: Focusing on the Middle East

the experience in many developing countries in the Middle East has shown that policy interventions and economic restructuring programs have contributed to huge economic distress and social instability in many countries. As a result, many states resorted to coercive and undemocratic measures in order to quell the social unrest emanating from economically-destabilizing policy interventions. What Middle Eastern countries need is a form of economic development that tackles poverty and unemployment – without breeding inequality and concentration of wealth – with a view to human rights, democracy, and civil liberties of each citizen.

A guide to mending our trans-Atlantic fences

The trans-Atlantic alliance is in tatters. That is what all the headlines have been telling us over the past year or so. But, to borrow from Charles Dickens, for the alliance these are the best of times and the worst of times.

A House Divided on Sudan?

This article from The Huffington Post examines statements made by the U.S. Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, and UN Ambassador Susan Rice regarding the recent behavior of the Sudanese government toward violence there, comparing the conflicting tones of each official's message.

A New Approach Towards Iran for Obama

CDI's article shows that it is time for America's "containment" of the Middle East to stop, especially with Iran.

A Road to Freedom

A Justice for Peace proposal.

A School Bus for Shamsia

This article appeared in an August 2009 Special Issue of The New York Times Magazine entitled, "Saving the World's Women". The article examines the development of schools for girls in Afghanistan during the post-Taliban era and considers the endurance of the Mirwais Mena School for Girls, where eleven students and four students were infamously attacked with battery acid in November 2008.

A Shift in Arab Views of Iran

Among the results of a recently published poll of Middle Eastern countries is a shift in opinion of Arab countries from rejecting an Iranian nuclear program to having a positive perception of it.

A Tale of Two Depressions

A useful graphical analysis examining how the Great Recession compares to the Great Depression.

A View of the World after the Crisis

This essay, translated from the German magazine Merkur, explains the changes to the global financial system from "savings capitalism" to "pump capitalism."

A War of Limited Success: The U.S. Decision Not to Overthrow Saddam Hussein at the end of the Gulf War 1991

This essay is a critical analysis of the US decision during the Gulf War 1991 to end the offensive just after the liberation of Kuwait rather than pushing further into Iraq and so increasing the chances of toppling Saddam Hussein.

A Wide Range of Reports on Key Iraqi Political and Security Issues

International Crisis Group, a wide range of reports on key Iraqi political and security issues.

A Wide Range of Useful Reports on Iraq, Many Based on Field Experience

United States Institute for Peace (USIP), a wide range of useful reports on Iraq, many based on field experience.

A Year After Iraq War - Pew Global Attitudes Project

A year after the war in Iraq, discontent with America and its policies has intensified rather than diminished. Opinion of the United States in France and Germany is at least as negative now as at the war's conclusion, and British views are decidedly more critical. Perceptions of American unilateralism remain widespread in European and Muslim nations, and the war in Iraq has undermined America's credibility abroad. Doubts about the motives behind the U.S.-led war on terrorism abound, and a growing percentage of Europeans want foreign policy and security arrangements independent from the United States. Across Europe, there is considerable support for the European Union to become as powerful as the United States.

A Year Later, Little Change on Wall St.

This New York Times article looks at the changes that have, and have not occurred in the year since the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the start of the global financial crisis in September 2008.

Afghan Offensive Is New War Model

As U.S. and Afghan forces launch an offensive against a Taliban stronghold in Marja, in Helmand Province, this New York Times analysis discusses what the operation means for the overall war strategy.

Afghan Shift Puts Top U.S. Civilians in Tricky Spot

With the change on military leadership in Afghanistan, what is the future of top civilian officials, such as special envoy Richard Holbrooke and U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry?

Afghanistan and Pakistan Sign a Trade Deal, Representing a Thaw in Relations

Afghanistan and Pakistan have finalized a trade deal whose critical provision concerns the ability of cargo trucks to cross their mutual border.

Afghanistan and the War on Terror

News, analysis, special reports are among the PBS Online Newshour's in-depth coverage of Afghanistan and the ongoing conflict against terrorist organizations based in its territory.

Afghanistan peace conference urges Hamid Karzai to talk with Taliban

Anand Gopal writes in The Christian Science Monitor about the recently concluded Afghanistan peace jirga between tribal and provincial leaders which recommended that President Hamid Karzai drop preconditions for talks with the Taliban. They also demanded that insurgents break ties with Al Qaeda.

Afghanistan Reconstruction Project

The Afghanistan Reconstruction Project (ARP) carries out research and public education about selected issues related to the rebuilding of Afghanistan's institutions, society, and economy. The project supports efforts by the Afghan government, Afghan civil society, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and donors to carry out a more effective reconstruction mission based on the Bonn Agreement and the Afghanistan Compact focused on Afghan ownership.

Afghanistan's Election Matters as Much for the Country as for the World

Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Saban Center for Middle East Policy looks at how the Afghan presidential election was not only important to the candidates, but also to key players such as the U.S., NATO, Pakistan and even al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Afghanistan's Troop Deficit Problem

This interview with Kimberly Kagan, president of the Institute for the Study of War, on U.S. military strategy and troop levels in Afghanistan. Kagan served as an advisor to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, on his assessment of the situation for Coalition forces and strategy objectives there.

Afghanistan: a fragile peace

One year after the U.S. and its allies toppled the Taliban, Afghanistan is largely absent from the headlines. Yet conditions in the Central Asian nation remain dire, and some Afghans fear their country could once again collapse into the civil war and chaos.

Afghans set ambitious 2014 security target

Following the July 2010 Kabul conference, an ambitious target is set for international turnover of security operations to Afghanistan by 2014.

Africa and the U.S.: GD 2000 #7

This article from the Great Decisions 2000 series asks: What role can and should the U.S. play in Africa during the 21st century?

After Flotilla Raid, U.S. Is Torn Between Allies

The United States is in a difficult situation, on one hand placating an angered Turkey while revitalizing a deteriorating relationship with Israel in the wake of its attack on the flotilla off the shores of Gaza.

After Iran Gets the Bomb: Containment and Complications

The authors of this article from Foreign Affairs discuss how they believe Washington can contain and mitigate the consequences of Tehran's nuclear defiance, keeping an abhorrent outcome from becoming a catastrophic one.

After Neoconservatism

A former neoconservative theorist argues that with the Iraq conflict, the ideology that won the cold war has come to threaten peace. Can a movement turn away from militarism and toward a more durable use of power?

Ahmadinejad Spars With CFR Members

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran sparred with a high-level group from the Council on Foreign Relations for ninety minutes on virtually every contentious issue between the United States and Iran.

Ahmadinejad: Iran Nuke Program 'Transparent, Peaceful'

Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly on September 18th, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Iran's nuclear activities are "transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye" of United Nations inspectors.

Al Qaeda network severely degraded: U.S. envoy

Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said at a news conference that Al Qaeda's network had been "severely degraded" by joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts.

Al Qaeda, Afghanistan and the Good War

Stratfor.com founder and author George Friedman offers this sharp analysis of the current situation in Afghanistan, offering insight into events since the 2001 U.S. invasion.

Alone or Together: the U.S. and the world

U.S. foreign policymakers are faced with significant choices in the areas of diplomacy, development and security. What is the future direction of U.S. foreign policy?

Altering U.S. Sanctions Policy

A summary of the CSIS Project on Unilateral Sanctions.

Highlights the historic failure of comprehensive unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S.

and examines the consequences of such policies (for both the U.S. and target countries).

Provides policy recommendations for the future.

Amb. John B. Richardson receives FPA medal

The Foreign Policy Association presented its medal to Amb. John B. Richardson at the launch of the New York Democracy Forum for "disseminating democracy" in his capacity as Head of the European Commission to the United Nations.

Amb. Richard Haass: “Defining U.S. Foreign Policy in a Post-Post-Cold War World”

Amb. Richard Haass delivered the Arthur Ross Lecture at FPA on April 22, 2002 on “Defining U.S. Foreign Policy in a Post-Post-Cold War World. ”

America & the World: Challenges for the New President

The advent of every new administration presents America with the opportunity to press the "reset button" for foreign policy - if it were only that simple! America's foreign policy, no matter who sits in the Oval Office, is always affected by decisions made by the previous administration, and all those that came before.

The Foreign Policy Association has produced this Guide, written by FPA blogger Mark Dillen, to examine ten of the leading foreign policy challenges that will face the Obama administration.

America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order

Jonathan Clarke, Stefan Halper with presider John Lehman discuss their recent publication, "America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order."

America at Risk: The Citizen's Guide to Missile Defense

An analyst for the conservative think tank makes the case for its vision of an affordable and

quickly available defense against ballistic missiles.

America's Clandestine Service

The Foreign Policy Association presents James L. Pavitt Deputy Director for Operations, Central Intelligence Agency speaking on “America's Clandestine Service”

Presided by Robert C. Miller President, The Hurford Foundation. Monday, June 21, 2004.

America's National Interests 2000

Discussion includes a description

of the challenges and opportunities in the decade ahead in East Asia.

America's Role in The Post-Cold-War World

Richgard Holbrooke, Permanent Representative to the United Nations

America's War Against Terrorism

An extraordinary collection of documents – government reports, news reports, archival material, etc. – is freely available at this academic Website.

American Foreign Policy: The Next 25 Years

The inagural lecture in the MARY BELKNAP LECTURE SERIES "American Foreign Policy: The Next 25 Years" with Raymond K. Price, Jr. President, The Economic Club of New York, October 1, 2001.

American Institute in Taiwan

The American Institute in Taiwan acts as an informal US embassy as established by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.

American Leadership and Global Challenges

Strobe Talbott, Deputy Secretary of State of U.S.

An Agenda for NATO

Zbigniew Brzezinski, U.S. National Security Adviser from 1977 to 1981, suggests ways for the alliance to re-purpose itself to confront post-9/11 challenges.

An hour with a confident Ahmadinejad

Ignatius' analysis of his interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad during his September 2006 visit to the UN General Assembly.

Analysis: Afghanistan's trillion-dollar game-changer

Could an important mineral discovery in Afghanistan change the course of the war? Or could the U.S. claim that it has found huge deposits of iron, copper, gold and lithium further complicate the effort?

Analysis: Bush goes to the Middle East

As the U.S. presidential campaign shifts into full swing, President Bush's trip to the Middle East took a back seat in media headlines. The trip's intended purpose is to follow up on the December 2007 Annapolis conference, which convened to resolve the historical Israeli-Palestinian conundrum. Mr. Bush is attempting to build desperately needed momentum between Israelis and Palestinians and obtain active support from America's regional Arab allies, many of which were included in Mr. Bush's itinerary such as Egypt and the Gulf States.

Analysis: Bush's New Iraq Strategy

President Bush's speech on the new Iraq strategy presented no surprises. Much of the groundwork was laid out in the weeks leading up to speech. Through leaks and brief public statements, the administration gradually prepared the Congress and American public as what to expect in the new strategy.

Analysis: Crisis in Pakistan

With an ethnically and religiously diverse population of over 160 million, access to nuclear arms, serious radical movements and a strategically critical geographic position, Pakistan's stability remains crucial to regional and international security.

Analysis: Obama Abroad

After his first extensive overseas trip, President Obama left a largely positive impression on the international community. The media debate has mostly focused on the level and extent of success. From a broad strategic perspective, President Obama is heading in the right direction though legitimate debate can be had on some tactics. From a long-term substantive perspective, time will tell if the trip was a success since concrete results can only materialize gradually.

Analysis: Obama Walks a Fine Rhetorical Line on Mideast

Barack Obama's first week as President marked an important strategic shift in tone for American foreign policy towards the Middle East and beyond, writes FPA contributor Marco Vicenzino. Whether it marks a strategic shift in substance can only be proven by actions and, above all, results over an extended period of time.

Analysis: Obama's Foreign Policy Challenges

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to lead the nation, he will inherit a long list of foreign policy challenges from his predecessors. How can the new president construct a foreign policy that addresses today's most critical challenges, and engages the American public in the task?

Analysis: Proceeding to the Lowest Common Denominator

As President Bush hailed the Annapolis meeting as a "hopeful beginning", skeptics dismiss the effort as hopeless continuation or too little, too late after a largely seven-year hiatus of any substantive U.S.-led peace effort between Israelis and Palestinians.

Analysis: Russia may balk at tough Iran sanctions

This article from The Boston Herald analyzes Russia's resistance to implementing sanctions against Iran follow revelations about a secret uranium-enrichment plant uncovered by Western intelligence sources in September 2009.

Analysts: By 2025, U.S. Won't Be Top World Power

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded in the recent "A Transformed World," report by the National Intelligence Council that the United States is likely to lose its dominant global position in the coming years, with economic and political power shifting to countries such as China and India.

AP Interview: Allawi says Iraq impasse drags on

Read an Associated Press interview with Ayad Allawi, the opposition prime ministerial candidate whose party came out slightly ahead of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's coalition on the 7 March election. Both candidates are now scrambling to muster the support needed to form a government.

Apocalypse Soon

Essay by a former Secretary of Defense depicting the dangers of current nuclear policies.

Arctic Meltdown

Thanks to global warming, the Arctic icecap is rapidly melting, opening up access to massive natural resources and creating shipping shortcuts that could save billions of dollars a year. But there are currently no clear rules governing this economically and strategically vital region. Unless Washington leads the way toward a multilateral diplomatic solution, the Arctic could descend into armed conflict.

Arctic Ocean: New Cold War

A detailed look at the efforts of countries in asserting their territorial claims in the Arctic Ocean and the equipment that will be necessary to access the region.

Arthur Ross Lecture Series: "Saudi - U.S. Relations and the War on Terrorism"

F. Gregory Gause III, Director of the Middle East Institute and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont. He addressed the Foreign Policy Association on the topic of U.S.-Saudi relations and the war on terrorism.

Assessing the State of Homeland Security: Testimony before Senate Sub-Committee

Atlantic Community Initiative

Web site dedicated to education on transatlantic relations.

Australia New Zealand: Like Minded Defence Partners

A comparison of Australian and New Zealand approaches to defence policy and world view based on a comparison of policy documents from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Back from the Brink? A Strategy for Stabilizing Afghanistan-Pakistan

A new Asia Society Task Force report outlines a comprehensive strategy for the new U.S. administration to pursue a dramatically different course in Afghanistan-Pakistan.

Battle for the Arctic heats up

North Pole is an international site administered by the International Seabed Authority. But what happens if a country proves its underwater shelf is an extension of its continental border?

BBC World Service: Cuba Cuba

The BBC World Service has assembled news reports, special radio programs and an interactive timeline of audio reports related significant events in Cuba's history since the 1959 Revolution.

Beijing's Coalition of the Willing

Stefan Halper writes in Foreign Policy Magazine about how China's efforts to strengthen relations with failed states, particularly in Africa, has helped China further its foreign policies.

Berlin and Washington Disagree on Russia Policy

From arms reduction to Afghanistan to Iran, it is in Washington's best interest to ensure cooperation with Moscow on a wide range of issues. Policy-makers in Washington now have to choose between different options for dealing with Moscow: rely on either the EU or on Germany as a focal point for dealing with the Russians, or conduct relations bilaterally.

Bleak Economic Projections as Obama Prepares for State of the Union Address

This article from Voice of America analyzes how President Obama might address economic policy for the coming year in his first State of the Union address as the Congressional Budget Office warns of slow employment gains, unsustainable long-term fiscal situation, and increasing debt.

Blueprint for Energy Security: “Set America Free”

A manifesto issued by former national security officers of the Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations in 2004. It encouraged reducing the U.S. dependency on petroleum and proposed practical solutions that exist today and are ready for widespread use.

Bright Lines and Bailouts: To Bail or Not To Bail, That Is the Question

In this report, Vern McKinley and Gary Gegenheimer argue that financial institution bailouts are inconsistent and suffer from too cumbersome to implement properly.

Building Peace and Security

Excerpts of testimony, speeches, and remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright on building peace and security around the world.

Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs -- Iraq

Bureau within the U.S. State Department provides extensive information about the U.S. and U.N. policy instruments acting in the state. See official State Department texts, analysis, white papers and background information about the department's perspective in the humanitarian debate.

Burke Chair in Strategy

Numerous detailed studies on the course of the war.

Burnt Orange

Lucan Way writes in Foreign Policy Magazine about how, unlike its 2004 presidential election, Ukraine's upcoming election will not determine the country's geopolitical orientation. It will test, however, whether the young democracy can stabilize its economy, cut down on corruption, and navigate its relations with Russia and the West.

Bush asks NATO for more Afghanistan troops

U.S. President George W. Bush urged NATO allies on Wednesday to send more troops to Afghanistan, saying the organization could not afford to lose its battle against Taliban insurgents and al Qaeda militants and recalled that France had indicated it could boost its 1,500-strong force.

Bush backs Ukraine's bid to join NATO

President George W. Bush expressed strong support for Ukraine's ambitions of eventually joining NATO on the eve of a meeting of with leaders of the organization's member states in Romania where Ukraine appears likely to be rebuffed.

Bush Calls for Goal-Setting on Climate Change

President Bush unveils a new strategy for dealing with climate change ahead of the 2007 G-8 summit, urging 15 major industrial nations to reach an agreement by the end of next year on goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions globally.

Bush to adopt Petraeus' troop withdrawal recommendations

In reaction to General David Petraeus's September 2007 report on Iraq, the Associated Press reports that President Bush will announce plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by about 30,000 by summer 2008, but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress. 

Bush V. Annan: Taming the United Nations

Martin Walker examines President Bush's relationship with the United Nations and Kofi Annan.  He delves into why the major crisises, natural and man-made, of the previous years have not drawn the Bush administration closer to the UN, rather, setting them even farther apart.

Bush's New Friend in Mexico

After 100 days on the job, Mexican President Felipe Calderón is emerging as President George W. Bush's anti-Chávez--a conservative counterweight to a resurgent Latin American left led by Venezuela's gringo-bashing President Hugo Chávez.

Can the United States put pressure on Israel?: A user's guide

Stephen Walt proposes that the U.S. has to be more evenhanded with Israel and Palestine in order to achieve its own strategic goals in the Middle East.

Canadian Institute of International Affairs

Promotes a deeper understanding of international affairs and of Canada's role in a changing world by providing members with a non-partisan, nation-wide

forum for informed discussion, analysis and debate. By bringing together all interested parties - private sector, government, academia, NGO representatives, as well as the concerned public - to examine global issues

through a distinctively Canadian lens, the CIIA contributes a unique

perspective on Canada's place in the world; extensive links.

Candidate Position Brief #1: What Are U.S. Interests?

Elections 2004 Guide Daniel Widome outlines major party candidate positions on forign policy issues.

Candidate Position Brief #3: U.S. and Its post-9/11 Partnerships

Elections 2004 Guide Daniel Widome outlines major party candidate positions on forign policy issues.

Capitol Watch: Budget Brawl

Earlier this month, President Bush sent his proposed budget for FY 2008 to Congress. At this point, the “proposed” aspect of the $2.9 trillion, 2500 page document should be emphasized. By the time Congress gets done with it, the federal budget will likely bear little resemblance to what the Bush administration has composed. Even so, the president's budget for the fiscal year starting on October 1 is a useful guide to his foreign policy priorities, and it will form the starting point for much of Congress' foreign policy activity in the coming months.

Capitol Watch: Fresh start

In the midterm elections on November 7, Democrats secured majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. These majorities in the legislature, however, will be balanced for the next two years (at least) by continued Republican control of the executive branch. In such a divided government, the relevant question is not just what Democrats hope to accomplish with their legislative majorities. Rather, their tactics as part of a divided government are also open to debate. Will Democrats attempt to achieve consensus with their Republican colleagues in Congress and secure easy approval for their legislation from President Bush? Or will they prove more confrontational and attempt to force divisive proposals onto the President’s desk? The answers to these questions are far from certain, but one thing is clear: The issues that have dominated the foreign policy agenda over the past year remain unresolved, and the political shake-up in Washington opens the way for potential progress on each one.

Capitol Watch: Iraq Pushback

In the past few months, the Congressional debate over the Iraq war has come into much greater focus. In January, Democrats in the House and Senate—freshly installed as the majority party in each chamber—generated a raft of proposals to rein in President Bush's conduct of the Iraq war (for more, see Capitol Watch, January 2007). Now, after weeks of steadily amplifying rhetoric, words will soon be translated into political action. Congress has staked its position, and the president his, but the resulting confrontation is unlikely to dramatically change the situation in Iraq.

Capitol Watch: Prisons and policy

FPA contributor Daniel Widome takes a look at shifting U.S. policy on the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, used to house terrorist suspects and enemy combatants in the global war on terror.

Capitol Watch: Surge protection

On January 10, President Bush announced plans to send a “surge” of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq. By most accounts, this was a bold move on his part. In November, the Democrats won control of Congress due largely to the growing unpopularity of the Iraq war. In December, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group issued its report, which broadly called for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and expanded diplomatic efforts in the region. It was in such a context that opposition to the president's “surge” emanated from Congress, from Democrats and Republicans alike. But so far, this opposition has only been rhetorical. Many questions remain regarding Congress' ability and intent to force a change in the president's new Iraq plan. But one thing is clear: despite the intensity demonstrated over the past year, congressional opposition to the Iraq war has yet to peak.

Capitol Watch: Terror Questions

As Congress engaged in another round of contentious debate over the Iraq war—this time, complete with a successful overnight filibuster by Republicans—the country was reminded of the nagging, perpetual fear of terrorism. A spate of attempted and botched terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom renewed the sense that the threat of religious-inspired violence remains real. A new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was released that painted a discouraging picture of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism campaign. As the death toll mounts in Iraq, and the prospects for a change in strategy grow dimmer, many in Congress and elsewhere are questioning with increasing intensity the connection between the war in Iraq and the "war on terror." Together, these various threads beg serious questions about the current U.S. anti-terror strategy and how Congress might move to address its deficiencies.

Carrots for Pakistan, Sticks for the Gulf States

Shazad Ali writes about how U.S. goals in the AfPak region cannot be secured without cutting of the lifeline of funding from the Gulf States to the Taliban.

Carter says US, EU must bring Hamas and Fatah together in Palestinian territories

While speaking at a conference attended by Irish human rights officials, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said that the U.S., Israel, and the EU needed to end its policy of favorability toward Fatah over Hamas, and called the Bush administration's refusal to accept the 2006 Hamas election victory was "criminal."

Center for American Progress: The Enough Project

The mission of The Enough Project is to help people from every walk of life understand the practical actions they can take to make a difference in preventing genocide and crimes against humanity. It seeks to energize diverse communities – including students, religious groups, activists, business leaders, celebrities, and Diaspora networks – to ensure that their voices are heard on some of the most pressing foreign policy and moral challenges facing the world today.

Center for Asia-Pacific Policy

Nonprofit center within RAND provides extensive research concerning regional trade and security issues.

Center for Economic and Policy Research

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives, including professional research and public education.

Center for International and Strategic Studies, Numerous Detailed Studies on the Course of the War

Burke Chair in Strategy, Center for International and Strategic Studies, numerous detailed studies on the course of the war.

Center for Transatlantic Relations: Johns Hopkins University

The Center for Transatlantic Relations engages international scholars and students directly with government officials, journalists, business executives, and other opinion leaders from both sides of the Atlantic on issues facing Europe and North America. The goal of the Center is to strengthen and reorient transatlantic relations to the dynamics of the globalizing world. Center activities include seminars and lectures; media programs and web-based activities; research projects and policy study groups.

CFR Analysis: U.S.-Cuba Relations

This CFR analysis looks at the current state of U.S. relations with Cuba. The analysis addresses President Obama's call for a new dialogue with Cuba and the factors which may or may not make this successful.

CGA Scenario Project: Iran 2015

Policymakers in the U.S. and abroad have been engaged in a frustrating search for a strategy to deal with the challenge that Iran poses. The CGA Scenario project on Iran 2015 presents the three emerging scenarios to examine the outcomes for U.S. and international policy toward Iran.

CGA Scenario Project: Iran 2015

This paper published by New York University's Center for Global examines possible scenarios for how U.S. foreign policy toward Iran might take shape in the year 2015.

Chain Reaction

Joseph Cirincionne writes in Foreign Policy magazine about the nuclear deal made between the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates, and how it might affect a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Challenges Facing U.S. Interests at Home and Abroad

Remarks and Q&A Session with Secretary of State Albright at the Center for National Policy

January 21, 1999, Washington, D.C.

As released by the Office of the Spokesman

U.S. Department of State

Challenges Facing U.S. National Interests at Home and Abroad

Change Converging on Cuba?

Cuba just marked its 50th anniversary. Will a new U.S. president and a more firmly entrenched Raul Castro mean change to U.S.-Cuba policy?

Charlie Rose Interview: George Mitchell

Watch video of Charlie Rose's January 6, 2010 interview with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell.

Charts to Accompany the Testimony of GEN David H. Petraeus

Charts used by General David Petraeus during his testimony before a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs and Arms Services committees regarding his Iraq report.

China and Taiwan: An American Tightrope

Transcript for show #2 of the Great Decisions Television Series. Hosted by Andrea Koppel with guests: Doug Paal, Asia-Pacific Policy Center and Dr. Nancy Bernkopf Tucker, Professor of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.

China and Taiwan: What Role for the U.S.?

Antagonism between China and Taiwan is the greatest

threat to peace in Asia. To what extent should the U.S. be

involved in that relationship?

China and US battle to assert presence in South China Sea

U.S warships are conducting their third set of exercises in less than a month, in a show of force which has prompted sharp criticism from Beijing and fears of prolonged maritime tensions in the area. The Chinese navy has recently held three long-range training exercises. These deployments are demonstrative of a potentially dangerous clash of interests as each side seeks to assert its presence.

China calls for more diplomatic efforts on Iran nuclear issue

As questions over Iran's nuclear program grow, and the U.S. pushes for UN-backed sanctions, China has called for more diplomatic efforts to be made regarding Tehran's nuclear scheme.

China Documents

Various documents about the relations between the United States and China.

China in transition: is real change imminent?

Over the next 10 years, China will undergo a remarkable political and socioeconomic transformation. Are its leaders ready? Is the U.S. ready?

China military growth the 'minimum requirement:' general

This article reports on the results of a meeting between top defense officials of the U.S. and China, where China's top general tryed to allay U.S. suspicions of a military expansion of Chinese power.

China's Growing Military Might

"At War" blogger Tim Hsia recounts how China's growing global role influenced his time at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and considers the U.S. approach to China's military capabilities now that attention is focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

China's war games unnerve neighbors

This article looks at the possible implications of China's "largest ever tactical military exercise," Stride-2009.

Chomsky Archive

Noam Chomsky is one of America's most prominent political dissidents. A renowned professor of linguistics at MIT, he has authored over 30 political books dissecting such issues as U.S. interventionism in the developing world, the political economy of human rights and the propaganda role of corporate media. The Chomsky archive is hosted by ZNet, the website of Z Magazine. It contains the full text of many of Chomsky's major works on international affairs, the complete audio to several important lectures, and numerous articles, interviews and speeches. ZNet also has its own forum system, to which Chomsky himself often contributes.

Clash of Civilizations - Or New World Disorder?

Arnaud de Borchgrave is an Editor-at-Large for United Press International, interviewing heads of state and government and commenting on the critical challenges of the 21st Century. As Newsweek's Chief Foreign Correspondent, he covered most of the world's major news events since joining the magazine in 1950.

Climate Change Stresses US-Economy until 2050

This assessment from the Congressional Budget Office outlines the impact the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES Act)will have on the U.S. economy and employment.

Climate Change Stresses US-Economy until 2050

Atlantic Community.org analyzes the Congressional Budget Office's report, "The Economic Effects of Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse-Gas Emissions" which specifically references the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES Act), passed in the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009. A link to the full CBO report is available.

Climate change: the world looks to Washington

If approved by Congress, the Waxman-Markey bill will increase the chance that a replacement of the Kyoto Protocol (which the U.S. never ratified) will be adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen.

Clinton to Russia: Honor Agreement in Georgia

During her whirlwind east European tour, Clinton calls on Russia to honor ceasefire agreements with Georgia.

Clinton Urges Caution in Aftermath of Gaza Flotilla Raid

In the wake of Israel's raid on a flotilla of Turkish ships seeking to avoid the blockade of Gaza, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy George Mitchell have begun a diplomatic offensive to stabilize the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

COIN Proposes, Weather Disposes: Pakistan's Floods and Opportunistic Extremists

Pakistan's Taliban and other extremist groups are trying to win hearts and minds to their cause by providing aid to Pakistanis affected by the floods currently devastating the country. Can the Pakistani government and the U.S. counter these attempts?

Constructive COIN

The the United States' current approach to counterinsurgency (COIN), centers on protecting the population with a special emphasis on political and economic development. But does that development-based strategy work? A study conducted by three researchers using data on reconstruction spending and violence in Iraq, found that spending on certain government services does lead to a reduction in violence.

Cook: Friction in U.S.-Turkey Relations over Iraqi Kurdistan

An interview with Steven A. Cook, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on political reform in the Arab world discusses a difference in policy over Iraqi Kurdistan may be straining relations between the U.S. and Turkey.

Coordinated Bloodshed

This Economist article reports on at least 21 explosions in Iraq on the morning of August 25th in which at least 56 were killed and around 300 injured. The Economist interprets these attacks as the Al-Qaeda's response to draw down of American troops.

Coping with Globalization

Transcript of Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by Steve Roberts with guests: Ambassador Charlene Barchevsky, former U.S. Trade Representative and Thomas R. Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

The report entitled "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State in compliance with sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended, and section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. The law provides that the Secretary of State shall transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, by February 25 "a full and complete report regarding the status of internationally recognized human rights, within the meaning of subsection (A) in countries that receive assistance under this part, and (B) in all other foreign countries which are members of the United Nations and which are not otherwise the subject of a human rights report under this Act." We have also included reports on several countries that do not fall into the categories established by these statutes and that thus are not covered by the congressional requirement.

 

Country Survey: Malaysia

This country survey, from FT.com, includes analysis of news stories, politics, culture, and the economy. There are also interesting case studies, country information,industry reports, and a full set of links to government and business sites. The Survey is continually updated.

Cox Report: U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China

The full-text version of Rep. Christopher Cox's 1999 report from the Special Committee on US relations with China. The report covers trade relations and specific military concerns. Document in .pdf format, requires Adobe Acrobat to view.

Cuba News.net

Keep up to date on news stories about Cuba! Cuba News.net is a stand-alone News.Net site that draws from a number of sources to compile stories from News.net journalists, as well some 7,000 news sources of reporting on Cuba.

Cuba Study Group

The Cuba Study Group is an organization whose mission is to facilitate a peaceful reunification of the Cuban nation leading to a free and open society with respect for human rights, the rule of law and a market-based economy.

Cuban Government Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Online NewsHour transcript and video of interview with Great Decisions 2009 author Daniel Erikson and other experts about the significance of Cuba's 50th anniversary and the future of U.S.-Cuba relations.

Dayton Peace Accords

This is the text of the Dayton Peace Accords initialed in Dayton Ohio and signed on 14 December 1995. The Dayton Peace Accords attempted to both protect the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and promote peace with the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, ending the hostilities between the countries, which commenced in 1992.

Defense and Homeland Security

Nonpartisan briefs on key issues facing the nation in the election year 2004 and beyond.

Defining Humanitarian Intervention: GD 2000 #8

This article from the Great Decisions 2000 series asks: What is humanitarian intervention? Does it really work? Is there merit to the argument that it can do more harm than good? How should the U.S. evaluate the need for humanitarian response?

Defining U.S. Foreign Policy in a Post-Post-Cold War World

Richard N. Haass, Director, Policy Planning Staff addresses the Foreign Policy Association at the FPA 2002 Arthur Ross Lecture in New York.

Democracy and the Middle East

On November 06, 2003, U.S. President George Bush addressed the National Endowment for Democracy, outlining his vision to bring democracy to Iraq and the nations of the Middle East.

Democracy In Egypt: Necessary Ingredient in a U.S.-Egyptian Partnership

Is Egypt's stability at risk? What role, if any, should the U.S. play in reforming the government of our closest ally in the Middle East?

Designing Financial Sustainability

The Atlantic-Community.org provides a summary of an Garry Schinasi's analysis of joint U.S.-EU measures to reform their financial sectors to prevent another financial crisis.

Despite Arrests, Working to Rebuild Russia Ties

This New York Times article addresses the possible responses from Moscow and Washington to the recent 'spy' scandal and the effect it may have upon the warmer US-Russia relations.

Development Statistics: Latin America

The Latin America and Caribbean window of the USAID Economic and Social Database intented to provide the public, U.S. government agencies and international development partners access to the highest quality socio-economic data on countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

Disappearing the Dead: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Idea of a "New Warfare"

Report reviews US Defense Department efforts to shape the media and public debate on casualties in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts.

Do we really know how to promote democracy?

Francis Fukuyama, Professor of International Political Economy at Johns Hopkins University's Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, addressed the New York Democracy Forum, a joint venture of the National Endowment for Democracy and the Foreign Policy Association, on democray promotion.

DOE Grants Jump-Start the Smart Grid Toward a Still Undefined Future

This article from The New York Times discusses the Department of Energy's Smart-Grid grant recipients and the challenges ahead in the ways electricity is generated and managed by utilities and their consumers.

Down, But Not Out

Bruce Riedel and Aysha Chowdhry, Research Analyst/Publications Manager, Foreign Policy, U.S. Relations with the Islamic World write in an article that originally appeared in The National Interest about the current capabilities of Pakistan's Taliban.

Drug trade takes root, and toll, in Mexico

While a report from the U.S. Drug Czar states that narcotics trafficking from Mexico into the U.S. has fallen, this International Herald Tribune article examines the toll that the drug trade has taken within Mexico.

Dubai: On the Front Line of U.S. Iran Policy

Willingly or not, Dubai has been thrust onto the front line of diplomacy aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions and terrorism sponsorship. The ongoing Mabhouh investigation has shown that, given the requisite political will, Dubai has excellent surveillance capabilities and other attributes that could be used against Iran.

Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East

This CEIA event transcript has Deborah Amos discuss her recent book, "Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East." The event addressed the impact that the Iraq war has had on Sunni-Shiite dynamics in the Middle East.

Editor's Pick's Special: Top 10 Holiday Picks

Editor's Picks of the Foreign Policy Association lists its favorite books of 2003.

Editor's Picks Book Review: Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power by Niall Ferguson

The Editor's Picks Book Review is an ongoing, monthly series that focuses on select new books on foreign affairs. The Review highlights noteworthy, recently published books in the field, as well as offering serious analysis of already-known works, serving both as a guidepost for increasing the reader's knowledge of foreign affairs, and as a critical tool for judging the worth of a book to the reader. Whether illuminating the obscure or considering the accepted best, the Review helps FPA subscribers to make the best use of their time— and the best picks of their books.

Editor's Picks Special: Partisan Picks

This holiday season, partisanship is the political tendance du

jour, with top-selling books lambasting both the so-

called left and right. Here are some scathing selections

from both sides of the fence.

Energy Information Administration

Comprehensive source of official energy statistics from the U.S. government. The site includes information on domestic production and consumption of energy sources, as well as international data.

Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc. (EPRINC)

The Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc. (EPRINC), formerly PIRINC is a not-for-profit organization that studies energy economics with special emphasis on oil.

Eurasianet.org: Afghanistan

The Afghanistan section of Eurasianet.org allows you to follow news headlines, as well as conduct research about Afghanistan's background and history, human rights, media, politics and international relations and more.

Europe today: a triple challenge

Europe faces a decisive year as it grapples with a troubled relationship with the U.S., massive expansion of the European Union, and the completion of an EU constitution. (GD 2004)

European Integration: U.S. Challenge

Transcript of show #7 from the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by Sheilah Kast, with guests: Antony Blinken, former Senior Director for European and Canadian Affairs, National Security Council and Bruce Jackson, President, U.S. Committee on NATO

Eurozone Problem for the United States

Analysts argue the impact that the global financial crisis will have on the U.S. economy’s growth and confidence.

Evaluating the Preemptive Use of Force

Since the Bush administration asserted that the war on terrorism required direct confrontation with Iraq, the moral and legal aspects of the preemptive use of military force have been a focal point of these disagreements. The contributors to our Roundtable enhance and deepen the discussion of this issue by investigating how just war thinking, international law, and international relations theory can help us evaluate arguments for and against preemptive use of force.

Event Transcript: Inside the United Nations

The Foreign Policy Association and Overseas Press Club of America present “Inside the United Nations” with Linda Fasulo, UN Correspondent for NBC News, MSNBC and NPR, Stephen C. Schlesinger, Publisher, World Policy Institute, and Warren Hoge, UN Bureau Chief of The New York Times. January 13, 2004.

EVENT: Pre-emptive Force: When can it be used?
Implications for Iraq and North Korea

The Foreign Policy Association, in conjunction with the Committee on International Law of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the American Society of International Law, hosted a lively panel discussion this week on the legal implications of the use of pre-emptive force. “Pre-emption, as enunciated by President Bush in his speech at West Point and in the National Security Strategy is more than an announcement of specific acts. It is proposed as a doctrine,” said moderator Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

Princeton University and President of the ASIL. The panel featured renowned experts on international law, including Thomas M. Franck, Michael Reisman, William Howard Taft and David Malone.

Event: The End of the American Era?

Charles Kupchan, professor of international relations at Georgetown University and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the End of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics of the 21st Century with FPA.

Exploring 9/11: The World Before and After

A new on-demand webcast series, “Exploring 9/11: The World Before and After.”  The series examines the continuing global impact of the 9/11 attacks, presenting expert analysis of the emergence of Al-Qaeda, the events leading up to 9/11 and the effects of the attacks on the United States and the global community.  Each month, new interviews will be added to the series. 

Extended Interview: Antonio Patriota

GDTV speaks with Antonio Patriota, Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S.

Extended Interview: Barry McCaffrey

Extended interview with General Barry McCaffrey (RET.), Chairman of McCaffrey Associates.

Extended Interview: Nicolas Lardy

GDTV speaks with Nicholas Lardy, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

Extended Interview: Strobe Talbott

GDTV speaks with with Strobe Talbott, President of the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.

Extended Interview: Wesley Clark

Extended interview with General Wesley Clark (RET.), former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.

Extended Interviews: "Off the Grid: Energy and the U.S. Economy"

Watch extended interviews with guests from the 2009 Great Decisions Television Series. Featuring Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican from Alaska, Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Correspondent, The Economist and Daniel Esty, Director, Center for Business and the Environment, Yale University.

Fact Sheet: Terrorism

U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts Since the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombings in Africa

Financial Crisis Panel Poised To Grill Greenspan, Others

This article from The Washington Post discusses the impending meeting of a bipartisan panel appointed by Congress to pinpoint the causes of the financial meltdown and prevent another crisis. The panel will grill over a dozen high-profile officials, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Financial Times In Depth - Lehman: the Aftershock

Read the Financial Times articles, special features and profiles detailing the collapse of Lehman Brothers and its effect on the global financial crisis.

Five Myths About the Iraq Troop Withdrawal

Kenneth M. Pollack, director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, uses the Iraq troop withdrawal as an opportunity to look back at what has been achieved as well as look forward to how much is left to be done.

Five Years of War in Iraq

A photo slideshow and timeline of key events that have taken place since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Focus on the Issues: Asia and the Pacific

Focus on the Issues: Asia and the Pacific highlights America's role as a leader within the Asian-Pacific community.

Focus on the Issues: Europe

Excerpts of testimony, speeches, and remarksby U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright

on Kosovo, NATO, Russia, and Bosnia

Focus on the Issues: Strengthening Civil Society And the Rule of Law

Excerpts of testimony, speeches, and remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright on U.S. efforts to promote democratic values, human rights, and civil society.

Focus on the Issues: The Americas

U.S role in implementing significant, democratic reforms in the hemisphere.

For Iraqis, report to Congress offers bitter truth

This International Herald Tribune article discusses the reaction of the Iraqi people to the report presented to Congress by General David Petraeus in September 2007, and their conflicting feelings over the presense of U.S. forces in the country.

Foreign Ministers Statement on Afghanistan and Pakistan

This statement on Afghanistan and Pakistan was signed by 20 former Foreign Ministers during a meeting convened by the Aspen Atlantic Group in Washington, D.C. in December 2009.

Foreign Policy In Focus

An international think tank dedicated to making the U.S. a more responsible global leader

and partner. This relatively progressive website contains extensive research and analysis

on a variety of foreign policy issues, concise articles that provide historical background for

current conflicts, and policy recommendations for the U.S.

FP and AEI evaluate Obama's new strategy

Foreign Policy magazine and the American Enterprise Institute have released separate evaluations on the Obama administration's new Afghanistan and Pakistan strategy.

FP Dispatch: "See You Soon, If We're Still Alive"

Two Western writers living on their own in Kandahar share what they've they've learned about Afghanistan, where war just won't end.

FPA Analysis: Managing U.S. Foreign Policy

FPA Whitehead Fellow Marco Vicenzino discusses the challenges facing Obama's foreign policy team, which features a number of strong personalities with a wide variety of ambitions.

FPA Analysis: The U.S. and Spain

Recent remarks by Senator John McCain, who suggested that if he were elected president he may not meet with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain, have stirred discussion about U.S.-Spain relations.

FPA Annual Dinner 2003

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union & High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana adressed the FPA on Wednesday.

FPA Annual Dinner: Amb. John Negroponte

Annual Dinner. Keynote Speaker Amb. John Negroponte, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

FPA blogger press contacts

List of press contacts for FPA bloggers

FPA-NBC Luncheon 2002: Great Decisions in Foreign Policy

Brian Williams, Host of "The News with Brian Williams," Andrea Mitchell and Linda Fasulo, NBC News correspondents, joined FPA Members and the general public at this annual event. As is customary at this event, following brief introductory remarks, the panel will responded to questions from the audience.

FPA/Haverford College Town Hall Meeting

FPA Student Town Hall Meeting, Friday, March 21, 2003 at Haverford College.

“America's Role in the World: No Longer the Reluctant Sheriff?"

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

FPA Student Town Hall Meeting, Friday, May 9, 2003 at Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

“America's Role in the World: No Longer the Reluctant Sheriff?"

FPA/Zogby International Poll 2004

“Americans and the World around Them: A Nationwide Poll,” asked American voters to offer their opinions on a wide range of issues concerning the role of the U.S. in the world including: describing the role of the U.S. in the world and its current actions, evaluating presidential candidates on foreign policy issues, the relevance of the United Nations, support for the Kyoto Treaty, the International Criminal Court, and NAFTA's impact on the U.S., as well as their voters habits and sources of information about international affairs.

FPA/Zogby International Poll 2004

“Americans and the World around Them: A Nationwide Poll,” asked American voters to offer their opinions on a wide range of issues concerning the role of the U.S. in the world including: describing the role of the U.S. in the world and its current actions, evaluating presidential candidates on foreign policy issues, the relevance of the United Nations, support for the Kyoto Treaty, the International Criminal Court, and NAFTA's impact on the U.S., as well as their voters habits and sources of information about international affairs.

FPA/Zogby Poll: Americans and the World

The Foreign Policy Association and Zogby International teamed up to take a closer look at American public attitudes towards foreign policy in September of 2003.

Freshwater and foreign policy: new challenges

Today, billions of people around the world lack water and sanitation services that many in ancient Greece and Rome took for granted —and the U.S.lacks any kind of coherent policy to address that problem.

From AfPak to PakAf: A Response to the New U.S. Strategy for South Asia

This policy paper by Daniel Markey, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, examines the U.S. security strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and suggests policy options for addressing instability in the region as a whole.

From Strategy to Implementation: The Future of the U.S.-Pakistan Relationship

In testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation analyzes the challenges facing the Obama administration's goals in the AfPak region; including the implementation of economic assistance, military assistance, a regional strategy, diplomacy and coordination with international partners.

From the Sun King to Karzai: Lessons for State Building in Afghanistan

The United States hopes to create a strong central government in Afghanistan -- but is such state building possible? Yes, says Sheri Berman in this article from >i>Foreign Affairs, and policymakers should look to Louis XIV and the development of France's ancient régime for guidance.

Frontline: The Ghosts of Rwanda

This online resource page for the PBS Frontline Special: Ghosts of Rwanda looks at the causes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and offers resources that analyze the question of intervention in crises like Rwanda.

Includes analysis, interviews, timeline of events, a look at Rwanda today and video clios from the special.

Gapminder

A useful site to track macro-historical economic trends.

GD 2003 Topic 1 Update

Topic #1 Update: ALONE OR TOGETHER

THE U.S. AND THE WORLD

GD 2003 Topic 3 Update

Topic #3 Update: THE UNEASY U.S.-SAUDI ALLIANCE

GD 2007 Fall Update: Middle East

GD Author Interview Series 2005: U.S. Intelligence Reform

The Foreign Policy Association is pleased to present the Great Decisions Author Interview series for 2005, in which GD authors comment on the latest news related to articles ranging from U.S. Intelligence Reform to Sudan. 

GD Q&A: The uneasy U.S.-Saudi alliance

DAVID MORRISON, a freelance reporter based in Washington D.C. writes the daily Behind the Lines column for Congressional Quarterly's Homeland Security website.

GD Resources: Europe Today: a triple challenge

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, Europe Today: a triple challenge.

GD Resources: Middle East Political Reform

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, Middle East Political Reform.

GD Resources: Muslim Diversity: its challenges to U.S. policy

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, Muslim Diversity: its challenges to U.S. policy

GD Resources: Public Diplomacy and U.S. Foreign Policy

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, Public Diplomacy and U.S. Foreign Policy.

GD Resources: The Media and Foreign Policy

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, The Media and Foreign Policy.

GD Resources: The Philippines: Dilemmas of Renewed Security Ties

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, The Philippines: Dilemmas of Renewed Security Ties

GD Resources: Weapons of Mass Destruction: what now after 9/11?

Online resources for Great Decisions 2004, Weapons of Mass Destruction: what now after 9/11

GD2010 Episode: Wall Street and the World: The Global Financial Crisis

Episode guide for the 2010 Great Decisions in Foreign Policy Television Series on PBS

GDTV 2008 Transcript - Exiting Iraq: Deadline for Democracy

Transcript for the Great Decisions Television Series 2008 show #1, Exiting Iraq: Deadline for Democracy.

GDTV 2008 Transcript - Out of Balance: U.S.-China Trade

Transcript for the Great Decisions Television Series 2008 show #7, Out of Balance: U.S.-China Trade, hosted by Ralph Begleiter.

GDTV 2008 Transcript - Philanthropy and the Rise of Global Giving

Transcript for the Great Decisions Television Series 2008 show #8, Philanthropy and the Rise of Global Giving, hosted by Ralph Begleiter.

GDTV 2008 Transcript - The Latin American Left

Transcript for the Great Decisions Television Series 2008 show #6, The Latin American Left, hosted by Ralph Begleiter.

GDTV 2008 Transcript - Waning War Machine? The State of the U.S. Military

Transcript for the Great Decisions Television Series 2008 show #5, Waning War Machine? The State of the U.S. Military, hosted by Ralph Begleiter.

GDTV 2010 Special: The New Energy Economy

The Great Decisions in Foreign Policy television series produced a special episode on U.S. energy initiatives and their impact on American foreign policy. Watch the trailer, extended interviews and read transcripts.

GDTV Transcript - Human Rights in an Age of Terrorism

Transcript of Great Decisions Television Series 2006 show #6, Human Rights in an Age of Terrorism (pdf)

Geo-Graphics

Developed by the Council on Foreign Relations' Center for Geoeconomic Studies, this site puts debates about the Great Recession's effects into accessible charts and graphs.

Getting In Deeper: The United States' Growing Involvement in Colombia's Conflict

A Report on U.S. involvement in Colombia from the mid-1990s to the

present. Includes an analysis of the new aid package, its likely effects on the Colombian

peace process, its impact on human rights, and its role in promoting alternative economic

development in the country.

Give talks a chance, U.S. tells Honduras rivals

Desposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya refuses to talk unless Honduras's interim rulers agreed to restore him to power quickly.  Neither side seems willing to negotiate.  Still, the United States urges both rivals to be patient and give talks a chance.

Glittering Emissaries' Dazzle Wears Off in the Trenches

This article from the New York Times, published in October 2009, examines the difficulties facing George J. Mitchelt and Richard C. Holbrooke, special envoys to the Middle East and Afghanistan and Pakistan, respectively, in getting their portfolios off the ground amid deteriorating relationships between the U.S. and the region.

Gloabl Views: The U.S. and Iran

The U.S. and Iran flexed their respective regional muscle this week ahead of unprecedented high-level, public talks set for Monday in Baghdad. As Iran announced the detention of a fourth Iranian-American scholar and its intention to continue nuclear development despite international condemnation, the U.S. moved 9 battle ships into the Persian Gulf and, along with its Sunni Arab allies, called on Iran to halt its destabilizing role in Iraq. The week's events indicate a final positioning of bargaining chips for the two regional powers ahead of the talks, which could set the stage for a grand bargain in the increasingly volatile Middle East.

Global Corporate Governance

Mr. John Biggs delivered the keynote address at the 2002 FPA Financial Services Dinner on February 13, 2002. Mr. Biggs is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF. The theme of his talk was "Global Corporate Governance."

Global Economic Challenges Facing the New Administration (streaming audio)

Streaming audio of the November 14, 2000 panel discussion on the impact of the Internet, the New Economy, Asian economic health, and energy shocks on the priorities of the new president.

Global Economic Challenges Facing the New Administration(transcript)

Transcript of the November 14, 2000

panel discussion on the impact of the Internet,

the New Economy, Asian economic health,

and energy shocks on the priorities of the new president

Global Economic Outlook-WLF 2002

Transcript of first panel discussion at FPA's World Leadership Forum 2002, entitled "Global Economic Outlook". Speakers include Kathleen B. Harris, Floyd Norris, Henry Kaufman, Donald Layton, and Paula Stern. 10/1/02.

Global Economic Outlook-WLF 2002

Transcript of second panel, entitiled "Global Economic Outlook", at FPA's World Leadership Forum 2002. Speakers include Kathleen B.Cooper, Henry Kaufman, Floyd Norris, Paula Stern, and Donald Layton. 10/1/02.

Global Economic Prospects 2010

This World Bank report entitled Global Economic Prospects 2010 warns that while the worst of the financial crisis may be over, the global recovery is fragile. It predicts that the fallout from the crisis will change the landscape for finance and growth over the next 10 years.

Global Economic Prospects: Middle East and North Africa

These are the global economic prospects for 2005. They include some Regional highlights about the Middle East and North Africa such as Regional Trade perspectives and Regional Economic perspectives.

Global Energy After the Crisis

This article from Foreign Affairs examines how the oil, coal, and natural gas markets could help address the major energy challenges ahead after the global financial crisis managed not to alter the deep structural changes already in global energy markets.

Global Energy Outlook

Transcript of third panel at FPA's World Leadership Forum 2002, entitled : Global Energy Outlook. Discussion was moderated by Mark Schwartz, managing director of PIRA Energy; panelists were Gary Sick and Thomas Wallin.

Global Environmental Challenges

GE's Ecomagination initiative is a new concrete commitment by GE to develop and drive technologies of the future that will protect and clean our environment.

Global Q & A: Russia Re-examined

This week, the Foreign Policy Association speaks with

ALLEN LYNCH, professor of government and foreign

affairs at the University of Virginia and the director of

the university's Center for Russian and East European

Studies. He is also a contributing author to this year's

Great Decisions Briefing Book.

Global Q & A: A New Arab Consensus ?

Today we are speaking with Dr. Fawaz Gerges. He is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at Sarah Lawrence College. He is also a consultant and regular commentator for ABC, as well as having appeared on many TV and radio programs throughout the world, including CNN, NPR, BBC, and Charlie Rose.

Global Q & A: The First Line Against Terrorism

FPA spoke with Kai Bird of the Woodrow Wilson Center and Martin Sherwin of Tufts University about the changes September 11 has brought - or hasn't brought - to American foreign policy. In a recent Washington Post editorial, they wrote "To our own peril in this interdependent world, we are foolishly squandering our first and strongest line of defense: the imponderable that the venerable World War II secretary of war, Henry L. Stimson, called our reputation for fair play. In this sense Sept. 11 was the ultimate failure of a foreign policy that has systematically sullied our reputation."

Global Q & A: Preventative Politics vs. Checkbook Diplomacy -- A Conversation with German Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger

In this week's Global Q & A, the Foreign Policy Association spoke with German Ambassador to the United States Wolfgang Ischinger. Ambassador Ischinger discussed the role of Germany in the war against terrorism, and shed light on German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's diplomatic philosophy of preventative diplomacy. “The world is confronted more and more often with situations of failing states, where you are not only dealing with the military emergencies, but you are dealing with the fact that in a given country there is no administration, no government, no law and order,” said Fischer, who encouraged the strengthening of international bodies to address these issues before the cameras arrive – a phenomenon Ischinger calls the CNN effect. “The international community is then faced with entirely new jobs. It happened in East Timor. It happened in Kosovo. It is going to happen again I am quite sure in Afghanistan, and I think we need to face up to that reality and increase our level of preparedness on an international basis. That is what I would define as a focused, crisis-prevention oriented policy.” Ambassador Ischinger also discussed Germany's commitment to a united Europe, as well as successful efforts of German authorities in tracking down terrorists.

Global Q& A: Looking into the American Mirror with Bruce Stokes

A conversation with Mr. Bruce Stokes, adjunct fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist for the National Journal. He is also the author of the Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions article “Why do they hate us? The Roots of Terrorism.”

Global Q&A -- Examining 9/11 Intelligence Failures: A Conversation with former CIA Director, Adm. Stansfield Turner

This week, the Foreign Policy Association speaks with Adm. Stansfield Turner, former U.S. Director of Central Inteligence.

Global Q&A - Moving Forward in the Middle East: Amb. Ed Walker

Ambassador Edward Walker is President and CEO of the Middle East Institute. Ambassador Walker previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs, and also as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in a distinguished career at the State Department. His efforts to bolster relations between the U.S. and the Arab world, particularly since September 11, recently brought him back to the Middle East for consultations in the region

Global Q&A - Public Diplomacy and Information Warfare

This week, FPA is speaking with Barry Zorthian, President of the Public Diplomacy Foundation. Mr. Zorthian is a retired vice president of Time Inc, and was a senior officer in the U.S. Foreign Service. He has also spent a significant amount of time as a communications consultant and a journalist. Mr. Zorthian was part of a task force organized by the Council on Foreign Relations that issued a report on the current state of U.S. Public Diplomacy.

Global Q&A -- American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy

This week, FPA speaks with Dr. Andrew J. Bacevich, Director of the Center for International Relations at Boston University. He is also the author of the recently published book American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy.

Global Q&A -- Global Governance: A Conversation with Richard Falk

Today we are speaking with Dr. Richard Falk, Professor of International Law and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Falk is the author of more than 20 books on international affairs, and is an expert on global governance, a topic we will be focusing on today.

Global Q&A : "Don't Confuse American Disagreement with American Unilateralism"

The Foreign Policy Association speaks with Amd. Richard N. Haass, Director, Office of Policy Planning, United States Department of State.

Global Q&A :
"The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy and Free Markets in the 21st Century"

This week, FPA speaks with Mr. Michael Mandelbaum, professor of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the author of “The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy and Free Markets in the 21st Century" as well as “The Inadequacy of American Power,” which appears in this month's issue of Foreign Affairs magazine.

Global Q&A
Alone or Together: The U.S. and the World

This week, FPA interviews Barbara Crossette, author and columnist for the National Journal's UN Wire, on the topic of multilateralism vs. unilateralism in American foreign policy. The subject is topic one of Great Decisions 2003, Alone or Together: The U.S. and the World.

Global Q&A: A Look at UN Weapons Inspections with Dr. Gary Milhollin

This week, FPA speaks with Dr. Gary Milhollin, nuclear weapons expert and director of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, about Iraq's reports to UN weapons inspectors this week.

Global Q&A: Iraq's Kurdish Opposition

Welcome to this week's edition of Global Q&A. Today we are speaking with Mr. Kani Xulam, director of the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster Kurdish-American understanding and friendship. Mr. Kani spoke to us about the plight of the Kurds in Northern Iraq.

Global Q&A: North Korea – A Call for Diplomacy

This week, FPA speaks with Leon V. Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council in New York and the author of Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea.

Global Q&A: The End of the American Era?

This week, FPA speaks with Charles Kupchan, professor of international relations at Georgetown University and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He also served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration.

Click here to attend Kupchan's lecture at FPA!

Global Q&A: A Look at American Hegemony with Yale Historian Paul Kennedy

Today we are speaking with Yale Professor of History Paul Kennedy. Professor Kennedy is the author of fourteen books, including The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, and Preparing for the Twenty-First Century. He has also written extensively on the influence of American power throughout the world.

Global Q&A: Amb. John Richardson

This week, FPA spoke with Ambassador John Richardson, Head of the European Commission delegation to the United Nations. Ambassador Richardson has devoted most of his professional career to the cause of European integration, spending 23 years at the EU headquarters in Brussels. Richardson discussed ongoing reform within the Commission, defining Europe and the current state of transatlantic relations.

Global Q&A: China in Transition

This week, FPA speaks with Great Decisions author Bates Gill. Mr. Gill holds the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. His forthcoming book is entitled Contrasting Visions: United States, China and World Order

Global Q&A: Engaging Iran

Global Q&A: Engaging North Korea -- A Conversation with Amb. Donald Gregg

This week, the Foreign Policy Association speaks with Amb. Donald Gregg, Chairman of the Board of The Korea Society. A former national security advisor to then Vice President George H.W. Bush, Gregg also had an illustrious career with the CIA and later as U.S. ambassador to Korea.

Global Q&A: Mini-Nukes and Bunker Busters

This week, FPA speaks with Dr. Bruce Blair, President of the Center for Defense Information, about the recent Congressional approval to renew research into so-called mini-nuclear weapons and nuclear “bunker-busters.”

Global Q&A: Muddled on the Middle East

FPA speaks with Mr. Youssef Ibrahim, senior fellow and Middle East Specialist at the Council of Foreign Relations. Mr. Ibrahim has also served as an energy editor at the Wall Street Journal and worked as a foreign correspondent for the New York Times. Thank you for being with us today Mr. Ibrahim.

Global Q&A: Optimism on Iraq

FPA speaks with Amb. George Ward, Director of the Training Program at the United States Institute of Peace. Ward is also a former coordinator for humanitarian assistance in the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq, and former ambassador to Namibia.

Global Q&A: Pakistan - Flawed Not Failed State

Global Q&A: Pakistan is an audio interview with Dennis Kux.

Global Q&A: Restore Hope to Enduring Freedom

A conversation with former Special Envoy to Somalia Robert Gosende. Gosende served as President Clinton's special envoy to Somalia in 1993. He has also served as the Diplomat in Residence at Georgetown Univerisity's School of Foreign Affairs and with the U.S. State Department in Moscow. He is currently the Associate Vice Chancellor for International Programs at the State University of New York.

Global Q&A: State of the World's Environment 2002

Hilary French is Director of the Global Governance Project at the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research organization that focuses on international environmental and development issues. Ms. French is Co-Chair of the Alliance for U.N. Sustainable Development Programs and a member of the Foreign Policy in Focus Advisory Committee. She has also been a consultant to private foundations and to the United Nations.

Global Q&A: The Next Generation's Image of Americans

This week, FPA speaks with Melvin DeFleur, a professor at Boston University's College of Communications, is the co-author of The Next Generation's Image of Americans. DeFleur and his wife Margaret surveyed 1,400 teens in 12 countries around the world about their attitudes towards Americans and American culture.

Global Q&A: The Paradox of American Power: A Conversation with Joseph Nye Jr.

Joseph Nye Jr.is the former assistant secretary of defense under the Clinton administration, and Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Nye is also the author of the recently published book, “The Paradox of American Power – Why the Worlds Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone.”

Global Q&A: The Role of the Press in the War on Terror

Welcome to this week's edition of Global Q&A. Today we are speaking with Mr. Stephen Hess, media expert and Senior Fellow of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. Mr. Hess is currently researching the role of the press in the war on terror, a topic he discussed with the Foreign Policy Association.

Global Q&A: What Every American Should Know About the Rest of the World

FPA speaks with Melissa L. Rossi, author of the book

What Every American Should Know About the

Rest of the World regarding the current state of international education, the role of foreign policy organizations and the media.

Global Q&A
Afghanistan: a fragile peace

February 27, 2003

FPA speaks with Lawrence Potter, longtime contributor to GREAT DECISIONS, and deputy director of the Gulf/2000 project at Columbia University.

More Global Q&A

Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World

Released in November 2008, the National Intelligence Council report offers a comprehensive assessment of the most significant factors affecting the world in the next 10 to 15 years, including the rise and potential role of Brazil, India, China, Russia, among others.

Global Views: A Return to Realism?

This week's announcement of proposed arms packages that together would provide U.S. allies in the Middle East with more than $60 billion worth of weapons has raised concern that the U.S. is changing its approach to regional issues. The proposed arms deals for Saudi Arabia (along with five other Persian Gulf states), Egypt and Israel, U.S. officials say, are aimed primarily at deterring the growing regional threat posed by Iran, and are simply a continuation of a long-standing U.S. policy to assist allies in the critical region. While the move, which is subject to congressional approval, has drawn criticism from many circles, others see it as a return to realism for U.S. policy in the region. As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates tour the Middle East this week, efforts to establish a cohesive American policy that includes calming Iraq, isolating Iran and bringing Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace seems to be taking shape.

Global Views: Bush and Iraq

It was billed as one of the most important presidential speeches of our time. George W. Bush, in what many saw as a final bid to win American support for the war in Iraq more than three years after the U.S. invasion, offered what he said was a new plan to curb out of control violence in Baghdad. While that goal may be widely shared among Americans and Iraqis alike, public opinion, political opposition and even some presidential allies expressed doubt that the strategy outlined this week can help pave the way for an American “victory” in Iraq -- however loosely that term may be defined.

Global Views: Hello China

As officials in Washington continue to focus the lion's share of U.S. attention on Iraq and the surrounding region, a growing number of scholars, as well as some policymakers, are turning their attention further east in an effort to better understand China's rise. From political and economic developments to a rapidly expanding military and increasingly assertive role on the world stage, most claim that the U.S. response to China's emergence as a global player has been reactionary at best. It is time, they say, to move the debate about China beyond the “friend or enemy” stage and into a more comprehensive and nuanced strategy for dealing with the Asian giant.

Global Views: India's Nuclear Liberation

As American attention remains focused on setting a new Iraq strategy, another major shift in U.S. foreign policy has been signed into law by President Bush.  The legislation, which unexpectedly gained wide support in both houses of the U.S. Congress, will allow for trade in nuclear energy between the U.S. and India.  The move effectively reverses 30 years of U.S. policy towards India, a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  While critics warn the bill undermines long-standing international safeguards for nuclear proliferation like the NPT, its supporters point to the significant geo-political and economic benefits likely to result from greater cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies. 

Global Views: On the road again

This week saw the revival of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, with leaders from throughout the Arab world attending the first conference of its kind hosted by the U.S. under President George W. Bush. While the forces driving the new negotiations are many, observers rightly wonder if Bush, whose credibility in the region has been greatly diminished following the war in Iraq, will succeed where his predecessors have failed. Both Israel's isolated Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas -- who effectively governs only half of the Palestinian territories -- lack the political capital to make the kind of bold sacrifices needed to reach an elusive permanent agreement. Still, observers throughout the global media largely welcomed this week's talks at Annapolis, albeit cautiously.

Global Views: Retooling NATO

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, long-time supporters of the transatlantic alliance have been championing the merits of a more robust North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  In an era where U.S. power alone has proven unable to confront multiple global challenges simultaneously and the United Nations remains bogged down in politics and scandal, they argue, a strong and expanded alliance would provide a much-needed international forum where things get done –evidenced by the alliance's performance in Afghanistan and elsewhere.  As leaders prepare for a November summit in Riga, Latvia, could 2006 be the year NATO reaffirms “what it stands for against the present and emerging threats that face the alliance,” as its top American commander in Europe suggested last week?  Or will calls for expansion and reform face opposition from the organization's traditionalists and detractors?

Global Views: The Lonely Road

Charles de Gaulle once quipped that “a great country worthy of the name does not have any friends.” As American policymakers seek to quell violence in Iraq, stabilize Afghanistan and the Middle East and curb nuclear proliferation in Asia, the U.S. indeed appears to be increasingly isolated in recent endeavors. This week's announcement from Tony Blair that Britain would begin withdrawing troops from mostly peaceful southern Iraq, though expected, comes in contrast to President Bush's plan to send additional troops to Baghdad. In Italy, the government coalition of Romano Prodi was dissolved over opposition to troop deployments to Afghanistan. And recent remarks from top Japanese officials over the U.S. handling of negotiations on North Korea and American policy in Iraq were significant enough to prompt a visit from Vice President Dick Cheney. Finally, a global public opinion survey conducted for the BBC World Service found only 29 percent of those polled see the U.S. as a positive influence in the world, down from 40 percent just two years ago.

Global Views: Wolfowitz and the World Bank

Since its inception in 1945, the World Bank has been a lightning rod for critics. From conservatives that loath the bank's often ineffective neo-liberal lending policies to the anti-globalization movement's view of the institution as a tool for rich western countries to exercise control over the developing world , few have embraced the organization wholeheartedly over the past half century. Created alongside the International Monetary Fund as part of the Bretton Woods Agreements for global monetary and financial polices after World War II, the World Bank now faces a new crisis in its fight against poverty following charges of internal ethics violations by the bank's controversial President Paul Wolfowitz.

Global Views
Regional Rethink Part I: Iran

As Washington debates the possibility of engaging its long-time nemesis as part of a wider regional rethink, there is certainly no shortage of obstacles to overcome.  Though some in the U.S. are likely to support talks with Iran (and Syria) as a last ditch effort to save Iraq, others warn that commencing such negotiations under the current circumstances -- without addressing the broader issues in the region --could have devastating long-term consequences.

Globalization Film Collection

As neoliberal policies continue to exacerbate conditions of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, the films in California Newsreel's globalization collection expose the harsh realities facing those who are losing as a result of the dominant economic paradigm. Offering an alternative view to much of the mainstream coverage of global economic issues, our videos serve as analytic educational tools, reminding us that a different trajectory is not only possible but imperative.

Going Home? Prospects and Pitfalls for Large-Scale Return of Iraqis

Although policymakers believe that there will be a mass return of Iraqi refugees, the history of large-scale return movements disagrees

Government Administrator Arrives in Marjah

Read an article from The Wall Street Journal on the arrival of a new Afghan administrator in Marjah as the ongoing U.S.-Afghan operation continues there, as well as examining the challenges facing the offensive moving forward.

Graveyard Myths

Peter Bergen writes about how Afghanistan is not necessarily a "graveyard of empires." In order to avoid the disastrous invasions of the British and Soviets, the building U.S. intervention must be well-conceived and conducted correctly.

Great Decisions 2004 Author Interview Series
Media and Foreign Policy

Welcome to the Great Decisions 2004 Author Interview Series. FPA speaks with authors from the 2004 Briefing Book, bringing readers up to date on Great Decisions throughout the year.

Great Decisions 2004 Author Interview Series
U.S. and Europe

Welcome to the Great Decisions 2004 author interview series. FPA speaks with Ron Tiersky, Director Eastman Professor of Politics at

Amherst College and author of Topic 4: Europe today: A triple challenge.

Great Decisions 2004 Author Interview Series
Weapons of Mass Destruction

Welcome to the Great Decisions 2004 author interview series. FPA speaks with Ronald Bee, Director of Special Projects, Middle East Programs for the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, on Topic 3: Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Great Decisions 2004 Author Interview Series
The Philippines

Welcome to the Great Decisions 2004 author interview series. Today, FPA speaks via e-mail with Patricio Abinales, associate professor at Kyoto University in Japan, about the historic ties between the U.S. and the Philippines, the renewed commitment to fighting terrorism in the Southeast Asia, and the role of the Philippines as a model for democracy.

Great Decisions 2004 Topics

Topic descriptions, excerpts and related resources for Great Decisions 2004.

Great Decisions 2004 TV Transcripts

The Great Decision Television Series, in its 17th season, is the longest running television program devoted solely to international affairs and foreign policy. It is also available for purchase as the Great Decisions Video Series. Each show brings together experts to discuss a specific topic from the Great Decisions 2004 briefing book, in order to examine all sides of a foreign policy issue.

This page features transcripts from the 2004 series.

Great Decisions 2005 Topics

Topic descriptions, excerpts and related resources for Great Decisions 2005.

Great Decisions 2008 Fall Update: Diplomacy

Fall Updates provide up-to-date coverage of Great Decisions 2008 articles.

Great Decisions 2008 Fall Updates: China Trade

Fall Updates provide up-to-date coverage of Great Decisions 2008 articles.

Great Decisions 2008 Fall Updates: Iraq

Fall 2008 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2008 articles.

Great Decisions 2008 Fall Updates: Philanthropy

Fall Updates provide up-to-date coverage of Great Decisions 2008 articles.

Great Decisions 2008 Fall Updates: Russia

Fall Updates provide up-to-date coverage of Great Decisions 2008 articles.

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Update: Defense

Read the Spring Update to the Great Decisions 2008 topic "Defense and Security."

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Update: Diplomacy

Read the Spring Update to the Great Decisions 2008 topic "Diplomacy."

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Update: Latin America

Read the Spring Update to the Great Decisions 2008 topic "Latin America."

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Update: Philanthropy

Read the Spring Update to the Great Decisions 2008 topic "Philanthropy."

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Update: U.S.-China Trade

Read the Spring Update to the Great Decisions 2008 topic "U.S.-China Trade."

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Updates: Iraq

Read the Spring Update to the Great Decisions 2008 topic "Iraq: Endgame".

Great Decisions 2008: Spring Updates [PDF]

Great Decisions 2008 Spring Updates available online or download as PDF

Great Decisions 2009 Fall Updates: Afghanistan and Pakistan

Fall 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Fall Updates: Cuba

Fall 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Fall Updates: Egypt

Spring 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Fall Updates: Energy and the Global Economy

Fall 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Fall Updates: Rising Powers

Fall 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Fall Updates: The Arctic

Fall 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Spring Updates: Afghanistan and Pakistan

Spring 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Spring Updates: Cuba

Spring 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Spring Updates: Egypt

Spring 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Spring Updates: Human Rights

Spring 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2009 Spring Updates: Rising Powers

Spring 2009 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2009 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Fall Updates: Global Crime

Fall 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Fall Updates: Special Envoys

Fall 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Fall Updates: U.S.-China security relations

Fall 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Spring Updates: Global Crime

Spring 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Spring Updates: Global Financial Crisis

Spring 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Spring Updates: Russia and its neighbors

Spring 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Spring Updates: Special Envoys

Spring 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Spring Updates: The Persian Gulf

Spring 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions 2010 Spring Updates: U.S.-China security relations

Spring 2010 Updates provide up-to-date news about Great Decisions 2010 articles.

Great Decisions Across the Nation - Ann Arbor, Michigan

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Great Decisions, FPA.org will feature "Great Decisions Across the Nation". These periodic articles will highlight the experiences of Great Decisions participants.

Great Decisions Across the Nation – Hilton Head, South Carolina

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Great Decisions, FPA.org will feature "Great Decisions Across the Nation". These periodic articles will highlight the experiences of Great Decisions participants.

Great Decisions Analysis: A League of Our Own?

FPA Diplomacy blogger Melinda Brouwer examines John McCain's proposed multilateral organization known as the "League of Democracies."

Great Decisions Analysis: War Crimes in Darfur

The International Criminal Court issued its first ever arrest warrants for Sudanese officials allegedly involved with atrocities in Darfur nearly five years after the genocide began. Sudanese officials, expectedly, have claimed that the ICC does not hold jurisdiction and it is therefore not obliged to cooperate. With a mandate from the Security Council, however, ICC jurisdiction may be viewed differently given the new paradigm of responsible sovereignty.

Great Decisions in Foreign Policy

Brian Williams hosted this annual FPA - NBC event with panelists journalists Andrea Mitchell, Campbell Brown and Linda Fasulo. Click here to hear the RealAudio stream of the event.

Great Decisions News Updates

Great Decisions News Updates help Great Decisions participants stay up to date with the latest news on 2004 topics!

H.E. Sergio Vento, Ambassador of Italy to the United States of America

H.E. Sergio Vento, Ambassador of Italy to the United States of America, spoke on behalf of H.E. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, President of Italy, on transatlantic relations on November 17, 2003.

Hamas 'wrecking Mid-East peace'

As US Vice-President Dick Cheney concluded a tour of the Middle East on March 23, 2008 in Israel, he accused Palestine's governing party Hamas, along with Iran and Syria, of trying to "torpedo" the Middle East peace process.

He Was Undisciplined. Period.

In The Atlantic Monthly, Marc Armbinder evaluates the key points of conflict between the White House and General Stanley McChystal, which ultimately led to McChystal's dismissal as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Held by the Taliban

This five-part series from The New York Times features a personal account by Times journalist David Rohde on his seven month hostage ordeal by the Taliban beginning in Fall 2008, and includes video introductions by Rohdes to each part.

Hellhole

An article that looks at the effects of solitary confinement on human beings. Is solitary confinement a humane way to treat people? The article explores the intended and unintended results of solitary confinement on former hostages and inmates.

Highlights of the Iraq Strategy Review

National Security Council updates and documents on state of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq.

Highlights of the Iraq Strategy Review, January 2007

National Security Council, Highlights of the Iraq Strategy Review, January 2007

Holbrooke: Pakistan Aid Inadequate

In this interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard C. Holbrooke, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, looks at the U.S. response to the recent floods in Pakistan. He argues that the “international recognition of this disaster has not yet been sufficient to its dimensions”. Holbrooke dismisses allegations of Islamic charities with links to militant groups gaining support in the aftermath of the disaster and stresses the importance of focusing U.S humanitarian efforts.

Homeland Security: A Strategic Perspective

This week, the Foreign Policy Association had the opportunity to hear from Randall J. Larsen, Director of the ANSER Institute for Homeland Security speaking on the challenges facing the United States in its most urgent task -- protecting its citizens from terrorist attacks.

How Americans View U.S. Foreign Policy

Polling and analysis of how American's view and prioritize American foreign policy efforts.

How Genocide Became a National Security Threat

Michael Abramowitz and Lawrence Woocher question the U.S. approach to the threat that genocides in other parts of the world have on U.S. national security.

How the Giants of Finance Shrank, Then Grew, Under the Financial Crisis

This interactive resource from The New York Times displays share of the stock market owned by the 29 major Wall Street financial firms at the peak of the stock market - and all of the changes that occured - until September 11, 2009.

How the U.S. Can Fully Engage Pyongyang in Negotiations

The United States and its allies need to coordinate their strategies when talking to North Korea.  Author Ezekiel Tan states, "While every country may have it's own agenda, it is essential that we find a solution to the lack of progress in dealing with North Korea."

How to Better Prepare for the Next Financial Crisis

This piece by Morris Goldstein of the Institute for International Economics outlines Goldstein's perspective on how to better prepare for another financial crisis.

How To Revitalize a Dysfunctional Department

This policy brief from Brookings, issued March 2001, is a proposal for reforming the U.S. State Department.

I came, I saw, I withdrew from Iraq

As Obama's deadline for military withdrawal fast approaches, questions into the feasibility and likelihood of transitional force success by 2011 have begun to circulate. A speculative narrative by the Economist magazine examines pressing questions about Iraq's future, namely, if the U.S. can use its remaining military, political and economic influence to achieve a successful Iraqi election and Iraqi sovereign independence.

ICG: The Responsibility to Protect

A resource by the International Crisis Group (ICG) on the Responsibility to Protect includes a primer on the R2P doctrine, a list of key documents pertaining to R2P, background on ICG's work on R2P and much more.

IHT: "Bush's new terror-trial rules"

A report in the New York Times on July 26, 2006 says that the Bush administration is working on a new bill that will outline the procedure for detainee trials. The initial draft calls for modifications of normal court-martial proceedings for detainee access to trials and the inclusion of limited "hearsay" evidence.

Illegal Ivory Trade Rising

This article from allAfrica.com discusses the rise in the illicit trade in ivory, which has been increasing in volume since 2004 and moved sharply upward in 2009.

In Afghan Trip, Obama Presses Karzai on Graft

This article from The New York Times examines President Obama's unannounced trip to Afghanistan in late March 2010. During his trip, Mr. Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and spoke to American troops.

In Afghanistan, a threat of plunder

An analysis by New York Times Op-Ed Paul Collier into the possible positive and negative implications brought forth by Afghanistan's new mineral wealth.

In Afghanistan, the Choice Is Ours

In this Op-Ed article from the August 20, 2009 edition of The New York Times, Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, debates whether the war in Afghanistan is a war of necessity or a war of choice.

In the Wake of War: Improving U.S. Post-Conflict Capabilities

In the last decade, the United States has been involved in six nation building operations.  How has the U.S. fared?  What can be improved?  How can the U.S. deal with the ongoing proliferation and terrorist threats?

In Turkey, Obama delicately avoids talk of 'genocide'

Although while campaigning Obama could charge Turkey with a genocide during World War I, as president he has "changed his words."

India's stealth lobbying against Holbrooke's brief

This article from Foreign Policy Magazine looks at lobbying efforts by India to not be grouped by the Obama administration in the same diplomatic category as Afghanistan and Pakistan -- as reflected in the title given to new U.S. envoy to South Asia, "Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan," Richard Holbrooke.

Inside the Committee that Runs the World

September 11, 2001, was a catalytic event that revealed the core character of the Bush administration's national security team. As rival factions fought for the president's ear, the transformative ideals espoused by the neocons gained ascendancy—triggering a rift that has split the Republican foreign-policy establishment to its foundations.

Inside the Madrasas

INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS: The Global Issues

One hour or more interviews of UN Ambassadors, Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Foreign Ministers.

INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS: The Global Issues

One hour or more interviews of UN Ambassadors, Heads of State, Heads of Government, and Foreign Ministers.

Integration vs. Isolation: Implications for World Order

Transcript of FPA's 2002 World Leadership panel entitled: "Integration vs. Isolation: Implications for World Order". Speakers included James Dougherty, Donald Gregg, Sir Eldon Griffiths, and Alain Nicollier. 10-2-2002.

Inter-American Dialogue

The Inter-American Dialogue is the premier U.S. center for policy analysis, communication, and exchange on Western Hemisphere affairs. Since 1982, in successive Republican and Democratic administrations and through many changes of government in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Dialogue and its 100 members from throughout the Americas have helped shape the agenda of issues and choices in hemispheric relations.

Interactive Timeline: U.S. War in Afghanistan

View CFR's interactive timeline for photos and information tracing the role of the U.S. in Afghanistan from September 2001 to present.

Interim Report Of The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force

This Interim Report by the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, released in September 2009, places special emphasis on the environmental challenges facing the Arctic as a major policy concern.

International Crisis Group: Iraq

International Crisis Group, a wide range of reports on key Iraqi political and security issues.

International Focus: Foreign Policy Issues for the New Administration (Streaming video)

Streaming video of "International Focus", a television program produced by the institute of World Affairs at the University of Wisconsin, focusing on Foreign Policy Issues for the New Administration.

International food wars: growing controversies

People have always argued about food. The latest round in the international food battle focuses on the health and safety of what we eat and the environmental effects of producing it.

International Security Journal

International Security is America's leading journal of security affairs. It provides sophisticated analyses of contemporary security issues and discusses their conceptual and historical foundations. International Security is edited at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and is published by The MIT Press.

Interpol

INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization, with 188 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.

Interrogation: Doing Unto Others as They Did Unto Us

Interview with Gareth Evans - Responsibility to protect

Gareth Evans, one of the key architects behind the R2P doctrine, in an interview (transcript) with ABC Radio about his new book, "The Responsibility to Protect: Ending Mass Atrocity Crimes Once and For All"

Interview with Thomas E. Gouttierre, Dean of the Center for Afghan Studies

Read this interview with Thomas E. Gouttierre, Dean of the Center for Afghan Studies, about his views on Afghanistan's corruption, development and improving the security situation.

Iran and the bomb: the truth is, nobody knows

Maybe Iran isn't close to a nuclear weapon after all.

Iran vows to pursue atomic project despite deadline

As a UN deadline approaches on Iran's nuclear program Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that Iran would continue its uranium enrichment, despite the threat of sanctions.

Iran's Bomb - American and Iranian Perspectives

It draws upon papers prepared for a number of Nixon Center workshops on Iran's nuclear programs organized and supervised by the Director of Strategic Programs, Geoffrey Kemp. These workshops have been supported by grants from the Smith Richardson Foundation and the Ford Foundation.  – The Nixon Center

Iran's President Unveils New Long-Range Drone Aircraft

Iran unveiled its newest a long-ranged unmanned bomber, amidst a series of announcements about new Iranian military advances.

Iran's Yankee Hero

This New York Times Op-Ed piece recalls how the life and death of American Howard Conklin Baskerville shows a deeper link between the U.S. and Iran than most people know about.

Iran, Israel, and Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East

Michael Donovan, Research Analyst at the Center for Defense Information, discusses the conflict between Iran and Israel and the implications of nuclear weapons proliferation by Iran, in the context of this clash.

Iraq and U.S. Policy

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave testimony to Congress  regarding U.S. foreign policy in Iraq on October 19, 2005.

Iraq Body Count

Iraq Body Count, the best overall estimate of the casualties in the war.

Iraq By the Numbers

A comprehensive chart of key events since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, as well as important indicators which measure the progress in the new Iraq.

Iraq claims key gains in dismantling Al Qaeda in Iraq

After the killing this week of the two top leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq, officials in Baghdad said more important gains have recently been made in dismantling the group's networks.

Iraq Election Preview

This Election Preview from Voice of America offers an insight into what the Iraqi people are looking for from their leadership ahead of the March 7, 2010 parliamentary vote.

IRAQ INDEX, Tracking Reconstruction and Security in Post-Saddam Iraq

Brookings Institution, "IRAQ INDEX, Tracking Reconstruction and Security in Post-Saddam Iraq" regular updates on developments in Iraq.

Iraq Post-2010

New York University's Center for Global Affairs (CCA) released a report on possible scenarios for what Iraq may look like in 2010 and beyond.

Iraq Study Group: Acknowledging Reality

The release this week of the long-awaited Iraq Study Group report dominated headlines around the world, despite the fact that most of its contents had been leaked weeks ahead of its publication.  Still the report and its recommendations, many of which fly in the face of current U.S. policy in Iraq, have provoked a wide range of reactions worldwide, and are setting the stage for what could be a major shift in American strategy in Iraq and the wider Middle East.

Iraq Timeline 2005

Iraq's Slow Vote Count Leads to Disputes

As the counting of votes continues from last week's Iraq's parliamentary elections, what will it mean it would mean if there were a close final result?

Iraq: ‘Mission Accomplished' Mark II

Anthony Cordesman writes about how the end of combat operations do not signal the end of U.S. involvement in Iraq, assessing what needs to be done in the future.

Iraq: A Deficit of Foresight

Mehdi Noorbaksh of Harrisburg University offers his perspective, backed by a number of studies, reports and recent events, on the current situation in Iraq five years after the U.S.-led invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security

Report on security and political reconciliation in Iraq, March 2007.

Iraq: Rebuilding a Nation

Experts discuss the political, financial and energy components of the second Gulf War at World Leadership Forum 2003.

Iraq: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy

Congressional Research Service report on status of Iraq.

Iraq: Regional Perspectives and US Policy - October 31, 2007

Christopher M. Blanchard, Kenneth Katzman, Carol Migdalovitz, Alfred Prados, Jeremy Sharp, “Iraq: Regional Perspectives and US Policy,” Congressional Research Service, RL33793, October 31, 2007.

Iraq: where do we go from here?

Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni addressed the Foreign Policy Association this week. In his speech, delivered at Hunter College, Zinni said U.S. troops were likely to remain in Iraq for the next 5-10 years, battling a “witch's brew” of insurgent elements, but encouraged leaders to do more to stabilize the country so that a new economy might provide economic opportunity to Iraqis. The following is an unedited transcript of the event.

Iraq: where do we go from here? (transcript/ video)

Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni addressed the Foreign Policy Association this week on the topic, “Iraq: where do we go from here?” In his speech, delivered at Hunter College, Zinni said U.S. troops were likely to remain in Iraq for the next 5-10 years, battling a “witch's brew” of insurgent elements, but encouraged leaders to do more to stabilize the country so that a new economy might provide economic opportunity to Iraqis.

Iraqi Elections 2010

This interactive feature from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace presents a unique and frequently updated analysis of the Iraqi national elections and its evolving outcome, with profiles of the six major Iraqi political alliances and their most significant members, as well as video and sample ballots.

Iraqi Translator and Family Thrown to the Wolves

Part I of a two-part report on one young Iraqi family and the ordeals they have endured because of the man's four years of service to the US government and military as an interpreter.

Irrational Bush in Iraq: A Grand Departure From the Realism of Mearsheimer and Walt?

The article "Irrational Bush in Iraq: A Grand Departure From the Realism of Mearsheimer and Walt?" contemplates whether deterrence has been successful in protecting the U.S. from Iraqi aggression.

Söderblom allied with sources written by Mearsheimer and Walt maintains that deterrence was effective against Iraq. Therefore George W. Bush is at odds with the International Relations Theory known as 'Realism'.

Is a Regional Strategy Viable for Afghanistan?

Stemming from President Obama’s recent shift in U.S. policy in Afghanistan, an analysis into the interests of Afghanistan’s neighbors, and how they might impact U.S. policy.

Is China a Currency Manipulator?

CFR.org staff writer Roya Wolverson interviews an expert panel to examine the decision by the U.S. Treasury Department to postpone its determination of China as a "currency manipulator." Is this actually true? What does the administration's decision mean?

Is China the New America?

Harold James writes about how the global financial crisis may be presenting China with the opportunity to lead in the same way that the Great Depression of the 1930s did the same for the United States. James' article links to a counterpoint article by Jonathan Holslag asking if the financial crisis is making the U.S. more like China.

Is Holbrooke really a 'wounded animal'?

Richard Holbrooke had been characterized as a "wounded animal" by General Stanley McChrystal's team. This FP article describes how Holbrooke has not been in the spotlight, but has been effectively working at a lower profile.

Is it time to negotiate with the Taliban?

This New York Times opinion piece from September 2009 features commentary from several foreign policy analysts on the merits and complications of negotiating with more moderate branches of the Taliban in Afghanistan as a part of U.S. strategy there.

Is Pakistan Finally On Our Side?

Max Fisher writes in The Atlantic Monthly, America's newfound alliance and cooperation with Pakistan may not be what it seems, and the evidence suggests that Pakistan's long-term approach has probably not changed.

Is the U.S. an Empire in Denial? A Lecture by Niall Ferguson

Niall Ferguson, John E. Herzog Professor of Financial History at New York University's Stern Business School, and Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford University, addressed the Foreign Policy Association on September 17, 2003. Ferguson is the author of Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power.

Isolationism as the Denial of Intervention: What Foreign Policy Is and What It Isn't

The author of this paper argues that the tendency of policy makers to frame foreign policy as a compromise between "global policeman" and "isolationism" misses the point entirely. The real issue is what the United States commits itself to defend—and whether it is actually willing to incur the costs and risks required to fulfill such commitments.

Israel, India, and Turkey: Triple Entente

Over the past decade, the strategic ties between Israel and India and Israel and Turkey have evolved along remarkably similar lines. Now, with an expanding security agenda based on counterterrorism and missile defense, these parallel partnerships are poised on the brink of a historic redefinition. In the Fall 2002 issue of the Middle East Quarterly, AFPC Vice President for Policy Ilan Berman examines the prospects for a tripartite alliance between New Delhi, Ankara and Jerusalem, and the implications of such a triad for the United States.

It's Bush's turn to air greenhouse possibilities

President Bush called a meeting  in Washington of the 17 largest emitters of greenhouse gases for a discussion on climate change. The meeting fulfills a pledge he made at the G-8 summit in June to bring developing nations such as China, India and Brazil together with major industrialized countries.

It's Easier to Cooperate When I am the Boss: The Challenges to US-European Cooperation

The Challenges to US-European Cooperation

Jobs moving overseas

Debate over outsourcing and U.S. jobs going overseas. Spencer Michels begins with some background.

Joint Operations Symposium 2000

A yearly symposium held by the National Defense University (NDU) at Fort McNair in Washington DC. The NDU is a fully functioning university established by the United States military. The NDU provides offices of all services post-graduate educational opportunities geared towards a professional military career. This year's symposium concentrated on the up coming Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The symposium website lists the issues that were discussed, biographies of the symposium's participants and copies of some of the papers and presentations that were part of the symposium.

Karzai in His Labyrinth

In this article from the August 9, 2009 edition of The New York Times Magazine, Elizabeth Rubin documents and analyzes the time she spent with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his inner circle at the presidential palace in Kabul over parts of the last year and with the candidates running for his post ahead of the presidential election on August 20th.

Kayani's gambit

America is furious about WikiLeaks' revelations on the war in Afghanistan. But Pakistan also has much to worry about

Keep Your Enemy Closer

The authors argue that the best way to know the full extent of Iran's nuclear doings is to offer help.

Last Stand

Seymour M. Hersh explores the discrepancy between President George W. Bush's military aspriations in Iran and the military reality of imperfect intelligence within Iran as expressed by his general and admirals.

Latin America's New Cold War?

Bernardo Alvarez Herrera and Carolina Barco write in Foreign Policy magazine about the increasingly tense relations between Venezuela and Colombia, as told by their ambassadors to the United States.

Latin America: From Colonization to Globalization

I felt that the discussion provided us in GD book (topic 6) was rather biased especially towards neoliberal economic policies favored by U.S. corporations in particular. Sometimes the phrase "shift to the left" is code to prejudice people who fear Communism or Socialism. Some of Latin America's shift to the left and "populist" politics [which your current article presents negatively] actuall benefit human beings by protecting them and the environment by needed regulations of corporations. I would like to see alternative views presented and I can't think of a better alternative than excerpts from the above book or an article by Noam Chomsky.

Leave Iran to the Iranians

An op-ed piece that calls for the U.S. to let the Iranians fight their own battle.

Legal drama between Kazakhstan and White House

This article focuses on the indictment of an American businessman who brokered several oil deals between U.S. companies and Kazahkstan.  The article provides great depth about this case; as well as the challenges of corruption, human rights, and democracy in Kazakhstan.

Lehman Had to Die So Global Finance Could Live

Joe Nocera writes how the collapse of Lehman Brothers scared Congress into providing the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve the tools they needed to shore up the whole system.

Lessons Learned: Russia and The politics of disaster

How do leaders learn from their mistakes -- and how do they decide which mistakes require correction most urgently? In recent days, the non-democracies of Myanmar and China have illustrated how differently two tightly-controlled societies respond to natural disasters.

Lessons Learned: Russia and the Politics of Disaster

How do leaders learn from their mistakes -- and how do they decide which mistakes require correction most urgently? In recent days, the non-democracies of Myanmar and China have illustrated how differently two tightly-controlled societies respond to natural disasters.

Letter From Kabul

This Council on Foreign Relations article from November 2009 examines what problems U.S. forces may face in Afghanistan now that President Obama has implemented a troop surge, and what, if anything, can be done to overcome those obstacles.

Lindsay: 'Pessimistically Optimistic' on Israel-Palestine, Says Rumsfeld Likely to Hang On

Looking ahead, the Council's Director of Studies James M. Lindsay is cautious about Middle East progress, pessimistic about U.S.-Europe reconciliation, and encouraged by Indian-Pakistani talks over Kashmir.

Major Powers Have a Deal on Sanctions for Iran, U.S. Says

The Obama administration has announced a new deal with other major powers, including Russia and China, to impose new sanctions on Iran - a sharp repudiation of the deal Tehran had offered just a day before to ship its nuclear fuel to Brazil and Turkey.

Man vs. Afghanistan

From Somalia and the Balkans to Iraq, the U.S. military has been embroiled in conflicts that reflect an age-old debate: Can individual agency triumph over deep-seated historical, cultural, ethnic, and economic forces? Drawing on his experiences in Iraq, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, has his own answer to that question.

Mark Malloch Brown on Global Corporate Social Responsibility - Streaming Video and Transcript

Streaming video and transcript of keynote speaker, Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme speaking on global corporate social responsibility at the Foreign Policy Association's 2001 Annual Dinner on June 4.

Meeting the Global Challenge of HIV/AIDS

This policy brief published by the Brookings Institute in April, 2001 declares that the global devastation caused by the AIDS epidemic poses a clear and direct challenge to long-term U.S. economic and security interests. Barks-Ruggles argues that it is in America's interests to undertake aggressive global efforts to mitigate its impact. She urges American leadership to increase funding, accelerate the search for a vaccine, expand access to medicines, and form partnerships with affected governments, businesses, and communities.

MEI: The Center for Pakistan Studies

The Center for Pakistan Studies shares the mission and philosophy of its parent organization, the Middle East Institute. The Center aims to promote knowledge and understanding among the peoples of Pakistan and the United States.

Mexico is reducing killings, drug supply

According to reports by U.S. and Mexican government officials, the Mexican government has scored key victories in the drug war in the last several months by reducing gangland killings and squeezing the cocaine supply in American cities.

Mexico: Prospects for Prosperity

Transcript of show #6 from the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by Ralph Begleiter with guests: Arturo Valenzuela, former Senior Director of Inter-American Affairs, National Security Council and Doris Meissner, former Commissioner, INS.

Middle East Overview

Nonpartisan briefs on key issues facing the nation in the election year 2004 and beyond.

Middle East Peace: A New Direction

A transcript of GREAT DECISIONS 2002. RELATIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS MAY BE AT THEIR WORST IN MANY YEARS. PEACE TALKS ROUTINELY FAIL. THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE SEEMS UNSTOPPABLE, BUT COULD THE WORLD'S NEW FOCUS ON TERRORISM REVIVE THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS? TODAY, MIDDLE EAST PEACE: A NEW DIRECTION.

Middle East Political Reform

Since 9/11, Western leaders have become more critical of the lack of political freedom in many Middle Eastern countries. But political reform may not bring about the kind of peaceful, stable democracies the U.S. envisions. (GD 2004)

Middle East Realignments: GD 2000 #5

This article considers the Middle East in the year 2000. Saddam Hussein is still in power, the peace process between Israel and Palestine has seen both progress and setbacks, Israel and Turkey are forming a fast friendship, and the U.S. is trying to find its place.

Military Options in Iraq

ANTHONY CORDESMAN TESTIMONY FOR THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE on military operations and winning the war in Iraq.

Misperceptions, the Media and the Iraq War

The Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland takes a look at "Misperceptions, The Media and The Iraq War" released October 2, 2003.

Misreading Tehran

Foreign Policy magazine asked several leading Iranian-American writers to reinterpret the hopes and discouragement of the reform movement, one year since the movement emerged during the presidential election.

Missile Defense: A Cold War Debate Continues

Technical, political, budgetary and diplomatic issues must

be addressed before the U.S. can field a national missile

defense. Will NMD increase security?

Mixed U.S. Signals Helped Tilt Haiti Toward Chaos

An interesting look into U.S. diplomacy in Haiti before, during and after the violent ouster of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Modernizing Foreign Assistance for the 21st Century: An Agenda for the Next U.S. President

In this new essay, Steve Radelet's analyzes the recent increases in funding and new organizational changes such as the MCC, PEPFAR, the growing role of the Department of Defense, and the F process. He also proposes a five-point strategy for modernizing U.S. foreign assistance.

More Global Q&A

ARCHIVE OF GLOBAL Q&A INTERVIEWS

My Job Starts with the Truth

Undersecretary of State and George W. Bush confidante Karen Hughes, 49, has the difficult job of improving America's tarnished image in the world. SPIEGEL spoke with her about anti-American sentiment across the globe, unrest in the Muslim world and the truth.

Nation-Building: The Inescapable Responsibility of the World's Only Superpower

Former Ambassador James Dobbins, in a RAND study, reviews the history of U.S. nation-building efforts and offers some tentative conclusions for Iraq.

National Bureau of Asian Research

NBR maintains research programs on security concerns, economic growth, governance questions, politics, international relations, and U.S. interests in Northeast Asia, Eurasia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Asia Pacific regionally.

National Defense University Quadrennial Defense Review 2001 Working Group

The 2001 QDR Working Group of National Defense University (NDU) is related to the 2000 Joint Operations Symposium sponsored by the NDU. The NDU is a fully functioning university established by the United States military to provide offices of all services post-graduate educational opportunities. The QDR working group has placed its final report, a press release on the groups findings, a report on Asymmetric Threats and the Next QDR, and a report on the possible future security environment for the next twenty-five years on its website.

National Issues: Foreign Policy

Nationalissues.com is a non-partisan, issue-oriented research web site that provides information to individuals, voters and students who are interested in truly understanding the major issues facing our nation today.

National Missile Defense: An Indefensible System

From the Winter 1999–2000 edition of Foreign Policy. The associate director of the Security Studies Program at MIT and two senior

scientists with the Union of Concerned Scientists describe

currently proposed missile-defense plans and find them wanting

in every regard.

National Opinion Ballot Reports 2003

OPINION BALLOTS are included in each annual Great Decisions, a 112-page briefing book prepared by the national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit Foreign Policy Association. This year, 30,464 ballots were received from people who took part in study and discussion of eight major foreign policy issues, with roughly 4,000 participants, on average, sending in ballots for a given topic. The five states whose participants submitted the largest number of ballots are California, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Illinois, in that order.

National Security or International Solidarity?

Examines the impact of the free market reforms which accompany U.S. aid and foreign

policy. Analyzes the impact of globalization, neoclassical economic reforms, privatization and

transnational corporate investment in developing countries. Also provides an analysis of

NAFTA's impact on labor in Mexico and the United States.

National Strategy for Victory in Iraq

November 30, 2005

The following document articulates the broad strategy the President set forth in 2003 and provides an update on our progress as well as the challenges remaining.

"The United States has no intention of determining the precise form of Iraq's new government. That choice belongs to the Iraqi people. Yet, we will ensure that one brutal dictator is not replaced by another. All Iraqis must have a voice in the new government, and all citizens must have their rights protected.

Rebuilding Iraq will require a sustained commitment from many nations, including our own: we will remain in Iraq as long as necessary, and not a day more."

-- President George W. Bush
February 26, 2003

NATO: From Kosovo to Kabul

In the twenty-year history of NATO's post-Cold War development, Operation Allied Force stands midway between the existential moment that was the collapse of the Soviet bloc and its current role in Afghanistan. This article compares NATO's experience in the Balkans and in the Afghan theater and suggests that the view of a NATO perched permanently at the edge of collapse is problematic and misleading.

New Globalization Film Collection!

As neoliberal policies continue to exacerbate conditions of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, the films in California Newsreel's New Globalization Collection exposes the harsh realities facing those who are losing as a result of the dominant economic paradigm. These acclaimed documentaries roam the world investigating the impact of the current economic model has had on labor, the environment and health. They question the effectiveness of this model, bring us face to face with the winners and losers, and ask whether there are alternatives that can achieve broad-based and sustainable development for all.

New governments confront U.S. conduct

As violence in both Afghanistan and Iraq continues alongside positive political developments, another trend has also begun to emerge years after “battlefield” combat operations have ended – rising civilian intolerance of U.S. troops and a growing willingness to confront U.S. authorities over incidents of misconduct by American forces.

New Guard, Old Policy in Afghanistan

General Stanley McChystal's has been replaced by General David Petreaus, should his strategy be replaced also?

New Russian Military Doctrine Opposes NATO Enlargement

This article, posted to the Georgian Daily Online from the Eurasia Monitor examines Russia's newly-released military doctrine, signed by President Dmitry Medvedev in early February 2010.

New York Democracy Forum

The idea behind the New York Democracy Forum, a joint venture of the Foreign Policy Association and the National Endowment for Democracy, is to bring to New York audiences key figures in the democracy movement who are leading the way in the advance of democratic values and institutions around the world.

Newsweek series on Afghanistan and Pakistan

As part of Newsweek's "Understanding Our World Today" series, the magazine examines the the history of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, the challenges of a new faction of Pakistani Taliban, General McChrystal's proposed strategy for the Afghanistan war, and the importance of understanding the dynamics of the region.

Nip Balkans' Bloody Spring in the Bud

This March 2000 article, written by Brookings Institute Fellow Ivo H. Daalder, demands an immediate U.S. response to the escalating conflict in Macedonia. Daalder cites the frustrations of Albanians as one cause of the new fighting on the Macedonian boarder, and warns that destabilization in Macedonia could pose a threat to the entire Balkan region. He concludes by criticizing the Bush administration's lack of interest in dealing with U.S. military, economic and political commitments in the region.

Nixing of U.S. envoy's visit intensifies row

This article from the Montreal Gazette discusses how the decision to cancel a trip by U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell to Jerusalem may intensify the diplomatic row concerning settlements in East Jerusalem, despite statements by Hillary Clinton to the contrary.

North Korea Collapse Scenarios

A regime change is inevitable in North Korea.  With this change is the possibility of the country's collapse altogether; if this is the case, then it is the United States' duty to play a major role in the fate of the region.

North Korea's Second Nuclear Test: A Test also for China and the United States

Is North Korea testing its nuclear capabilities or is it testing us?

Not So Dire Straits

Bruce Gilley, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Portland State University writes in Foreign Affairs, about Taipei's drift further into Beijing's sphere of influence, and how the United States must decide whether to continue arming Taiwan as a bulwark against a rising China or step back to allow the Taiwanese people to determine their own future.

Nouriel Roubini's Global EconoMonitor

The blog of “Dr. Doom,” a.k.a., the man who predicted the Great Recession.

Nuclear Proliferation

Nonpartisan briefs on key issues facing the nation in the election year 2004 and beyond.

Obama Is on Track with Iraqi Troop Withdrawal

Lawrence Korb and Laura Conley write about how the drawdown of U.S. troops is proof that the United States is meeting its commitments to the Iraqi government, but major challenges lie ahead for the Iraqi government and people.

Obama names U.S. envoy to Islamic Conference

This article from The Washington Post discusses President Obama's appointment of Rashad Hussain as Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Obama Sticks to a Deadline in Iraq

This analysis from The New York Times discusses the Obama administration's intention to remain on-course with withdraw plans for U.S. troops serving in Iraq this summer, despite an unsettled Iraqi government.

Obama's Indecent Interval

Thomas H. Johnson and M. Chris Mason write in Foreign Policy magazine that despite the U.S. president's pleas to the contrary, the war in Afghanistan looks more like Vietnam than ever.

Obama: Iranians May Be Impervious to Sanctions

The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg analyzes recent comments by President Obama on the U.S. strategy to force Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program through sanctions.

Oil: The Long Goodbye

This Special Report from Foreign Policy Magazine features a collection of articles by energy experts examining the state of global energy supply and markets, U.S. dependence on oil, and the challenges facing efforts to reform its consumption.

olocacdele

On Assimilation and Economics, France Will Need New Models

On top of the world

An article from Newsweek that follows Arctic scientists who study changes in Arctic ice levels, and their analysis of what is occurring to ice cover.

Open Letter to the United Nations Security Council on the Situation in Kyrgyzstan

Open letter sent to the Security Council regarding Kyrgyzstan as a crisis zone requiring international policing and protection.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

The official web site of the Multinational Force Iraq (MNF-I).

Outsourcing Jobs: U.S. Dilemma

Outsourcing has been characterized as a threat to American jobs and companies by some, while others claim it is necessary to stimulate overall economic growth. What effects does outsourcing really have on economies that are sending jobs overseas? How does outsourcing affect economies that are receiving the influx of jobs?

Outsourcing Jobs: U.S. Dilemma [Online Resources]

Online resources for Outsourcing Jobs: U.S. Dilemma, Great Decisions 2005

Outsourcing Jobs: U.S. Dilemma [Recommended Readings]

Recommended Readings for Outsourcing Jobs: U.S. Dilemma, Great Decisions 2005

Pakistan and US to work to develop Afghan agriculture

This article from the Pakistani news service The Dawn discusses a meeting between the U.S. Administrator of the Foreign Agriculture Service and Pakistan's Food and Agriculture Secretary on how the two countries can work with neighboring Afghanistan to build an Afghan agriculture industry.

Pakistan Flood Sets Back Infrastructure by Years

This article from The New York Time provides an early assessment of the damage wrought on Pakistan's infrastructure by flooding throughout the country.

Pakistan's Fatal Shore

Pakistan may well be the world's most dangerous country, a nuclear Yugoslavia-in-the-making. One key to its fate is the future of Gwadar, a strategic port whose development will either unlock the riches of Central Asia, or plunge Pakistan into a savage, and potentially terminal, civil war.

Pakistan's Gambit in Afghanistan

In this interview, Daniel Markey, Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations, argues that the recent replacement of Gen. McChrystal has led to increased criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the war in Afghanistan. He argues that the July 2011 date stated by Obama in a speech at West Point, has caused concern among Afghans that this will mark the end of U.S commitment. In contrast, Markey believes that Pakistan views this date as an opportunity to further its own interests in the area.

Pakistan's Noncampaign Against the Taliban

Bobby Ghosh writes for Time about Pakistan's reluctance to take the fight to the Pakistani Taliban, despite U.S. requests to do so.

Pakistan's Nuclear Scenarios, U.S. Solutions

As the Pakistani military launched an offensive against the Taliban in the Swat Valley of the country's North-West Frontier Province in May 2009, officials and former officials in Washington discuss what the American response should be to the heightened conflict. How should the United States respond? And how secure are Pakistan's nuclear weapons?

Pakistani PM ignores US warning on Iran gas deal

On a recent two-day visit to Pakistan, Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke warned Pakistani leaders not to pursue a deal to import natural gas from Iran.

Palestinian rivals: Fatah & Hamas

This BBC News webpage outlines background information and issue positions for Palestine's rival political parties, Fatah and Hamas.

Papua: Another East Timor?

The primary contention of this study is that Papua (also known as Papua New Guniea or Irian Jaya) stands as an example of a failed decolonization effort. The authors claim that Indonesia's "integration-cum-colonization" of Papua has been conducted with U.S. complicity and has resulted in "an undeclared war against an indigenous population." They argue that East Timor-style destabilization is not unlikely. This article examines the ongoing

conflict between the indigenous Melanesian population of Papua and the Indonesian

government, questions U.S. compliance with regard to human rights violations, and offers

policy recommendations for future U.S. involvement in the conflict.

Parag Khanna maps the future of countries

This talk by Parag Khanna of The New America Foundation entitled "Invisible Maps" given at the TED Global conference in Oxcford, England, discusses the concept of a "borderless" world as dynamics in global power shift.

Part II: External Factors and Obstacles to Success

FPA Whitehead Fellow Marco Vicenzino's two-part series takes a look at the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, nearly six years after the U.S.-led invasion to overthrow the Taliban regime that supported al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden. The articles, which highlight both the domestic and international challenges presented by the situation in Afghanistan, stem from a fact-finding mission Vicenzino conducted in his role as strategic advisor to the Afghanistan World Foundation.

Party Platform: America's Role

Republican National Convention 2000

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Party Platform: U.S. World Leadership

Republican National Convention 2000

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pentagon puts pressure on Hamid Karzai over corruption

Following President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan, his first during his presidency, this Reuters article examines the anti-corruption message being communicated to President Karzai by Mr. Obama and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Pentagon Report on Implementation of Taiwan Relations Act

Department of State analyzes how implement current regulations concerning Taiwan.

Petraeus Praises Pakistan's Fight

In his first visit to Pakistan since taking over as top NATO commander in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus has praised the efforts of Pakistan in battling Islamist militants. Insurgents based in Pakistan's tribal areas remain a threat to both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Playing with Fire in the Caucasus - Putin's power play and a big gamble

Analysis of Russia's recent actions in the Caucasus.

PM-Cheney meeting shrouded in mystery

According to this article from the Jerusalem Post, a secretive meeting between U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert raised speculation among diplomatic officials that the focus was on how to stop Iran's nuclear program.

Policy Matters: Educating Congress on Peace and Security

How do those who care about American foreign policy and responsible US leadership in the world educate their elected representatives in Congress? Despite radical changes in the international environment and the emergence of vastly different threats since the end of the Cold War - and especially since September 11th - Congress often seems unable to escape old-fashioned notions of security and to formulate pragmatic, long-term solutions to new challenges. What can informed citizens, community leaders, experts, and nongovernmental organizations do to help shape the ongoing debates about today's most critical international security issues?

Poll of Egyptians on Obama, US Policies, Democracy

In June 2009, WorldPublicOpinion.org released the results of a poll taken of Egyptians to assess their perspectives on U.S. foreign policy and President Obama's alignment with it. The poll also examines opinions on democracy in Egypt and views on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Possible Attributes of a New Russian-American Treaty on Strategic Offensive Weapons: The View from Russia

Should the START Treaty expire in December without a new treaty (or accord) that has counting rules and verification procedures spelled out, it will be impossible to ensure that Russia and the U.S. fulfill their obligations to reduce the number of nuclear warheads on deployed strategic delivery vehicles.

Post-Saddam Governance and Security - October 31, 2007

Kenneth Katzman, “Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security,” Congressional Research Service, RL31339, October 31, 2007.

Powell Says Cuba Sanctions Should Remain In Place 3/15/01

Appearing before the US Congress on March 15, 2001, Powell said sanctions against Cuba should remain in place to demonstrate

US displeasure with the nature of President Fidel Castro's regime.

Pragmatists in Tehran

Hillary Mann Leverett writes in Foreign Policy magazine about the need for the U.S. to change the perception on Iran as having a regime that cannot be negotiated with - particularly as it starts its own negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.

Present Dangers to National Security

Robert Thomson, managing editor of The Financial Times in North America highlighted "shifting international links" in a "post-post Vietnam era" as a potential threat to national security in his address to the World Leadership Forum. Click here for streaming audio.

Present Dangers To National Security

Transcript of the panel discussion on terrorism at the 2001 World Leadership Forum with oderator Prof. David Denoon, New York University and panelists Dr. J. Bowyer Bell (BB), Columbia University, Lawrence J. Korb (LK), Council on Foreign Relations.

President Bill Clinton at WLF 2001: America After September 11 - Transcript

Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, delivered the closing keynote at the World Leadership Forum 2001. Click here to listen to the audio stream of his speech.

President Gerald Ford: Noble Citizen and Dignified Public Servant

The death of Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, on December 26th, 2006, leads one to question the legacy of his presidency, particularly since it lasted only 29 months.  Over the years, Ford has been dismissed as the historically irrelevant un-elected caretaker President who filled the gap between Richard Nixon’s downfall and Jimmy Carter’s four-year tenure. 

President Obama's Address on the End of the Combat Mission in Iraq

President Barack Obama's address from the Oval Office on the end of combat operations in Iraq and American security priorities.

President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki at WLF 2000

Video feed and transcript of President Thabo Mbeki speaking at the FPA World Leadership Forum 2000

President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki at WLF 2000

Video feed and transcript of President Thabo Mbeki speaking at the FPA World Leadership Forum 2000

Princeton Townhall Meeting Student Poll

Problems in Closing Guantanamo

An interview with Matthew Waxman, former Pentagon deputy secretary of defense for detainee affairs, on the potential issues in closing down Guantanamo, most notably how the U.S. will deal with current detainees.

Profiles in Action: Bianca Jagger
[12.05.02]

Today we are most fortunate to be joined from London by Ms. Bianca Jagger. Ms. Jagger has recently returned from a trip to India, where she offered her time and assistance to underage sex workers caught in a vicious circle of sex, exploitation and AIDS. Ms. Jagger has been unwavering in her efforts to bring the issue of HIV awareness to the forefront of the international agenda, and has also been active in speaking out for human rights across the globe – from Bosnia to Latin America – and on environmental issues that continue to impact nations worldwide.

Progress in the Balkans: Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Senator Biden's report to the Senate Foreign Relations committee on the progress of stabilization and de-mocratization

in Kosovo, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the proper role of the United States in those develop-ments.

Project on Defense Alternatives

Since its inception in 1991, the Project on Defense Alternatives has sought to adapt security policy to the challenges and opportunities of the post-Cold War era by promoting consideration of the broadest range of defense options. Central to its mission is the development of "transitional security policy," which would serve to create conditions favorable to the advent of regional and global cooperative security regimes.

Promoting Democracy Through International Law

The Foreign Policy Association and the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs present

Richard Goldstone and Aryeh Neier:

“Promoting Democracy Through International Law”

Promoting Democracy: A Modern Mission for American Citizens

Former Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Richard Gephardt addressed the New York Democracy Forum on March 22nd in a speech entitled, "Promoting Democracy: A Modern Mission for American Citizens." Read the transcript. Steaming video available.

Public Diplomacy and U.S. foreign policy

The Bush Administration has tried to reach out to Muslims and others throughout the world to educate them about what the U.S. government thinks is the real America. But its efforts indicate it is difficult to sell and market a country's values, policies and actions. (GD 2004)

Public Support for War is Steady, But Bush Job Ratings Slip After Falluja

Public support for war in Iraq has been unaffected by the murders and desecration of the corpses of American citizens in Falluja. However, continued turmoil and violence in Iraq may be taking a toll on President Bush's approval ratings. More Americans now disapprove of the way he is doing his job than approve, though by only a slight margin (47% disapprove vs. 43% approve). Just four-in-ten approve of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq, his lowest rating ever and down from 59% in January. Bush's evaluations on other issues – the economy, energy and even terrorism – have fallen as well. And by a wide margin (57% to 32%) the public does not think he has a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion.

Q&A With Kim Barker on Afghanistan

Kim Barker, Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, answers Foreign Affairs reader questions about the conflict in Afghanistan and the Obama administration's plans to send more U.S. troops to the region.

Quadrennial Defense Review 2006

The Pentagon has released its Quadrennial Defense Review, which sets combating terrorism as a major long-term focus. The Project for Defense Alternatives offers an ongoing assessment of the discussion around the QDR, which appears to scale back Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's plans for overhauling the military, focusing instead on more familiar patterns of deployment and action that have proven effective in recent years. (Project for Defense Alternatives, February 2006)

Quarterly Report to the United States Congress

Quarterly Report to the United States Congress on state of progress in Iraq.

Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, October 2007

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, “Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,” October 2007

Quarterly Status Reports on Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq

Quarterly Status Reports on Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq.

Quarterly Status Reports on Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq

Department of Defense, Quarterly Status Reports on Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq

Real Reform at the United Nations

J. Brian Atwood, Executive Vice-President, Citizens Energy Corporation, on the US role in UN reform in the UN Chronicle.

Rebirth of a Nation

This Newsweek article profiles the evolution democracy in Iraq since the U.S. invasion ahead of the national elections on March 7, 2010.

Recipe for Failure

New York University professor of political science and author of The Predictioneer's Game, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, applies his reknowned analytical techniques to predict the likely outcome of the Copenhagen Summit on climate change.

RECONSTRUCTING IRAQ: Insights, Challenges, and Missions for Military Forces in a Post-Conflict Scenario

Insights, Challenges, and Missions for Military Forces in a Post-Conflict Scenario

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Eric Holder at the National Conference on Human Trafficking

These are the prepared remarks of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, presented during the National Conference on Human Trafficking in Arlington, VA, in May 2010.

Remarks by Anne-Marie Slaughter

Remarks by Anne-Marie Slaughter

Dean, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

President, American Society of International Law

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

May 9, 2003

Remarks by Barbara Crossette

Remarks by Barbara Crossette

Columnist, The National Journal

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

May 9, 2003

Remarks by David Denoon

Remarks by David Denoon

Professor of Politics and Economics, New York University

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

May 9, 2003

Remarks by H.E. Kishore Mahbubani

Remarks by H.E. Kishore Mahbubani

Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

May 9, 2003

Remarks by H.E. Paul Heinbecker

Remarks by H.E. Paul Heinbecker: Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

May 9, 2003.

Remarks by Meena Bose

Remarks by Meena Bose

Associate Professor of Political Science, U.S. Military Academy

FPA/Princeton Town Hall Meeting

May 9, 2003

Remarks by President Obama and President Mubarak of Egypt During Press Availability

Read what the leaders had to say to the press and get an inside view on President Obama and President Mubarak's meeting.

Remarks by Thomas Franck

Remarks by Thomas Franck

Professor of Law and Director, Law Center for International Studies, New York University

May 9, 2003.

Remarks on Foreign Assistance

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discusses USAID reform and "transformational democracy" around the globe.

Remarks on North Korea Meetings

The State Department has published a transcript of statements made by Stephen W. Bosworth, Special Representative for North Korea Policy, during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, in December 2009. The post also includes a soundbite from the press conference.

Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group

A government report prepared by the Vice President's office in May 2001 that encouraged the development of energy supplies and public conservation.

Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq

Long awaited September, 2007 report from General David H. Petraeus, Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq.

Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq: Ambassador Crocker

Transcript of the statement made by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker to a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees on September 10, 2007.

Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq: General Petraeus

Transcript of the report given by General David H. Petraeus to a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees on Septermber 10-11, 2007.

Report to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on U.S.-Mexican Efforts to Defeat Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking

Primary Source: Released on May 18^th, a report prepared for the Senate Committee on the U.S.-Mexican joint commitment to defeat organized crime and drug trafficking by agreeing to provide equipment, training, and technical assistance for oversight of security agencies.

Reset Button Plus

The Obama mantra for U.S.-Russia relations is "hit the 'reset button,'" yet the Clinton years (1992-2000) were a mixed bag. We should aim for a "reset button plus," one that engages Russia on a host of issues that would directly serve America's self interest.

Responding to 9/11: Are Think Tanks Thinking Outside the Box?

While there has been a spike in the number of terrorism-related research, analysis, and public engagement activities at leading think tanks in the United States since 9/11, there appears to be a lack financial resources and critical thinking to support and sustain a truly effective response to the events of 9/11.

Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS)

The Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS) project works to advance Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and to promote concrete policies to better enable governments, regional organizations and the U.N. to protect vulnerable populations.

Restoring Global Confidence: The U.S. and the World Economy

Today we are taking a look at the U.S. as a role model in the world economy. Joining us is Mr. Brian Henderson, Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, who we hope will share some of his insight into the present mood across the Atlantic regarding the recent economic crisis and corporate scandals here in the United States.

Rethinking the Afghanistan War's What-Ifs

David Sanger writes in The New York Times, pondering how long before Afghanistan became the longest shooting war in American history, the question loomed: Could it have turned out differently?

Rewarding Russian Aggression

Potential sales of NATO military equipment is seen less as a threat to NATO and more to Russia's neighbors and former Soviet-satellite countries.

Rice's Blind Spot

Nobody doubts her star power. She speaks Russian and talks football, wears dominatrix boots and plays Dvorak, weaves her segregated Alabama childhood into speeches about geopolitics. But the strange thing about Condoleezza Rice is that, when it comes to the stuff that a professor-politician should be really good at, she can be oddly flat-footed. This was true when she emerged as George W. Bush's fitness buddy and foreign policy tutor seven years ago. It is still true now.

Richard C. Holbrooke- a biography

This biography of Richard C. Holbrooke sponsored by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, provides a comprehensive work history of Richard C. Holbrooke. Holbrooke often noted for his role in the Dayton Agreements and in Bosnia, has a wide career history. During his career he has been a professional diplomat, a magazine editor, an author, a Peace-Corps Director, the chairman of two important non-governmental organizations and an investment banker. This site gives the reader history on Richard C. Holbrooke's involvement in foreign politics.

Rising Powers

A special series by the Stanley Foundation with in-depth analysis and content regarding the transnational issues that face the world today for both developed and "emerging powers."

Rising Powers: The Changing Geopolitical Landscape

The website is a leading source of information on the fields of defense, intelligence and homeland security.

Rising Powers: The New Global Reality

The Stanley Foundation's interactive website "Rising Powers: The New Global Reality" provides an in-depth look at the rapidly changing global order and what it means for the United States.

Risk-taking is back for banks 1 year after crisis

This article discusses how reforms meant to prevent another global financial crisis may not have curbed the behavior of the major Wall Street firms.

rodarp

Russia Needs to Defuse the Situation in the Caucasus

The EU report on the Russian-Georgian War blamed the war on the Georgians, who opened hostilities against the South Ossetians, while criticizing Russia for using inappropriate force in response to Georgian provocations. What the report failed to mention was that the repercussions of the conflict continue to be felt locally too, notably, in the Russian part of the Caucasus Mountains.

Russia Spy Case: There goes the 'reset' of US-Russia relations?

This article argues that Obama's "de-link" of the Russian spy scandal from the broader US-Russia relationship has left any possible political fallout in the hands of the Russian government.

Russia's Tragedy, America's Stake

Los Angles World Affairs Council

Saddam's Lingering Impact

This article looks at the circumstances of Saddam Hussein's trial and excecution may exacerbate the feeling among Iraq's Sunnis that they are being politically marginilized, and how this might contribute to the destabilitzation of the region.

Saving the Children?: Six Alternatives to Trade Sanctions in the Fight Against Child Labor

Trade sanctions are ineffectual tools in fighting child labor. This report recommends a different, more comprehensive approach to curtail the problem.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered remarks on a "Vision for Success for America, Middle East, and the World" on Monday, November 10th at City University of New York, Powell's alma mater. The event was held in commemoration of the centenary of Ralph Bunche.

Securing, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding Iraq, Iraqi Government Has Not Met Most Legislative, Security, and Economic Benchmarks

Testimony Before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, September 5, 2007.

Securing, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding Iraq, Iraqi Government Has Not Met Most Legislative, Security, and Economic Benchmarks. - September 5, 2007

David M. Walker; Comptroller General of the United States. “Securing, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding Iraq, Iraqi Government Has Not Met Most Legislative, Security, and Economic Benchmarks. “Testimony Before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, September 5, 2007, Government Accountability Office, GAO-07-1221T

Security, Terrorism and the UK

Chatham House in England analyzes the effects of the U.S. and UK war on terrorism and national security.

Security, Terrorism and the UK

Chatham House in England analyzes the effects of the U.S. and UK war on terrorism and national security.

Shadowy Finance

Moises Naim writes about a "new shadow financial system", a world where regulators are hampered and bankers are bold despite less market liquidity, contrasting with the "old" shadow financial system that thrived on ample liquidity and lax regulations.

Short Circuiting an Energy Crisis

Transcript of show #13 of the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by Susan Clark, with guests: Robert Manning, Council on Foreign Relations and James Clad, a Director of Cambridge Energy Research Associates and Professor at Georgetown University.

Should the U.S. Be Talking to the Taliban?

This PBS program discusses the ramp up in the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan, and how American and Afghan officials are pursuing political solutions to reconcile with the Taliban and end eight years of violence. The program also poses questions about whether talking with the Taliban is a workable strategy to do so.

Six Ways Not to Deal with Hamas

Foreign Policy Magazine looks at options for dealing with Hamas, asking, "How do you stop a foe whose tolerance for pain exceeds your willingness to inflict it?"

Sizing Up Sino-American Relations

Ambassador to the People's Republic of China JAMES R. SASSER

So How Come We Haven't Stopped It?

While the U.S. government may acknowledge that there is a genocide occurring, it has yet to do anything about the increasingly devastating crisis.

Social Watch Report 2005: focus on gaps between promises and action (PDF file)

Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics

Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations and Dean at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard University, addressed the FPA May 10th on the topic of his most recent book, Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics

Soldiers in Iraq Back Petraeus Testimony

According to this Associated Press report, many U.S. troops serving in Iraq are voicing support for General David Petraeus's report on the war.

South East Asia Analysis Group

The objective of the group is to advance strategic analysis and contribute to the expansion of knowledge of Indian and International security and promote public understanding. SAAG seeks to address the decision makers, strategic planners, academics and the media in South Asia and the world at large.

Southeast Asia and the U.S.: Assessing New Policies and Old Problems

Center for Defense Information Research Analyst, Reyko Huang, analyzes some of the policies and problems which have in the past and may in the future characterized American relations with Pakistan and India.

Southwest Asia/Gulf Program

The Stimson Center's Southwest Asia program looks at security issues in the Middle East, with particular focus on Iran, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula. Its examines security in all its dimensions, including U.S. policies in the region, the policies of the states in the area, as well as NGO perspectives and the views of other outside actors, including the rising Asian powers. The Center's activities include workshops, field research, conferences, and publications.

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos addresses the World Leadership Forum, and calls for a new Western alliance to fight global terrorism and prevent a so-called clash of civilizations.

Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction

A series of highly detailed reports on the successes and failures in Iraqi reconstruction, economic aid, governance, and force development.

Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan : U.S. State Department

The State Department's page for the Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, features information about Ambassador Holbrooke, his remarks on the region and his trips to the Middle East.

Speech by Robert Zoellick at the 2005 World Economic Forum

Speech by Robert Zoellick, US Deputy Secretary of State at the 2005 World Economic Forum.

Spies like us: An unusual spy network is busted by the FBI

The Economist looks at the almost amateurish nature of the Russian spy network uncovered in the U.S and any possible outcome for the 'reset' of US-Russia relations.

Spy vs. Spy: Real Catch Is The One Who Gets Away

The recent arrest of 10 accused Russian agents suggests that the US remains a target of Russian espionage. Rachel Martin addresses the methods used as well as the possibility of further, undetected, spy networks.

Stanley McChrystal's Long War

This article from The New York Times Magazine profiles Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, as Times reporter Dexter Filkins travels with him around Afghanistan ahead of the release of his assessment of the war to President Obama.

Start II Treaty

Provisions of the treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms and associated documents.

State Department Policy Database

An extremely comprehensive database of official U.S. government policy, including quantitative

background data on every country in the world, official country-specific information on

current U.S. policies, press releases, and contact info for the State Department.

State Department press release: Flooding in Pakistan

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has pledged $10 million dollars for Pakistani aid following the continued monsoon rains and flooding, in an effort to boost U.S. public image among Pakistanis.

Stay the Course of Withdrawal

Michael Wahid Hanna, a fellow and program officer at The Century Foundation., writes in Foreign Affairs that now is not the time to reexamine the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq since recent elections and the growing competency of the Iraqi military suggest that the fewer U.S. troops in the country, the greater the chances for security and political stability.

Streaming Audio: U.S. - U.K, Relations

British Consul General Sir Thomas Harris addressed the Foreign Policy Association at HSBC on February 19, 2004.

Syria hosting Arab summit riven by deep differences, pro-US leaders reluctant to attend

According to the International Herald Tribune, Syria is putting on a gracious face as host of its first Arab summit, but its deteriorating relations with Saudi Arabia and Egypt and its political standoff with the U.S. and Lebanon threaten to undermine the summit.

SYSTEM OF MONEY TRANSFERS BY MEANS OF HAVALA AND ITS USE IN FINANCING MILLITANCY IN SOUTH ASIA.

Introduction

This paper attempts to address the questions:

1. What is terrorism?

2. Why, by whom and how is terror financed?

3. What measures have been taken to check money transfers for terrorist purpose?

At the outset one must concede that due to perceptual differences it is extremely difficult to define “terrorism.”

Taiwan Crisis

Compare military capabilities of China and Taiwan from this nonprofit military monitoring organzation. Check background info on the Strait crises.

Taiwan Relations Act of 1979

Find the full text together with analysis of this 1979 Act of the United States Congress that forms the basis for current trade relations and arms procurement between the US and Taiwan. Also read speeches, interviews, and a bibliography related to the Act.

Taking on Tehran

If Washington wants to derail Iran's nuclear program, it must take advantage of a split in Tehran between hard-liners, who care mostly about security, and pragmatists, who want to fix Iran's ailing economy.

Tehran's Take

Mohsen M. Milani, writes how Iran's foreign policy is often portrayed in sensationalistic terms, but in reality it is a rational strategy meant to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic against what Tehran thinks is an existential threat posed by the United States.

Terrorism and Crime: An Increasingly Dangerous World

Article from Great Decisions 1997 which discusses the issues of the growing threat of terrorism and international crime networks.

Terrorism and National Security

Robert Thomson, Managing Editor the Financial Times, delivered this speech on terrorism and U.S. foreign policy at the World Leadership Forum 2001.

Terrorism's Supermarket: Why Pakistan keeps exporting jihad

This article by Fareed Zakaria for Newsweek discusses the elements in Pakistan that continue to make the country vulnerable to, and encouraging of, jihadist movements.

Testing the waters

America and China have shown growing signs of friction over their competing security presence around the trade-clogged shores of Asia.

The Adaptive Enterprise: Technology for the Global Economy

Transcript of second panel at the FPA's World Leadership Forum 2002, entitled "The Adaptive Enterprise: Technology for the Global Economy". Speakers included Sarwar Kashmeri, James S. Greene, Joseph Quinlan, and Glen Salow. 10/1/2002.

The AfPak Channel

A special project of Foreign Policy Magazine and the New America Foundation, this resource page looks "Inside the War for South Asia."

The AfPak Puzzle

In this article for Slate, Fred Kaplan points out that President Obama is committed to focusing on U.S. foreign policy concerns in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but identifies that what needs to be done there "lies beyond the scope of American power."

The American Red Cross Response to the China Earthquake

Learn more about American Red Cross efforts to provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the May 12, 2008 earthquake in China, and donate to those efforts.

The American Red Cross Response to the Myanmar Cyclone

Learn more about American Red Cross efforts to provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the May 2, 2008 cyclone in Myanmar (Burma), and donate to those efforts.

The American Street

What do people on the streets of New York think? And why? FPA takes its camera to the people to find out.

The Anatomy of Anti-Americanism in Turkey

The Battle Over Energy

Transcript of GDTV 2002: WILL REJECTING A KYOTO ENVIRONMENTAL TREATY AND PUSHING A GO-IT-ALONE ENERGY POLICY TURN U.S. ALLIES INTO OPPONENTS ON OTHER CRUCIAL ISSUES? THIS WEEK, THE BATTLE OVER ENERGY.

The Case for American Engagement in the World

Hillary Rodham Clinton's address to FPA.

The Challenges of Closing Guantánamo

Five experts debate over the challenges confronting the closure of Guantanamo Bay, focusing on the legal status of those detained.

The Consequences of a 'Conceptual Withdrawal' in Afghanistan

Following last week's WikiLeaks release of more than 90,000 classified military journals coupled with Dutch withdrawal from Afghanistan, Western Europe evaluates its objectives in Afghanistan. A editorial by Andrew Small, a Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund's Asia Program in Brussels, in German news source Spiegel.

The Course of American Diplomacy: Theonomy, Autonomy, and Heteronomy

A historical look at American diplomacy and how the current administration fits the American historical mold.

The Credit Crisis and Global Insecurity

As the U.S. presidential candidates embarked on the final stretch of the campaign following the party conventions, it appeared that mud-slinging and personal attacks would ultimately determine the outcome of the election. By mid-September, the candidates were suddenly sidelined by a rapidly deteriorating global credit crisis.

The Daily Journal

60 year old newspaper of Venezuela and Colombia, now online.

The Divided China Problem: Conflict Avoidance and Resolution

Describes the origins of the divided China problem and how

it has become the most troublesome factor in Sino-U.S. relations.

The Economic Consequences of the War on Terrorism

Dr. DeAnne Julius, Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs addressed the Foreign Policy Association on the topic of "The Economic Consequences of the War on Terrorism" on November 21 at McGraw Hill Auditorium in New York City.

The Economic Cost of the War in Iraq (PDF file)

The Egyptian-Israeli Peace: Lessons for Today

With the recent marking of the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, this article looks at how the accord reverberated across the Middle East; profoundly impacting regional politics, inter-Arab relations, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although the parties, their leaders, and the neighborhood in which they operated were much different from those today, understanding how the pact was achieved provides lessons for future negotiations.

The Elusive Green Economy

Joshua Green points out that although The Atlantic has been covering energy reform for the past 32 years, little progress has been made in seeing a "green" economy. Can the Obama administration's planned initiatives finally bring about these changes?

The End of Operation Iraqi Freedom and DoD's Future in Iraq

With President Obama's announcement ending U.S. combat operations in Iraq, the U.S. military takes on a new role in Iraq.

The End of Plenty

This in-depth Special Report on the Global Food Crisis appeared in the June 2009 issue of National Geographic.

The End of the End of the Revolution

Roger Cohen writes that despite the transition in leadership, Castro's Cuba is in its waning days. What opportunities does this present to the United States?

The European Finality Debate and Its National Dimensions

This document is a book review commenting on the edited volume The European Finality Debate and Its National Dimensions.

The Failed States Index 2010

The sixth annual "Failed States Index" is a collaboration between Foreign Policy magazine and The Fund for Peace. The Index provides an interactive display of the rankings and criteria to determine the stability of each country. Compare rankings from previous years as well.

The Future of Economic Integration in the Americas

Transcript of panel discussion given at the FPA's World Leadership Forum 2002. Panel was entitled "The Future of Economic Integration in the Americas" and speakers included William R. Rhodes, Domingo Cavallo, and R. Glen Hubbard.

The Future of Iraq

A brief summary of an international conference hosted by the Gulf/2000 Project of

Colombia University. Addresses the role of regional and extra-regional powers in the

Iraqi conflict, the impact of sanctions, and issue of human rights. Links to more detailed

papers and commentaries from the conference.

The German Marshall Fund of the United States

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan American public policy and grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between North America and Europe.

The Global Disease Crisis: What is America's Role?

Malaria, pneumonia, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are

ravaging much of the world, killing millions and inflicting

extreme misery on many poor countries. Is the U.S. doing

enough to stem the health crisis?

The Gloomy Prospects for World Growth

In this Center for Geoeconomic Studies Working Paper, Steven Dunaway argues that the outlook for recovery and growth in the world economy at this juncture will be facing the prospect of a prolonged period of slower growth and greater volatility than it has known for several decades.

The Great Recession: The numbers tell the story

A by-the-numbers look at the stock market and the economy since the eight-day crash that started with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008.

The High Stakes of Missile Defense

Transcript of show #3 of the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth, with guests: Joseph Cirincione, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and James Lindsay, The Brookings Institution

The Idiot's Guide to Pakistan

Nicholas Schmidle, a fellow at the New America Foundation and author of the forthcoming "To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan," tries to untangle common confusion with Pakistan's geography, tribes, troublemakers, security forces and more.

The Imperative of Global Education

Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations

The Iraq Inquiry (UK)

Officially beginning in July 2009, the UK's Iraq Inquiry has been convened to identify lessons that can be learned from the Iraq conflict. The Inquiry's official website offers information on the Inquiry and video of testimony by officials including former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The Iraqi Insurgency & Iraq Security Force Development: Selected Bibliography

A bibliography of journal and newspaper articles, reports, and government documents addressing the Iraqi insurgency and the efforts to build a new Iraqi security force.

The Koreas Society

To better understand U.S. diplomacy with North Korea and related issues, the Korea Society offers research on the Korean peninsula in the areas of public policy, business, education, intercultural relations and the arts.

The Legacy of Camp David: 1979-2009

On the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Camp David Accords, this collection of 21 original essays explores the road to the Egyptian-Israeli peace accord and offers various perspectives on the fruits and limitations of this agreement as well as the role of the United States in fostering peace and cooperation between Egypt and Israel. This special edition of MEI's prestigious web-based Viewpoints series also includes primary documents, maps, a chronology, negotiators' biographies, photos, and a selected bibliography.

The Library of African Cinema

Films from Africa made by Africans offer restorative images and a new film language. The beautiful and sometimes challenging films in California Newsreel's Library of Afircan Cinema not only showcase the works of master filmmakers but also innovative new talents who are embracing video technology. To see Africa through African eyes will break stereotypes and enlighten viewers about life in Africa.

Articles to help you view and teach African cinema written by African filmmakers and scholars are also available.

Several of our newest releases touch upon the most urgent issues in world affairs that confront the African continent, specifically, war, human rights and the AIDS pandemic. We have prepared Advocacy for Africa , an exclusive new section of our website to provide you with critical information and to encourage you to join with groups taking action.

The Mid-term Elections: Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy

There appears to be little disagreement that the fierce partisan debate over Iraq during the recent mid-term congressional elections may have largely determined its outcome. During the campaign each party tried to create the perception of certainty as to how to proceed in Iraq without providing any credible evidence or sustainable plan.  The sad reality is that the U.S. lost its ability to direct the course of events in Iraq a long time ago.  A reactive policy of shaping decisions in response to events on the ground has long prevailed.  Irrational and unpredictable dynamics are dominating and determining the future of Iraq, leaving very few, if any, viable options for the U.S. to pursue.

The New Hostage Crisis

This article by Karim Sadjadpour published online for Foreign Policy Magazine in October 2009 examines the detention of innocents in Iran, and argues that an open dialogue between Washington and Tehran may help prevent these detentions.

The New York Democracy Forum

The New York Democracy Forum: A forum for the world's most important struggle in the world's most important city.  A joint venture of the National Endowment for Democracy and the Foreign Policy Association.

The Next Frontier Could Be in Iraq

This article from Newsweek discusses the potential future economic power of Iraq with regards to its energy reserves, and debates the possibility that the country could compete with Saudi Arabia as an oil producer.

The Opportunities and Challenges of Globalization

William H. Donaldson, Chairman, President & CEO, Aetna Inc.

The origins of the Great War of 2007 - and how it could have been prevented

"The Origins of the Great War of 2007 - and How It Could Have Been Prevented," an op-ed piece appearing in London's Daily Telegraph, offers Niall Ferguson's analysis of how current and future events might shape a great global war in the years ahead.

 

The Philippines : dilemmas of renewed security ties

The U.S. decision to enlist the Philippines as a military ally in the war on terror has improved the Philippine army, but the cooperation between the two countries could threaten democracy in the island nation. (GD 2004)

The Pirate Den

Bridget Coggins in Foreign Policy magazine profiles Somallia's pirates and takes readers inside the modern business of wreaking havoc on the high seas.

The Powerless Superpower?
A Conversation with Immanual Wallerstein

Today we are speaking with Mr. Immanuel Wallerstein, senior research scholar at Yale University and author of The End of the World as we know it: Social Science for the 21st Century. He is also the author of a recent article in Foreign Policy Magazine that examines the end of Pax Americana, a topic he discussed with the Foreign Policy Association.

The Race for Iran

This New York Times Op-Ed piece looks at the strategic competition between the United States, Russia, and China in negotiating with Iran to cease nuclear proliferation.

The Raul Castro Era Begins

What will the transition from Fidel Castro to Raul Castro bring to Cuba? How do the two brothers differ in their leadership style and vision for Cuba?

The Rise of China: A Wider Role on the World Stage

An economically fast-developing and politically more assertive China will become an increasingly more powerful force in the global economy. What are the political, economic and environmental threats and opportunities of China's rise as a world power and the challenges of accommodating China's integration into the world?

The Road to Kabul Runs Through Beijing (and Tehran)

Parag Khanna writes about how the future of U.S. policy in Afghanistan is also a regional issue. Who are the other players in this new "Great Game?"

The Runaway General

This profile of General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and his staff reveals their camaraderie and outlook on the war. It also reveals their criticism of allies and senior politicians involved in the Afghanistan campaign.

The Russian Opportunity

Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley discusses how the United States may find a partner in Russia on some of its major strategic concerns - nuclear issues, Islamic terrorism, Iran, and Afghanistan.

The Saudi Initiative: Future Visions of the Middle East (transcript & audio)

Henry Siegman on “Future Visions of the Middle East”

March 20, 2002. Mr. Siegman is a Senior Fellow & Director, U.S./ Middle East Project at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

The Secret Way to War

A book review about the US government's secret plans conducted prior to the Iraqi War.

The Soviet Victory That Never Was

Nikolas Gvosdev writes in Foreign Affairs about how the Soviet Union came closer than many think to achieving its objectives in Afghanistan. He examines how the USSR almost managed to win -- and why it ultimately did not -- and what lessons this should pose for U.S. policymakers today.

The Terrorism Index

Foreign Policy magazine and the Center for American Progress jointly surveyed 100 top U.S. foreign-policy experts to assess how the United States is fighting the war on terror.

The Torture Question

In "The Torture Question", FRONTLINE traces the history of how decisions made in Washington in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11 -- including an internal administration battle over the Geneva Conventions -- led to a robust interrogation policy that laid the groundwork for prisoner abuse in Afghanistan; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Iraq.

 

The Tragedy of Afghanistan

Transcript of show #9 of the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by Karl F. Inderfurth, with guests: Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois and Dr. Ashraf Ghani, Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins.

The U.S. and Global Poverty

GD 2005: The promise of globalization is that it will benefit poor countries through trade and close the poverty gap. Critics have argued that high debt owed by poor countries to rich countries has widened the gap between these countries. What can be done to narrow the global poverty gap?

The U.S. and Global Poverty [Recommended Readings]

Recommended Readings for The U.S. and Global Poverty, Great Decisions 2005.

The U.S. Military Index

Foreign Policy Magazine and the Center for a New American Security surveyed more than 3,400 active and retired officers at the highest levels of command about the state of the U.S. military.

The U.S. Through the Eyes of Others

THE U.S.HELPS KEEP PEACE AROUND THE GLOBE. IT SOMETIMES DEFENDS NATIONS THAT CAN'T DEFEND THEMSELVES. IT PROVIDES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN HUMANITARIAN AND ECONOMIC AID TO THE PEOPLE OF OTHER COUNTRIES. DESPITE ALL THAT, OCCASIONALLY EVEN BECAUSE OF IT, THE UNITED STATES IS SOMETIMES RESENTED ABROAD. YET THE IDEA OF THE UGLY AMERICAN IS HARD FOR SOME AMERICANS TO UNDERSTAND.

The U.S. vs The World? How American Power Seems to the Rest of Us. [TRANSCRIPT]

Address by Gareth Evans, President of International Crisis Group and former Foreign Minister of Australia, to The Foreign Policy Association, New York, 19 November 2002

The uneasy U.S.-Saudi alliance

The U.S. has great strategic and economic interests in Saudi Arabia and other areas of the Middle East. How will the U.S.-Saudi relationship be affected by the war on terrorism and a possible war against Iraq?

The United States and the European Union: TransAtlantic Drift or Common Destiny

Transcript of fourth panel at FPA's World Leadership Forum 2002, entitled: "The United States and the European Union: TransAtlantic Drift or Common Destiny". Panelists included Brian C. Henderson, William McDonough, Amb. John B. Richardson, Amb. Rockwell Schnabel, and Rodrigo de Rato y Figerado.

The War on Terrorism: Summing Up and Looking Ahead

A distinguised panel, moderated by FPA President and CEO Noel Lateef, react to developments at the World Economic Forum and assess the current stage of the war on terror.

Panelists include Mr. David Denoon, Ambassador Robert Gosende, Mr. David Malpass, Mr. Charle Maynes, Admiral Stanford Turner, and Dr. Nicholas Rostow.

The War to Disarm Iraq: An Interview with Scott Ritter

Scott Ritter is a former U.S. Marine Corps captain and disarmament specialist who served as a UNSCOM weapons inspector in Iraq for seven years throughout the 1990s.

The Water's Edge: Allied Voices

Turkey and Japan are just the two latest U.S. allies to assert their own policies in contradiction to U.S. objectives, writes Daniel Widome.

The Water's Edge: Candidates Before and After Iraq

The Water's Edge is a monthly column examining the intersection of domestic and foreign policies, with a special focus on the 2008 presidential election.

The Water's Edge: Electoral Conclusion

In the next two weeks, Americans will elect either Barack Obama or John McCain as president. If the race has seemed interminable, that's because in many respects it has been. The jockeying for the Republican and Democratic nominations began as soon as John Kerry conceded in November 2004, and the pace has never really slowed since then. From the standpoint of sound policy and good governance, it is important to reflect on whether the custom of the “non-stop campaign” is a useful thing.

The Water's Edge: Great Expectations

As President-elect Obama prepares to announce his selection for prominent national security and foreign policy positions next week, any expectations for radical change must be realistic, writes Daniel Widome.

The Water's Edge: Home stretch

The Water's Edge is a monthly column examining the intersection of domestic and foreign policies, with a special focus on the 2008 presidential election.

The Water's Edge: Mistaken identities

The Water's Edge is a monthly column examining the intersection of domestic and foreign policies, with a special focus on the 2008 presidential election.

The Water's Edge: Mumbai Revelations

The relatively new threat of state-less Islamic terrorism is inextricably linked to the older, state-based tensions between India and Pakistan, writes contributor Daniel Widome.

The Water's Edge: Nobel Notions

Contributor Daniel Widome offers his take on Obama's Oslo speech, and what signs the president gave of things to come in 2010.

The Water's Edge: Nuclear blast

As President Obama pursues a highly ambitious non-proliferation agenda, the time of recent events has worked in his favor, writes Daniel Widome.

The Water's Edge: Occupation Justification

As Iraq makes its way back to the forefront of November's elections, contributor Daniel Widome takes a look at one of the issues where clear differences between Obama and McCain policies exist.

The Water's Edge: Word Games

While foreign policy is often formulated behind close doors, events surrounding two current challenges the U.S. faces abroad are taking on a particularly public debate, writes Water's Edge columnist Daniel Widome.

The Water's Edge: Zero Nukes?

The Water's Edge is a monthly column examining the intersection of domestic and foreign policies, with a special focus on the challenges facing the new Obama administration.

The Way Out of Afghanistan

This article by editor Fareed Zakaria outlines his position on ongoing U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and policy options for a strategy moving forward.

The Word From Wall Street

Top financial analysts discuss the current state of the U.S. economy at the FPA World Leadership Forum

The Word from Wall Street

Transcript of FPA World Leadership Forum 2002 Panel entitled: "The Word from Wall Street". Panelists included Barton Biggs, John Lipsky, Jeffrey Applegate,, David Malpass, and Bill Williams. Theodore Roosevelt IV moderated the discussion. 10-01-02.

The Word From Wall Street

Wall Street analysts discuss the word from Wall Street and new regulations at World Leadership Forum 2003.

The Wye River Peace Talks

Resource page on the Middle East Peace Talks at Wye River with links to documents, transcripts, chronologies and maps.

Think Again: Asia's Rise

This article from the Think Again feature in Foreign Policy Magazine challenges the idea that Asia's powers are ready to take over as the world's major powers.

Think Again: China's Military

In the "Think Again" section of Foreign Policy Magazine Drew Thompson challenges perceptions of China's military regarding its size, capability, motivation, doctrine and aspirations.

Think Again: Engaging Cuba

Nestor Carbonell, an international public affairs consultant and author calls the idea of the U.S. engaging with Cuba a "fool's errand."

Think Tanks and the Transnationalization of Foreign Policy

James McGann, Ph.D., is a Senior Fellow & Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute Think Tanks and

Civil Societies Program and co-author, with Kent R. Weaver,

of "Think Tanks and Civil Societies: Catalysts for Ideas and

Action" (Transaction Publishers, 2000).

Third Time's Not the Charm

Has Pakistan's instability and the sinking popularity of its president has opened the door for a return to power of Nawaz Sharif?

Tilting at Windmills: Post-Cold-War Military Threats to

hough serious military threats to the U.S. have diminished since

the end of the cold war, the author states that the threat of the proliferation of

chemical, biological, nuclear and missile technology by rogue states and terrorists

remains large.

Tinderbox in South Asia

Transcript from GDTV 2002: AT THE END OF THE COLD WAR, WASHINGTON USED PAKISTAN, THEN AN ALLY, AS A STAGING GROUND FOR MUSLIM FORCES WHO DROVE THE SOVIETS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN. BUT IN THE 1990s, WHEN THE SOVIETS WERE GONE, THE U.S. LOST INTEREST IN THE REGION. THE COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF PAKISTANI MILITARY REGIMES BACKED BY WASHINGTON, TERRORISM AGAINST INDIA IN THE DISPUTE OVER KASHMIR, AND A LARGE FUNDAMENTALIST MUSLIM POPULATION HAVE COMBINED TO ENCOURAGE ANTI-AMERICAN SENTIMENT. IN ADDITION TO STRATEGIC ISSUES, SOUTH ASIA IS FILLED WITH ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN CONCERNS. INDIA, THE WORLD'S MOST POPULOUS DEMOCRACY, COULD BE A VALUABLE TRADING PARTNER AND DEMOCRATIC INFLUENCE IN THE REGION. BUT INDIA IS ALSO DESPERATELY POOR WITH AN ENORMOUS HIV-AIDS PROBLEM. INDIA, BANGLADESH, AND OTHER IMPOVERISHED NATIONS IN THE REGION LOOK TO THE U.S. FOR ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN HELP.

Tinker, Tailor, Housewife, Spy: Were the Spies Who Operated for Years in American Suburbia Betrayed by a Mole in Their Own Service?

Tom Balmforth questions the potential political impact of the arrest of ten alleged Russian agents upon US-Russia relations and the "reset" policy of the Obama administration. Balmforth focuses upon the issue of the timing of the scandal only a couple of days after the visit of President Medvedev to the United States.

Too Soon for an Elegy:
Transatlantic Relations and the United Nations Security Council

The Transatlantic Essay Competition is sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association and the Richard C. Welden Foundation. The competition examines the relationship between the U.S. and Europe by soliciting papers on different areas of transatlantic relations. The winners of the Transatlantic Essay Competition are Mr. Joshua Busby and Dr. Heiko Borchert.

Torrent of Challenges for U.S. in Pakistan

In this interview from CFR, South Asia expert Daniel Markey explains how the floods in Pakistan have compounded the government's challenges and made Washington's efforts in the fight against extremism more difficult.

Torture's Terrible Toll

Abusive interrogation tactics produce bad intel, and undermine the values we hold dear. Why we must, as a nation, do better. Obviously, to defeat our enemies we need intelligence, but intelligence that is reliable. We should not torture or treat inhumanely terrorists we have captured. The abuse of prisoners harms, not helps, our war effort.

Toward a Compassionate Conservative Foreign Policy

Address by Senator Jesse Helms, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at The American Enterprise Institute, January 11, 2001.

Trade and Economy Dilemmas

Nonpartisan briefs on key issues facing the nation in the election year 2004 and beyond.

Transatlantic Essay Competition

The debate within the UN Security Council over a resolution authorizing force against Iraq has highlighted rifts in transatlantic relations. What impact have these rifts had upon the UN Security Council? Can the U.S. and the EU agree on the role of the UN Security Council in maintaining world order in the future?

Transatlantic Thinkers, "The US and the EU at the UN: Making the Most of the Ban Years"

This edition of the Bertelsmann-Stiftung Foundation's Transatlantic Thinkers examines the relationship between the United States and the European Union through the lens of the United Nations under Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.

Transcript: H.E. Mircea Geoana

H.E. Mircea Geoana, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, addresses the Foreign Policy Association at the World Leadership Forum, 2003.

Transcript: America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy

Mary L. Belknap Lecture with James M. Lindsay, Director of Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a leading authority on domestic influences on American foreign policy with expertise on Congress, news media and public opinion.

Transcript: FPA / Haverford Town Hall: Media and Foreign Policy

Transcript of a Student Town hall discussion with Barbara Crossette of UN Wire, author and New York Times Foreign Correspondent Cristopher Hedges, and Thomas Ginsberg, Staff Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer. Friday, March 26, 2004, Marshall Auditorium, Roberts Hall, Haverford College.

Transcript: Gauging Public Opinion on U.S. Foreign Policy

John Zogby, President and CEO of Zogby International, presents the findings of an FPA sponsored national poll on U.S. public opinion on American foriegn policy.

Transcript: Global Economic Outlook

Top economists address the World Leadership Forum 2003 on the Global Economic Outlook.

Transcript: Iraq: Rebuilding a Nation

From infrastructure to security to international cooperation, this panel at the World Leadership FOrum 2003 will examine critical questions related to Iraqi reconstruction efforts.

Transcript: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at UN

Transcript of the speech given by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to world leaders at the UN General Assembly on September 18, 2006.

Transcript: Opening Remarks, John Whitehead

John Whitehead, Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, delivers his opening remarks to the Foreign Policy Association World Leadership Forum 2003.

Transcript: Powell, FYR Macedonian President in Skopje April 12, 2001

This is a transcript issued by the U.S. Department of State in which Colin Powell, after visiting Skopje, expresses U.S. support and encouragement of Macedonia to continue to strive for an inclusive and peaceful society. After this introduction, there is a joint statement from Boris Trajkovski and Colin Powell delivered to the Macedonian Parliament, where the Secretary of State invites President Trajkovski to visit the U.S. on May 2 2001.

Transcript: Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio

H.E. Ana Palacio, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, addresses the Foreign Policy Association at the World Leadership Forum, 2003.

Transcript: The United Nations and Its Enemies

William vanden Heuvel has served as Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as U.S. Representative to the European Office of the UN. Ambassador vanden Heuvel, a former President of the International Rescue Committee, is a graduate of Cornell University and Cornell Law School where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. He later served as Executive Assistant to General William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan, Special Counsel to Governor Averell Harriman and Assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Ambassador vanden Heuvel, a lawyer and investment banker in New York, is Chairman of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and Vice Chair of the World Federation of United Nations Associations.

Trends and Prospects of Transatlantic Economic Relations

U.S.-Europe relations have become strained over the course of the last four years.  This article analyzes and recommends ways for improving the transatlantic relationship.

Twists and Turns on Way to Arms Pact With Russia

This New York Times article chronicles the final stages of the new START II arms deal between the U.S. and Russia, and the last-minute conflicts between President Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev during negotiations.

U.S Senate Committee on Intelligence

Web site of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

U.S Trade Policy: Coping with Globalization

Congress recently approved normal trade relations with

China; the U.S. is committed to finalizing negotiations on a

free-trade area in the Western Hemisphere; globalization

remains controversial. Is it inevitable?

U.S. - European Relations After September 11

Ambassador John B. Richardson spoke at the Foreign Policy Association Fellows' Luncheon, September 28, 2001. The topic of his speech was U.S. and European relations in the post 9-11 period.

U.S. Air Strikes in Pakistan "Ineffective"

Jayshree Bajoria interviews CFR Fellow for Conflict Prevention Micah Zenko about the effectiveness of airstrikes conducted, against al Qaeda and Taliban targets, by military drone aircraft.

U.S. and German Counterterrorism Cooperation and the Iraq Insurgency

The United State's relationship to Europe, especially Germany and France, has been tested on matters of terrorism and unilateral intervention.  But, Mr. Sanderson argues that the U.S. and German security services have a mutual need to cooperate.

U.S. and Iraq: Baghdad Dilemma

Transcript of show #4 of the Great Decisions Television Series 2001. Hosted by George Watson with guests: Graham Fuller, Resident Consultant, Rand Corporation and Charles Duelfer, CSIS.

U.S. and Its post-9/11 Partnerships

Nonpartisan briefs on key issues facing the nation in the election year 2004 and beyond.

U.S. and Nigeria: thinking beyond oil

After years of internal conflict and military rule, oil-rich Nigeria is once again one of Africa's most influential nations. Yet it still confronts staggering poverty and corruption. If the U.S. wants to help, Washington must look beyond Nigeria's oil and consider its people and their environment.

U.S. casualties in Afghanistan hit 1,000 with massive Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul

The U.S. death toll in Afghanistan has hit 1,000 following a suicide bombing in Kabul on May 18, 2010.

U.S. Challenges in Iraq and in the Muslim world [Recommended Readings]

Recommended Readings  for U.S. Challenges in Iraq and in the Muslim world Great Decisions 2005.

U.S. Challenges in Iraq and the Muslim world

GD 2005: How will the war in Iraq and the creation of a transitional government transform the Middle East? How will a democratic Iraq relate to its neighbors and regional partners? Does the Iraq experiment create the potential for other Middle Eastern governments to adopt democracy?

U.S. Envoy to the Middle East Speaks on Peace at Acheson Lecture

Senator George J. Mitchell, special envoy for the Middle East, delivered the 2010 United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Dean Acheson Lecture, on Monday, May 24. Senator Mitchell spoke about lessons learned from Northern Ireland and how, despite the vast differences between that conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, certain truths about international conflict still hold and can be built on for a successful conclusion to the conflict.

U.S. Forces Close Outpost in Afghan ‘Valley of Death'

This article from The New York Times discusses the closure of the Korangal Outpost, which came to be known as "The Vally of Death" by U.S. service members, in eastern Afghanistan.

U.S. Government Assistance to and Cooperative Activities with the New Independent States in 1996

Annual Report describing U.S. Government activities supporting reform in the former Soviet Union during Fiscal Year 1996.

U.S. Government Assistance to and Cooperative Activities with the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union FY 1998

Summarizes the U.S. Government's contributions to economic and political reform in each of the twelve NIS on a country-by-country basis for FY1998.

U.S. Government Assistance to and Cooperative Activities with the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union FY1997

This report summarizes U.S. governmental contributions to economic and political reform in each of the twelve NIS on a country-by-country basis. (1997)

U.S. Government Assistance to and Cooperative Activities with the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union FY1999

This Annual Report describes the U.S. Government activities that supported reform in the twelve

Independent States of the former Soviet Union during Fiscal Year (FY) 1999.

U.S. Intelligence Reform

GD2005: The report of the 9/11 commission and questions of pre-Iraq-war intelligence have placed unprecedented attention on the workings of U.S. intelligence agencies. Are U.S. intelligence agencies out of date with dealing with post-cold-war realities? Are the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission adequate for reforming U.S. intelligence?

U.S. Intelligence Reform [Online Resources]

Online resources for U.S. Intelligence Reform, Great Decisions 2005.

U.S. Intelligence Reform [Recommended Readings]

Recommended Readings  for U.S. Intelligence Reform, Great Decisions 2005.

U.S. Interests in the World: GD 2000 #1

The article considers U.S. national interest in the post-cold war era.

U.S. Mideast Envoy Seeks Direct Peace Talks

This Time Magazine article reports how the U.S Special Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell is trying to reach an agreement for direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians by September 1st while on a quick visit to the region.

U.S. Priorities for a Stronger More Effective United Nations

A fact sheet from the Department of State and the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations on the U.S. policy towards UN reform.

U.S. public diplomacy - is it working?

Opposition to the U.S. and its foreign policies has intensified since the start of the war in Iraq according to a survey by the Pew Research Center who polled 7,500 people in nine countries. American prestige is at an all time low. What can be done to improve America's image abroad? Is public diplomacy a noble futility? What role for the private sector?

U.S. Troops in Korea: Time to Go?

This short article examines the growing local opposition to continued U.S. troop presence

in Korea. Looks at how the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) has contributed to

anti-American sentiment and perpetuated Korean dissatisfaction with the unequal

partnership between Korea and the United States.

U.S. Withdrawal From Cities - Iraqis' Reaction

While some Iraqis may celebrate the withdrawal of American troops from Iraqi cities, others still have mixed opinions as to whether or not their own troops could protect their nation.

U.S., Venezuela to restore full diplomatic ties

The United States and Venezuela have formally agreed to resume full diplomatic relations, reflecting not only Obama's desire for better Latin American relations, but also President Hugo Chavez's need to improve his image.

U.S.-European Relations 2009

Will this alliance continued to be strained by the past?  And are the two regions headed in different directions?  This article analyzes both the past and present challenges in the U.S. and Europe's relationship.

U.S.-India relations and the liquid natural gas conundrum

U.S.-Latin American relations post-9/11

When George W. Bush became president, Latin Americans welcomed his enthusiasm for improving U.S. ties to the region. But since the September 11 attacks, the U.S. has largely ignored the rest of the hemisphere. (GD 2004)

U.S.-Saudi Arabian Relations: Energy and Economic Aspects

H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf

Minister of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sir Andrew Crockett

President, J.P. Morgan Chase International, H.E. Eng. Ali Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Peter Robertson

Vice Chairman, Chevron Texaco address the FPA and the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council on

U.S.-Saudi Arabian Relations: Energy and Economic Aspects.

U.S.-Saudi Relations: Saudi Foreign Minister H.R.H. Saud al Faisal bin Abdel Aziz

Saudi Foreign Minister

H.R.H. Saud al Faisal bin Abdel Aziz addressed the Foreign Policy Association and the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council on April 26, 2004, on the state of U.S.-Saudi relations.

UK and Denmark Sending Troops Home

The United Kingdom announced that it expects to withdraw its forces from Iraq by 2008. The more immediate reduction of 1,600 soldiers from Basra will reduce Britain's forces in Iraq to 5,500. Denmark's 460 soldiers, currently under British command are also expected to withdraw.

Unanswered Policy Questions on U.S. Troops

CFR President Richard Haass identifies questions that remain following the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq and a renewed focus on Afghanistan is announced in President Obama's Oval Office speech.

UNCAC Coalition

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Coalition aims to mobilize broad civil society support for UNCAC and to facilitate strong civil society action at national, regional and international level in support of UNCAC. The Coalition is open to all organizations and individuals committed to these goals The breadth of UNCAC means that its framework is relevant for a wide range of CSOs, including groups working in the areas of human rights, labor rights, governance, economic development, environment and private sector accountability.

Undermining Haiti

Understanding Afghanistan Program

“Understanding Afghanistan and Central Asia” is a program that has been developed by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing Afghanistan and central Asia today, and to contribute to the global policy debate on the best strategies for ensuring sustainable development and stability in the region.

Uniform Code of Military Justice

The Uniform Code of Military Justice are the rules that govern U.S. military criminal law.  Specific sections of the Code address detaining suspects, holding court-martial proceedings, as well as protections granted to detainees and defendents.

United States and Europe: "Partners or Victims?"

Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski addressed the World Affaris Councils of America National Conference on January 30, 2004 on the topic of transatlantic relations. This is the transcript from the former national security advisor's keynote speech.

United States Institute for Peace: Iraq

A wide range of useful reports on Iraq, many based on field experience.

Unlikely Tutor Giving Military Afghan Advice

This New York Times article explores the growing relationship between Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea" and "Stones into Schools", and the United States military.

Upcoming Foreign Policy Summit

 Partnership for a Secure America (PSA), World Learning/SIT, Americans for Informed Democracy(AID), along with SFSU's Masters of International Relations Student Association, are co-sponsoring a conference aimed at equipping the next generation of global leaders with the skills and awareness necessary to shape a more appropriate US foreign policy for our increasingly interdependent and connected world. The conference will be held at San Francisco State University on April 26th and 27th. To RSVP for the event, please go to http://ourworld.worldlearning.org/site/Calendar/1697654611?view=Detail&id=2861.

US ‘had no policy' in place to rebuild Iraq

US claims success in war on drugs

The Director of the Office of National Drug Policy, John Walters, reported a decline in the amount of narcotics being trafficked across the border from Mexico, and complimented policies on both sides for the recent success.  But he also said it had not yet been proven if the results could be sustained over the long term.

US diplomat met with Cuban dissidents in Havana

This article from The Miami Herald discusses an unannounced trip made by Bisa Williams, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, to Cuba for meetings with both government officials and dissidents, and analyzes what the visit indicates about the future of relations between Washington and Havana.

US envoy begins talks with political forces in Khartoum

With presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 11-13 April 2010, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration traveled to Khartoum to meet with political leaders ahead of the country's first multi-party election in more than twenty years.

US envoy Mitchell ends tour with visit to Egypt's Mubarak

George Mitchell, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, completed a tour of the region. Mitchell had indirect talks with Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders in an effort to keep the peace process on track.

US Envoy Urges Israel, Palestinians to Exercise Restraint

As the row between the U.S. and Israel intensifies, U.S. Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell made an appeal to both sides to create the conditions necessary to facilitate peace talks.

US Military and Clandestine Operations in Foreign Countries - 1890-Present

US Signals Support for 'Brief' Sudan Election Delay

This article from Voice of America examines why Obama administration officials, including Special Envoy Scott Gration, are pushing for a brief delay in Sudan's national elections.

US to fund Abbas against Hamas

After Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Hamas-led government, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a lifting of the economic embargo against the Palestinian government, and will ask Congress for additional financial assistance to be given to the Abbas government. 

US-European Cooperation is Needed to Make the Markets Work

US and European cooperation in e-commerce, trade and technology.(video)

Viewpoints Analysis: Recurring Failure on Iran

"Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, the United States and Iran have been in a perpetual state of conflict," argues Mehdi Noorbaksh of the Center for International Studies at University of St. Thomas.

Viewpoints: An Engagement Strategy

Current U.S. strategy in seeking to curb the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is misguided, and should engage rather than isolate Hamas, writes Diplomacy blogger Jeff Dexter.

Viewpoints: A “U.S. Declaration of Intent”

John Paluszek, APR, senior counsel at Ketchum and liaison to the United Nations for the Public Relations Society of America, calls for a U.S. declaration of intent in order to help achieve critical economic and foreign policy goals in the next U.S. administration.

Viewpoints: Bush's Foreign Policy Success in Africa

As President Bush wraps up his five-day trip to Africa this week, it is worth considering whether it will be the president's Africa initiatives that will stand out as his singular foreign policy success when Americans begin to contemplate his White House legacy. Through a combination of strong development and security policies across the continent, Bush has created a template for a consistent policy towards Africa that has been absent for decades.

Viewpoints: Moving the G-2 Forward

FPA contributor and Rising Powers blogger David Kampf argues that the G-2 relationship between China and the U.S. should be nurtured in an effort to address global problems in this edition of Viewpoints.

Viewpoints: Nepal in Crisis: Why Americans Should Care

Former Ambassador to Nepal Leon J. Weil explains why Americans should care about current instability and the breakdown of democratic institutions in Nepal in Viewpoints.

Viewpoints: The Foreign Policy Experts in Our Midst

Foreign Policy Association Fellow and contributor Sarwar Kashmeri shares his thoughts on Americans' grasp on foreign policy issues.

Viewpoints: The New “People Diplomacy”

America must strengthen its efforts to engage, persuade and attract the support of foreign publics, writes contributor John Paluszek, senior counsel at Ketchum and liaison to the United Nations for the Public Relations Society of America, in this edition of Viewpoints.

Viewpoints: The Perfect Storm

We know what has ended but we do not know yet what is to begin. The stinging rebuke delivered by American voters to the Bush administration and the escalating violence in Iraq have created the perfect storm. What is at stake is not only the future of Iraq, or even the future of the Middle East, but the scaffolding of global politics, the structures which temporarily underpin the global order. The voters in the United States and the violence in Iraq reversed trends which have been building for twenty five years.

Viewpoints: Winning Hearts and Minds Must Begin at Home - In America

Winning hearts and minds of the world's billion Muslims, has been a top American priority since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. But after spending hundreds of millions of dollars and harnessing some of the best minds in and out of the administration in this quest, America is more despised today in Islamic countries than ever before.

One important reason, I believe, is because the target audience for this critically important project was incorrectly defined. Instead of focusing on hearts and minds of the world's Muslims, we ought to focus on the increasingly biased and negative attitude displayed by a growing number of Americans towards Islam and Muslims. Once this changes, the Internet and its powerful distribution channels will take care of winning hearts and minds around the world far more effectively than any Washington directed propaganda project.

Views of a Changing World 2003: War With Iraq Further Divides Global Publics

The speed of the war in Iraq and the prevailing belief that the Iraqi people are better off as a result have modestly improved the image of America. But in most countries, opinions of the U.S. are markedly lower than they were a year ago. The war has widened the rift between Americans and Western Europeans, further inflamed the Muslim world, softened support for the war on terrorism, and significantly weakened global public support for the pillars of the post-World War II era – the U.N. and the North Atlantic alliance.

Viewspoints: The Rhetoric and Reality of "Change" in America

Contributor Marco Vicenzino examines the meaning behind the rhetoric in the 2008 presidential primary campaigns.

Washington's Continuing Debate on Iraq

The report by the Iraq Study Group (ISG) formalizes in a single document views and realities known for a long time, which many officials have voiced publicly and others privately due to the fear of political retribution.   The report is devoid of the political rhetoric and grand-standing that marked the months and weeks leading up to the recent Congressional elections.  

We're Not Winning. It's Not Worth It.

President of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, comments on the future of Afghanistan and suggests the time has come for Obama to reduce and redirect what we do.

What Are U.S. Interests?

Nonpartisan briefs on key issues facing the nation in the election year 2004 and beyond.

What Became of the "Responsibility to Protect" Principle

Interviews with notable individuals involved in human rights discourse and policy on the UN-sponsored "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine, including where it may be headed and why it was passed.

What Is Torture?

Analysis of the classification and admissability of torture in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.

What to Read on Egyptian Politics

Mona el-Ghobashy, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Barnard College offers six books to help readers understand the personalities, parties and culture of Egyptian politics.

What to Read on Fighting Insurgencies

Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies at the Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, offers several books and resources for understanding the tactics used to fight an insurgency in places, using examples of previous conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Algeria.

What to Read on Russian Politics

Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, Senior Researcher and Deputy Director at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, recommends seven books for better understanding Russia's complex political landscape.

What turned Brent Scowcroft against the Bush Administration?

Where Autocrats Don't Fear to Tread

Jeffrey Herbst writes in Foreign Policy magazine about how some of the most notorious countries in the world are able to still operate in UN cooperative bodies, and in some cases, use them to protect themselves.

Where Is Iraq Heading? Lessons from Basra

International Crisis Group Middle East Report N°67

Where Is Iraq Heading? Lessons from Basra - June 25, 2007

International Crisis Group, “Where Is Iraq Heading? Lessons from Basra,” Middle East Report N°67, June 25, 2007

Where the Players Landed

On the one year anniversary of the start of the global financial crisis, The New York Times provides an update on some of the most famous names on Wall Street.

Whether He Likes It or Not, Obama Must Command

In this commentary, AEI's Michael Barone writes about President Obama's choice of members of this Afghanistan strategy team put leaders with differing opinions together - leading to the turmoil expressed in General Stanley McChrystal's oontroversial Rolling Stone interview.

Why Najaf Matters in Post-War Iraq

Michael Rubin writes how, due to the Shiite majority in population in Iraq and key parts of the Muslim world, the U.S. should direct diplomatic efforts to Najaf, one of the holiest cities in Shiite Islam.

Why the ‘Japan Model' for Iran Unsettles the West

Colette Mazzucelli writes about how Iran's nuclear aspirations mirror the capability of the Japanese, but are guided by a different set of national priorities.

Why the West Should Talk Turkey with Iran

Turkey's policy direction of dialogue with EU countries and the common regional interests in shares with Iran could make it a good broker for negotiating to reduce the Iranian nuclear threat.

Why We Must Achieve Peace

Ehud Barak, Forum 99

Winning the Peace in Iraq

With “combat” operations in Iraq ending and the drawing down of American troops to 50,000 by the end of August 2010, Max Boot and Jeane J. Kirkpatrick explain their views of the role the U.S must still play in Iraq's future.

WLF 2003 Transcripts & Video - Day One

WLF Transcripts & Video: The Foreign Policy Association presents World Leadership Forum 2003. WLF convenes global policymakers, business leaders and experts to anticipate the trends – technological, regulatory, demographic – that transform industry boundaries and create new competitive space.

WLF 2003 Transcripts & Video - Day Two

WLF Transcripts & Video:

The Foreign Policy Association presents World Leadership Forum 2003. WLF convenes global policymakers, business leaders and experts to anticipate the trends – technological, regulatory, demographic – that transform industry boundaries and create new competitive space.

World Bank - The Financial Crisis

This section of the World Bank website features resources on the ongoing global financial crisis.

World Bank: Food Crisis

The World Bank's "Topics in Development" page on the Food Crisis offers a variety of materials to help understand the origins of the crisis, as well as the efforts by the World Bank to combat it.

World Leadership Forum 2008 Economic Panels

Watch two timely panels on the global economy from the Foreign Policy Association 2008 World Leadership Forum broadcast on C-SPAN.

World Public Opinion 2007

WorldPublicOpinion.org and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs have released an in-depth study of world-wide opinion on key international issues, including climate change, globalization, the future of the United Nations, US leadership and the rise of China.

WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources

This section of the WWW Virtual Library system is an Internet directory of over 2000 annotated links to high-quality English-language sources of information and analysis in a wide range of international affairs, international studies, and international relations topics.

Yale Journal of International Affairs

The Yale Journal of International Affairs offers scholars an excellent opportunity to highlight their research in a new forum devoted to the discussion of current issues in international affairs.