November 5, 2009
Expert Brief
The fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago marked a triumph of the U.S. strategy of containment. But U.S. policymakers have been struggling to establish new guidelines for confronting the world's complex challenges.
See more in United States, Foreign Policy History
November 5, 2009
Must Read
Marifeli Perez-Stable discusses the leakage by El País of Obama's message to Raul Castro, warning that if the administration doesn't "break the tired two-step" of Cuban-American relations soon, it may be too late.
See more in Cuba, Public Diplomacy
November 4, 2009
News Release
See more in Asia, International Organizations
November 3, 2009
Interview
Ahead of President Obama's Asia trip, CFR experts Sheila Smith, Joshua Kurlantzick, Elizabeth Economy, and Scott Snyder discuss what the president should focus on during his visit to Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea.
See more in Asia
November 3, 2009
Op-Ed
Financial Times
"General Stanley McChrystal's plan to pursue counterinsurgency in the countryside is a bridge too far," write Steve Simon and Charles Kupchan, arguing, instead, that Afghanistan policy should be focused on establishing control in strategic locations.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Conflict Assessment
November 3, 2009
Interview
Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says the Obama administration must determine how to use its leverage to help shape a competent government in Kabul.
See more in Afghanistan, Democracy and Human Rights, Elections
November 2, 2009
Op-Ed
The Daily Beast
Walter Russell Mead says that it should come as no surprise that the U.S.'s work in Afghanistan has led to deals with "dark forces" and "unsavory" characters and the fact that many Americans are surprised by this revelation is a telling insight into the "American soul."
See more in Afghanistan, Society and Culture
November 2, 2009
Op-Ed
American Interest
"There’s no doubt that Pakistan is the toughest and most dangerous problem in American foreign policy," writes Walter Russell Mead, adding that the crucial topic of India is often underestimated when the U.S.'s relationship with Pakistan is considered.
November 2, 2009
Op-Ed
The Daily Beast
Les Gelb points to stalled U.S. efforts in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and others as evidence that "Barack Obama has arrived at a terrible moment of truth in foreign policy."
See more in Afghanistan, Middle East, Conflict Assessment, Presidency
October 30, 2009
Audio
CFR's Daniel Markey and Max Boot call for a sustained U.S. commitment to stabilizing shaky governments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan
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Nigeria (11/4): John Campbell writes that under the presidency of Umaru Yar'adu, Nigeria is moving away from its corrupt system, on the Huffington Post.
Israel (11/3): Amity Shlaes says that the Israeli military has played a role in Israel's record of innovation, on Bloomberg.com.
Afghanistan (11/2): Walter Russell Mead says it is no surprise the U.S. has made deals with warlords, on the Daily Beast.
Conflict Assessment (11/2): Leslie Gelb on stalled U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, on the Daily Beast.
Terrorism (11/2): Max Boot argues that success in Afghanistan depends on a cohesive counterinsurgency--rather than a counterterrorism--strategy, in Commentary.
Pakistan (11/2): Walter Russell Mead says there’s no doubt that Pakistan is the most dangerous problem in U.S. foreign policy, in the American Interest.
Wars (11/2): Max Boot says the war effort is succeeding in parts of Afghanistan--with time and troops the gains can be consolidated, in the Weekly Standard.
U.S. Strategy (10/30): Micah Zenko says "don't rush the Afghan debate," in the Christian Science Monitor.
Identifying international threats and acting on them may be the most difficult job for U.S. policymakers. This report
provides an actionable road map for managing international threats before they erupt into crises and makes a strong case that preventive action is not a luxury but a necessity.
For more than a decade, the United States has mostly watched from the sidelines as Asian countries organize themselves into an alphabet soup of new multilateral groups. In this report, the authors review the relationship between pan-Asian and trans-Pacific institutions and suggest policy guidelines for a new U.S. approach to this new Asian landscape.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies— produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.
In Forces of Fortune, Vali Nasr presents a paradigm-changing revelation that will transform the understanding of the Muslim world at large. He reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
Complete list of CFR Books
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies
Visiting Fellow for Ocean Governance
Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and Director for Asia Studies
Senior Fellow for East, Central, and South Asia
Adjunct Senior Fellow
Senior Fellow for Global Health
Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow for Transatlantic Relations
President, Council on Foreign Relations
Vice President, Washington Program
Senior Fellow for Europe Studies
Adjunct Senior Fellow
David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment and Director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change
Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies
Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Military Affairs and Director of the Military Fellows Program
Senior Fellow and Director, Program on International Institutions and Global Governance
Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs
George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies and Director for Latin America Studies
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