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OP-EDS
Published opinions and arguments by CFR fellows and experts. For a compilation of op-eds and editorials from around the world, visit the Daily Opinion Roundup.
November 5, 2009
Washington Post
Ray Takeyh writes that the Iranian administration is diverting attention to its nuclear program as a way to avoid scrutiny of its attempts to squash democratic dissent within Iran.
See more in Iran, Democracy and Human Rights, Proliferation
November 4, 2009
Huffington Post
Ambassador John Campbell writes that under the presidency of Umaru Yar'adu, Nigeria is moving away from its corrupt system and towards the rule of law.
See more in Nigeria, Rule of Law, Society and Culture
November 3, 2009
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, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 3, 2009
Bloomberg
Amity Shlaes says that the Israeli military has played a surprising role in Israel's record of innovation.
See more in Economics
November 2, 2009
Commentary
Max Boot argues that success in Afghanistan depends on a cohesive counterinsurgency--rather than a counterterrorism--strategy.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Conflict Assessment, Terrorism
November 2, 2009
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, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 2, 2009
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.
See more in India, Pakistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 2, 2009
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
Christian Science Monitor
Micah Zenko writes that although many are growing impatient waiting for President Obama to launch an Afghanistan strategy, it is prudent to let the deliberations play out so that he can get the strategy right.
See more in Afghanistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
October 30, 2009
Washington Post
Lydia Khalil writes that because of their national background, a surprising number of Arabs are able to relate to the viewpoints of Fox News.
See more in Society and Culture, Ethnicity and National Identity, Media and Foreign Policy
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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.
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The report of this bipartisan Task Force of distinguished leaders and experts represents a strong consensus on the importance of repairing America's immigration policy. It makes the case that maintaining America's political and economic leadership depends on attracting talented and hard-working immigrants, and on securing the country's borders in a smart, effective, and humane way.
This report finds that nuclear weapons will remain a fundamental element of U.S. national security in the near term, and makes recommendations on how to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. deterrent nuclear force, prevent nuclear terrorism, and strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime.
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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.
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