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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 23, 2009
The Boston Globe
The fact that President Obama did not predict the decline of Chinese communism was an important shift in rhetoric that was otherwise in line with what U.S. president's before him have said, writes Joshua Kurlantzick.
See more in China, Democracy and Human Rights, Society and Culture
November 23, 2009
Washington Post
Elizabeth Economy provides a brief assessment of President Obama's China visit during his trip to Asia, writing that, "it was, optically, one of the worst U.S. presidential visits to Beijing in memory," however, substantively, it was on par with recent presidential trips to China.
See more in China, Diplomacy, Presidency
November 23, 2009
The Daily Beast
Les Gelb finds "disturbing amateurishness" in President Obama's foreign policy, particularly in light of his recent trip to Asia.
See more in Asia, Diplomacy, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 21, 2009
Washington Post
Edward Alden argues that the Obama administration should promptly eliminate the "special registration" procedures under the National Security Entry-Exit System set up after September 11, 2001.
See more in Geoeconomics, Immigration
November 18, 2009
Philadelphia Inquirer
Marisa Porges considers the "unorthodox" solution of rehabilitation for Guantanamo detainees.
See more in Saudi Arabia, Terrorism and the Law, U.S. Strategy and Politics
October 2009
Nature
As part of a larger publication, assessing the effectiveness of the economic stimulus, Michael Levi and Adam Segal write that the Department of Energy is pursuing a "prudent and sound" strategy for investing their share. The more pressing concern, according to Levi and Segal, is that Congress may forgo funding the department in favor of more "politically attractive" options.
See more in Financial Crises, Energy, Congress
November 17, 2009
New York Times
Steve Simon writes in favor of trying Khalid Shaikh Mohammed--the self proclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks--in a federal court in New York City and refutes the many criticisms of this option.
See more in Terrorist Leaders, Terrorism and the Law, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 16, 2009
Weekly Standard
"Despite the headlines about bombings in Baghdad, the situation has improved immeasurably," writes Max Boot, referring to the better security in Iraq on his most recent trip. Nevertheless, he cautions that, "there is no room to be complacent," as there is much work yet to be done.
See more in Iraq, Conflict Assessment, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 16, 2009
The New Republic
Steven Cook asks if Palestinian leadership is going to use violence against Israel as a means to strengthen domestic support and gain a political advantage.
See more in Israel, Palestinian Authority, Conflict Assessment, Society and Culture
November 15, 2009
Washington Post
Najwa and Omar bin Laden--first wife and fourth son of Osama bin Laden--paint a "horrifying portrait" of one of the greatest criminals of our time, writes Thomas Lippman in his review of their book, "Growing Up Bin Laden." Written with Jean Sasson, the book provides intimate details about the bin Ladens' family life but does not add much to our understanding of al-Qaeda, says Lippman.
See more in Society and Culture, Terrorism, Terrorist Leaders
November 12, 2009
The Boston Globe
Ray Takeyh argues that many critics of the Afghanistan war are wrong to compare it to Vietnam and that such comparisons are "absolutely toxic," in the way that they are limiting progress in Afghanistan.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Conflict Assessment, Foreign Policy History
November 12, 2009
Washington Post
President Obama's trip to Asia offers an opportunity for the United States to reshape its relationship with Japan in the face of "historic" political change, writes Sheila Smith.
See more in Japan, Elections, Diplomacy
November 12, 2009
GlobalPost
Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua’s efforts to reform the oil and gas industry have the potential to upset the fragile Nigerian internal political balance among the regions, ethnic and religious groups, and patronage networks, writes John Campbell.
See more in Nigeria, Industrial Policy, Natural Resources Management
November 12, 2009
Financial Times
"As U.S. president Barack Obama makes his way through Asia he will find a dynamic region in ferment," writes Evan Feigenbaum. And, as the region continues to grow, the United States needs to assert itself through trade agreements or risk becoming marginalized in a region that will constitute about half the global economy.
See more in Asia, Business & Foreign Policy, Emerging Markets, Trade
November 10, 2009
National Review
Elliot Abrams argues that the Obama administration is pursuing a confusing and unclear policy towards Israel.
See more in Israel, Palestinian Authority, Diplomacy
November 10, 2009
Bloomberg.com
World War II was the era of John Maynard Keynes and the 1990s were the era of Milton Friedman. But Amity Shlaes says that because of the effort to pass the health-care bill, the next few years belong to Hayek.
See more in Geoeconomics
November 10, 2009
Los Angeles Times
Although corruption, drug-trafficking and other civil issues are important priorities, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan needs to become more engaged with the war raging around him, writes Max Boot.
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, International Peace and Security
November 9, 2009
Weekly Standard
Prompted by the "complete failure" of the President's Israel strategy, Elliot Abrams asks, "can anything else possibly go wrong for the Obama administration's Middle East policy?"
See more in Israel, Palestinian Authority, Conflict Assessment
November 9, 2009
Politico
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, James Goldgeier examines what the occasion meant for the Republican party, and how it has affected the U.S. presidency since.
See more in Germany, Democracy and Human Rights, Society and Culture, Presidency
November 9, 2009
The Daily Beast
Leslie Gelb writes that the U.S. military's request to increase troops in Afghanistan by 44,000 ought to be closely scrutinized. He adds that, on this issue, "the military got a free ride from America’s pretend leaders and fake journalists."
See more in Afghanistan, Wars and Warfare, Conflict Assessment
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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.
About Independent Task Forces at CFR
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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.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
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