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, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 3, 2009
Interview
As the Obama administration assesses American troop numbers in Afghanistan, the senior U.S. Army general training Afghan security forces says the White House should also double the size of the Afghan army and police.
See more in Afghanistan, Counterterrorism
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, U.S. Strategy and Politics
November 2, 2009
Op-Ed
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
Transcript
Max Boot, CFR senior fellow for national security studies, discusses U.S. strategy in Afghanistan online with Politico readers.
See more in United States, Afghanistan, Defense/Homeland Security, Defense Strategy, Elections
March 1995
Essential Documents
Plan
See more in Bangladesh, India, South Asia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Energy/Environment
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, U.S. Strategy and Politics
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.
See more in India, Pakistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
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
November 2, 2009
Must Read
Peter Galbraith reflects on the declaration of Karzai's victory as a "farce and failure," warns that Afghanistan has lost its legitimacy in the West, and grimly questions the purpose now of sending more troops.
See more in Afghanistan, Elections
A recent Council report argued that a two-stage compromise is needed to protect nonproliferation while strengthening the bilateral U.S.-India relationship. On 7/26, the House endorsed a plan with a similar philosophy.
In a thorough primer on U.S. trade strategy, Tufts University's Dan Drezner examines the differences between free and fair trade.
Read more on washingtonpost.com's Think Tank Town.
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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
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Senior Fellow for International Economics
Former Council Military Fellow, 2005-2006
Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Senior Fellow for East, Central, and South Asia
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Senior Fellow for Global Health
Former Senior Fellow for South and West Asia
Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia
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Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow for China Studies
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
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