An important challenge for U.S. diplomacy during the upcoming NATO summit is to ensure that the lack of a decision to enlarge NATO does not become a defining outcome of the gathering. NATO leaders have always emphasized that the alliance maintains an “open door” to new members, and the Chicago summit should be no exception. Perhaps nowhere is this more relevant than in the case of Georgia. more
In Southern Africa the process of regional cooperation has been viewed skeptically, mainly because the obvious disparities of power between South Africa and its neighbors raise the question of whether a more balanced and equitable set of regional relationships can be achieved. Though this is certainly a valid concern, it ignores any appreciation of the potential costs to Pretoria from closer regional cooperation. more
The Obama administration’s claim that sanctions on Iran are working is belied by a problematic truth: Sanctions are often ineffective as a tool of statecraft. Instead, the U.S. should embrace a new strategy of principled re-engagement with Iran that revisits diplomacy and minimizes harm to regular Iranians. Such a strategy is the best way to alleviate the long-term threat posed by the Iranian regime. more
As the United States disengages from Iraq and Afghanistan, the argument that technology is rendering land power obsolete has been resurrected. The appeal of substituting standoff military methods for a balanced capability means that as the U.S. military downsizes, land power may take a disproportionate cut. But before committing to such an approach, Americans must think carefully about its implications. more
From the start, the eurozone crisis has been a battle over who will ultimately be liable for the losses on sovereign debt held by European financial institutions. For political reasons, the EU has implemented what amounts to a covert bank bailout to prop up peripheral countries. However, a restructuring that allows peripheral economies to reduce their debt to sustainable levels is economically necessary now. more
The prospect of $500 billion in cuts to the U.S. defense budget from 2013-2021 has Washington in a panic. In unveiling an updated military strategy yesterday, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned that such cuts would lead to a “demoralized and hollow force.” We should not allow such claims to scare us into letting the Pentagon off the hook. The cuts would indispose the Pentagon, not destroy it. more
The difference between the U.S. and China's aid policies is that China deploys its aid as part of a broader strategy to open markets to Chinese companies and gain access to natural resources. The lesson for the United States, then, is not to do away with foreign aid, but to take a page out of the Chinese playbook and begin deploying aid in such a way that it will yield economic benefits for the United States. more
There is perhaps no better measure of the failure of American strategy over the past decade than the fact that in both Iraq and Afghanistan, tactical objectives have been used to define victory. In particular, both wars have been characterized by an all-encompassing obsession with the methods and tactics of counterinsurgency. Now, the U.S. Army is in dire need of a conversation on strategy. more
The U.S. government’s efforts to reduce its budget deficit has put funding for development aid and even defense spending on the chopping block. With advocacy groups and lobbyists in Washington now fighting to minimize the damage to their interests, little attention has been given to an innovative way to achieve security and development objectives amid financial austerity: leveraging the private sector. more
Last year, the European Union invested a record $3.6 billion in southern Mediterranean countries to demonstrate support for sustainable growth and job creation in the region. But despite these economic initiatives, the EU still lacks a political strategy for dealing with the Arab Spring. Nowhere is this clearer than in the continuing debate over whether to establish official relations with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Like many policy issues regarding North Korea, the U.S. has no good options regarding the restoration of food aid. Experts and moralists may debate the merits of North Korea's request for the food assistance. But resuming U.S. food aid to North Korea may be warranted for political as well as humanitarian reasons, as it could help establish the conditions needed to resume a dialogue with the North Korean government.
