Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
eNews
05/29/2008
FEATURED
Is a League of Democracies a Good Idea?
In the third brief in Carnegie’s new series "Foreign Policy for the Next President," Thomas Carothers argues that although the proposed “League of Democracies” reflects a useful recognition of the need to rebuild U.S. credibility through greater multilateralism, it rests on a false assumption that democracies share sufficient common interests to work effectively together on a wide range of global issues. Instead, Carothers outlines steps the next U.S. president should take to bolster democracy promotion and foreign policy in general.
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New Questions on Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
A new report issued this week by the International Atomic Energy Agency alleges that Iran is withholding critical information on its nuclear activities, raising fresh concerns that it is developing a nuclear weapons program. Carnegie experts offer analysis on how the international community can best engage Iran on the nuclear issue.
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IN THIS ISSUE...
MIDDLE EAST DEVELOPMENTS:
Hope in the Levant
Does the agreement between government and opposition leaders in Lebanon and the start of indirect talks between Israel and Syria in Turkey hold the possibility of a more stable and peaceful future for the region? Marina Ottaway and Paul Salem argue that while the latest developments run counter to current U.S. policy, they may have a positive influence on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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Kuwait's Election Results: A Blow to Reform?
The success of the conservative Islamist salafis in Kuwait’s May 17 parliamentary election is likely to further discredit democracy in the country and throughout the Persian Gulf. Nathan J. Brown writes that this is a significant setback for a close U.S. ally curiously overlooked by American efforts to promote political reform in the region.
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CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS:
Taiwan's New Ma Administration
The agreement this week between Taiwan and China to restart bilateral talks after more than a decade is further evidence that Ma Ying-jeou's administration may usher in a new era between Taiwan and China after nearly six decades of tense relations. Carnegie experts provide analysis to help explain the evolving relationship between China, Taiwan, and the United States
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CHINA'S MILITARY:
China Seeks Military Power in Space
Major investment by China in its space program will allow Beijing to use space to expand its national power, said Ashley J. Tellis in testimony to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. China’s current military space program is designed to complement conventional military operations, deny space to superior adversaries, and prepare for future struggles over the control of space.
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CONTAINING NORTH KOREA:
North Korea's Nuclear Program
Last month, the U.S. administration released details of North Korea’s involvement in the construction of an alleged nuclear reactor in Syria. Robert Gallucci, the ambassador responsible for the 1994 Agreed Framework between North Korea and the United States, and Carl Ford, a former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, examine North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, Pyongyang’s connections and cooperation with Syria, and future steps towards verifying the disablement of North Korean nuclear facilities.
GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS:
Improving Long Term Global Food Security
Skyrocketing food prices have sent shock waves around the world, from poor households to elite policy circles to trade negotiating tables. Carnegie's Sandra Polaski proposes several measures which should be adopted within the WTO’s Doha Round to improve long term global food security and reduce future hunger and poverty. Polaski also reviews the causes and effects of high food prices and finds that - contrary to conventional wisdom - more poor households may gain from rising prices than lose.
AUTOCRACY VS. DEMOCRACY:
The Return of History
The growing tension between countries governed by liberal democracies and those controlled through autocracies could become one of the defining pressures shaping international relations in the new century. Writing about the themes in his new book, The Return of History and the End of Dreams, Robert Kagan explores the reasons why this old struggle is once again prominent, and what can be done to bolster the international community of democratic nations.
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