As the financial crisis deepens, policymakers are facing growing pressures to close their nation’s borders to the international economy. Catherine Ashton, European Commissioner for Trade, warns that resisting these pressures is imperative, not just for long-term economic health, but for near-term recovery.
Reasserting Civilian Control in Pakistan
Pakistan’s fragile government must reform the country’s intelligence agencies to counter their influence on civil society and politics. A new report explains that with patience, resolve, and assistance from the international community, Pakistan’s government can successfully reassert civilian control over the intelligence community.
A World Transformed
In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, David Rothkopf warned that economic uncertainty caused by the financial crisis will inevitably beget political turmoil. The United States can minimize the national security risks posed by the crisis by leading a coordinated global effort to reduce, eliminate, or contain threats.
Gulf Economies Must Diversify
Oil-producing Gulf states squandered the opportunity to make much needed economic reforms when high oil revenues would have made the task easier. Ibrahim Saif explains that today's reduced oil revenues and global economic uncertainty make it imperative that they develop competitive, diversified economies.
Setting a New Tone with Iran
Iran’s sizable influence on issues of critical importance to the United States has rendered obsolete the longstanding Washington debate about whether or not to “engage.” In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Karim Sadjadpour explained that the United States can set a new tone and context for relations with Tehran by building confidence in areas of overlapping interest, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
European Conflict Management in the Middle East
Europe undermines its economic, political, and security interests by assuming a secondary role to the United States in the Middle East. A new paper from the Carnegie Middle East Center explains that for the EU to be an effective player in the Middle East peace process, it must pursue greater political engagement on three tracks: the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Lebanon.
The Future of Party Rule
The deepening economic crisis and recent naval confrontation with the United States pose critical challenges to the Chinese Communist Party leadership. Carnegie experts explain how a worsening economy could lead to divisions among the political elite, and how security tensions with the United States raise questions about China's commitement to follow international norms.
Foreign Policy Sequels
Robert Kagan argues in the Washington Post that despite the Obama administration's efforts to distance itself from the Bush foreign policy legacy on key issues like the use of force in Afghanistan and engaging Iran, the new administration looks much like the previous one. Democracy and human rights promotion offers Obama an opportunity to distinguish himself from Bush by doing what the former president did not: match policy with rhetoric.
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