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| Current Topic: International Relations |
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| Topic: International Relations |
2:27 am EST, Mar 25, 2004 |
For more than 50 years, the transatlantic partnership between the United States and Europe has been the linchpin of this country's foreign policy. Despite a remarkable record of success, 2003 marked the lowest point in transatlantic relations since World War II. The dispute over Iraq prompted an unusual level of rancor and rhetoric on both sides of the Atlantic and a steady deterioration in public support for a close transatlantic partnership. Do these signs of friction reflect a temporary transatlantic misunderstanding, or are more fundamental forces at work? Can the United States and Europe still be effective allies -- and if so, how? The Imbalance of Power |
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Powell Tries to Reassure Saudis and Kuwaitis |
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| Topic: International Relations |
11:41 am EST, Mar 21, 2004 |
Powell sought to allay the furor, assuring the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that there was no intention to impose reforms on their countries. I sense slightly different foreign policy strategies emerging on this issue ... The Europeans have also demanded that Pakistan and Afghanistan be removed as recipients of aid ... [saying that] labeling those two countries as part of a "greater" Middle East reflected ignorance and anti-Muslim bias. Give it a name ... When asked in Saudi Arabia whether the US would be satisfied if the Arab League adopted a democracy resolution, Mr. Powell bristled. "It's not a matter of satisfying the United States." "You are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind ... Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes ... Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more ..." Powell Tries to Reassure Saudis and Kuwaitis |
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John Kerry: Winning War on Terror Requires Reconsideration of Saudi Alliance |
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| Topic: International Relations |
11:36 pm EST, Mar 20, 2004 |
When a senior member of the Saudi ruling family -- its top law enforcement officer responsible for tracking down terrorists -- promotes wild, antisemitic conspiracy theories to explain away the September 11 attacks, it is time for America to look seriously at our relationship with Saudi Arabia and its reliability as an ally against terrorism. It's time to put the American-Saudi relationship on a frank and balanced basis. Not surprisingly, the Saudi-friendly Bush administration has failed to get this point. Saudi Arabia's support for Islamic extremism here and elsewhere is also well known. The Saudi regime openly and enthusiastically supports Palestinian terrorist groups, such as Hamas. [Bush] refuses to come clean on his administration's relationship with the Saudi royal family. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, when airplanes were still grounded, the White House allowed a Saudi charter flight to round up members of the bin Laden family and leave the country without time for an investigation. As president, I will not stand by and allow America to be held hostage by Saudi oil. We can unleash the spirit of American ingenuity to meet this challenge. So far, [Bush] has been unable and unwilling to stand up to the Saudi regime. John Kerry: Winning War on Terror Requires Reconsideration of Saudi Alliance |
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EU could hold talks with Turkey next year |
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| Topic: International Relations |
9:06 am EST, Mar 17, 2004 |
The European Union could be ready to start accession talks with Turkey as early as next January. Negotiations could take seven years. If successful, it would mean the EU's new neighbours would be Iran, Iraq and Syria. The big question: how France would vote at the December summit, where decisions require unanimity. Paris's position on Turkish membership remains ambiguous. "Ambiguous" is a dangerous position for France on this issue. It must decide for itself, and soon. EU could hold talks with Turkey next year |
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George 'Bubble' Soros to appear on Booknotes |
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| Topic: International Relations |
6:45 pm EST, Feb 22, 2004 |
Long known as "the world's only private citizen with a foreign policy," George Soros combines his razor-sharp sense of economic trends with his passionate advocacy for open societies and decency in world politics to come up with a workable, and severely critical, analysis of the Bush administration's overreaching, militaristic foreign policy. The Bubble of American Supremacy has a clear, intriguing, comprehensive thesis that makes necessary, and compelling, order of our seemingly disordered world. George Soros will appear on C-SPAN's Booknotes program next Sunday, February 29. George 'Bubble' Soros to appear on Booknotes |
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Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Requires a Pagan Ethos |
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| Topic: International Relations |
2:38 pm EST, Feb 21, 2004 |
Warrior Politics is a bracing book with an increasingly important message that challenges readers to see the world as it is, not as they would like it to be. The Washington Post: "While Washington is filled with journalists seeking information from the military, the military seeks information from Kaplan." Henry Kissinger: "One of the most thought-provoking and profound books that I have recently read. As readable as it is stimulating." Amazon offers a look at the annotated table of contents, the introduction, and part of the first chapter. Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Requires a Pagan Ethos |
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| Topic: International Relations |
12:46 pm EST, Feb 16, 2004 |
Many observers have characterized Pakistan as a failed state, or even a "rogue" state. While Pakistan certainly confronts many dangerous obstacles in the near future, it is too early to write Pakistan's epitaph. Rather, it is important to take a nuanced view of the issues surrounding the idea of "state failure," particularly before that term is applied to Pakistan. Stephen Cohen's new book goes on sale in May. The Idea of Pakistan |
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| Topic: International Relations |
12:39 pm EST, Feb 16, 2004 |
Dr. Khan's confession suits both Pakistan and America, since rounding up Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders (many may be hiding in Pakistan) trumps other concerns. But it is widely believed in Pakistan and elsewhere that the government knew of Dr. Khan's activities. This would make President Musharraf, as well as army and intelligence services, complicit in the nuclear crime of the century. As improbable as it may seem, though, President Musharraf may, for once, be telling the truth. But the fact that this rogue operation could have been mostly unknown to the Islamabad government and its army should trouble the world even more -- and propel Washington into rethinking its policies toward Pakistan. So far, Washington has stood by General Musharraf, who is considered a crucial ally in the campaign against terrorism. In doing so, it has placed its bets on a man who is, at best, well intentioned, but who may be in over his head. So far, we've been asking the wrong question. It's not whether President Musharraf and his army knew of Dr. Khan's activities -- but why they didn't. Stephen Cohen of the Brookings Institution offers this Stratfor-esque analysis of Pakistan. Out of the Nuclear Loop |
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A Samurai Fighter, Clad in Jeans, Takes On Putin |
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| Topic: International Relations |
7:40 pm EST, Feb 14, 2004 |
A female Samurai who dresses only in black and admires Hillary Clinton is running for president in Russia next month. A Samurai Fighter, Clad in Jeans, Takes On Putin |
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Restoring Trust in America |
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| Topic: International Relations |
9:45 am EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
On the cusp of a new book release, Zbigniew Brzezinski writes in the Post: America is preponderant in the world today, but it is not omnipotent. Thus America must have the capacity, when needed, to mobilize the genuine and sincere support of other countries, particularly of its closest allies. It can do so only if it is trusted. ... a worldwide drop in support ... manifest resentment ... pervasive distrust ... The sad fact is that US intelligence was not up to par. There are many reasons for that failure, but the most obvious one is the absence of an effective human clandestine intelligence service. I recall a conversation with Whit Diffie in the late 1990's (around the time that Tenet declared "war" on Al Qaeda). Although perhaps each for different reasons, we both agreed that HUMINT would/must be the central element of a 21st century national intelligence capability. I believe that we also agreed, implicitly, that this fact was intuitively obvious even to the most casual observer. Perhaps we should have written a memo. Restoring Trust in America |
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