Gaza
Crisis in Gaza
The continuing violence in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is reverberating across the entire region, generating increased scrutiny of the Egyptian government’s role in the crisis, and opening new opportunities for mediation by moderate states, such as Turkey. Carnegie experts in the Middle East and DC explain regional perspectives on the conflict, its impact on neighboring nations, and its possible outcome.Russia
Instability in Russia
The falling price of oil and global economic instability are taking a heavy toll on Russia. For the first time since Vladmir Putin's rise to power, Moscow confronts the prospect of serious domestic turmoil--economic, social, and political. Just this month, Russia's need for cash to weather the financial storm led its leading energy comany, Gazprom, to cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine over unresolved debt and future energy prices. Carnegie experts in Moscow and Washington explain the implications of Russia's economic uncertainty for it embattled leaders, regional energy security, and relations with the West.- Russia's Future:
- For Russia, A Dark Horizon (Washington Post)
- Experts Discuss Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute
Obama
Foreign Policy for Obama
In a special live broadcast of the BBC’s The World Tonight program, Carnegie experts assessed the foreign policy priorities facing President-elect Barack Obama. The wide-ranging discussion focused on issues from Iraq, climate change, and the Middle East peace process, to Russia and Iran. [ video | audio ]- The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy:
- Obama's National Security Challenges
- Foreign Policy for the Next President
India-Pakistan
Rising Tensions in South Asia
Tensions continue to rise between India and Pakistan as both sides trade angry rhetoric following the Mumbai attacks last month. India is demanding the Zardari government crack down on alleged terrorist organizations within its borders. At a recent Carnegie event, prominent Indian leaders emphasized the need to promote stable democracy and increased state capacity so the civilian government can dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism in under-governed parts of the country.- Mumbai Attacks:
- Terrorists Attacking Mumbai Have Global Agenda (Yale Global)
- Investigations into Mumbai (CSPAN)
- Engaging Pakistan
- More on the Attacks
Islamist Movements at the Crossroads
Despite limited electoral success, Islamist movements in the Middle East have failed to influence policy and are criticized by their base for abandoning their religious commitments. Marina Ottaway and Amr Hamzawy explain that Islamist movements must convince their supporters that political participation is the best long term means to affect government despite seemingly poor short term gains.
Islamist Politics:
Arab Reform Bulletin
Democracy Promotion in the Middle East
Party for Justice and Development in Morocco
Thinking Strategically About Russia
Successive U.S. administrations have forfeited the chance to integrate Russia into the West first afforded by the collapse of Communism and again by 9/11. Instead, the United States has either neglected Russia or openly disregarded its overtures and warnings on a range of regional concerns. Dmitri Trenin explains that President-elect Obama needs a comprehensive approach to Russia based on a shared vision of European security.
Engaging Russia:
Russian–American Security Relations After Georgia (Carnegie Brief)
U.S.-Russian Relations: The Longer View (Ambassadors' Statement)
More on the U.S.-Russia Relations
What to do with Guantánamo's Detainees
Closing Guantánamo, as President-elect Barack Obama has signaled he will do, will not be the end of extremist detention. As long as the United States and its allies continue to arrest and hold individuals around the world in the struggle against Islamist violence, they will need a comprehensive and international approach on how to hold and process extremists. Christopher Boucek explains in the International Herald Tribune that the ultimate goal should be to send these prisoners back to their home countries to be charged, housed and reintegrated.
Guantánamo Resources:
A Way Out of Guantánamo (Common Ground News Service)
The Dilemma of the Yemeni Detainees (CTC Sentinel)
Debate Rages Over Those Still At Guantanámo (NPR)
Foreign Policy for the Next President
Next January, the new U.S. President will be confronted with the longest list of severe challenges any president has faced in decades. Prioritizing among them will be even more important than usual. In its new series, "Foreign Policy for the Next President", the Carnegie Endowment’s experts endeavor to do just that. They separate good ideas from dead ends and go beyond widely agreed goals to describe how to achieve them.
More on this series ►-
Sharing the Burden in the Middle East
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Thinking Strategically About Russia
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Syrian–Israeli Peace: A Possible Key to Regional Change
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Stabilizing Afghanistan: Threats and Challenges
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Nuclear Renaissance: Is It Coming? Should It?
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Russian–American Security Relations After Georgia
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Iran Says “No”—Now What?
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Engaging Pakistan—Getting the Balance Right
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Asia—Shaping the Future
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Is a League of Democracies a Good Idea?
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Sunset for the Two-State Solution?
U.S. Policy on Iran
Iran continues to be a critical national security challenge for the United States, despite decades of effort to change Tehran's behavior. George Perkovich recommends the United States give Iran one last, time-limited chance to negotiate the suspension of its fuel-cycle-related activities. Karim Sadjadpour prioritizes U.S. engagement with Iran on six critical issues: Iraq, Afghanistan, nuclear proliferation, the Arab—Israeli conflict, energy, and terrorism.
Engaging Iran:
Experts Explain How to Talk With Iran
Iran Says "No"—Now What?
More on Iran
Stabilizing Afghanistan: Threats and Challenges
Stability in Afghanistan and the future of its government depend on the United States and its Afghan and other allies providing security for the Afghan people. William Maley warns that calls for an Iraq-style "troop surge" ignore the immediate need for a comprehensive political strategy to fix Afghanistan's fragile security structure, dysfunctional system of government, and unstable borders.Challenges in Afghanistan:
NATO and Afghanistan: Saving the State-Building Enterprise
Afghanistan: UN Special Representative Addresses Priorities
China and the Global Financial Crisis
As U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson concludes his final round of the U.S.–China Strategic Economic Dialogue, widespread confusion and serious concern swirl around China’s role in the global financial crisis. Albert Keidel explains that by shrinking its trade surplus quickly in any way it sees fit, China could help prevent an unraveling of the international trading system on which China and the world so critically depend.
More on Chinese Economic Development
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A New Vision - Pioneering the Global Think Tank (click here to learn more)
Highlights from our centers
Chinese Regional Inequalities
Comparison of China’s major regions shows large disparities in GDP per capita over the last twenty years, which became more pronounced during the first half of this decade.
Afghanistan and the Transatlantic Community
The conflict in Afghanistan is likely to be one of the first issues of contention between Europe and the U.S. during the next U.S. administration. U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker,
discussed the future of transatlantic engagement in Afghanistan and the region.
The Social Consequences of Russia’s Economic Crisis
The stability of Russia’s political system over
the past decade has been predicated on
two factors, neither of which looks likely to
persist much longer: rapid, resource-driven economic growth and the bureaucracy elite’s ability to leave government quickly and easily thanks to the significant assets accumulated over the
course of their service
Obama and the Middle East: Palestine First
If the Obama administration wants to serve U.S. interests in the Middle East it has to avoid mimicking previous administrations by dispelling the myth that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is too complicated and impossible to resolve.
30 Years of Rural Land Use Rights Reform
The proposed land reform legislation before the CCP's Central Committee would give farmers more control to rent and sell their land. It represents a significant effort by the government to curb local corruption, increase food security, as well as reduce the inequality between urban and rural China.
