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Source: Getty
Though Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton laid out some basic policy positions in her confirmation hearings – the Obama administration will engage directly with Iran and will close Guantanamo, for example – the details of how the administration will pursue these objectives remain unclear.
Source: bloggingheads.tv
Closing Guantanamo
Kagan is skeptical of pragmatic arguments for releasing Guantanamo detainees, noting the difficulty of demonstrating a link between the United States’ detention policies and further acts of terrorism. The strongest argument for closing Guantanamo and releasing most of the detainees is that it represents a violation of American values.
Talking to Iran
Wright and Kagan agreed with Secretary of State-designate Clinton’s statement in her confirmation hearing that Iran must become a constructive, “respectable and respected” regional player. They disagreed, however, about how Iran will respond to this opening gambit. Although Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon could trigger a regional arms race, Kagan cautioned against bombing Iran, saying, “it’s not clear what the military option can achieve.”
Gaza
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has crippled Hamas’ ability to launch rockets, but has not removed the incentive to target Israel nor the beliefs underlying the group’s embrace of terrorism. Kagan noted that though historically military force has been an effective way to alter beliefs, changing Hamas’ belief in the effectiveness of terrorism will require sustained engagement by the United States, to remove Hamas’ perception that the international community will not help the Israelis and Palestinians achieve lasting peace.
Former Senior Associate
Kagan, author of the recent book, The Return of History and the End of Dreams (Knopf 2008), writes a monthly column on world affairs for the Washington Post and is a contributing editor at both the Weekly Standard and the New Republic.
Robert Wright
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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