Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The growing strength and assertiveness of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has alarmed Iraq’s neighbors and the Baghdad government. If ignored or badly handled, Kurdish aspirations have the potential to ignite violence and instability in Iraq and the region at a particularly delicate time.
Alexey Malashenko and Johannes Regenbrecht gave a comparative assessment of the European and Russian strategies in Central Asia.
Robert Kagan led a public discussion on the future of the transatlantic relationship under an Obama administration and its capability to address global challenges.
The debate in Washington and European capitals has recently centered on how many more troops will be sent to Afghanistan in 2009 as part of a military surge. The real question, however, is how combat troops should be used - to pursue the Taliban, or secure key areas to allow institutions to develop. The main policy objective must be the development of a government that can survive U.S. withdrawal.
The emergence of non-democratic powers and tensions in the Atlantic Alliance over disagreements on global issues raise doubts about the ability of 'the West' to lead the international political system.
The divide between the political and developmental approaches to assisting democracy starts from contrasting ideas about both democracy and democratization and leads to very different configurations of assistance programs. Yet this division need not represent a rift in the world of democracy aid. Both have a significant place in U.S. and European efforts in supporting democracy around the world.
European priorities for Middle East policy include greater engagement with the Arab-Israeli peace process and with Iran. The advent of a new U.S. administration and greater diplomatic engagement by Arab states offer the hope of new approaches and possibilities for cooperation.
"Global Zero" has become a well-known slogan to revive the decades-old idea of eliminating all nuclear weapons. Interest in abolition has been renewed by the concern that the use of nuclear weapons could become ever more likely. With nuclear deterrence we bought time, but it would be a tremendous mistake to believe that deterrence will always work.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO on the development of a grand transatlantic strategy to Afghanistan, with a comprehensive approach to reconstruction and security in the region as a whole.
Europe-wide discussions on the emerging Gulf economies, domestic political reform, sovereign wealth funds and the potential of Gulf investment to contribute to a solution for the financial crisis.