Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
It has been called the forgotten war. What seemed two years ago to be a shining example of American military power and international leadership is now a growing morass. The Taliban is back, Al Qaeda roams the countryside and Osama bin Ladin mocks America from his mountain redoubt. Assassins in the last week barely missed killing both the president and the vice-president in separate attacks on this fledgling democracy’s government.
Failing and failed states are a threat to their citizens and to the international community, creating a need for international intervention. In addressing failing states, the international community should concentrate first and foremost on restoring state security.
Carnegie’s associate Dr. Veron Hung testified before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Her testimony focused on one issue: Will Hu Jintao, who finally took over China’s military chairmanship from Jiang Zemin last Sunday, soften Beijing’s stance on democratization in Hong Kong?
The National Bureau of Asian Research held a conference, Strategic Asia and the War on Terrorism, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on September 22, 2004, in conjunction with the launch of its new book Strategic Asia 2004-2005: Confronting Terrorism in the Pursuit of Power, co-edited by Ashley Tellis and Michael Wills and with a contribution from Michael Swaine.
Garton Ash's account of Britain's position, and the responses adopted to their national dilemma by British citizens, is the strongest part of his book. He is particularly good at demolishing myths, such as the re-creation of Churchill by the British and American Right as an anti-European Atlanticist.
Despite widespread hopes, democrats in Hong Kong were unable to secure a majority of legislative seats in the September 12 elections. Why were democrats unsuccessful? What are the implications of the elections on democratization in Hong Kong and on cross-Strait relations? And what role should the U.S. should play with regard to Hong Kong?
Democracy promotion has moved to the top of the American foreign policy agenda, becoming directly connected to core U.S. security concerns in ways not seen since the Cold War. Discussants asses the role of democracy promotion in the Bush administration’s foreign policy and take stock of its record over the past four years.
On September 8th, 2004, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a discussion on the development of federal power in Russia. The speaker, Nikolay Petrov, is a Scholar-in-Residence with the Russian Domestic Politics and Domestic Institutions Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center since 1995. Carnegie Endowment Senior Associate Michael McFaul chaired the meeting.