Georgia On Their Mind
August 19th, 2008 by Sarah
Jeffrey Fleishman of the L.A. Times reports that many in the Arab world see President Bush’s condemnation of Russia for “bullying” Georgia as a hypocritical example of the pot calling the kettle black. Sateh Noureddine, political analyst and columnist at the Lebanese daily As Safir says, “The U.S. administration has done more harm to its allies in Georgia and the Middle East than to its enemies.”
Posted in Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
The Terrorism Index
August 19th, 2008 by Sarah
The Center for American Progress has released “The Terrorism Index,” surveying the foreign policy experts for their assessment of how the U.S. is fighting the War on Terror. Over 100 experts give their insight into U.S. policy toward Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, as well as the 2008 Presidential candidates.
To read the full report, click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Military, Pakistan, Terrorism, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Mauritania’s Coup
August 13th, 2008 by Sarah
After the military ousted Mauritania’s first democratically elected president, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, the European Union “warns the military junta that the country faces the serious risk of long-lasting isolation from the international scene.”
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Cairo-based Arab League says that life is back to normal in Mauritania, after visiting the country for talks with its political leaders in a bid to “help resolve the crisis and preserve the democratic process in the country.”
Posted in Arab League, Mauritania, Military | Comment »
Moving Forward in Pakistan
August 13th, 2008 by Sarah
Hassan Abbas at the Daily Star argues that the Pakistani army is unlikely to bail Pervez Musharraf out of the charges leveled against him and suggests that “it is time for Musharraf’s friends in the West to press him to serve his country one last time, by avoiding confrontation with his country’s democratic forces and calling it quits.”
An editorial in the Wall Street Journal warns that “the impeachment proceedings carry the whiff of personal vendetta rather than a good faith effort to fix Pakistan’s urgent problems” and expresses deep concern that unlike Musharraf, the coalition government fails to understand that “fighting religious extremism is as crucial to Pakistan’s sovereignty as it is to the free world’s.” Until it “demonstrates a better understanding of the dangers of militant Islam and shows a determination to fight it,” the country’s numerous problems will be left unresolved.
Posted in Military, Pakistan, Political Parties, Terrorism, al-Qaeda | Comment »
POMED Notes: “How to Redeploy From Iraq Safely and Quickly”
August 11th, 2008 by Adam
This afternoon, the Center for American Progress (CAP) hosted a discussion on the release of the report, “How to Redeploy: Implementing a Responsible Drawdown of U.S. Forces from Iraq,” which examines recent developments in Iraq and how an orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces can be conducted over a ten month period. Panelists included Lawrence J. Korb, CAP Senior Fellow, Colonel T.X. Hammes (Retired), United States Marine Corps, and Lt. Col. John Nagl, (Retired), U.S. Army and Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
For POMED’s full notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
Warring Extremist Ideology
August 11th, 2008 by Sarah
Steven Barnes in the Daily Star examines Antulio Echevarria’s piece on the shift in U.S. policy goals, from “winning the hearts and minds” of Arabs and Muslims worldwide to winning “the war of ideas” against Islamic extremist groups. Echevarria notes “it is essentially impossible to wage an economic war against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, or to pursue a military strategy of containment, without at the same time harming Muslim states and populations whom we do not want to harm.”
On a similar note, Shlomo Ben-Ami in the Daily Star argues that despite U.S. efforts otherwise, extremists have prevailed in the Middle East, and it is the moderates in the region who must adapt their policies. Ben-Ami notes, however, that “with the defeat of his ideologically inspired foreign policy, Bush has finally decided not to remain blind to the benefits of engaging Iran and perhaps to a lesser extent Syria.” According to the author, this is strategically in America’s best interests as “the two countries hold the keys to Middle East stability.”
Posted in Diplomacy, Iran, Military, Syria, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Under-Investing in Diplomatic Tools
August 11th, 2008 by Sarah
Nicholas Kristof argues in the International Herald Tribune that the U.S. is over-investing in military tools, and under-investing in diplomatic tools. “The result is a lopsided foreign policy that antagonizes the rest of the world and is ineffective in tackling many modern problems.” Kristof lauds Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Middle East peace negotiator Dennis Ross, both of whom have spoken out about the need for a better balance between “hard” and “soft” power.
Posted in Diplomacy, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
Military Coup in Mauritania
August 6th, 2008 by Adam
Today, the Mauritanian military staged a coup and detained President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waqef, overthrowing the nation’s first freely elected government in 20 years. The President had fallen out of favor with parliament and it seems the final straw was the firing of the country’s four top military officials by the President and Prime Minister. Even though details from Mauritania are sketchy it was announced Presidential Guard Chief Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, will lead a new “state council.”
Posted in Mauritania, Military | 1 Comment »
Don’t Call It A “War” on Terror!
August 5th, 2008 by Sarah
Seth G. Jones and Martin C. Libicki at Rand Corporation have released their study of how terrorist groups have been dismantled over the past 40 years. According to the authors, 43% eventually joined the political process, while 40% fell apart after key members were arrested or killed by local police and intelligence agencies. In light of this, the authors call for U.S. strategy to move away from using military force as the backbone of the fight against al-Qaeda. Instead, they recommend that U.S. strategy emphasize policing and intelligence, and even suggest that officials “should end the use of the phrase ‘war on terrorism’ since there is no battlefield solution to defeating al Qa’ida.”
For the full report, click here.
Posted in Military, Terrorism, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Kissinger on Withdrawal of U.S. Troops
August 1st, 2008 by Sarah
In the Washington Post yesterday, Henry Kissinger weighs in on the debate surrounding a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Kissinger strongly opposes a timetable for withdrawal and argues that “establishing a deadline is the surest way to undermine the hopeful prospects. It will encourage largely defeated internal groups to go underground until a world more congenial to their survival arises with the departure of American forces. Al-Qaeda will have a deadline against which to plan a full-scale resumption of operations. And it will give Iran an incentive to strengthen its supporters in the Shiite community for the period after the American withdrawal. Establishing a fixed deadline would also dissipate assets needed for the diplomatic endgame.”
Posted in Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
New Plans for Pakistan
July 30th, 2008 by Sarah
As Pakistan’s new civilian prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani visits Washington this week, an editorial in the New York Times urges President Bush to prove “that he is committed to strengthening both Pakistan’s democracy and its ability to fight extremism.” This is especially important as “Mr. Gilani’s constituents deeply resent the United States for propping up and enabling their former dictator, Pervez Musharraf.”
Along those lines, the newspaper advises Congress to pass legislation introduced by Senators Joseph Biden and Richard Lugar that would provide long-term increases in economic assistance to Pakistan and tighter monitoring of American military assistance.
Posted in Foreign Aid, Military, Pakistan, US foreign policy | Comment »
What of the Sons of Iraq?
July 30th, 2008 by Adam
In the Christian Science Monitor, Tom Peter writes an important article about the difficulties of transitioning the Sons of Iraq from an auxiliary police force into other forms of employment. Only 17,000 of 103,000 (roughly 15%) have been integrated into the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). However, the high rates of integration into the ISF the U.S. envisioned has been stalled by the Iraqi government that is reluctant to integrate a Sunni armed force into an army that is predominately Kurdish and Shiite. Peter asserts that officials are worried that if the Sons of Iraq are not transferred into employment after the force is dissolved that security could suffer.
Posted in Iraq, Military, Sectarianism | Comment »
POMED Notes: Subcommittee Hearing On The Extension of The U.N. Mandate in Iraq
July 29th, 2008 by Sarah
Last week, the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs invited Steven Kull, Michael J. Matheson, and Danielle Pletka to testify before Congress on options for a possible extension of the U.N. mandate for Iraq. Steven Kull is director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes. Michael J. Matheson is a Visiting Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School. Danielle Pletka is Vice President of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Council of Representatives and Former Prime Minister of Iraq was invited to brief the subcommittee on the current status of Iraq political reform.
All of the speakers addressed a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops and the need to recognize Iraqi sovereignty.
For POMED’s full notes, click here.
Posted in Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
How Successful Was The Surge?
July 29th, 2008 by Sarah
In a debate hosted by American Prospect, Stephen Biddle, Shawn Brimley, Juan Cole, Matthew Duss, Colin Kahl, Lawrence Korb, John Nagl, Michael O’Hanlon, Marina Ottaway, and Thomas E. Ricks all weigh in on the Surge in Iraq and address the factors that have contributed to Iraq’s recent stability.
Stephen Biddle argues that despite the Surge’s failure to bring about its promised political compromise, a completely different possibility arose. The “Anbar Model” or “bottom up” approach was “one that was neither planned nor anticipated nor intended when the surge was designed, but which has nevertheless become central to the prospects for stability in Iraq.”
Shawn Brimley argues that the Surge is only one of many factors that contributed to the relative stability in Iraq. “The decline in violence in 2007 had much more to do with a change in U.S. strategy than simply the additional troops. A change in strategy, plus the Sunni Awakening, the decision of Sadr to stand down his militia, and the use of concrete barriers in Baghdad to separate Sunni and Shia were all extremely important factors that, along with the additional troops, combined to help lower the violence.”
Juan Cole looks more to the various groups that received U.S. funding to fight jihadis, the success of the Badr Corps paramilitary of Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq over Sadr’s movement, and the ethnic cleansing of Sunnis, which left few mixed neighborhoods.
Matthew Duss warns that the “Anbar strategy,” which resulted in deals between Sunni tribal militias and the U.S., instead of redirecting political authority to a centralized government, could breed larger problems later. “It’s true that security is a prerequisite for state-building, but if that security only comes at the expense of the legitimacy of the state we’re supposedly trying to build, then we have an entirely new problem on our hands.”
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Iraq, Military, Political Parties, Sectarianism, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “The Future of the U.S. Military Presence in Iraq”
July 25th, 2008 by Adam
Today, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a discussion regarding the latest developments in Iraq and how the U.S. military strategy should adapt to Iraq’s changing dynamics. Speakers included Kimberly Kagan, President of the Institute for the Study of War, Colin Kahl, Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, Charles Knight, Co-Director of the Project on Defense Alternatives at the Commonwealth Institute, and Rend al-Rahim, Iraq Fellow at USIP. Daniel Serwer, Vice President of Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at USIP moderated the discussion.
For POMED’s complete notes on the discussion, click here.
Posted in DC Event Notes, Event Notes, Iraq, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
Accepting an American-Iranian Dialogue
July 24th, 2008 by Sarah
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi makes his first official visit to Washington and warns that Israel would not rule out any course of action regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Meanwhile, Aluf Benn at Haaretz derides the Bush administration for drastically shifting its policy toward Iran, but ultimately recommends that “instead of making the mistake of holding on to the false hope that Bush will actually order the bombing of Iran, Israelis should start looking at the positive aspects of an American-Iranian dialogue, while insisting that Israel’s vital interests not be undermined.”
Posted in Iran, Israel, Military, US foreign policy | Comment »
Palestinian Security Forces as a Move Towards Peace
July 23rd, 2008 by Sarah
Anthony Cordesman in an op-ed in the New York Times argues that the U.S. should help build a Palestinian security force in order to promote peace between Palestinians and Israelis. “Unless there are effective Palestinian security forces, Israel will never trust in a Palestinian state or be able to act on the quiet progress being made toward reaching a final settlement.”
Along those lines, Cordesman denounces the State Department for acting as a “key barrier to the first real step toward peace,” by preventing U.S. actors from “working in the field and developing critical personal relationships with Palestinian officers and officials.”
Posted in Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Military, Palestine, US foreign policy | Comment »
The Status of Al-Qaeda
July 22nd, 2008 by Sarah
This week’s edition of The Economist focuses on the status of al-Qaeda worldwide.
The issue addresses the current debate over CIA Director Michael Hayden’s claim of a “near strategic defeat” of the terrorist organization, its growing strength in Pakistan, its ability to recruit and export its ideology, the contrast between home-grown terrorism in Europe and the U.S., the effects of maintaining Guantanamo Bay on fighting global terrorism, tactics explored by Saudi Arabia to tackle terrorism, and al-Qaeda’s self-destructive tendencies.
Posted in EU, Military, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism, US foreign policy, al-Qaeda | Comment »
Surge: The Sequel
July 22nd, 2008 by Adam
Ann Marlowe writes in the Wall Street Journal that calls for a surge in Afghanistan are misguided and attempts to place a one-size-fits-all counterinsurgency strategy on the nation will exacerbate the current situation. Marlowe asserts, “Afghanistan’s problems are not the same as Iraq’s. Its people aren’t recovering from a brutal, all-controlling tyranny, but from decades of chaos and centuries of bad government. Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, is largely illiterate and has a relatively undeveloped civil society.” She suggests that greater developmental assistance and resolving the situation on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is more relevant to stabilizing Afghanistan than more U.S. troops.
Posted in Afghanistan, Military | Comment »
Al-Maliki’s Support for Timetables Continues?
July 21st, 2008 by Sarah
Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki has told a German magazine Der Spiegel that he supports a 16-month proposal for withdrawal of U.S. troops. “That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.” Although Maliki did not explicitly say that he supported Barack Obama over John McCain, he did state that “whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems.”
Later, al-Maliki’s spokesman Ali Dabbagh held that Der Spiegel misinterpreted al-Maliki’s statement, while the magazine continues to stands by its original article.
John Marshall at Talking Points Memo, Virginia Dem at Daily Kos, Matthew Yglesias, and Juan Cole at Informed Comment all noted that while most have cited Ali Dabbagh as Maliki’s spokesman, he “actually seems to work for the CENTCOM, or Pentagon Middle East command.”
Juan Cole went further to suggest that “when the original demand came from al-Maliki for a timetable for US withdrawal, it was al-Dabbagh who reinterpreted it as a ‘time horizon.’ Al-Dabbagh was contradicted by National Security Counsellor Muwaffaq al-Rubaie, who seems actually closer in this thinking to al-Maliki. My guess is that al-Dabbagh has been recruited by some agency in Washington, DC, to explain away al-Maliki’s statements whenever they contradict Bush’s.”
Posted in Iraq, Military | 1 Comment »
