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Open Think Tank Articles
David Neil Lebhar: Ahmed Rashid argues that the conflict in Afghanistan needs a regional solution, including US-Iranian cooperation. The German military must intensify operations in northern Afghanistan, and the government has to educate the public about the mission’s importance.
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Mark Brzezinski : President George W. Bush travels to Europe this month to participate in the US-European Union Summit and to visit key partners, including France, Germany, Italy and Britain. These summits are likely to produce joint declarations of “bon amie” and official statements that the drift in the trans-Atlantic relationship is diminished.
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Loretta Napoleoni: The truth is that terrorism is a political phenomenon and, as long as it remains in the domain of politics, there are few chances to win.
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Amarjyoti Acharya: Complex issues with easy priced-solutions do appeal and do have a rationality that is also innocent. Yet, why does someone born and brought up in Britain go to fight a ‘jehadi’ war at Basra? That is the primary question that needs to be understood and answered adequately.
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Frederik C. Köncke: In an increasingly complex global environment, businesses are seeking a greater understanding of how they are at risk.
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Julianne Smith and Alexander T. J. Lennon: We contend that in the years to come climate change will further disrupt the stability of already volatile regions, which has the potential of producing multitudes of discontented individuals prone to radicalization.
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The Atlantic Community Editorial Team: asked European policy experts for their opinions on proposed ways forward in Iraq. Respondents from ten different countries provided some surprising results.
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Margarita Mathiopoulos: The West cannot afford a globally weak or inept United States. The recent political changes in France, Japan, Britain and Germany present an opportunity to start fresh with a new US administration in 2008.
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Rudolf Adam: I warn that US influence on Israel is not enough to make peace. Forty years after the Six-Day War, domestic Israeli politics are the key to normalizing relations between settlers and Palestinians. The United States and EU should recognize that their powers here are limited.
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Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger: of the Atlantic Initiative Advisory Board interviews President George W. Bush just prior to the G8 Summit. The President speaks on US-Russia relations, domestic energy policy, and the criticism he has received from around the world.
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Global Must Read Articles
US incursions into Cambodia, which led to its destabilization and the rise of the Khmer Rouge, should be remembered. ++ The same mistake is being made in Pakistan, where the dangers are far greater. ++ Undermining Pakistan does not help Afghanistan. ++ A new soft power approach is needed, as “Afghanistan cannot be transformed along Western lines” - a major factor, along with increased bombing
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Western warships are unable to guarantee the safety of merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden, due to their inability to effectively fight pirates and terrorists there. ++ This is especially noteworthy because the region is a conduit for EU oil supplies. ++ Moreover, UN experts say that there is a direct link between piracy and illegal arms sales, which ultimately benefit Islamic terrorists. ++ The
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President Bush’s decision to allow US military operations within Pakistan shows how desperate the situation is becoming. ++ But, if the Taliban and other extremists are to be permanently subdued, it must be done by Pakistan itself. ++ The US must convince Pakistan that the fight against extremism is their fight, not just America’s; Pakistan’s leaders must persuade their citizens of the same. ++
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Due to the financial crisis, the attack on the US embassy in Yemen, and the latest tropical storms, the tone of the US presidential campaign has become nervous and angst-ridden. ++ Even if people who consider the economy to be the most important reason to vote for Obama, there is a “deeper politics of fear that runs against Obama.” ++ While Obama offers a dream of how the world could be, McCain
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UN officials and aid workers are frequently killed - both on purpose and accidentally - in Iraq, Algeria, and Afghanistan. ++ In fact, al-Qaeda declared the UN to be a central target. ++ Facing this danger, the UN needs to “nationalize” field operations and replace foreign workers by local nationals. ++ It should also spend more money on security and as a last resort, if a local government
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India is depicted in the media as “a squeaky-clean ally of the United States” and no inconvenient truths are allowed to mar Indian democracy’s supposed success story. ++ A passive receiver of this image will surely be surprised to learn that between 2004 and 2007 3,674 people died of terrorist attacks in India, a death toll second only to that in Iraq and over 3 times higher than in
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When Obama visited Europe, he spoke eloquently about needing a US-EU partnership to defeat terrorism. ++ The problem is: the US already have a counterterrorism partnership with the EU and it works efficiently, despite the stereotyping media coverage of aggressive Americans and pacifist Europeans. ++ For instance, the US and the EU succeeded in stopping students in France developing new bombs for
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Since the Cold War, US foreign policy has struggled to find a “main enemy,” thereby defining its focus. ++ Global politics, however, have returned to a status quo, in which a broad range of problems, with long-term resilience and requiring non-ideological responses, will be better served with America’s continuing strategic advantage on most fronts. ++ On a non-governmental
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Terrorist groups all over the world benefit from the support of governments. The US State Department draws up a special list of countries considered to be state sponsors of terrorism. Yet Daniel Byman says this list is not worth much. For one thing, it lists Cuba and North Korea along with Iran, Sudan and Syria. The first two countries have practically no connection with today’s international
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The question of whether al Qaeda is engaged in a “leaderless” Jihad or one that is “alive and well” - a fundamental issue when determining US counter-terrorism policy - provides for heated discussions in the US. ++ Al Qaeda is in fact both resilient and disorganized: it has reconstituted itself and spread geographically yet its lack of grassroots supporters and constructive ideology will
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From both the Right and the Left, Western thinkers have failed to grasp that radical Islamism’s strength in Asian countries such as Pakistan and Indonesia is a result of these countries’ general weakness. ++ Although almost always a minority, extremists tend to be better organized and more motivated, thereby able to exert exceptional influence on regions lacking civil societies. ++ In
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US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, who is known for cautious assessments, said terrorists in Iraq have “never been closer to defeat than they are now.” ++ The Iraqi government has gained control of Basra and Sadr City for the first time. ++ US analysts and politicians need to rethink their “this-war-is-lost” perception. ++ With a plan based on success, Obama might actually be able to carry out
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Three American terrorism research organizations concluded that, in contrast to widely held opinion of experts, there was a net decline in terrorist violence around the world last year. ++ Chris Preble, Cato Institute: “Support for al-Qaida in particular is declining — it was never very strong in the first place.” ++ 9-11-attacks are becoming less likely, but public policy and the media are not
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Democratic governance in Pakistan is now a reality and the new government plans to act boldly and clearly in full awareness of the stakes of both success and failure. ++ The government will continue the war against terrorism not because of international pressure but because the eradication of terrorism is of primary importance to Pakistan. ++ The government intends to demonstrate to its “people
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As nuclear weapons’ materials increase on black market, US needs to modernize forensics tools in preparation for a potential attack. ++ International collaboration and a shared
database are essential. ++ A group of independent experts is necessary to validate any US analysis. ++ US leaders need to recognize limitations of forensics and how to handle situation when information isn’t
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Improved cooperation between NATO and other organizations is necessary in view of new security requirements, says David Yost, professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School.
A more productive joint performance is needed to work towards common goals such as preventing failed states becoming safe havens for terrorists. Yost therefore welcomes the comprehensive civil-military approach endorsed by
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The last 16 years provide valuable hindsight into the grand strategic approach of the United States and highlight the need to reshape American foreign policy around the principle of restraint, argues Barry R. Posen, director of the security studies program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Writing for the American Interest, he points out that US policy makers have struggled to
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Despite sporadic condemnation of terrorism by King Abdullah, Saudi Arabians make-up the bulk of the foreign fighters in Iraq and provide the lion’s share of terrorist finances, write Nick Fielding and Sarah Baxter for the Sunday Times.
The government is accused of failing to penalize promoters of Jihad, such as the country’s Chief Justice, and to reform an educational system imparting hatred
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Ankara’s belligerence threatens Iraq’s fledgling democratic institutions, and encourages other neighbors such as Iran and Syria to settle disputes within Iraqi territory, writes Jamaa Alatwani for the Iraqi newspaper Kitabat.
Cataloged by the European Union and the United States as a terrorist organization, the PKK finds opposition but also support among Iraq’s Kurdish MPs, as some remain
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Zogby International publishes results of the latest telephone poll conducted on key current issues. After tensions have risen to an all-time-high between the United States and Iran, the poll shows 52% of those surveyed support a military strike against the Persian country to prevent the success of their nuclear program.
Among presidential candidates, Senator Hillary Clinton was considered by 21
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James Glanz and Stephen Farrell of the New York Times report that the military surge in Iraq coincides with a dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced Iraqis. Analyzing data from two different humanitarian organizations, Glanz and Farrell write that the number of IDPs has more than doubled to 1.1 million, up from 499,000 in February. Most notable is the sectarian division: Shiite
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Mainstream investment banks are pitching into the increasingly popular and profitable business of Sharia-compliant financial services, and the trend is moving to Europe. The industry has experienced annual growth of about 35 percent since the early 1990s. The consistent growth is due to the booming economy of oil-exporting states and increasing trust in structures that are both Sharia-compliant
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In May 2007, the Council of Foreign Relations featured an online debate on America’s role in Somalia. The discussion was lead by moderators Terrence Lyons, associate professor at the Institute for conflict Analysis and Resolution, and Sadia Ali Aden, president of the Somali Diaspora Network.
Lyons spoke about Somali skepticism towards Washington resulting from recent US military
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The Aon Corporation’s Political and Economic Risk Map provides a concise visual guide to risk management for international business ventures in 214 countries. Political volatility in individual states is measured by looking at specific threats to business practice, including potential political interference, terrorism, and supply chain vulnerability. Countries are color-coded according to the
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NATO troops should adopt three main policies in Afghanistan, says Rory Stewart. First, they should develop a more considerate approach towards tribal communities in order to distinguish between friends and “real” enemies; second, they should concentrate on highly visible infrastructure projects to regain the population’s trust; third, development projects need to be launched (e.g. from UN
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Talibanistan, the tribal region of Pakistan which forms the border with Afghanistan, is seen by Time Asia correspondent Aryn Baker as the breeding ground for a new generation of terrorists and a hideaway for al-Qaeda leaders. The “Talibanization” of the borderlands has renewed doubts about Pakistani President Musharraf’s willingness to track down jihadists. Furthermore, the loss of support from
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A comprehensive “all-hazard” approach, incorporating all involved international agencies, is necessary to protect the world’s population from biological harm, argue Andreas Wenger and Sergio Bonin of the Center for Security Studies in Zurich. Their ETH security policy analysis examines the rising risk of biohazards resulting from increased global mobility, rapid advancement in scientific
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