Content Type: Policy Brief / Publication Year: within 25 Years / Topic: Foreign Policy

501. The Ecuador Situation Facing the Summit of the Americas and Other Foreign Policy Issues

Author:: Camilla Lanusse
Publication Date:: 01-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute for the Study of International Development, McGill University
Abstract:: While Ecuador has maintained its decision not to participate , other countries such as Argentina and Brazil – whose governments maintain close relationships with their peers in ALBA – have confirmed that they will bring up in Cartagena the need to include Cuba in the future, hoping that this will be the last Summit that will take place without the island. Thus, although Ecuador failed to convince others to join in “boycotting the Summit,” its declarations succeeded in bringing attention to the nature of the Summit and the exclusion of Cuba. President Correa’s proposal to include Cuba comes at a time in which the President’s stance on human rights – such as the freedom of expression – has been strongly criticised by international organisations like the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Freedom of Expression, as well as by international human rights NGOs and media around the world. The President’s reaction has been to denounce such scrutiny and link them to alleged interests of Northern countries, including the US. However, the questions raised internationally have thus far failed to generate any significant doubts in the conscience of Ecuadorian citizens. With half a year before the official start of his re-election campaign, public opinion favours President Correa’s management – approval that is reflected in his high level of popularity and the acceptance of his messages, which often question the role of international organisations or supranational bodies. As will be described in the pages that follow, the foreign policy of the last five years under President Correa reveals a government that challenges and questions the traditional bodies, forums and regional blocs of the international system, integration based on trade, and institutions associated with liberal democracy. At the same time, it encourages participation in alternative forums or regional political blocs, in which it seeks to propose its own stances on issues such as human rights, the freedom of expression, integration and trade relations. In the following paragraphs, there will be a brief description of the management of current Ecuadorian foreign policy and Ecuador’s position on the inter-American system. Interviews with academics and diplomats, in addition to various news sources, have been used in the writing of this report.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Diplomacy
Political Geography:: Central America and Ecuador

502. How to Integrate Human Rights into U.S.-China Relations

Publication Date:: 12-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Human Rights First
Abstract:: When to press China's leadership on human rights, how hard, and with what tools has been an ever-changing calculation, as successive U.S. administrations have tried to balance America's strategic and economic interests in the expanding U.S.-China relationship with America's leadership as an advocate for and protector of universal rights and freedoms.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Diplomacy, Human Rights, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States and China

503. How to Make Change in Egypt a Human Rights Success Story

Publication Date:: 12-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Human Rights First
Abstract:: The U.S. government has made a firm commitment to support peaceful democratic change in Egypt. The challenge now is how to fulfill that commitment while at the same time pursuing U.S. national security and economic objectives. In the long term these objectives are mutually consistent and re inforcing. But in the short term the challenge is to craft policies that lay the foundation for building strong democratic state institutions in Egypt and supporting those in civil society who are committed to working toward that objective, while at the same time dealing with the formidable economic challenges now facing Egypt as well as the local and regional security issues in which the government of Egypt has a key role to play. President Mohamed Morsi's November 23 decree and the various reactions to it, have underscored both the scope of these challenges and the critical need for the U.S. government to respond well.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Development, Economics, Human Rights, Islam, Regime Change, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Arabia, North Africa, and Egypt

504. 2011— A Testing Year for Turkish Foreign Policy

Author:: Özdem Sanberk
Publication Date:: 04-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: International Strategic Research Organization (USAK)
Abstract:: 2011 was undoubtedly a year that witnessed the beginning of grand transformations which will continue in the years ahead. The popular movements under the name of the Arab Spring started in Tunisia and spread quickly to the rest of the region, sparking the process of political transformation. In another part of the world, the economic crisis which began in Greece and then engulfed the whole eurozone took the European Union to a difficult test regarding its future. Both events, one lying to the south of Turkey and the other to its west, interact directly with our country and therefore its zone of interest. Ankara inevitably stands in the epicenter of these two transformations of which the effects will certainly continue for a long period. Consequently, rising as a stable focus of power with its growing economy and its expanding democracy, Turkey has tried to respond to historically important developments throughout the year. In light of these realities and developments, this study will focus on the performance of Turkish foreign policy with regard to global and regional transformations which took place during 2011.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Democratization, Development, Diplomacy, and Islam
Political Geography:: Europe, Turkey, Middle East, and Asia

505. Assessing Turkey's Role in Somalia

Publication Date:: 10-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: International Crisis Group
Abstract:: Turkey is the newest country to intervene in Somalia and its involvement has produced some positive results. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's courageous visit to Mogadishu in August 2011 at the height of the famine and his decision to open an embassy gave fresh impetus to efforts to establish lasting peace. Widespread Somali gratitude for Turkish humanitarian endeavours and the country's status as a Muslim and democratic state established Turkey as a welcome partner. Ankara has signalled it is in for the long haul. However, it must tread prudently, eschew unilateralism and learn lessons to avoid another failed international intervention. Over twenty years, many states and entities have tried to bring relief and secure peace in Somalia, often leaving behind a situation messier than that which they found. Ankara must appreciate it alone cannot solve the country's many challenges, but must secure the support and cooperation of both the Somali people and international community. Trying to go solo could backfire, hamper ongoing efforts and lose the immense good-will it has accumulated.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Security, Foreign Policy, Islam, Peace Studies, and Fragile/Failed State
Political Geography:: Africa, Central Asia, Turkey, and Somalia

506. Giving the Surge Partial Credit for Iraq's 2007 Reduction in Violence

Author:: Stephen Biddle, Jacob N. Shapiro, and Jeffrey A. Friedman
Publication Date:: 09-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:: Why did violence decline in Iraq in 2007? Many credit the "surge," or the program of U.S. reinforcements and doctrinal changes that began in January 2007. Others cite the voluntary insurgent stand-downs of the Sunni Awakening or say that the violence had simply run its course after a wave of sectarian cleansing. Evidence drawn from recently declassified data on violence at local levels and a series of seventy structured interviews with coalition participants finds little support for the cleansing or Awakening theses. This analysis constitutes the first attempt to gather systematic evidence across space and time to help resolve this debate, and it shows that a synergistic interaction between the surge and the Awakening was required for violence to drop as quickly and widely as it did.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, War, and Counterinsurgency
Political Geography:: United States, Iraq, Middle East, and Arabia

507. Advancing Myanmar's Transition: A Way Forward for U.S. Policy

Author:: Priscilla Clapp and Suzanne DiMaggio
Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Asia Society
Abstract:: In January 2012, an Asia Society delegation visited Burma/Myanmar to engage in a Track II dialogue with the Myanmar Development Resources Institute (MDRI), a newly created, independent think tank based in Yangon. The MDRI participants in the dialogue include advisors with a mandate to provide policy advice in the areas of political, economic, and legal affairs to President Thein Sein and his government. The goal of this informal dialogue is to establish an ongoing channel of communication between experts from both countries and to explore opportunities to advance U.S.–Myanmar relations during a particularly fluid and fragile period of transition in Myanmar.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Democratization, Development, and Diplomacy
Political Geography:: United States, Asia, Southeast Asia, and Myanmar

508. A New Paradigm? Prospects and Challenges for U.S. Global Leadership

Author:: Tural Ahmadov
Publication Date:: 12-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: Throughout the years the overwhelming preponderance of US global leadership is debated by scholars and politicians. In light of the 'rise of the rest', this preponderance is either diminishing or still standing. As of now, yet again, the US is a dominant player both economically and militarily. However, economic recession is likely to make the United States put more emphasis on domestic problems and less emphasis on foreign challenges. Since political and economic landscape is swiftly changing overseas, the United States should act accordingly and cooperate with regional powers on issues of mutual interest. Similarly, as current development is under way in the Middle East, the United States should staunchly back Turkey as the regional hub in dealing with Syrian crisis and foiling Iranian menace.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Economics, and Financial Crisis
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, and Asia

509. Regional security co-operation in the smaller Gulf states

Author:: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Publication Date:: 12-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
Abstract:: This overview paper examines the challenges facing regional security co-operation in the five smaller Gulf States. It demonstrates the resilience and durability of intra-regional differences, particularly scepticism of Saudi Arabia's greater size and regional objectives. With the notable exception of Bahrain, differences of outlook have continued into the post-Arab Spring period as Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman hold significant reservations about moving toward a closer Gulf union. The Arab Spring has injected urgent new domestic considerations into a regional security complex hitherto marked by external instability. Yet the bold political action and longer-term planning that is needed to address these issues is lacking, because ruling elites prioritise short-term policies designed to ensure regime security in a narrower sense. This means that security remains defined in hard, “traditional” terms and has not evolved to include the security of individuals and communities rather than rulers and states. The future of regional security co-operation is therefore uncertain and bleak, and the closing of ranks may yet herald a closer Gulf union as rulers come together to deal with the pressures generated by the Arab Spring.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, and Democratization
Political Geography:: Middle East, Kuwait, Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman

510. The United States and the Global Future

Author:: Banning Garrett, James B. Steinberg, David Ignatius, and Uri Dadush
Publication Date:: 03-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: How will the US economy evolve over the next twenty years and what might be the impact of various US economic scenarios on the global system? Will the United States have a Japan-like decade or two of anemic growth? If so, would this lead the United States to reduce its foreign involvement and commitments, become more protectionist, and focus on its internal problems? Or will the United States solve its fiscal and debt problems, reinvigorate growth and innovation, and return to sustainable economic growth? Would this underpin a renewed commitment to active US global leadership in mobilizing international cooperation to manage security, economic growth, and global challenges?
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Debt, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Hegemony
Political Geography:: United States and North America

511. The Strategic Rationale for Promoting Transatlantic Values in a Globalized World

Author:: Jeffrey Lightfoot and Simona Kordosova
Publication Date:: 03-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: Imagine for a moment if in the autumn of 1945 the great leaders of the transatlantic community had let the ravages and cynicism of war strip them of their vision, ambition, and hope for a better future for mankind. Who could have blamed Jean Monnet, Harry Truman, Robert Schumann, George Marshall, and others if they had decided that the idea of forging an enduring Atlantic community of shared security, prosperity, and values was just too difficult to achieve and too hard to explain to their embittered and weary citizens? Yet without their sheer will to overcome Europe's history of chauvinistic bloodshed and America's instincts for insularity, the world would be far less safe and free.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Democratization, and Globalization
Political Geography:: Europe

512. It's Time to Put the Nuclear Issue Behind Us: The Chicago Summit Has More Urgent Priorities than Nuclear Theology

Author:: Kori Schake, Lord Robertson, and Franklin C. Miller
Publication Date:: 05-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: Slightly over two years ago, NATO was embroiled in an internal controversy of its own creation which bore within it the seeds of a deep crisis within the Alliance. Several governments, impelled by a heady mix of domestic politics and a newly fashionable interest in nuclear disarmament among certain elites, actively sought the removal of US nuclear weapons from the European portion of the Alliance. In doing so, they raised serious questions about their adherence to the central core of the Alliance: the Article 5 guarantee.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, NATO, and Nuclear Weapons
Political Geography:: United States, Europe, and North America

513. Fit for Purpose? The European External Action Service one year on

Author:: Steven Blockmans, Natalia Alonso, and Tidhar Wald
Publication Date:: 01-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:: The first anniversary of the European External Action Service (EEAS) finds the European Union (EU) in the midst of an economic, financial, and identity crisis that has aggravated the ongoing decline in Europe's stature on the global scene as new political and economic actors emerge. The new diplomatic service provides the EU with an opportunity to address its shortcomings in foreign policy by bringing greater coherence to external policy making; by enhancing consistency across EU instruments; and by adopting a more comprehensive and strategic approach to global challenges.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, and International Trade and Finance
Political Geography:: Europe

514. How Verbal Threats to Close Oil Transit Chokepoints Lead to Military Conflict

Author:: John Bowlus
Publication Date:: 01-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: On December 26, 2011, in response to US, European, and potential Asian sanctions on Iranian oil exports, the government in Tehran issued a threat to “cut off the Strait of Hormuz.” The US Defense Department responded that any blockade of the strait would be met with force. On first read, it is easy to dismiss such saber rattling as another chapter in the new Cold War in the Middle East between Iran and its allies – including Syria, Hamas, and Hezbollah – and the US, Israel, and the Sunni Gulf States, mostly notably Saudi Arabia. Iran has since backed away from its threat, but the event still carries importance because it is unclear how both the US and Iran will continue to respond, particularly as the diplomatic and economic pressures grow more acute while Iran's controversial nuclear program advances. Could such a verbal threat by Iran to cut off the Strait of Hormuzignite a military conflagration in the region? The relationship between military conflict and oil supply disruptions is well established; however, policymakers and analysts tend to focus on the incidents in which military conflict causes disruptions in oil supplies and sharp increases in prices. The first and most obvious example of this dynamic was the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. The subsequent oil embargo by the Arab members of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) against the United States and the Netherlands for their support of Israel caused prices to soar as oil-consuming nations endured supply shortages. The Iranian Revolution from 1978 to 1979 was another event that curtailed Western nations' access to oil and caused prices to spike. When thinking about the relationship between military conflict and oil supply disruptions, however, policymakers and analysts should also recognize that the competition over oil – and even verbal threats to disrupt oil supplies by closing oil transit chokepoints – have either led directly to military conflict or have provided a useful cover under which countries have initiated military conflict. By examining past episodes when countries issued threats to close oil transit chokepoints, this Policy Brief helps illuminate the dangers associated with the current crisis over the Strait of Hormuz.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, and Sanctions
Political Geography:: United States, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Arabia

515. Cooperating with China in Africa

Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: OECD donors, international organisations and non-governmental organisations are increasingly cooperating with China in Africa. This policy brief offers recommendations for policy-makers on how to lay the groundwork for such cooperation. It also stresses that the involvement of African partners is critical in fully realizing the benefits such cooperation can provide for sustainable development.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Development, Diplomacy, Economics, Foreign Aid, and Foreign Direct Investment
Political Geography:: Africa and China

516. Using US Strategic Reserves to Moderate Potential Oil Price Increases from Sanctions on Iran

Author:: Philip K. Verleger
Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Peterson Institute for International Economics
Abstract:: The United States has initiated new sanctions against Iran aimed at preventing it from collecting revenue from exports of crude oil. The European Union has followed, embargoing all imports of Iranian crude from July 1, 2012 and preventing any firms from entering into new contracts to import Iranian oil after January 23, 2012. The new US and EU sanctions could be the most draconian in many years. If implemented fully, US sanctions would force trading partners to choose between the United States and Iran. EU sanctions would cut Iran off from an important market. These sanctions, while reducing Iranian income, could pose a very serious economic threat to countries that have significant trade with the United States and/or import significant quantities of oil from Iran.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, International Trade and Finance, Markets, Oil, and Sanctions
Political Geography:: United States, Europe, Iran, and Middle East

517. Fixing Pakistan's Civil-Military Imbalance: A Dangerous Temptation

Author:: Moeed Yusuf
Publication Date:: 05-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: Out of the proposed alternatives for dealing with Pakistan discussed in Washington, one that seems to have gained some traction calls for aggressively playing up Pakistan's civil-military divide by propping up civilians while dealing harshly with the military and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). While normatively attractive, the approach to deal with Pakistan as two Pakistans is unworkable. It grossly exaggerates the U.S.'s capacity to affect institutional change in Pakistan and fundamentally misunderstands what underpins the civil-military dynamic. In reality, any attempt by the U.S. to actively exploit this internal disconnect is likely to end up strengthening right wing rhetoric in Pakistan, provide more space for security-centric policies, and further alienate the Pakistani people from the U.S. A more prudent approach would be one that limits itself to targeted interventions in areas truly at the heart of the civil-military dichotomy and that would resonate positively with the Pakistani people: by continuing to help improve civilian governance performance and by providing regional security assurances to Pakistan.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Corruption, Islam, Terrorism, War, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Pakistan, United States, South Asia, and Washington

518. U.S.-Turkey Relations: A New Partnership

Author:: Stephen J. Hadley, Steven A. Cook, and Madeleine Albright
Publication Date:: 05-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Council on Foreign Relations
Abstract:: Among the most important developments in international affairs of the past decade is the emergence of Turkey as a rising regional and global power. Turkey has long been an important country as a stalwart member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an aspirant to European Union (EU) membership, and an important link between the West and the East. Yet the changes in Turkey over the past decade have been so dramatic—with far-reaching political and economic reforms, significant social reforms, and an active foreign policy—that the country is virtually unrecognizable to longtime Turkey watchers. Today Turkey is more democratic, prosperous, and politically influential than it was five, ten, and fifteen years ago.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Political Violence, Democratization, Economics, Human Rights, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, Europe, Central Asia, Turkey, and Middle East

519. Reluctant India, Rising China and Alliance Politics in the Asia-Pacific

Author:: Yogesh Joshi
Publication Date:: 04-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: US President Barack Obama used his 2012 State of the Union speech to explain that evolving geopolitical realities continue to make the United States indispensable in global politics. In the Asia-Pacific this indispensability emanates, in part, from the waves caused by the rise of China. Consequently, demands for an increased US presence echo around the region. In response, the United States has renewed its commitments to Japan, South Korea and Australia, stepped up its relations with Southeast Asia, and reasserted itself as an important player in multilateral institutions including the East Asia Summit, APEC, and ASEAN. Clearly, in the 21st century, US strategic focus has shifted from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, International Security, and Power Politics
Political Geography:: United States, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, and Southeast Asia

520. China-North Korea: Renewal of the "Blood Alliance"

Author:: Masako Ikegami
Publication Date:: 04-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: As North Korea's latest rocket-missile launch approaches, there is speculation whether Beijing can halt Pyongyang's missile ambitions. In my view, Beijing will turn a blind eye towards North Korea's latest provocation, while simultaneously calling for restraint by all parties. Recently, the China-North Korea “blood alliance,” a concept of allies that originated during the Korean War, has been renewed, and it is in China's interests that North Korea consolidates its “absolute deterrence” capability to deter US forces in the region.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Nuclear Weapons, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, China, and North Korea

521. Syria: What China Has Learned From its Libya Experience

Author:: Yun Sun
Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: China's joint veto along with Russia of the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) on Syria has provoked fierce international criticism. Labeled as “responsible for Syria's genocide,” Beijing's international image has struck a new low. China's decision to cast the unpopular vote was apparently well thought-out, as evidenced by its consistent diplomatic rhetoric and actions, both before and after the veto. However, in analyzing China's motivation, many analysts seemed to have missed an important point. That is, China's experience concerning Libya in 2011 had a direct impact on its actions regarding Syria this time around.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, Insurgency, and Popular Revolt
Political Geography:: China, Middle East, Arabia, United Nations, and Syria

522. Russia in the Asia-Pacific: Between Integration and Geopolitics

Author:: Paul Richardson
Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: For the first time in its history, Russia this year assumed the leadership of a major Asia- Pacific forum—APEC. In September the organization's annual summit will be held in Vladivostok and through this congress Russia hopes to demonstrate to the world, and its own citizens, that the country is once again a power in both Europe and Asia. It is a bold vision, which is bound to Russia's national development strategy and Great Power aspirations. As one Russian diplomat told this author, if Russia really becomes involved in Asia it could change the country and also the world.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Development, International Affairs, and Power Politics
Political Geography:: Russia, Europe, Asia, and Australia/Pacific

523. U.S.-China Competition in Asia: Legacies Help America

Author:: Robert Sutter
Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: As Sino-American competition for influence enters a new stage with the Obama administration's re-engagement with Asia, each power's legacies in the region add to economic, military and diplomatic factors determining which power will be more successful in the competition. How the United States and China deal with their respective histories in regional affairs and the role of their non-government relations with the Asia- Pacific represent important legacies that on balance favor the United States.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, Diplomacy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, China, America, and Asia

524. The P5 +1, Iran and the Perils of Nuclear Brinkmanship

Publication Date:: 06-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: International Crisis Group
Abstract:: The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the West have had their share of dashed expectations, but even by this peculiar standard, the recent diplomatic roller coaster stands out. Brimming with hope in Istanbul, negotiators crashed to earth in Baghdad, a few weeks later. That was not unexpected, given inflated hopes, mismatched expectations and – most hurtful – conviction on both sides that they had the upper hand. But if negotiations collapse now, it is hard to know what comes next. Washington and Brussels seem to count on sanctions taking their toll and forcing Iran to compromise. Tehran appears to bank on a re-elected President Obama displaying more flexibility and an economically incapacitated Europe balking at sanctions that could boomerang. Neither is likely; instead, with prospects for a deal fading, Israeli pressure for a military option may intensify. Rather than more brinkmanship, Iran and the P5+1 (UN Security Council permanent members and Germany) should agree on intensive, continuous, technicallevel negotiations to achieve a limited agreement on Iran's 20 per cent enrichment.
Topic:: Conflict Prevention, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Nuclear Weapons, Treaties and Agreements, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Nuclear Power
Political Geography:: Europe and Middle East

525. Provision of Aid by Foreign Military Forces

Publication Date:: 04-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:: Foreign military forces, including UN peacekeeping operations, should not provide relief or development assistance, other than in exceptional cases. Governments should follow the accepted international standards to judge those exceptional circumstances, and determine how military forces should act. These standards are the Guidelines on the Use of Foreign Military and Civil Defence Assets in Disaster Relief [the Oslo Guidelines] for natural disasters, and separate UN guidelines for conflicts.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Humanitarian Aid, and Natural Disasters
Political Geography:: United Nations

526. What It Will Take to Secure Afghanistan

Author:: Max Boot
Publication Date:: 06-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Council on Foreign Relations
Abstract:: Afghanistan is approaching a major inflection point in its long and turbulent history. In 2014 most of the foreign military forces are due to pull out. With them will go the bulk of foreign financing that has accounted for almost all of the state's budget. Twenty fourteen is also the year that Afghanistan is due to hold presidential elections. Hamid Karzai, the only president the country has known since the fall of the Taliban, has said he will not seek another term in office. Thus Afghanistan is likely to have a new president to lead it into a new era. This era will be shaped by many factors, principally decisions made by Afghans themselves, but the United States has the ability to affect the outcome if it makes a sustained commitment to maintain security, improve the political process, and reduce Pakistani interference so as to build on the tenuous gains achieved by the U.S. troop surge since 2010.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Democratization, Islam, Terrorism, War, and Counterinsurgency
Political Geography:: Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, and Taliban

527. The Launch of the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development:The Role of Development in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security

Author:: Condoleezza Rice and James L. Jones
Publication Date:: 06-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Abstract:: The terrorist attacks of 9/11 represent a watershed for the United States, redefining its national security priorities in the twenty- first century. Today, the greatest threat to the United States is no longer powerful rival states; rather, it is fragile and failing states that pose the greatest danger to U.S. borders. These “ungoverned spaces” with poor, ineffective, or absent governments lack basic services and fall behind on economic development. With today's interconnectivity, these unchecked pockets of the world that propagate corruption, terrorism, and the trafficking of drugs, arms, and humans create major security threats that can permeate across insecure borders
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, National Security, Terrorism, and Fragile/Failed State
Political Geography:: United States

528. Turkey and Saudi Arabia: Newly Discovered Partners?

Author:: Muhittin Ataman
Publication Date:: 07-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
Abstract:: When we consider Saudi Arabian large population, territories and natural resources, it is obvious that it will continue to preserve its geopolitical, geo-economic and geo-cultural importance in future. The assumption of King Abdullah as the ruler of the country provided an opportunity to restructure the country's foreign policy. The new king began to follow a more pragmatic, rational, interdependent, multilateral and multidimensional foreign policy. He pursues an active foreign policy required to be less dependent on a single state (the United States) and on a single product (oil).
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Oil, Political Economy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, Turkey, Middle East, Arabia, and Saudi Arabia

529. Avoiding Meeting Fatigue: How to make the numerous international meetings on Afghanistan more effective

Author:: William Byrd
Publication Date:: 07-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: The numerous high-profile international meetings on Afghanistan since 2001 have helped keep attention focused on Afghanistan, elicit financial support, give a “seat at the table” to all partners, generate good strategic documents, and provide a forum for the Afghan government. However, the meetings often have raised excessive expectations; lacked meaningful follow-up; undermined their own objectives; prioritized diplomacy over substance; focused more on donors' issues than Afghan problems; oriented the Afghan government toward donors; diverted resources toward meetings; resulted in meeting fatigue; and sometimes seemingly substituted for action. These meetings can be made more effective by: (1) keeping to realistic expectations; (2) not expecting meetings to substitute for difficult decisions and actions; (3) having substantive, disciplined agendas and avoiding co-optation by diplomatic priorities; (4) matching objectives with the issue(s) the meeting is supposed to address; (5) ensuring quality background work; (6) focusing follow-up on key areas and a few simple, monitorable benchmarks; and (7) keeping the number and frequency of meetings manageable.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Peace Studies, War, and Counterinsurgency
Political Geography:: Afghanistan

530. Australia - China ties: in search of political trust

Author:: Linda Jakobson
Publication Date:: 06-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:: How Canberra should manage its relations with Beijing, given the importance of China economically, politically and militarily, is a question which divides Australians. There is general agreement that the rise of China will have a profound effect on the well - being and security of Australia. The consensus ends there.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: China, Asia, and Australia

531. The 2012 Presidential Election and American Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Author:: Dov Friedman
Publication Date:: 09-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
Abstract:: The United States presidential election in November comes at a crucial moment in world affairs, particularly in the Middle East. The year-long uprising in Syria has devolved into civil war. The conflict between Iran, on the one hand, and the U.S., Europe, and Israel, on the other, has not been diffused. The transition of power in Iraq and the planned force reduction in Afghanistan suggest that both countries will continue to experience marked change. The future of relations with new governments in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen must be reshaped.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Nuclear Power
Political Geography:: United States, America, Europe, Middle East, Libya, Yemen, Arabia, Syria, and Egypt

532. The EU's Promotion of External Democracy: In search of the plot

Author:: Anne Wetzel and Jan Orbie
Publication Date:: 08-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
Abstract:: While the EU has recently upgraded its external democracy promotion policies through a set of initiatives such as the “Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean”, the proposal for a “European Endowment of Democracy”, and the “Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy”, there is one challenge that it has not yet addressed: what exactly does it aim to support?
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Civil Society, Democratization, Economics, and Sociology
Political Geography:: Europe

533. The Danish Presidency and Turkey's EU Accession: Turning the Page Towards New Positive Agenda

Author:: Sofia Hafdell
Publication Date:: 07-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: This paper will touch upon developments in bilateral relations between Denmark and Turkey and the conditions for Turkey's accession process to the EU in light of the 2012 Danish presidency. While Danish-Turkish relations have been hurt by recent events, such as the political disputes over freedom of speech and the press surrounding the Cartoon Controversy and the Roj TV Affair, at the same time Turkey's stalled negotiation talks with the EU amid freedom of expression issues, human rights concerns, and the unsolved Cyprus dispute have not effectively moved forward since 2010. As a result, the six-months Denmark presidency, preceding the Republic of Cyprus during the second half of 2012, has both demonstrated willingness for closer dialogue and continued EU integration of Turkey and given a genuine gesture towards improved bilateral ties.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Bilateral Relations, and European Union
Political Geography:: Europe, Turkey, Denmark, Cyprus, and Mediterranean

534. Turkey-NATO Relations at the 60th Anniversary

Author:: Sofia Hafdell
Publication Date:: 03-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: After 60 years of membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Turkey’s role in the alliance stands strong amid new security threats and challenging regional change. It also largely corresponds to the New Strategic Concept of the 2010 Lisbon Summit, outlining the range of principles to which the members must adopt in order to continue effective cooperation and meet new responses, capabilities and partners (NATO, 2010). In light of this, Turkey’s strategic geography is crucial for the new security environment in the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond. Taking the recent examples of the intervention in Libya and the missile defense system, this policy update will highlight the importance of Turkey’s role within NATO regardless of initial foreign policy disagreements with the alliance and recent negative trends in Turkish public opinion towards the West.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, NATO, International Cooperation, Public Opinion, and History
Political Geography:: Europe, Turkey, and Mediterranean

535. Should Brazil be “Special” for Canada?

Author:: Jean Daudelin
Publication Date:: 07-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: After years of mutual neglect and sometimes outright tension, Canada’s relations with Brazil are smoother than ever. As Brazil emerges as a relatively powerful and influential global player, shouldn’t Canada try to build that increasingly fluid relationship into a strategic partnership, making Brasilia a key prong of its global policy? Looking at Brazil’s place in the world, and at the ways in which its foreign policy meshes – or not – with Canada’s, this paper argues that such an option has little appeal and in fact few chances of success. Brazil’s rise has its limits, and the country’s global reach and power remain heavily constrained. Beyond the Americas, and even within, Brazil’s power is very soft and could hardly be harnessed effectively by Canada. Moreover, the two country’s international agendas do not overlap much. In global governance circles, Brazil’s global star is on the rise just as Canada’s is in decline. On democracy and human rights, Canada is much more willing to put sovereignty between brackets, and in the face of nuclear proliferation, Brazil is much more critical of the asymmetry of the global regime and the advantage this gives to established powers. Crucially, Canada largely embraces globalization and sees Asia’s rise primarily as an opportunity, whereas Brazilians feel more threatened by it. In that context keeping things running smoothly, without dreams of “grandeur,” is the most that should be sought: normal is great, special would be too much.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Globalization, Bilateral Relations, and Partnerships
Political Geography:: Canada, Brazil, South America, and North America

536. Asia-Pacific: Let's Get Back in the Ring

Author:: Hugh Stephens
Publication Date:: 02-2012
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: At the November APEC summit, having cleared the way with President Obama, Stephen Harper publicly announced Canada’s formal interest in joining the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks. The US and others, while “welcoming” Canada’s interest, reiterated the high bar that new entrants (Mexico and Japan as well as Canada) will have to meet. The promise of the TPP is that it could form the basis for a much wider Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), including China. Canada could have much more easily joined the TPP had it expressed interest back in 2008 when the door was open to expansion. At that time, Asia-Pacific was not on the radar in Ottawa, even for China which has now become a key country of interest for Mr. Harper. Canada has an Asia Pacific legacy that it has squandered through neglect. From the 1960s through early establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1970, and beyond into the 1980s, Canada was considered, and acted like, a leader in the region. That interest seemed to peak, and then wane, after the 1997 Vancouver APEC summit. At the same time, the face of Canada was changing rapidly with a strong and steady influx of Asian immigrants. These cultural and ethnic ties have underpinned a new interest in doing business with Asia, but Canada has been slow off the mark. While we have negotiated free trade agreements with 9 countries in the past six years, not a single one has been in Asia. Meanwhile, Asia is rapidly integrating and establishing new architecture, from which Canada, alone among major Asia Pacific countries, is absent. The US is reaffirming its ties with Asia through security and trade ties. Australia is doing the same. Canada is endowed with the physical and human resources that should allow us to take full advantage of our place in the region. We can reestablish our credentials through a sustained leadership and a long-term strategy. There are signs that this may be happening. The time to do it is now.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Trade Policy, APEC, and TPP
Political Geography:: Canada, Asia-Pacific, and United States of America

537. Recommendations for Limiting Transfers of Enrichment and Reprocessing Technologies

Author:: Fred McGoldrick
Publication Date:: 06-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:: This policy brief is based on Limiting Transfers of Enrichment and Reprocessing Technology: Issues, Constraints, Options , a report of the Project on Managing the Atom.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Energy Policy, Science and Technology, Foreign Aid, Nuclear Power, and Developing World

538. Antarctica: assessing and protecting Australia's national interests

Author:: Ellie Fogarty
Publication Date:: 08-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:: International interest in Antarctica is rising. Major powers such as China and Russia have voiced their interest in the continent's resource potential, strongly suggesting the current prohibition of resource exploitation will be revisited after 2048. These developments pose a potential threat to the longevity of the Antarctic Treaty System as well as Australia's dormant claim to 42 per cent of the continent. Australia has limited Antarctic presence and capability, and posits its policy in terms of science and environmental management rather than national security. This raises questions about its ability to preserve its sovereignty claim.
Topic:: Foreign Policy and Territorial Disputes
Political Geography:: Russia, China, and Australia

539. Living with the dragon: why Australia needs a China strategy

Author:: Alan Dupont
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:: If, metaphorically, Australia rode to prosperity on the back of a sheep in the last century, our skill in riding the Chinese dragon will determine our prosperity in this century. Yet despite its obvious importance, Australia has failed to grasp the full implications of China's meteoric rise or the risk of conflict in the Western Pacific. Our approach to China is fragmented, superficial, overly focused on raw - material exports, conflicted, ambivalent and under - resourced. Getting China wrong will have seriously detrimental consequences for our future security and growth.
Topic:: Conflict Prevention, Foreign Policy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: China and Australia

540. Swimming in murky waters: Challenges in developing the EU's external representation

Author:: Piotr Maciej Kaczyński
Publication Date:: 09-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: In the area of external affairs, the Treaty of Lisbon has introduced a number of innovations into the functioning of the European Union. The initial phase of these innovations was in 2010 when two parallel processes took place. First, the set-up of the European External Action Service (EEAS) was negotiated and subsequently implemented. Second, a number of developments have taken place in the sphere of the EU's external representation. Soon after December 2009, when the new treaty entered into force, it became clear that it was wide open to interpretation. Since most actors continued to interpret the treaty provisions in their favour, the EU had to engage in difficult negotiations on several occasions. In fact, the new treaty impacts not only EU relations with third states and within international organizations, it also has a significant impact on the member states' relations with third states as well as on their representation within international organizations.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Regional Cooperation, and Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography:: Europe

541. Crossing the Rubicon: The Perils of Committing to a Decision

Author:: Dominic Tierney and Dominic D.P. Johnson
Publication Date:: 09-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:: When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in 49 B.C., he broke an ancient law forbidding any general to enter Italy with an army-thus making war with Rome inevitable. Ever since, "crossing the Rubicon" has come to symbolize a point of no return, when the time for deliberation is over and action is at hand. When decisionmakers cross the Rubicon, or stop debating which of several options to pursue and start implementing a chosen policy, the psychological effects can shape the political world in powerful ways-including the outbreak of war.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Diplomacy, Politics, and War
Political Geography:: Iraq

542. U.S. Special Envoys: A Flexible Tool

Author:: John K. Naland
Publication Date:: 08-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: While the U.S. government has long employed special envoys for occasional diplomatic missions, the Obama administration's 24 special envoys represent an unprecedented expansion of this mechanism after the Bush administration, which generally did not use them.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: United States

543. Legal order free of pillars: European Courts' jurisdiction in the post-Treaty of Lisbon setting

Author:: Janne Salminen
Publication Date:: 11-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: From the legal point of view, the most important change ushered in by the Treaty of Lisbon concerns the scope of the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union. This was widened due to the dismantling of the pillar structure. As a general rule, the jurisdiction of the European Courts now covers previous third pillar matters as well, namely criminal law and police co-operation. The dismantling of the pillar structure did not, however, affect the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Union Courts still do not have jurisdiction in this area. This rule has two important exceptions. Although the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice is communitarised and more coherent than before, the previous limits in its territorial scope, namely the opt-outs of the UK, Ireland and Denmark, did not disappear, so limits in the Courts' jurisdiction remain. The Treaty of Lisbon amendments did not change the fundamentals of the judicial doctrines, such as the direct effect and primacy of European Union law. Importantly, the application of these doctrines was widened instead, owing to the depillarisation. The Treaty of Lisbon amendments meant that the decisions of the European Council and European Union bodies, offices and agencies can be reviewed under the preliminary ruling procedure. The Treaty of Lisbon changed the much-debated criteria for the standing of non-privileged applicants in actions to review the legality of the European Union acts.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, Treaties and Agreements, and Law
Political Geography:: United Kingdom, Europe, Denmark, Lisbon, and Ireland

544. Going for Broke: The Budgetary Consequences of Current US Defense Strategy.

Author:: Carl Conetta
Publication Date:: 10-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Project on Defense Alternatives
Abstract:: The sharp rise in the Pentagon's base budget since 1998 (46% in real terms) is substantially due to strategic choice, not security requirements, per se. It reflects a refusal to set priorities as well as a move away from the traditional goals of military deterrence, containment, and defense to more ambitious ends: threat prevention, command of the commons, and the transformation of the global security environment. The geographic scope of routine US military activity also has expanded.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, and Debt
Political Geography:: United States

545. Europe's declining role in the G-20: What role for the EU in the club of the most important powers?

Author:: Juha Jokela
Publication Date:: 12-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: Europe and the EU have played an influential role in the development and decision-making of the Group of Twenty (G-20). Europe's influence in shaping the developments in the group and, more broadly, in global governance is, however, declining. The G-20 Summit in Cannes provided Europe with an opportunity to re-assert its leadership. Its aspirations were, however, overshadowed by internal divisions heightened by the deepening European sovereign debt crisis. Even prior to the current crisis, the increasing global competition and decrease in standing turned EU members inward-looking. Instead of a further Europeanization of foreign policy and external relations, many have observed a tendency to re-nationalize European policy-making. This tendency will make it increasingly difficult for Europe to secure its standing and adapt to the on going transition of the world's economic and political power. Europe should reinvigorate its commitment to a joint external action as a matter of priority. The key question for Europe is whether it will manage to Europeanize the G-20 and gear it towards the multilateral principles which lie at the heart of European integration; or whether we will see the opposite process, namely a 'G-ization' of the EU in the sense of major(European)powers dominating increasingly informal European and global decision-making. It is in Europe's interests to further institutionalize the G-20 and tie it to the formal multilateral architecture of the world economy and politics.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Governance
Political Geography:: Europe

546. The 'right' Mobility Partnership between the European Union, Morocco and Tunisia

Author:: Anne Sofie Westh Olsen
Publication Date:: 12-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: The Mobility Partnerships between the EU and third countries do not primarily focus on migrants' rights. This is an attempt to show what the partnerships with Morocco and Tunisia should look like from a migrant's perspective.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Migration, Treaties and Agreements, Labor Issues, and Immigration
Political Geography:: Europe, Arab Countries, North Africa, and Tunisia

547. Greek FDI in the Balkans: How is it affected by the crisis in Greece?

Author:: Persephone Economou and Margo Thomas
Publication Date:: 11-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:: The current Greek crisis raises the question of its impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) by Greece on its neighbors in the Balkans. Greek multinational enterprises (MNEs) first began to establish a presence there in the 1990s, following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. This trend accelerated during the past decade. As of 2009, Greece's outward FDI stock in the Balkans stood at US$ 10.5 billion or 26.5% of Greece's outward FDI stock worldwide.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Global Recession, Foreign Direct Investment, and Financial Crisis
Political Geography:: Europe, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Balkans

548. Turkey-Ukraine Relations: High Potential, Low Voltage

Author:: Habibe Özdal and Viktoriia Demydova
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: International Strategic Research Organization (USAK)
Abstract:: With its strategic location of the existing power lines and economic potential, Ukraine, as one of the most important countries of Eastern Europe, is one of the pilot countries with which Turkey aims to develop its relations in an 'exemplary manner'. Besides, since Ankara and Kiev, share common values and priorities within the framework of preserving stability in the region, the Black Sea neighborhood adds another dimension to bilateral relations.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Europe, Turkey, Ukraine, and India

549. Turkey and Taiwan: The Relationship Seeking Its Ground

Author:: Selçuk Çolakoglu and Arzu Güler
Publication Date:: 01-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: International Strategic Research Organization (USAK)
Abstract:: In the pre-1971 period, "One China" for Turkey was the Republic of China in Taiwan and the two countries were in cooperation against communist expansion. However, in 1971, though being reluctant for the expulsion of Taiwan from the United Nations, Turkey recognized People's Republic of China as the sole legal representative of China and pursued the "One China" policy in that respect. Thus, in the post-1971 period, Turkey's relations with Taiwan have continued only in terms of economy, trade and culture without recognizing it as an independent political unit. Beginning from early 1990s, Turkey began to take initiatives to increase its trade cooperation with Taiwan.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, Bilateral Relations, and Culture
Political Geography:: China, Turkey, Taiwan, Asia, and United Nations

550. Practicing progressive pragmatism: Charting Barack Obama's course for U.S. foreign policy

Author:: Charly Salonius-Pasternak
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: President Barack Obama's view and handling of foreign policy challenges can be described as pragmatically progressive. His foreign policy blends a realist mindset and pragmatic approach with liberal and, at times, idealistic and far-reaching goals. Obama's foreign policy decision-making process is deliberate. This is not always compatible with the expectations of the modern political and media environment. Two years into his presidency, Obama has engaged with the five major national security issues he outlined as a candidate, meeting initial success in four of them. When faced with unexpected events largely beyond his control, Obama seems not to make snap decisions based on a particular ideology, preferring to take the time to see how events unfold. When faced with crises that build up slowly or were previously identified in scenarios, Obama's administration has responded robustly and deliberately.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, and Diplomacy
Political Geography:: United States

551. The Future of Diplomacy: European and Global Challenges

Author:: Ondřej Horký
Publication Date:: 02-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Institute of International Relations Prague
Abstract:: As identified by the participants of the 1st Czech-French Forum of Young Talents, diplomacy needs to face globalization, geopolitical shifts, the call for transparency and budgetary restrictions. The diplomat has to act as a manager and interpreter of knowledge in a world characterized by an overflow of information. The need for a strong and effective EU diplomacy is not disputed but the European interest has not been clearly defined so far. The European External Action Service seems to offer an institutional setting that will help to articulate the European interest through everyday practice. The contradictory ideal of a generalist diplomat has not waned, but the diplomat must update its competences, enter the public debate and keep up dated with technological progress.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Globalization
Political Geography:: Europe

552. Next Steps for Pakistan Strategy

Author:: Daniel Markey
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Council on Foreign Relations
Abstract:: U.S.-Pakistani relations are in crisis. For Washington, Osam a bin Laden's safe haven in Abbottabad raises questions about Pakistan's complicity and/or incompetence. For Islamabad, bin Laden's killing shows its vulnerability to U.S. operations on its own soil .
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Terrorism, War, Armed Struggle, Insurgency, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Pakistan, United States, and Washington

553. Policy overboard: Australia's increasingly costly Fiji drift

Author:: Jenny Hayward-Jones
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:: What is the problem? Australia's tough-love policy towards Fiji has failed to persuade the government of Voreqe Bainimarama to restore democracy to Fiji and may even be helping to entrench his regime. The Fiji government, resistant to external pressure, has instead developed new allegiances and partnerships which undermine Australia's influence. Australia's reputation as a major power in the South Pacific and as a creative middle power more broadly may be diminished by the Fiji government's continued intransigence. Over time the Fiji people's once-strong connections with Australia may dwindle and Australia's relevance to Fiji gradually diminish unless the Australian government takes decisive action now.
Topic:: Foreign Policy and Democratization
Political Geography:: Asia and Australia/Pacific

554. Dealing with Iran: How can the EU Achieve its strategic Objectives?

Author:: Shirin Pakfar
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
Abstract:: The European Union has a unique opportunity to prove its relevance as a global foreign policy actor through resolving the international community's standoff with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Using its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and its member states, the EU should utilize its powerful trade and energy ties with Tehran to embark on a dialogue with the regime that goes beyond the nuclear programme and addresses a broader set of issues of mutual concern.
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, and Diplomacy
Political Geography:: Europe, Iran, Middle East, and Tehran

555. Crisis in the Congo: CPA Contingency Planning

Author:: Joshua Marks
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Council on Foreign Relations
Abstract:: The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) led by President Joseph Kabila faces the prospect of collapse. Popular disaffection has grown as a consequence of endemic corruption and a failure to provide broad and sustained economic growth. The possibility of widespread violence around national elections scheduled for November 2011 as well as the emergence of antigovernment movements in the Kivus, Bas Congo, Katanga, or Equateur provinces could precipitate a major political and humanitarian crisis with destabilizing consequences for the region. Having provided billions in foreign assistance and UN peacekeeping support to the DRC and eager to avoid another violent catastrophe in central Africa, the United States faces a looming foreign policy challenge.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Economics, and Sanctions
Political Geography:: Africa and United States

556. The CSDP after Lisbon: Lost Opportunities or Changed Interests?

Author:: Antti Kaski
Publication Date:: 06-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Abstract:: The purpose of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty was to enhance the unity of the member states' foreign policies and the coherence of the external action of the European Union (EU). As manifested recently by the lack of unity and delayed action in the wake of the Arab revolutions, the EU still has considerable work to do before it can claim to have become a global heavyweight in foreign and security policy.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Regional Cooperation, and Regime Change
Political Geography:: Europe, Arabia, and Lisbon

557. Assertive Brazil: An emerging power and its implications

Author:: Mikael Wigell
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: Brazil has risen to international prominence over the last decade. Now the 7th largest economy in the world, the country has started acting with greater confidence and authority on the international stage.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Emerging Markets, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:: United States and Brazil

558. The Turkish Internal Reform and Foreign Policy Shift: Implications for the Cyprus Talks

Author:: Chrysostomos Pericleous
Publication Date:: 06-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: Internal social change in Turkey, inaugurated by the liberalization of the economy in the 1980s and given a new impetus by Turkey's EU accession path during the AKP governments, has engineered a momentous reform process, which marks the beginning of a new post-Kemalist era in the country. Steady economic growth, along with democratization, brings new social forces to the forefront of the political arena and makes them stakeholders in the policymaking processes. As a result, one can observe a substantive shift in Turkey's foreign policy, from the “hard power” model of the Kemalist era governed by the siege syndrome, to the “soft power” approach of Ahmet Davutoğlu's doctrine of “nil problems with neighbors”, governed by a feeling of confidence that liberates the country from past obsessions. This foreign policy shift removes the Cyprus problem from the sphere of the untouchable grand national issues as well as from its historical context, and leads to a rationalization that allows for a compromise win-win settlement. Within this framework, Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan, having won a new mandate with a larger ever-popular support, has a free hand to take the initiative for a lasting settlement of the protracted Cyprus conflict. The practical recommendations made in this regard constitute substantive political actions, which, if materialized, would decisively contribute towards an early settlement.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Economics, and Territorial Disputes
Political Geography:: Central Asia and Turkey

559. The EU-Russia Summit in Nizhny Novgorod: Divergent logics of communication

Author:: Andrei Makarychev and Alexander Sergunin
Publication Date:: 06-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
Abstract:: This policy brief analyses the state of EU–Russian relations as seen from the vantage point of the summit held on June 9-10 in Nizhny Novgorod. We describe the political context in which the summit was embedded, the anticipations it evoked from the both sides, its outcomes and some perspectives for the nearest future.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Russia and Europe

560. Optimism and Obstacles in India-Pakistan Peace Talks

Author:: Stephanie Flamenbaum and Megan Neville
Publication Date:: 08-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: Following March 2011's “cricket diplomacy,” there is reason to be optimistic about progress on South Asian normalization as India and Pakistan have resumed bilateral dialogues. Improved relations are critical to U.S. interests in South Asia with respect to the stabilization of Afghanistan, reduction in Pakistan-based militant threats, and alleviation of regional nuclear tensions. Terrorism and the Kashmir issue remain the most toxic points of divergence which could derail progress as in past bilateral talks. Bilateral economic agreements should be pursued in order to enable commercial progress to facilitate political reconciliation. With the looming drawdown of international forces from Afghanistan in 2014, and the subsequent shift in the regional power balance, it is imperative that the international community utilize its leverage to ensure that Pakistan-India talks progress.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, South Asia, and India

561. "Strategically Lonely" Iran Exploits Opportunities for Regional Influence

Author:: Barbara Slavin
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: Over the past three decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown remarkable endurance. It has survived an eight-year war with Iraq, mounting economic sanctions, and serious domestic unrest. It has benefited from the missteps of adversaries, which have created opportunities for Iran to expand ties to militant movements in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories, and to increase its influence in Afghanistan. Recent uprisings against Arab governments long allied with Washington have encouraged the Iranian government to portray itself as the fulcrum of a "new" anti-Western Middle East.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Islam, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Afghanistan, Iraq, Middle East, Palestine, and Lebanon

562. A US-EU Action Plan for Supporting Democratization: Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia

Author:: Danya Greenfield
Publication Date:: 11-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Atlantic Council
Abstract:: While ownership of the transition belongs to those who initiated and drove the uprisings in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, the West has a great stake in the outcome. A failure of these revolutions would likely lead to a rise in radicalism across the Arab world, increased threats to the security and stability of the Mediterranean region, potential disruption in energy flows to Europe and beyond, and enhanced pressures on migration to Europe, both legal and illegal.
Topic:: Foreign Policy and Democratization
Political Geography:: Europe, Middle East, Libya, North America, Egypt, and Tunisia

563. Towards an Enhanced Polish-Spanish Partnership

Author:: Bartlomiej Znojek
Publication Date:: 12-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Polish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: In Autumn 2011, parliamentary elections took place in Poland and Spain. In both countries centre-right parties came out triumphant, but the new governments will hold power in extremely challenging times. The much-desired economic recovery in the EU has yet to come to pass and economic issues will dominate national political agendas. Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk's coalition government of Civic Platform (PO) and its junior partner, Polish People's Party (PSL), will have to make significant reforms to reduce public debt and minimize the risk of recession. In Spain, however, Mariano Rajoy's People's Party (PP), the majority government, will have much harder work to do. It will need to restore international confidence in the Spanish economy, implement further measures aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing the country's record-high unemployment. The success will depend on close cooperation among EU member states. Indeed, it is not only European economic recovery at stake but also the future of European integration. The present difficulties have been feeding euroscepticism and doubts about the integrity of the EU. With their strong record as the most vocal supporters and beneficiaries of the membership to the bloc, Poland and Spain could champion efforts advocating solidarity and further integration in the EU. The urgency and scale of the issues concerning the Union give a perfect opportunity for these new governments to renew a common agenda and enhance their bilateral relationship.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Europe, Poland, and Spain

564. European Neighbourhood Policy: How to Reconcile EU's Offer with Neighbour's Expectations?

Author:: Beata Wojna and Monika Arcipowska
Publication Date:: 11-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Polish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: Since its launch in 2004, the ENP has succeeded in bringing about a strengthening of economic relations, especially trade, between the EU and its neighbours. However, the political record of the seven-year implementation of this policy is relatively poor. The violent, unprecedented socio-political changes in North Africa and the Middle East, which started in January 2011, revealed weaknesses and problems in the European policy towards its southern neighbours as developed in the framework of the Barcelona Process and the Union for the Mediterranean. Arab spring has shown that the EU support to introduce political reforms and to build and consolidate democracy in the southern neighbouring countries has yielded very limited results. The Eastern Partnership seems to be one of the few positive manifestations of the European Neighbourhood Policy's evolution in recent years but is not free from problems. The most tell-tale sign of the Eastern Partnership's deficiencies is a palpable relapse in democratisation.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:: Africa, Europe, and Middle East

565. Background Briefing: R2P After Libya and Cote d'Ivoire

Publication Date:: 11-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Abstract:: R2P, like all norms, is bound to see its capacity to deliver on its intended goals tested by real experience. Ever since R2P was endorsed by member states at the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, a number of cases have helped define the boundaries of its application. Well before Libya, R2P had already made a discrete difference in a number of cases: from the most cited example of the political and diplomatic response to the outbreak of ethnic violence in Kenya in early 2008; to the patchy response to signs of ethnic cleansing in Kyrgyzstan in the summer of 2010; to the more forceful regional and international efforts in Guinea at the end of that year.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Regime Change, and Insurgency
Political Geography:: Kenya, Africa, Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, United Nations, and Guinea

566. Attacking Iran: Lessons from the Iran-Iraq War

Author:: Annie Tracy Samuel
Publication Date:: 12-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:: This policy brief seeks to contribute to and inform the debate concerning a possible attack by the United States and/or Israel on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. The presumed aim of such an attack would be to weaken the Islamic Republic, particularly by hindering its ability to build a nuclear weapon. However, the history of the Iraqi invasion of Iran in September 1980 calls into question the contention that an attack will weaken the regime in Tehran. This policy brief examines Iran's reactions to the Iraqi invasion in order to shed light on Iran's possible reactions to a U.S. or Israeli attack. It will assess how the Iranian people responded to the invasion and its effects on Iranian politics and the position of the new regime. It will also explore the nature of the policies adopted by the Islamic Republic in waging the Iran-Iraq War that carried on for eight years after the Iraqi invasion.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Islam, and War
Political Geography:: United States, Iraq, Iran, and Middle East

567. From Caution to Boldness: U.S. Policy toward Egypt

Author:: Robert Satloff
Publication Date:: 02-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: As the situation in Egypt continues to unfold, U.S. policy has evolved with breathtaking speed. Just last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that the Mubarak regime was stable, but by Tuesday evening, President Obama was making the remarkable statement that Egypt's transition needs to begin "now." This is not only the most serious foreign policy challenge to this U.S. administration, but also one in a list of unforeseen and improbable challenges. Unlike scenarios involving, for example, a North Korean provocation against the South or even a catastrophic terrorist attack -- for which the United States plans and prepares -- the swift demise of Hosni Mubarak's presidency, along with the virtual disappearance of the ruling National Democratic Party and the potential fall of a regime that has been a pillar of U.S. standing in the Middle East for thirty-five years, is an unimagined challenge.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Democratization, and Diplomacy
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, Arabia, and Egypt

568. Covering and Countering Extremism in Pakistan's Developing Media

Author:: Hannah Byam and Christopher Neu
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: With a rise in terrorist activity spreading fear through highly publicized attacks, Pakistan's media landscape has increasingly been used as a battleground between those seeking to promote violent conflict and others seeking to manage or deter it. Pakistan's media community has not yet developed an adequate or widely accepted strategy for responding to this context of persistent extremism and conflict. The rapid rise of extremist radio stations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces has paralleled an increase in terrorist attacks, facilitated by affordable access to FM radio, loose government regulation of broadcast media and militant control of pockets in KPK and FATA. Negative media attitudes toward the Pakistan-U.S. relationship often reflect national political differences and market incentives for sensationalist coverage. These attitudes can be transformed through changes in the diplomatic relationship between the countries based on open communication rather than institutional media reform.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Political Violence, Terrorism, and Mass Media
Political Geography:: Pakistan, United States, and Asia

569. Dealing with Davis: Inconsistencies in the US-Pakistan Relationship

Author:: Huma Yusuf
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: The nine-week standoff between the United States and Pakistan over the fate of Raymond Davis, an American arrested in Pakistan after shooting two men at a traffic stop, ended on March 16 with his sudden release from jail. Davis was freed under Islamic law, which allows a murderer to receive pardon from the family of his victims on payment of compensation, or “blood money” Religious parties protested the decision, stating that the law had been applied incorrectly to satisfy US demands for Davis' release. Still, media and analysts inside and outside Pakistan have termed the development a “win” for the country.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Pakistan and United States

570. China's Confucius Institutes: Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones

Author:: Maria Wey-Shen Siow
Publication Date:: 01-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: East-West Center
Abstract:: Many observers view China's overseas Confucius Institutes as the most visible symbols of China's growing soft power, and a tool for the country to expand its international influence and advance its public diplomacy agenda. The institutes were first established in 2004, with the first institute opening in Seoul. The primary goal of these institutions is to promote Mandarin Chinese language learning. Other functions include promoting Chinese culture and developing positive opinions of China within a global setting. Modeled along the lines of Germany's Goethe-Institut and France's Alliance Française, there are currently 320 Confucius Institutes in 96 countries with over 230,000 registered students. Apart from language classes, the institutes organize a wide variety of cultural activities ranging from music, calligraphy, cooking, and traditional Chinese medicine to hosting talks on China's economy, history, culture and society. China aims to open one thousand Confucius Institutes by 2020.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Power Politics
Political Geography:: China, Asia, and France

571. Regional Powers in Growing Dialogue: The Brazil-Turkey Strategic Partnership and its Implementation

Author:: Elena Lazarou
Publication Date:: 05-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: With a new government in Brasilia, and with Dilma Roussef appearing to distance herself somewhat from some of the most controversial aspects of Lula's foreign policy, speculation abounds regarding how Brazil will follow up on its decisive steps in the Middle East. Iran is a telling, albeit extreme, example. Already, Mrs. Roussef has shown herself to be far more critical of the regime in Teheran, and Antonio Patriota, the new Foreign Minister, has manifested his skepticism with regards to Iranian sincerity, a notable departure from Lula's stance in late 2009 when he publicly asked European leaders to show patience concerning the Iranian case. While we may well be witnessing a change in Brazil's policy towards Iran, this by no means suggests a shift of Brazilian foreign policy interests away from the Middle East. In fact, all signs seem to be suggesting that under Patriota, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry's involvement in and interaction with the region is likely to increase. And while ties with Iran may never reach the level of "warmth" that the Lula-Ahmadinejad handshake suggested, the forecast for Brazil's relations with its real key partner in the region, Turkey, is, if nothing else, promising and likely to endure well beyond the coming year.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Bilateral Relations, Partnerships, Strategic Interests, and Dialogue
Political Geography:: Turkey, Middle East, Brazil, and South America

572. The Panda Bear Readies to Meet the Polar Bear: China Debates and Formulates Foreign Policy Towards Arctic Affairs and Canada’s Arctic Sovereignty

Author:: David Curtis Wright
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: The rise of China to international prominence by virtually every measure conceivable is the single most important international and geopolitical fact of the early twenty-first century. The insatiable Chinese colossus combs the earth in search of energy to fuel its economic juggernaut; its trade networks now bestride the globe; and its investors now hold the single largest proportion of United States foreign debt in the form of US Treasury securities. China now has many very astute and acutely observant geostrategic thinkers, and several of them have begun lately to focus their attention squarely on Canada. Why? Because of two things: the tremendous untapped wealth and the currently still largely unused Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA). The Canadian Arctic has what China wants: natural resources and the possibility of a major new shipping route. China knows that Canadian control over these resources makes Canada a major international player, a country with natural resource wealth and geostrategic advantage befitting its sheer geographical size, but out of proportion with its relatively small population. Over the past decade or so China has been paying increased attention to the Arctic and Arctic affairs and since 2004, China has had a permanent land-based presence in the Arctic, specifically in the Svalbard Archipelago, or Spitsbergen (well inside the Arctic Ocean in the Barents Sea). This is where it maintains its Arctic Yellow River Station (Huang He zhan), a facility for oceanic and climatological research. China became the eighth state to establish research facilities there. There are currently energetic discussions and debates in China about the Arctic as the country formulates official foreign policy regarding the region. While it is certainly not an Arctic state, China nonetheless feels entitled to a voice in Arctic affairs and does not want wealthy and powerful northern states to grow even more so at the expense of the wider world’s access to Arctic resources and navigation routes.2 While it seems unlikely that China has any ambitions of becoming an armed belligerent in a future war over the Arctic, or of making serious territorial claims in the region, it can be expected that China will become more assertive and opinionated in its commentary on Arctic affairs, especially as they pertain to extended continental shelf territorial claims currently being prepared by Arctic states – Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States. Canada needs to be aware that in the course of these discussions and debates, some Chinese scholars are carefully examining Canada's claims of historical sovereignty over the Arctic in general and the Northwest Passage in particular. Although it appears at present that Beijing does not want to affirm the accuracy or appropriateness of Canada's historical claims, Canada should be aware that the small number of scholars in China who consider these claims in detail seem largely to end up sympathetic with, and supportive of, them. Even so, the Chinese government itself does not seem ready to affirm Canadian Arctic sovereignty. Canada needs to be on its guard against Chinese attempts to water down Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and should strengthen cooperation with democratic Arctic states for the security and stability of the region.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Sovereignty, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: China, Canada, Asia, North America, and Arctic

573. Marshall Plan Needed for Middle East

Author:: Michael Bell
Publication Date:: 03-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: The peoples of the Middle East are instituting profound changes that will affect us all. We in Canada, and in the West, must be fully involved, in our own interests, and theirs, by responding generously to viable requests for aid and assistance across a gamut of challenges: justice mentoring, education, small business, civil society and unemployment. They need to feel change in their conditions now. They need a Marshall type plan with immediate impact. If not these revolutions in the sand could turn sour fast. Everything from education in village schools, to the prospects for good governance, to peace in the region, is at stake. Well established countries with homogeneous populations such as Egypt and Tunisia stand a good chance of making it; others with little sense of national identity and little in the way of civil society, like Yemen, do not. Some, like Bahrain, are ruled by minorities with an alienated underclass. They are burdened by powerful neighbours, Saudi Arabia and Iran in this case, who see their own conflicting interests directly at stake. The Americans are not indifferent. Canada’s role is circumscribed by our politics, which rules us out from anything verging on the political or strategic. But there is still plenty to do, if the will exists.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Foreign Aid, Governance, Strategic Interests, and Marshall Plan
Political Geography:: Middle East and Canada

574. Lessons Learned? What Canada Should Learn from Afghanistan

Author:: David J. Bercuson, J. L. Granatstein, and Nancy Pearson Mackie
Publication Date:: 10-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: Lessons Learned? What Canada Should Learn from Afghanistan Canada fought for a decade in Afghanistan, its troops sustaining casualties and inflicting them. The war became progressively more unpopular at home, even while Canadian troops, well trained and well equipped, scored successes in the field. But what were the lessons of the war for Canada’s leaders? Did we secure more influence with our Alliance friends? Were there factors that made battlefield success more difficult to achieve? Were there flaws in the government’s organizational structure? In the goals it sought? Canada first went to Afghanistan in December 2001, dispatching some forty members of its secret Joint Task Force 2 to operate against al Qaeda. Early in 2002, the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry began serving in Kandahar Province with a United States Army division and after six months returned home. In July and August, 2003, the Canadian Forces began to return to Afghanistan in force with some 2000 troops, becoming the largest troop contributor to the Kabul Multinational Brigade under the stillnascent International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), operating in the Afghan capital while the United States’ Operation Enduring Freedom had operational control in the rest of Afghanistan. The Canadian role there would last for over two years, and it included key leadership positions in ISAF Headquarters. In late 2003-04 policymakers in Ottawa began to consider a transfer of Canadian troops as part of ISAF’s expansion out of Kabul to cover all of Afghanistan with either civilian- or military-run Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). The PRTs would be accompanied by NATO troops tasked to secure them and to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In general, ISAF’s PRT mission aimed to improve the lot of rural Afghans and thus to build closer relations between the people and the Hamid Karzai government in Kabul. Another component of the effort to improve Afghan governance was the SAT-A, the Canadian-provided Strategic Advisory Team—Afghanistan that from 2005 to 2008 placed Canadians in key advisory roles with Afghan government ministries. For a variety of reasons, including advice from the Canadian diplomatic, aid, and military leadership in Kabul, the Departments of National Defence and Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa believed that Canada ought to establish a Battle Group and PRT presence in Kandahar, beginning in 2006, in order to play a more central, more visible role in Afghan reconstruction. There were some dissenters and the two lead departments jockeyed for control over the Afghan file – and where DND, providing the boots on the ground, including the vast majority of those in the PRT, naturally enough assumed that there should be no contest. But there was general agreement that, with this deployment, Canada would raise its profile in the international community and among its NATO partners (especially the United States) and signal an end to the “human security agenda” period of the Chrétien government. For the Army leadership as well, the Kandahar commitment provided the opportunity to strike squarely at the mythology of peacekeeping. Nonetheless, the desire to help Afghanistan and to achieve political and status gains may have overridden the fact that the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan was wide open and the Taliban insurgency was beginning to grow in Kandahar and Helmand provinces by late 2005. This was largely ignored until Canada took its first casualty in the new campaign on January 15, 2006 – even before the Canadian area of operations moved south - when diplomat Glyn Berry, who was to run the Canadian PRT from Camp Nathan Smith in a northern suburb of Kandahar City, died in a suicide bomb attack. In total, some 157 Canadian servicemen and women have been killed in Afghanistan, along with an undeclared, but large, number of soldiers wounded.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Conflict, and Military
Political Geography:: Afghanistan, South Asia, Canada, and North America

575. Foreign Policy in the Election

Author:: Derek H. Burney
Publication Date:: 04-2011
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI)
Abstract:: Foreign policy rarely plays a major role in Canadian elections and, CDFAI Senior Research Fellow, Derek Burney contends 2011 will be no exception. Differences about the purchase of new fighter aircraft to replace the aging CF-18 Hornets will surface during the campaign. The Liberals have adopted a preference for “butter” instead of “guns” and should there be a change of government, defence equipment purchases could be curtailed more generally. While other differences are evident, e.g. on Middle East issues and Climate Change, the two major parties are essentially on the same page on the key issues of war and peace – Afghanistan and now Libya. The new bilateral initiative for a security perimeter with the US has attracted little opposition to date, primarily because it is a process not a result, yielding little to attack or defend. Uncertainties about the global economy may simply reinforce public concerns about Canada’s economic prospects. The Conservatives have delivered on what they said they would do: strengthening the military to give more capacity for a global role, engaging constructively with the US and enhancing relations in our hemisphere, notably with a substantial contribution to Haiti. The Liberal alternative seems more rhetorical than prescriptive, citing grievances with the Conservative record along with nostalgic calls for a return to Pearsonian emphasis on peace-keeping and multilateralism. Regardless of who wins, and excepting the possibility of different commitments to defence, the main lines of Canadian foreign policy are unlikely to change significantly.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Elections, Weapons, and Military
Political Geography:: Middle East, Canada, and North America

576. The Obama Administration and Multilateralism: Europe Relegated

Author:: Richard Gowan
Publication Date:: 02-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Center on International Cooperation
Abstract:: Barack Obama's critics argue that he is a naïve believer in global governance. This is mistaken. When it comes to multilateral diplomacy, the President has proved to be a pragmatist and – suitably for a man with a reputation as a 'calculating' poker player, according to a 2008 article in The New Yorker – ready to gamble. In the last year, he has taken a bet that the US can lead a radical reorientation of international cooperation. This is based on three assumptions.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and International Organization
Political Geography:: United States, China, and Europe

577. Indonesia and Australia: time for a step change

Author:: Fergus Hanson
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:: The relationship with Indonesia is one of Australia's most important but it is still not on a firm footing. Government-to-government ties have been strengthening but relations are focused around a mostly negative set of security-related issues. Business-to-business links are underdone and mutual public perceptions are poor. Without significant incentives to drive closer ties, one of Australia's most important relationships will continue to stagnate.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, International Trade and Finance, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Asia, Australia/Pacific, and Southeast Asia

578. Rewriting the Ground Rules of European Diplomacy: The European External Action Service in the Making

Author:: Timo Behr, Aaretti Siitonen, and Johanna Nykänen
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:: With the Lisbon Treaty finally ratified, EU attention has now shifted towards the arduous task of implementing the treaty reforms. Central amongst these is a complete overhaul of the existing structures of EU foreign policy-making, providing the EU with a new "double-hatted" foreign policy chief—in the person of Catherine Ashton—and creating the European External Action Service (EEAS). Conceived as the EU's own diplomatic corps, the EEAS has been lauded as a "once in a generation opportunity" that will endow Europe with a greater voice and more influence in international affairs. But setting up the EEAS is proving more difficult than anticipated, with different European actors squabbling over composition and structure of the new institution. This should come as little surprise, given that the precise shape and detailed functions of the EEAS were all left to be negotiated during the implementation phase. Moreover, settling these issues entails more than just some fine-tuning of the EU's institutional structures: it requires a wholesale re-writing of the ground rules of European diplomacy. What is at stake in this process is not only how and by whom EU foreign policy is being made, but the nature and direction of European diplomacy itself.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Europe and Lisbon

579. Actions, Not Just Attitudes: A New Way to Assess U.S.-Arab Relations

Author:: David Pollock and Marc Lynch
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: Public opinion polls and the media tell us that Arabs disliked the George W. Bush administration and have high hopes for President Barack Obama. Indeed, the new administration enjoyed majority Arab approval ratings throughout 2009 (up to 50 percentage points higher than his predecessor), while the overall U.S. image in Arab countries also recovered significantly. Yet the question remains: what is the record of actual Arab behavior toward the United States? This question was the starting point of the forthcoming study, which presents a new model for understanding U.S.-Arab relations since the Clinton administration -- one that emphasizes actions much more than attitudes.
Topic:: International Relations and Foreign Policy
Political Geography:: United States and Arabia

580. Biden's Israel Visit and Its Aftermath: The Importance of Maintaining Strategic Direction in U.S. Middle East Policy

Author:: Robert Satloff
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: In less than forty-eight hours, U.S.-Israel relations went from "unbreakable," according to Vice President Joe Biden, to "perilous," as ascribed to an "unnamed senior U.S. official." This drastic mood swing risks overshadowing the great achievement of the vice president's Middle East trip -- the affirmation for Israelis (as well as those Arabs and Iranians following his words) that the Obama administration is "determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
Topic:: International Relations and Foreign Policy
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, and Israel

581. Disrupting Iran's Illicit Activities

Author:: Steven Pelak
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: In recent weeks, calls for additional sanctions against Iran and increased prosecutions of violators have highlighted the need for effective enforcement mechanisms. Although enhanced sanctions may be valuable, they will have little effect if there is no penalty for violations. As part of its effort to reinforce sanctions regulations and ensure that U.S. national security interests are preserved, the Justice Department has sought to disable Iranian procurement networks that may involve U.S. companies, citizens, or goods.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, International Security, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: United States, Iran, and Washington

582. Nuclear Proliferation and Nuclear Power in the Middle East

Author:: Daniel Poneman
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: The president...continues to work...to tackle the energy and climate challenge, understanding that this is a global problem that demands a global solution.... Some have suggested that a United States that is focusing on new energy technologies and a low-carbon future must be at odds with the oil and gas producers of the Middle East. [However], recent discussions in the region suggest otherwise.... Tackling the energy and climate challenge presents important opportunities to broaden U.S. energy relationships in the region, and together [with regional partners] to build a sustainable energy future.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Treaties and Agreements
Political Geography:: United States, Iran, and Middle East

583. What is the Purpose of the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations List?

Author:: Patrick Clawson
Publication Date:: 03-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: The United States maintains a range of "terrorist lists," of which the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list is one of the better known. But in two recent court cases, the U.S. government has offered arguments that raise questions about the purpose of the list.
Topic:: Foreign Policy and Terrorism
Political Geography:: United States

584. The Breakup

Author:: John Feffer
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Foreign Policy In Focus
Abstract:: "I need a little space." When lovers utter these words, it's usually a bad sign for the relationship. They feel suffocated. They're reexamining their commitment. They're checking out other options. But they don't have the courage to make a clean break.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, International Affairs, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, China, and North Korea

585. The Israeli Exception

Author:: John Feffer
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Foreign Policy In Focus
Abstract:: North Korea and Israel have a lot in common. Neither is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and both employ their nuclear weapons in elaborate games of peek-a-boo with the international community. Israel and North Korea are equally paranoid about outsiders conspiring to destroy their states, and this paranoia isn't without some justification. Partly as a result of these suspicions, both countries engage in reckless and destabilizing foreign policies. In recent years, Israel has launched preemptive strikes and invaded other countries, while North Korea has abducted foreign citizens and blown up South Korean targets (including, possibly, a South Korean ship in late March in the Yellow Sea).
Topic:: Security, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, and International Affairs
Political Geography:: Middle East, Israel, South Korea, and North Korea

586. The New British Government, the 'Special Relationship,' and the Middle East

Author:: Simon Henderson
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: On May 6, Britain went to the polls to elect a new government, producing no clear result but forcing the resignation of Labor Party leader Gordon Brown. Within hours of taking over as prime minister, Conservative Party leader David Cameron had created a new body, a British national security council, whose first meeting focused on "discuss[ing] the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and review[ing] the terrorist threat to the UK." Apart from Britain's economic problems, these issues and Middle East policy in general will likely dominate the new government's agenda -- and its relations with Washington.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Politics, Terrorism, International Security, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, United Kingdom, Washington, and Middle East

587. Hizballah's Coalition Partner Meets President Obama

Author:: David Schenker
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: On Monday, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri will visit Washington for a meeting with President Obama. In announcing the meeting, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs called it "a symbol of the close and historic relationship between Lebanon and the United States." Indeed, between 2005 and 2009, bilateral ties were never closer or more consequential, with the Cedar Revolution ending nearly three decades of Syrian suzerainty in the country. Over the past year, however, Hariri has had to govern in coalition with Hizballah. The Iranian-Syrian backed Shiite militia will be the elephant in the Oval Office during Monday's meeting.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Politics, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, and Lebanon

588. The Origins of the U.S.-Israeli Relationship: Truman and the Jewish State

Author:: Allis Radosh and Ronald Radosh
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: When Harry Truman became president in April 1945, he had not thought deeply about the exact form a Jewish national home in historic Palestine would or should take. Following his landmark decision to recognize the state of Israel in May 1948, he would suggest that his support for such a development had been unwavering, and that his decisions had come easily. Yet the record shows otherwise. Between Truman's first days as president and Israel's formation, his approach to the idea of a Jewish state evolved significantly, at times seeming to change in response to the last person with whom he met. Although he ultimately made the historic decision, a Jewish state had never been, in his mind, a foregone conclusion.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, New York, Middle East, and Israel

589. Proximity Talks: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Author:: David Makovsky
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: U.S. special envoy for Middle East peace George Mitchell is currently in Jerusalem amid wide expectation that on Saturday the Palestinians will approve proximity talks with Israel. For its part, Israel has already agreed to the talks.
Topic:: International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, and Israel

590. Changing the Paradigm of U.S. Assistance to Egypt: Alternatives to the 'Endowment' Idea

Author:: J. Scott Carpenter
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: Recently leaked documents detail an exchange between Washington and Cairo regarding the future of U.S. economic assistance to Egypt. The documents indicate that the Obama administration has welcomed Cairo's idea of ending traditional assistance in favor of creating a new endowment, "The Egyptian-American Friendship Foundation." This idea has a long, checkered history and, if implemented, will be bad for both American taxpayers and the Egyptian people. The administration should work with Egypt to craft alternatives that advance common objectives, including democratic reform.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Bilateral Relations, and Foreign Aid
Political Geography:: United States, Middle East, and Egypt

591. Preventing Conflict in the "Stans"

Author:: Jonas Claes
Publication Date:: 04-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: Several destabilizing dynamics persist throughout eastern Central Asia, such as weak governance, poor social and economic conditions, ethnic tensions and religious militancy. While these differ in kind and scope in each country, some conflict drivers are transnational in scope, such as energy insecurity and environmental degradation.
Topic:: Conflict Prevention, Foreign Policy, Political Violence, and International Cooperation
Political Geography:: United States and Central Asia

592. The Road to Successful Transition in Afghanistan: From Here to the December 2010 Review

Author:: William B. Taylor and J. Alexander Thier
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:: The next seven months leading up to the December policy review will be crucial for Afghanistan's future; at that time the Obama administration—and the citizens of Afghanistan, the United States and ISAF nations—will make a judgment about progress towards stability there.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Development, and Governance
Political Geography:: Afghanistan and United States

593. Fixing Afghanistan: what role for China?

Author:: Stina Torjesen
Publication Date:: 06-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
Abstract:: This policy brief presents an overview of Sino-Afghan relations and assesses China's role in the wider south Asian region. It discusses how China's foreign policy principles both provide opportunities and exert constraints on China's presence in Afghanistan and beyond; it explores China's policy options in Afghanistan and evaluates Afghanistan's own preferences vis-à-vis China; it highlights China's close relations with Pakistan and how these are part of an evolving strategic landscape; and considers the indirect contribution of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to alleviating Afghanistan's security predicament.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Security, and Foreign Policy
Political Geography:: Afghanistan and China

594. Strengthening Yemeni Counterterrorism Forces: Challenges and Political Considerations

Author:: Michael Knights
Publication Date:: 01-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:: On January 2, 2010, President Barack Obama confirmed that he had "made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaeda terrorists." Increasing military aid to Sana will involve a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, the United States has a strong interest in degrading al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to prevent them from attacking U.S. interests in Yemen, strategic sea lanes, or international targets. On the other hand, in this weak and divided country, significant segments of Yemen's security forces are used for internal repression, and parts of the intelligence system are sympathetic to Islamic militancy, raising the prospect that U.S. aims could be undermined.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Terrorism, and Counterinsurgency
Political Geography:: Middle East, Yemen, and Arabia

595. (Re)Engaging Russia in an Era of Uncertainty

Author:: Dmitri V. Trenin and Samuel A. Greene
Publication Date:: 01-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Abstract:: The rising costs of economic and political uncertainty in Russia are bringing a new, if tentative, willingness in Moscow to engage in real policy analysis. As it reels from a series of shocks, Russia risks falling further behind a world that is rethinking trade, security, nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, and other priorities. Western capitals seeking real engagement with Russia would do best to place relations with Moscow on an institutional, rather than a personal, footing. As the Kremlin struggles to formulate clear positions on emerging issues, Western policy makers must work with Russia's independent voices to ensure that the country's interests are duly represented at global policy tables.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Russia and Moscow

596. A digital DFAT: joining the 21st century

Author:: Fergus Hanson
Publication Date:: 11-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) needs to keep pace with technological advancements that could increase efficiency, improve internal and external communication, and facilitate information exchange and gathering. Without e-diplomacy DFAT will be cut off from important audiences and find it increasingly hard to communicate its messages and coordinate Australian foreign policy across government.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Science and Technology
Political Geography:: Australia/Pacific

597. The Bermuda Triangle: Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia

Author:: Yalım Eralp
Publication Date:: 05-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:: The Protocols signed between Armenia and Turkey constitute a significant threshold in the relationship between the two countries. The process of ratification has been stalled, especially due to issues in Turkish domestic politics, and the Protocols have been shelved for now. However, it is important to not completely kill the process. It would thus be helpful in terms of a soft transition into the future if both parties implement those clauses in the Protocols that do not require ratification.
Topic:: Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Treaties and Agreements, and Bilateral Relations
Political Geography:: Central Asia, Turkey, and Armenia

598. A Path Forward with Iran: Pressure through Engagement

Author:: Andy Johnson and Kyle Spector
Publication Date:: 02-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Third Way
Abstract:: If the Afghanistan-Pakistan region is the most dangerous place in the world at the moment, Afghanistan's neighbor to the West, Iran, is making a strong play for number two. It is alarming the world community, rattling its saber loudly at Israel and the West, and brutally suppressing internal dissent. Iran's regime, yet again, is showing why it remains a major threat to America n national security interests.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, and Military Strategy
Political Geography:: Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, America, Iran, Middle East, and Israel

599. Disrupting, Dismantling and Defeating Terrorism 2.0

Author:: Andy Johnson
Publication Date:: 07-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Third Way
Abstract:: Third Way's National Security Program is launching a Defeating Terrorism Initiative to help US policymakers better understand and confront the threat posed by al Qaeda and other violent extremist organizations. The Defeating Terrorism Initiative will analyze in a series of products what is fueling the continued recruitment and radicalization of terrorists, how the battlefield—both geographical and ideological—is fluid and shifting, and what tools should be brought to bear to attack the root causes of the threat and halt the spread of violent extremism. In doing so, Third Way will provide near- and long-term policy recommendations for defeating terrorism that cover the military-intelligence-diplomatic spectrum and bridge the foreign-domestic divide. The first of these products—"Disrupting, Dismantling and Defeating Terrorism 2.0"— offers a policy framework for how the US can build on and broaden the disrupt, dismantle and defeat strategy that President Obama has begun in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, and Terrorism
Political Geography:: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and United States

600. Reforming Foreign Security Training to Help Defeat Terrorism

Author:: Andy Johnson and Scott Payne
Publication Date:: 07-2010
Content Type:: Policy Brief
Institution:: Third Way
Abstract:: A key component of US strategy to defeat global terrorist groups like al Qaeda is denying them the physical space to operate with impunity. The ability of the US and our allies to train foreign military and security forces can be an effective tool in both preventing terrorists from establishing a foothold in vulnerable states and empowering foreign partners to move against terrorists where they exist today. Yet the current array of US training programs is fragmented, ad hoc, and underfunded. Moreover, overreliance on contractors to provide large scale military and police training in Iraq and Afghanistan, at a collective cost of $48 billion, has led to findings of poor performance, wasteful spending, weak oversight and insufficient accountability.
Topic:: Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, and Terrorism
Political Geography:: Afghanistan, United States, Iraq, and North America

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS