2009
September 2009
Analytical products of the U.S. intelligence community (IC) are intended to provide information for policy makers to understand issues and make decisions. Kenneth Lieberthal assesses recent reforms in the IC and looks to where IC analysis still falls short, why those shortcomings exist, what reforms could help and how the IC can better serve policy makers.
August 2009
The U.S. Department of Defense is the world’s single largest consumer of energy, using more resources than 100 nations. Peter Singer and Jerry Warner analyze what can be done to better manage defense energy security by implementing steps to increase energy efficiency and substituting alternative forms of energy to meet the military’s fuel needs.
June 2009
China-Japan relations have been markedly tense and constrained in recent history, especially in the decade following 1995. Richard Bush examines the deterioration of this relationship during that time from three different perspectives, identifies the underlying causes, and suggests steps that can be taken by both countries to further improve relations.
May 2009
In April, President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced they would work on a new agreement to limit offensive arms before the START treaty expires in December. On Monday, the first round of talks on a new strategic arms reduction treaty begin in Moscow. Steven Pifer assesses the considerations of both countries and offers suggestions for building a new framework to reduce strategic arsenals.
May 2009
In conventional warfare, identifying the momentum of battle is a fairly straightforward undertaking, but counterinsurgency and stabilization operations are different, and more complex. Jason Campbell, Michael O'Hanlon and Jeremy Shapiro examine a range of indicators in both Afghanistan and Iraq to reach policy conclusions for current and future counterinsurgency operations.
March 2009
Drug-related violence and the breakdown in security in Mexico have escalated to extraordinary levels over the past two years. Vanda Felbab-Brown examines this growing threat to civil society in Mexico, the spillover of crime into the U.S., how the situation compares to similar struggles in Colombia, and offers recommendations for a new strategy in the region.
March 2009
Ukraine and Ukrainians will be tested over the course of 2009. Anders Åslund, Jonathan Elkind and Steven Pifer discuss U.S. interests in a successful Ukraine and describe four key challenges currently facing Kyiv. They also offer recommendations for strengthening U.S.-Ukrainian relations and for helping Ukraine to meet these challenges and continue its transformation into a modern, successful European democracy.
January 2009
Over the past six decades, concerns about nuclear proliferation have shifted from the Cold War paradigm to that of the new millennium—nuclear threats from non-state actors, terrorist organizations and the developing world. Moeed Yusuf, a former Brookings guest scholar, reviews attempts by intelligence communities and independent experts to predict the future of nuclear landscape since the beginning of the Cold War. What can current policy-makers learn from past predictions as they seek to generate policies addressing future proliferation trends?
January 2009
As the new U.S. president takes office, U.S.-Russian relations are at the lowest level since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. According to Steve Pifer, several unresolved and problematic issues dominate the this relationship. Pifer suggests that the incoming Obama administration seek a balanced approach toward Russia, making clear that Russia must not violate international norms while encouraging Russian cooperation and integration with international institutions.
2008
October 2008
The contest between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States is being followed intently around the world. Michael Fullilove examines the foreign policy differences between the two candidates and explores how international perceptions of the U.S. may shift following the election.
October 2008
Ted Piccone outlines several versions of the League of Democracies concept that has reemerged during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. Though it finds support in both conservative and liberal circles, Piccone argues that the current framework will not succeed in today’s political environment. However, Piccone believes democracy promotion should remain a top priority for the next administration, and he offers recommendations for strengthening multilateral approaches.
October 2008
Terrorism is a real and urgent threat to the U.S. and its interests; a threat that could become far more dangerous if terrorists acquire nuclear or biological weapons. Daniel Benjamin explores the drawbacks of using military force in combating terrorism and elaborates on the need for a positive agenda for the Muslim world -- one that deepens U.S. engagement in Muslim nations as they seek to modernize.
August 2008
Peter Singer analyzes the history of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy which allows gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans to serve in the U.S. military as long as they stay quiet about their sexuality. Singer argues a world shaped by reality television has created a new generation of troops more open to allowing homosexuals in the military, and that during this difficult time for recruiting and retaining talent, the military should embrace those willing to serve.
August 2008
Lost in discussions of the military surge, the pace of troop drawdowns, and political benchmarks are millions of displaced Iraqis. Their plight is both a humanitarian tragedy and a strategic crisis that is not being addressed.
2007
September 2007
Peter W. Singer says that the use of private military contractors appears to have harmed, rather than helped, the counterinsurgency efforts of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
September 2007
Carlos Pascual and Kenneth Pollack write that progress in Iraq can come through the time consuming task of building the institutions of a failed state, creating a secure environment, and helping to end the civil war through negotiated settlement.
September 2007
Carlos Pascual argues that a serious and calibrated United Nations role in Iraq is both justified and necessary, even if success cannot be guaranteed. "Iraq is not just an American problem - and there are no viable American unilateral solutions."
August 2007
Vanda Felbab-Brown discusses the feasibility and desirability of opium licensing in Afghanistan, stating "the licensing of opium for medical purposes in Afghanistan, would reduce some of the negative effects of unmitigated illicit drug production."