PAST EVENT
Monday, March 30, 2009
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Washington, DC
When President Barack Obama and NATO leaders met in early April to celebrate the NATO alliance’s 60th anniversary, they also confronted the daunting challenges facing NATO today. Prior to the event, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings held a public discussion to preview President Obama’s first NATO summit. Read More
VIDEO
Steven Pifer, March 25, 2009
As NATO celebrates its 60th anniversary, Visiting Fellow Steven Pifer says the alliance has serious business to conduct. President Obama and other alliance leaders will address issues of critical importance including unrest in Afghanistan and Russia’s relationship with its neighbors.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon, November 19, 2009, The Washington Times
On a recent weeklong visit to Afghanistan sponsored by the U.S. military, Michael O'Hanlon met with Afghan and U.S. officials whose assessments partially countered the current general outlook on the country's status and future. O'Hanlon's visit left him with guarded optimism about U.S. prospects for creating a safe and stable Afghanistan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon, November 18, 2009, The Washington Times
On a recent weeklong visit to Afghanistan sponsored by the U.S. military, Michael O'Hanlon met with Afghan and U.S. officials whose assessments partially countered the current general outlook on the country's status and future. O'Hanlon's visit left him with guarded optimism about U.S. prospects for creating a safe and stable Afghanistan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, October 28, 2009, Fundación Real Instituto Elcano
Increased insecurity in Afghanistan and the sense that the counterinsurgency is not being won have left many looking for comparisons that can shape future policy. Vanda Felbab-Brown examines similarities between the counternarcotics and counterinsurgency efforts in Colombia to draw conclusions on how to reverse recent trends in Afghanistan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Steven Pifer, October 20, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Vice President Biden left Washington early on October 20 for a quick trip to Central Europe, where he will reassure the region of continued U.S. interest and support. Steven Pifer examines the concerns of several NATO member states and offers suggestions for the future of U.S. engagement in the area. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon and Stephen J. Solarz, October 19, 2009, The Washington Times
Congressional leaders and the Obama administration discussing "intermediate options" in Afghanistan, but could such an approach prove successful? Michael O’Hanlon and Stephen Solarz offer insight into what middle-ground steps General Stanley McChrystal is already taking and explain how an active U.S.-Afghan partnership is essential to providing security, safety and success in Afghanistan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, October 12, 2009, The Daily Beast
As the Afghanistan strategy debate continues, Vanda Felbab-Brown says policymakers should not be fooled by options that lie “in the middle” of a beefed-up counterinsurgency mission and a scaled-back counterterrorism operation. Felbab-Brown believes the United States and NATO must decide how important the stakes are, and either properly resource the current mission or cut losses now rather than later. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Strobe Talbott, September 20, 2009, Financial Times
President Obama's decision to rethink and revamp the plan for Poland-based defenses against Iranian missiles was met with some criticism at home and in Eastern Europe for giving too much to Russia. However, argues Brookings President Strobe Talbott, the new strategy is a pragmatic step to counter Iran's real short-range missile threat, strengthens the transatlantic alliance, and better serves the goals of U.S.-Russian strategic arms reduction. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel, September 02, 2009, The Wall Street Journal
As support for the war in Afghanistan continues to fall, Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel examine the positive aspects of the mission there. They argue that state building is an inherently slow process while concluding the largely pro-American Afghan people want to succeed and noting police and military forces are becoming more able. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, September 02, 2009, NPR's All Things Considered
According to a new United Nations report, Opium cultivation is down 22 percent in Afghanistan. Vanda Felbab-Brown joined National Public Radio to discuss why the significance of these numbers should not be overestimated and to offer insight into the new counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michael E. O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel, September 01, 2009, The Washington Times
Following the important August 20 elections in Afghanistan, Michael O'Hanlon and Bruce Riedel write that this is likely the final fresh start for the U.S. and NATO. With support for the war falling at home and abroad, they explore how progress should be quantified in Afghanistan and urge patience regarding the mission there. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Riedel, August 27, 2009, YaleGlobal Online
Bruce Riedel writes that Afghanistan’s presidential election could provide a critical update on the progress of the war in that country. He argues the U.S. and NATO appear to have the upper hand given the Taliban's failure to have a major influence on the election, but says questions on the electoral process and regional impact still need to be answered. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Riedel, August 19, 2009, The Daily Beast
Seen as a test of the United States’ new strategy in Afghanistan and the Taliban's influence in the country, Bruce Riedel believes the stakes in the August 20 Afghanistan elections are higher than who will be elected president for the next five years. He writes that if the elections are successful, the NATO mission and Afghan government will get a boost of confidence and legitimacy that has been badly needed. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jeremy Shapiro, August 13, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Jeremy Shapiro argues pundits should focus more on what the elections in Afghanistan say about the international community than what they mean for the country. He cautions that actions by international actors are often seen from the inside as rigging elections to a pre-determined outcome and concludes that if these efforts to build a democracy fail it may help Afghanistan become a terrorist state once again. Read More