A New Realism – Bill Richardson, Harvard International Review
US foreign policymakers face novel challenges in the 21st century. Jihadists and environmental crises have replaced armies and missiles as the greatest threats, and globalization has eroded the significance of national borders. Many problems that were once national are now global, and dangers that once came only from states now come also from societies—not from hostile governments, but from hostile individuals or from impersonal social trends, such as the consumption of fossil fuels. Despite this sea change of new challenges, there have been only ripples of new thinking about how to address them. While the problems have become largely global and societal, the solutions have not changed accordingly. The United States must craft a new foreign policy adapted to a world of complex global challenges which require thoughtful and global solutions.
Challenging the Joint Chiefs – Washington Times editorial
A significant military readiness deficit, the weight of ongoing Iraqi operations, preparation for eventual withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan and an emboldened Iran are just a few of the serious problems the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will face. This doesn't even bring us to a nuclear North Korea, recent Russian hostility to the West or continuing turmoil in the Gaza Strip. President Bush has turned to Adm. Michael Mullen and Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright as chairman and vice chairman. Their nominations are one of a rare few recent executive decisions applauded by both Democrats and Republicans. With good reason, since both men have earned confidence beyond their immediate circles. We expect their tenure to be difficult.
Generals Don’t Need a Watchdog – Jack Jacobs, New York Times
By now, most Americans know the story of Cpl. Pat Tillman. He bravely chose military service rather than the National Football League, and he was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 by fire from his comrades. Sadly, Corporal Tillman’s death comes with another unhappy legacy: a ludicrous change in the Army regulation that deals with reporting casualties. With this change, the Army now requires a formal, independent investigation into the death of every American in a hostile area. If this provision had been in place when we began our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, there would have been about 3,700 investigations by now. The American losses in Vietnam would have required more than 58,000 inquiries. And if the regulation had existed in World War II, we would have conducted 400,000 investigations, requiring perhaps as many investigating officers as we now have troops in Iraq.
Faith and Fiber – Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal
The American people may have "Iraq fatigue," but that doesn't mean they've stopped paying attention. A few days ago, the Gallup/USA Today poll reported that, over the past four weeks, belief that the extra troops in Iraq were "making the situation better" rose to 31% from 22%. The percentage who say the new troops don't matter dropped to 41% from 51%. Somehow people have found their way to reports that Gen. Petraeus's counterinsurgency strategy is toting up gains on the ground. Here in the U.S., any such news a half-world away from the troops in Iraq will be processed immediately into the chopped meat of our politics. Example: If the Iraq commitment turns steadily positive, the Democratic leadership's domestic antiwar strategy may leave the party's candidates on thin ice as they slip and slide toward the primary season. This ensures that the war, the one in the U.S., will be fought with recrimination and accusation. Imagine the surprise, then, when the most cathartic experience I've had recently in matters of war or peace was seeing a stage play about… war.
Arming Both Sides of the Iraq Conflict – Miami Herald editorial
To the many mistakes that have been made in managing the war in Iraq, add a new one: the inability to account for some 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to local security forces. The General Accountability Office, which had earlier uncovered other examples of waste and mismanagement, has issued a report saying that U.S. military officials don't know what happened to 30 percent of the weapons issued to Iraq security teams from 2004 to the early part of this year as part of a training program. By any measure, this is a staggering amount of weaponry, and one that the Pentagon does not dispute. The U.S. military blames lousy record-keeping and the demands of fighting a war in a confusing environment where a new crisis arises daily. Many of the weapons were handed out to Iraqi units that were ''literally going into battle,'' according to a source quoted by The Washington Post.
Surging Politics – Victor Davis Hanson, National Review
Critics of the U.S. troop “surge” in Iraq, called for by President George Bush in January, early on cited American losses and then announced the plan’s failure. Supporters, on the other hand, have seen progress from new tactics (which, many argue, should have been adopted far earlier). Such wide disagreement over a military campaign in progress is not that unusual. Sixty years after World War II, historians, even with the benefits of hindsight, still argue over the cost-benefit ratios and strategic results of diverse battles from Operation Market Garden to Okinawa. The U.S. military reports that the surge in Iraq has helped reduce violence and defeat terrorists. But its officers also warn of manpower shortages, as well as commitments in Europe, Japan, the Balkans, Korea and elsewhere in the Middle East. We can’t maintain the surge at present manpower levels in Iraq indefinitely.
Who Threatens the Homeland? - Clifford May, National Review
Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama wants to fight al Qaeda in Pakistan — after accepting defeat at the hands of al Qaeda in Iraq. His critics say that shows his inexperience. But he’s hardly alone. A sophisticated member of what may fairly be called the Washington Foreign Policy Establishment was discussing Iraq with me. We agreed on the patterns many Americans are just now beginning to discern within the media clutter: the new American commander in Iraq, Gen. David A. Petraeus, is targeting al Qaeda in Iraq and making progress against that terrorist organization. But this experienced professional was willing to give the effort only two cheers. “I don’t think we need to worry about al Qaeda in Iraq attacking our homeland,” he said. “But as for al Qaeda currently located in Pakistan, that’s an entirely different matter.”
Afghan Mission: Karzai Needs U.S. Help to Put Down the Taliban – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial
The visit to the United States by Afghan President Hamid Karzai forced President Bush, and with him the American people, to focus on the United States' other war. It can be argued that if in 2002 America had not diverted its attention from Afghanistan -- the home base of al-Qaida and the 9/11 attacks -- to prepare to attack Iraq, the war in Afghanistan would have been successfully completed by now. That is, however, water over the dam, and the truth is that the situation in Afghanistan now is worsening steadily, while the demands of the war in Iraq preclude the United States from shifting much in the way of resources there. The Taliban, driven out of Afghanistan by early 2002, are back and, laced with al-Qaida support, firmly installed both in neighboring Pakistan and in Afghanistan itself. There may be reason to believe that they are sheltering a still at-large Osama bin Laden. NATO and U.S. troops, working with Afghan government forces, are struggling to contain the Taliban's advance.
Saudis Sue for Secrecy – Rachel Ehrenfeld, New York Post
The Saudis' efforts to keep a veil of secrecy over their support for al Qaeda and Hamas got a shot in the arm last week, as a British publisher opted to suppress a controversial book on the financing of terror. Facing the mere threat of a lawsuit from Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz, Cambridge University Press agreed to pulp all the unsold copies of "Alms of Jihad: Charity and Terrorism in the Islamic World," issue a public apology to Mahfouz and pay his legal expenses and substantial undisclosed damages.
In Africa, Beyond Humanitarianism - Princeton Lyman and Patricia Dorff, Washington Post
Africa has risen steadily in importance to the United States in recent years. Traditionally, Africa has been thought of primarily as an object of humanitarian concern. That perception has been highlighted by popular figures, such as Bono, Bob Geldof, George Clooney and others, focusing public attention on Africa's poverty, conflicts and major diseases. Africa has further captured worldwide attention due to the conflict in Darfur. Because the United States has judged the Sudanese government's campaign in the region to be genocide, the conflict has taken on enormous moral importance. But Africa has other reasons, beyond these critical humanitarian issues, to command America's attention. Africa is currently the scene of major competition for access to its natural resources. China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Brazil and other countries with rapidly growing economies are turning to Africa for oil, minerals, timber and other resources. China in particular has led in this competition with significant amounts of aid along with financial backing for hundreds of Chinese companies to invest in Africa.
Bono, Foreign Aid and Skeptics – Nicholas Kristof, New York Times (subscription required)
Almost nobody has campaigned so energetically for the poor in Africa as Bono, but when Bono spoke at a conference in Africa recently, he was heckled. Several Africans scolded him for demanding more foreign aid, saying that’s not what Africa needs. A handful of recent books and studies suggest that aid is sometimes oversold, including the superb new work called “The Bottom Billion,” by Paul Collier, the World Bank’s former research economist (it’s the best nonfiction book so far this year). A forthcoming book, “Farewell to Alms,” by Gregory Clark, a University of California economist, even argues that conventional aid can leave African countries worse off than ever.
Facing a Fragile Situation in Darfur - Marie Besancon, Boston Globe
Darfur has grabbed the attention of the nation. Activist groups have done remarkable jobs of raising awareness of human suffering and have deterred starvation for millions of people in Darfur. Millions of dollars in aid -- mostly from the United States -- have reached this group of displaced people. However, this success is fragile. Advocacy groups can violate the "do no harm" mandate when they attempt political recommendations that make no empirical sense in the context of the country, its regime, and the conflict. They cause harm to efforts by those working on the ground and on the peace process. They act on incomplete information and send mixed signals to the Sudanese government. In addition, they send oblique signals to the rebel groups, implying that the United Nations and the United States will sweep in and put them in power. This has stunted the peace process.
Britain Abandon Allies - Paul Moorcraft, Washington Times
The new Brown government in Britain is pontificating about U.S. moral standards in Guantanamo, but at the same time it is behaving abysmally toward its own moral obligations in Iraq. The British Army is moving from engagement to "overwatch" in southern Iraq as it prepares to withdraw in the next few months, almost regardless of concerns in Washington. Under its current policy, it will be leaving behind those who have helped its forces however. About 20,000 Iraqis have worked for British forces since 2003. Some of these have been killed as collaborators, others have fled to Jordan or Syria. This week attention has been focused on the 91 Iraqi interpreters who still are in British employment.
Soldiers Outraged that Interpreters Rebuffed - Nico Hines, and Michael Evans, London Times
A serving British soldier has revealed how his Iraqi interpreter was texted a video of one of his friends being tortured to death, it emerged today. Since the Times highlighted the plight of the 91 Iraqi interpreters who are being refused special treatment when they claim asylum in Britain, troops have flooded onto Times Online and Army services forums to express their frustrations at the British policy. Several had their own, firsthand stories of the brutality meted out to interpreters seen by their fellow countrymen as collaborating with the occupying British forces.
Save Those Interpreters, It’s the Right Thing to Do – Adam LeBor, London Times
Here’s some advice for Gordon Brown as he decides whether 91 Iraqi interpreters and their families will likely live or die. Open your own book, Courage: Eight Portraits, and re-read the chapter on Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat in Nazi-occupied Budapest in 1944. Like Baghdad now, Budapest was ruled by terror and chaos. Its Jews were crammed into ghettos, where Hungarian Nazi militiamen roamed, torturing and killing at will, their brutality rivalling that of Sunni and Shia death squads today. With a handful of helpers, Wallenberg saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews. He issued papers placing Jews under Swedish protection. He personally confronted gunmen and SS officers, removing Jews from deportation trains.
U.S. Should take Risk and Admit More Iraqis - Clark Kent Ervin, Philadelphia Inquirer
During two years as the first inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, and since as a private citizen, I have identified gaps in America's defenses that terrorists could exploit to attack our homeland again and have suggested ways to close those gaps. While it is happily true that we have not been attacked again in nearly six years, I am not among those who believe we are out of the woods. Indeed, our chief intelligence professionals have validated what I and other security analysts have been warning for some time: Far from being a spent force, al-Qaeda has reconstituted itself in Pakistan. We now have the worst of all possible worlds: numerous autonomous "franchised" terror cells around the world that draw inspiration from Osama bin Laden and a resurrected al-Qaeda Central, Version 2.0.
Iran’s Hidden Frailties – London Daily Telegraph editorial
Iran's Islamic revolution has demonstrated a formidable reach, whether in sponsoring Hizbollah in Lebanon or Shia militias in Iraq. Yet its Achilles' heel has always been management of the domestic economy. The revolution has signally failed to keep its promise to provide work for a remarkably young population. A generation after Ayatollah Khomeini swept the Shah from power, growth is inadequate to create enough jobs for entrants to the labour market, pushing the unemployment rate to an estimated 20 per cent. Iran is saddled with a corrupt and inefficient command economy in which about two thirds of GDP is controlled by the state. For the past two years, matters have been made worse by a president who glories in his ignorance of economics. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sacked technocrats in the finance ministry and central bank in favour of ideologically sympathetic cronies, in particular the Revolutionary Guards, of which he was once a member. The effect of his vaunted innumeracy was graphically demonstrated in June by the imposition of petrol rationing in the world's fourth-largest oil-producing country. That shaming event could prove to be a watershed in his fortunes.
Hope at Last for Haiti - Ban Ki-moon, Washington Times
There may be worse slums in Haiti, but none so infamous for its violence and grinding poverty as Cite Soleil in the heart of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Drinking water is scarce, public sanitation nonexistent. Most of its 300,000 residents have no electricity; fewer have jobs. The neighborhood's mayor was blunt when I met him during my visit to Haiti last week. "Here," he said, "we need everything." And yet I also saw hope in Cite Soleil. At the mayor's offices, a new local government is putting down roots in a community it long ago abandoned. Across the street, I toured a newly refurbished school. Youngsters greeted me, excited by the prospect of resuming their education. Nearby, young men played soccer.
Fighting Fires is not the Best Answer – Tim Costello, Sydney Morning Herald
East Timor again appears engulfed in flames and violence, this time in the wake of a relatively free and fair election and the ascension of the revolutionary hero Xanana Gusmao as its new prime minister. All too often it appears that in our region it is one step forward, two steps back. Yet these violent images can be deceiving. The reality in the Asia-Pacific region is that there are signs of real progress, as these young countries attempt to achieve in decades what took us centuries.
Use the Olympics to Pressure China – Los Angeles Times editorial
Isn't it a pity that the Beijing Olympics are in 2008 instead of 2018? It may take a decade for China to make meaningful improvements in its abysmal human rights record. But that shouldn't deter those seeking to shame the Chinese government into shaping up for the spotlight that will be cast a year from now. Beijing is acutely sensitive to its international image -- but mainly when its commercial interests are at stake. The leadership displays chilling indifference to criticism of its repressive treatment of dissidents, journalists and citizens who attempt to assert their rights.
Admiral Scapegoat – Robert Novak, Washington Post
A sadder but wiser Vice Admiral J.M. "Mike" McConnell, director of national intelligence (DNI), told a senior Republican House member last weekend that the next time he dealt with congressional Democrats he would make sure a Republican was in the room or on the phone. After a lifetime navigating the murky waters of intelligence, McConnell at age 64 was ill-prepared for the stormy seas of Capitol Hill. Late Saturday, the Democratic-controlled Congress passed a bill that is anathema to the party's base: authorization of eavesdropping on suspected terrorist conversations without a court warrant. It passed because Democrats could not take the political risk of going home for the August recess having shut down U.S. surveillance of threats to the country. But since they could not blame themselves, they blamed the nonpolitical DNI.
Chief Spy or Chief Enforcer? – Dan Froomkin, Washington Post
As the director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell is supposed to be above politics. But last week, as the White House was successfully bullying spooked congressional Democrats into expanding the government's authority to eavesdrop on Americans without a warrant, McConnell was President Bush's most effective enforcer. And if that weren't controversial enough, some Democrats are charging that McConnell initially expressed his support for a much more restrictive Democratic plan -- then reversed himself under pressure from the White House.
Pervasive Wound of War - Susan Blumenthal and Elise Schlissel, Washington Times
Two weeks ago, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors issued its report to address major inadequacies in the military medical and benefit system first revealed five months ago. The document details dozens of important recommendations and steps for action. However, significant problems still remain for the treatment of an often forgotten, yet pervasive wound of war — mental disorders.
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