CFR.org -

The Candidates and the Economy

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:14:28 -0400

The economy will likely be the most contested issue of the 2012 presidential campaign, with Republican candidates determined to demonstrate that President Obama's economic policies failed and that less government, not more, is needed to stimulate growth and create jobs.

Ensuring the Safety and Integrity of the World’s Drug, Vaccine and Medicines Supply

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:17:02 -0400

Laurie Garrett discusses the issue of how to save millions of people from toxic, substandard, contaminated, mislabeled, and dangerous drugs, medicines, and vaccines.

NATO's Failure to Launch

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:45:05 -0400

Colonel Chad T. Manske, USAF, says the question of what constitutes missile-defense interim capability will loom large over the NATO Summit, but the issue for NATO remains whether they can muster the political, diplomatic, economic, and technical will to bring a ballistic-missile defense capability on line.

CRS: Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:22:55 -0400

This Congressional Research Service report looks at foreign policy and internal politics in Iran, drawing conclusions as to what they entail for future U.S.-Iranian and regional policy.

CRS: Iran Sanctions

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:12:46 -0400

Sanctions have been a major part of the U.S. policy toward Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. This Congressional Research Service report looks at the history and effects of some of the overlapping U.S. and international sanctioning efforts toward Iran's nuclear program.

CRS: Comparison of Rights in Military Commission Trials and Trials in Federal Criminal Court

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:02:16 -0400

This Congressional Reseach Service report briefly summarizes the legal issues raised by the choice of forum for trying accused terrorists, and provides a chart comparing selected military commissions rules under the Military Commissions Act to the corresponding rules that apply in federal court.

CRS: Understanding China's Political System

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:47:34 -0400

This Congressional Reseach Service report aims to give an overview of the Chinese political system, as well as to introduce a number of distinct features of China's formal political culture and discuss their implications for U.S.-China relations in time for the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago.

CRS: NATO's Chicago Summit

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:32:09 -0400

This Congressional Research Service report explains the issues to be covered at the upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago, where talks about Afghanistan, "smart defense," and partnerships with non-NATO members are supposed to dominate.

Iran’s Leader Must Choose Between Enmity and Economy

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:34:02 -0400

Ray Takeyh says Iran's supreme leader must resolve the dilemma of having advanced Iran's nuclear program at the cost of eroding its economy.

Reuters: Building a New Future for Turkey

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:34:19 -0400

The U.S.-Turkey relationship has become increasingly important as a result of the continuing violence in Syria and ongoing debate over Iran's nuclear program. In this crucial time, the two countries have an opportunity to work together to help shape the Middle East, including the challenges of ensuring the stability of Iraq, containing Iranian nuclear ambitions, and putting an end to the Assad regime in Syria.

Syria's Bloody Stalemate

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:53:45 -0400

A brutal crackdown continues, the opposition resists a political solution, and a divided international community offers no new alternatives, says expert Peter Harling.

Greek Tipping Point on the Horizon

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:25:28 -0400

Greece's political turmoil is spreading fresh economic uncertainty. But it is wrong to assume an automatic exit from the euro or further sovereign debt contagion, says expert Iain Begg.

Domestic Focus for Israel's Coalition

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:06:26 -0400

Benjamin Netanyahu's agreement with the Kadima Party reflects a public more concerned about economic and social issues than whether to strike Iran, says CFR's Robert M. Danin.

Israel and Iran: The Grounds for an Israeli Attack

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:08:38 -0400

Elliott Abrams explains the grounds for an Israeli attack on the Iranian nuclear weapons program, and for American support of such an attack.

China-Korea Relations: China’s Post-Kim Jong Il Debate

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:01:24 -0400

Scott A. Snyder and See-won Byun observe that while the twenty-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea may provide a pretext for more active diplomacy to meet a growing list of potential disputes in the relationship, high-level contacts between China and North Korea have stalled, dampening China's hopes for regional engagement.

Egypt's Real Crisis: The Dual Epidemics Quietly Ravaging Public Health

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:09:14 -0400

Laurie Garrett and Steven A. Cook discuss the threats of Avian flu and foot and mouth disease in Egypt.

NYT: Is There a Romney Doctrine?

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:17:57 -0400

Dozens of subtle position papers flow through Mitt Romney's policy shop, but they seem to have little influence on his hawkish-sounding and content-thin pronouncements, writes David E. Sanger for the New York Times.

Menlo Park Meeting: U.S. Education Reform and National Security (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:39:58 -0400

Task Force Chair Condoleezza Rice and Project Director Julia Levy discuss the findings and recommendations of the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force report on U.S. Education Reform and National Security.

Entrepreneurship in Postconflict Zones

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:12:33 -0400

Though investment in entrepreneurs is not a silver bullet for development, economic growth and job creation stimulated by small and medium-sized enterprises can foster stability and help curb conflict in fragile states. Comprehensive programs that help SMEs increase their access to finance, markets, networks, and skills should be offered as part of a package of services to best leverage the efforts now under way to promote entrepreneurship.

Ensuring the Safety and Integrity of the World’s Drug, Vaccine, and Medicines Supply

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:02:00 -0400

CFR Senior Fellow for Global Health Laurie Garrett discusses the rising vulnerabilities to the world's medicine and drug supply as a result of the increasingly globalized supply chain, and presents six steps the G8 and G20 states should take to combat the growing problem of counterfeit and substandard medicines and ensure the reliability of the world's drug and vaccine supply.

In Praise of Single Mothers

Council on Foreign Relations — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:04:25 -0400

Gayle Tzemach Lemmon says that while U.S. politicians have accused them of destroying "the fabric of this country," single mothers are a powerful example that is holding society together.

U.S. Psychotropic Substances Act of 1978

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:40:21 -0400

The U.S. Psychotropic Substances Act of 1978 was signed into law on November 10, 1978 as Public Law 95-633.

ECOWAS Abuja Declaration

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:33:07 -0400

December 2008 ECOWAS Abuja Declaration ("Political Declaration on the Prevention Of Drug Abuse, Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organized Crimes in West Africa") was adopted in December 2008.

Organization of American States Plan of Action Meeting of Government Experts to Consider the Advisability of Developing a Hemispheric Plan of Action against Transnational Organized Crime

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:27:29 -0400

The Organization of American States (OAS) produced these conclusions and recommendations regarding a "Hemispheric Plan of Action against Transnational Organized Crime" at their meeting on April 19, 2005 in Washington, DC.

OECD 2000 Progress Report: Towards Global Tax Co-operation: Progress in Identifying and Eliminating Harmful Tax Practices

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:28:36 -0400

The OECD released the Progress Report "Towards Global Tax Co-operation: Progress in Identifying and Eliminating Harmful Tax Practices" in 2000.

Interpol Action Plan for International Peacekeeping

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:21:13 -0400

The Interpol Action Plan for International Peacekeeping was adopted on November 11, 2010 in Doha, Qatar.

Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:17:23 -0400

The Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption was adopted on November 4, 1999 in Strasbourg, France.

Protocol to the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:14:17 -0400

The Protocol to the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters was adopted on June 11, 1993.

2009 G20 Summit Communiqué

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:05:52 -0400

The 2009 G20 Summit Communiqué was issued on April 2, 2009 at the summit of G20 leaders in London.

OECD Model Agreement on Exchange of Information on Tax Matters

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:56 -0400

The OECD Model Agreement on Exchange of Information on Tax Matters was released by the OECD in April 2002.