CFR.org - Must Reads

Oxfam: Fifteen years of conflict have cost Africa around $300 bn

Oxfam Press Release — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:19:49 -0400

Oxfam paired up with a couple other agencies to calculate the total economic impact of armed conflict in Africa since 1990. They estimate the cost to be about $300 bn, which is roughly equal to the amount of foreign aid that poured into the continent over the same period.

Newsweek: The End of Exceptionalism

Fareed Zakaria — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:05:32 -0400

The United States has begun to stand apart from other countries on issues of trade policies and international cooperation. Whereas for many an unfettered U.S. exceptionalism has gone unquestioned, there are few able to keep up the denial that its reputation has been on a slide.

NYT: China - Choking on Growth Part III

Joseph Kahn — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:09:02 -0400

This powerful multimedia on pollution in Lake Tai, accompanying a compelling article written by Joseph Kahn, is a part of the New York Times special series examining China's environmental issues.

Newsweek: France Learns How to Say Yes

Philip Gordon — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:39:52 -0400

Philip Gordon’s article discusses France’s new foreign policy under the pro-American President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Media Matters Report: Black and White and Re(a)d All Over

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:36:20 -0400

Data amassed for a Media Matters report shows that US conservative syndicated colomnists are more often published and in wider circulation than are their progressive counterparts. Considering the potential a syndicated colomnist has to influence a large audience of people, these findings are significant.

NYT: An Indespensible irritant to Iran and Its Foes

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:06:44 -0400

Egyptian born Lawyer, Mohamed ElBaradei, caused a controvercy when, as director general of the International Atonic Energy Agency, he negotiated a secret nuclear accord with Iran. Accused of undermining the UN Security council, he nonetheless won the Nobel Peace Prize and is now everyone's best hope. What is his future role in US policy?

OECD: Biofuels: Is the Cure Worse Than the Disease?

Richard Doornbosch and Ronald Steenblik — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:05:31 -0400

This paper presents facts and figures to shed light on the controversial issues regarding biofuels and asks whether biofuels offer a cure that is worse than the disease they seek to heal.

Washington Institute: Promote Liberal Democracy

David Makovsky — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:24:34 -0400

David Makovsky on the need to continue democracy promotion in the Middle East.

The New Yorker: The Legacy Problem

Ryan Lizza — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:48:38 -0400

This article addresses what the role of Bill Clinton would be in his wife's presidential campaign.

Reason: The Real Bill Richardson

David Weigel — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:08:07 -0400

What are the guiding principles behind Bill Richardson's campaign?

Weekly Standard: The Lopsided Netroots

Dean Barnett — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:54:31 -0400

An article that examines the trends of the blogosphere and its roles in the presidential election.

LA Times: Labor Day Election Roundup - A Year Early

Ronald Brownstein — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:48:27 -0400

How the extended campaign season and consolidated primary calendar can help or hurt the candidates.

Human Rights Watch: Shell-Shocked: Civilians Under Siege in Mogadishu

Georgette Gagnon and Iain Gorvin — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:51 -0400

Ever since Ethiopian armed forces removed the Islamic Courts movement from control of south-central Somalia in December 2006, Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, has been the scene of growing urban warfare. In March-April 2007 Ethiopian and Somali government forces joined battle with a coalition of insurgent groups composed of Islamic Courts supporters, clan militia, and others opposed to the Ethiopian presence in Somalia. Residents of Mogadishu were trapped by a terrifying escalation of violence that killed hundreds of civilians, provoked almost 400,000 people to flee the city, and shattered the lives, homes, and livelihoods of thousands of families. Shell-Shocked: Civilians Under Siege in Mogadishu, based upon on-the-ground research soon after the fighting, presents the first detailed account of civilian suffering during the conflict and violations of the laws of war.

CRS: Army Modular Reforms: Issues for Congress

Andrew Feickert — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:08:26 -0400

In what the Army describes as the "most significant Army restructuring in the past 50 years," it is redesigning its current 10 active duty division force to a 42 or 43 brigade combat team (BCT) force by FY2007.

GAO: Capabilities and Cost of Army Modular Force Remain Uncertain

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:32:05 -0400

Testimony before the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives.

YaleGlobal: Post 9/11 World. US President has the Lonliest Job

Bruce Stokes — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:04:21 -0400

This article discusses forseen and unforseen challenges facing the next US president.

NYRB: The Immigration Charade

Christopher Jencks — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:44:47 -0400

Patrick J. Buchanan's State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America highlights important issues in the immigration debate, and takes a look at how we might begin to address them.

NYT: America's Mayor Goes to America

Michael A. Bailey — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 16:29:36 -0400

Former New York Mayor, now Presidential contender, Rudolph Giuliani, is a forerunning Republican nominee. Does he stand a chance?

IWPR: Checkpoints: Baghdad's Russian Roulette

IWPR Reporters — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:50:25 -0400

A report from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting that gives an Iraqi insider’s view of life in Baghdad where giving the wrong kind of name at a checkpoint can mean death.

As British Leave, Basra Deteriorates

Karen J. DeYoung and Thomas E. Ricks — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:27:06 -0400

A Washington Post report that suggests that different factions of Iraq's Shiite-dominated national government may turn on one another once U.S. troops begin to draw down, leading to what would amount to an intra-Shiite civil war.

The Nation Institute: Iraq By The Numbers: Surging Past The Gates of Hell

Tom Engelhardt — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:46:03 -0400

This dispatch from The Nation Institute looks at Iraq by the numbers since the troop "surge."

Men's Vogue: In His Prime

Roger Cohen — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:58:25 -0400

Tony Blair left Britain better than he found it, but he isn't done being a world leader. His most ambitious diplomatic mission, to the Middle East, is just beginning.

Afghanistan Watch: Bridging the Expectations Gap in Afghanistan

George Davendorf and Brian Grzelkowski — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:34:39 -0400

The United States and its allies are in danger of losing Afghanistan says this op-ed from Afghanistan Watch. The authors argue that the most serious threat to the fledgling Afghan state may be lurking in an unexpected place --in the unfulfilled aspirations of average Afghan citizens.

USIP: Iraq and the Gulf States: The Balance of Fear

Jon B. Alterman — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:28:32 -0400

This special report from the United States Institute of Peace says that Iraq’s neighbors are playing a major role—both positive and negative—in the country’s worsening crisis, and reviews the interests and influence of the countries surrounding Iraq and the impact on U.S. bilateral relations.

International Finance: A Blueprint for IMF Reform (Part II)

Allan H. Meltzer — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:25:44 -0400

Allan H. Meltzer comments on the need for IMF reform and discusses how this should happen.

International Finance: A Blueprint for IMF Reform (Part I)

Barry J. Eichengreen — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:43:48 -0400

Barry Eichengreen comments on the need for IMF reform and addresses exactly how this should happen.

ISN: Iraq Between two Occupations (1933-2003)

M. K. Abdullah Saeed — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:20:08 -0400

This case study presents an overview of Iraqi foreign policy and diplomatic history from 1933 to 2003. The authors detail the historical evolution of Iraq's foreign relations, diplomatic interactions, and military confrontations with the great powers and go on to examine the impact of these events on Iraq's national development. The case study provides a synthesis of the different international perspectives on Iraq's place in the world.

ISN: The Second Gulf War (1990-1991)

Kenneth Estes — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:18:22 -0400

This case study examines the causes, conduct, and consequences of the Second Gulf War, which was fought to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The author examines the reasons behind Saddam Hussein's decision to invade Kuwait; the subsequent build-up and deployment of an international UN coalition led by the United States, and the eventual air and ground operations against Iraq's military. The author also examines Iraq's attempts to draw Israel into the conflict and briefly touches on the eventual cost of the war.

ISN: The Third Gulf War (2003-20??)

Kenneth Estes — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:16:41 -0400

This case study examines the causes and conduct of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Particular emphasis is given to the efforts of the Bush administration to precipitate the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime; the planning and conduct of the invasion; and the subsequent difficulties faced by US armed forces in their occupation of Iraq. The author is critical of the Bush administration's lack of planning with regard to post-conflict activities and attributes this to "wishful thinking" with regard to the outcomes of the invasion. Finally, the case study examines the use of spy satellites to in both the run-up and conduct of the invasion.

Center For Defense Information: Afghanistan Update June 1-30, 2007

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:53:40 -0400

This report on incidents in Afghanistan during June, from the Center for Defense Information, says casualties among the Afghan National Police (ANP) force continued to increase in June.