CFR.org - Online Debates

Has the Surge Put Iraq on the Path to Success?

Max Boot and Steven Simon — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:16:43 -0400

Two CFR experts on the war, Max Boot, senior fellow for national security studies, and Steven Simon, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies, debate whether the surge has put Iraq on the path to sucess.

Should Hamas be Included in the Mideast Peace Process?

Mohamad Bazzi and Robert Satloff — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:24:23 -0400

Two Mideast experts weigh the merits of isolating or engaging the terrorist group.

The United States and Shifting Global Power Dynamics

Nina L. Hachigian and Parag Khanna — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:01:00 -0400

Two experts discuss how the United States should confront shifts in global political power in the 21st century.

Should the Next U.S. President Adopt a Tougher Stance on Trade Policy with China?

Robert E. Scott and Daniel J. Ikenson — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:11:09 -0400

Robert Scott of the Economic Policy Institute and Daniel Ikenson of the Cato Institute debate how the next U.S. president should deal with China on trade.

What Should the Next President Do on NAFTA?

Jeffrey J. Schott and Thea M. Lee — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:06:12 -0400

Jeffrey J. Schott, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and Thea M. Lee, policy director for the AFL-CIO, debate what the next president should do on the North American Free Trade Agreement.

When Should the U.S. Withdraw From Iraq?

Ted Galen Carpenter and James Phillips — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:24:37 -0500

Ted Galen Carpenter of the Cato Institute and James Phillips of the Heritage Foundation debate the merits of withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

Who Should Lead Post-Conflict Reconstruction?

Craig Cohen and Col. Garland H. Williams — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:18:05 -0500

Craig Cohen of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Col. Garland H. Williams of the Army Management Staff College debate who should lead the United States’ post-conflict reconstruction efforts, the military or civilians.

Policy for the Next President: Fair Trade or Free Trade

Jonathan Jacoby and Robert Lane Greene — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:59:18 -0500

Jonathan Jacoby of the Center for American Progress and Robert Lane Greene of the Economist debate the shape of trade policy for the next U.S. administration.

Should the United States Recognize Kosovo?

Marshall F. Harris and Alan J. Kuperman — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:48:51 -0500

Two policy experts discuss potential scenarios that could play out if Kosovo declares independence and the United States honors its national sovereignty.

Private Security Contractors

Doug Brooks and Erica Razook — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:59:31 -0500

Doug Brooks, president of the International Peace Operations Association, and Erica Razook, a legal fellow for the Business and Human Rights Program at Amnesty International USA, debate the practical and legal issues surrounding private security contractors in war zones.

Nuclear Power in Response to Climate Change

Michael Mariotte and Steven Kerekes — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:12:11 -0500

Michael Mariotte of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service and Steven Kerekes at the Nuclear Energy Institute debate the role of nuclear power in climate change policy.

U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation

Armand Peschard-Sverdrup and Jorge Chabat — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:32:36 -0400

Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Jorge Chabat, professor at Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) in Mexico City, debate what an ideal security cooperation agreement would look like between the United States and Mexico.

Are Immigrants a Homeland Security Risk?

James Jay Carafano and Mark Krikorian — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:05:25 -0400

Two experts debate the extent to which U.S. security is affected by immigration.

Can Sanctions Be Effective in Halting Iran's Nuclear Program?

Matthew Levitt and Peter Crail — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:16:23 -0400

Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute and Peter Crail of the Arms Control Association debate the merits of using sanctions to try to force Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program.

Should the United States Continue Supporting Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf?

Hassan Abbas and Moeed Yusuf — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:08:25 -0400

Hassan Abbas of Harvard University and Moeed Yusuf, director of strategic studies at the Islamabad-based think tank Strategic and Economic Policy Research, discuss whether the United States should continue its support of President Musharraf.

Violence by the Numbers in Iraq: Sound Data or Shaky Statistics?

Lawrence J. Korb and Stephen Biddle — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:24:25 -0400

Lawrence J. Korb of the Center for American Progress and CFR's Stephen Biddle debate the accuracy of American military statistics on violence in Iraq.

Can Coal-to-Liquid Transportation Fuel be Considered an Alternative Fuel?

Elizabeth Martin Perera and Alex Farrell — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:18:36 -0400

Elizabeth Martin Perera, a climate policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Alex Farrell, director of UC Berkley’s Transportation Sustainability Research Center, discuss the merits and challenges of coal-to-liquids as an alternative fuel.

Are Economic Sanctions Good Foreign Policy?

Jake Colvin and Simon Cox — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:05:59 -0400

Simon Cox of the Economist and Jake Colvin of the National Foreign Trade Council debate the merits and drawbacks of economic sanctions.

Should Guantanamo Bay Be Closed?

James Jay Carafano and Gabor Rona — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:56:14 -0400

James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation and Gabor Rona of Human Rights First debate the merits of shutting down the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

How Should the United States Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

William A. Pizer and Kenneth P. Green — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:18:04 -0400

William A. Pizer, senior fellow at Resources for the Future, and Kenneth P. Green, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, debate how the United States should regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Should Labor Standards Have a Role in U.S. Trade Agreements?

Charles Kernaghan and Claude R. Barfield — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:14:14 -0400

Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee and Claude Barfield of the American Enterprise Institute debate the merits of labor standards in trade pacts.

Will India Eclipse China?

Adam Segal and Manjeet Kripalani — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:17:46 -0400

CFR's Manjeet N. Kripalani and Adam Segal debate whether India will overtake China.

What Role Should the U.S. Play in Somalia?

Terrence Lyons and Sadia Ali Aden — Mon, 21 May 2007 10:15:45 -0400

A pair of Somalia experts, Terrence Lyons and Sadia Ali Aden, discuss U.S. policy options for the war-torn nation on Africa's Horn.

Should Regime Change in Iran be Part of U.S. Foreign Policy?

Robert S. Litwak and Michael Rubin — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:33:39 -0400

Robert Litwak of the Woodrow Wilson Center and Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute debate whether regime change in Iran should be part of U.S. foreign policy.

Should the United States Cut Its Farm Subsidies?

Daniel T. Griswold and Bob Young — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:29:18 -0400

Daniel T. Griswold of the Cato Institute and Bob Young of the American Farm Bureau debate whether American farm subsidies should be maintained.

How Likely is a Nuclear Terrorist Attack on the United States?

Michael A. Levi and Graham T. Allison — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:00:40 -0400

CFR’s Michael A. Levi and Harvard’s Graham T. Allison consider the likelihood of catastrophic nuclear terrorism in the United States.

Is South Africa Living Up to Its Responsibility as Africa's Leader?

Francis Kornegay and Tom Wheeler — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 09:56:31 -0400

Francis Kornegay, senior researcher at the Center for Policy Studies in Johannesburg, and Tom Wheeler, research fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs, debate whether South Africa is living up to its responsibility as Africa’s leader.

A “Path to Citizenship” for Current Illegal Immigrants?

Marc R. Rosenblum and Bruce Fein — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:09:19 -0400

Immigration experts Bruce Fein and Marc R. Rosenblum debate the wisdom of offering a path to citizenship for the estimated twelve million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Does China Pose a Military Threat?

Richard Halloran and John J. Tkacik Jr. — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:10:55 -0400

East Asia military specialists Richard Halloran and John J. Tkacik, Jr. debate about whether China poses a military threat to the United States.

Is the North Korea Deal Worth Celebrating?

Henry Sokolski and Andrew J. Grotto — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 11:50:35 -0400

Two nonproliferation experts evaluate the recent deal with North Korea's nuclear program.