| May 2005, #6
Foreign Policy | Arms Control | Defense | Intelligence | Terrorism | United Nations | Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
Countries/Regions: Balkans | China | Iran | Iraq | Middle East | Ukraine
A1 - Reaganism v. Neo-Reaganism
Lowry, Richard
The National Interest, Spring 2005, #79, pp35-42
Lowry presents some differences between conservatives and neo-conservatives, in the context of foreign policy, ”Almost all conservatives believe that American power can be a force for good and they are unashamed about the aggressive use of that power in defense of national interests. Neo-conservatives appear to believe US military power can be wielded in almost any situation to produce exactly the results they desire, and that is appropriate to wield it even in interventions with only an attenuated connection to US national interests.” He maintains that, “the Bush Doctrine reflects a fundamental belief in the goodness of American power and the necessity of its robust assertion around the world, but also that the President understands that “the policy of achieving th(ese) goal(s) will prudently reflect differing realities in countries from Pakistan to Iran and not one universal moral standard.” Richard Lowry is the editor of the National Journal. Fulltext
A2 - Apocalypse Soon
McNamara, Robert S.
Foreign Policy, May/June 2005, #148, pp28-35
McNamara maintains that a debate over “the military utility of (nuclear) weapons; the risk of inadvertent or accidental use; the moral and legal considerations relating to the use or threat of use of the weapons; or the impact of current policies on proliferation” is long overdue. Robert S. McNamara was U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968 and president of the World Bank from 1968 to 1981. Fulltext
A3 - Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty 2005: Pragmatic Strategies
Arms Control Today, May and April 2005, v35
As a prelude to the Review Meeting of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) that took place in May 2005 in New York, “Arms Control Today” published a series of six articles in which leading experts identify a range of collective and national responses to contemporary nonproliferation and disarmament challenges.
- Testing Time for Europe's Nonproliferation Strategy (May 2005)
Oliver Meier (Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg) and Gerrard Quille (deputy director of International Security Information Service Europe)
- Zeroing in on Noncompliance (May 2005)
Stephen G. Rademaker (Assistant Secretary of State)
- NPT Withdrawal: Time for the Security Council to Step In (May 2005)
George Bunn (the first general counsel for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and U.S. ambassador to the Geneva Disarmament Conference) and John B. Rhinelander (former deputy legal adviser at the Department of State and former legal adviser to the ABM Treaty/SALT I delegation)
- NPT 2005: Can It Meet the Nuclear Challenge? (April 2005)
Jean du Preez, Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies
- Negative Security Assurances: Revisiting the Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Option (April 2005)
Leonard S. Spector and Aubrie Ohlde, Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies
- After Iran: Back to Basics on "Peaceful" Nuclear Energy (April 2005)
Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center
Fulltext articles
A4 - Securing The Bomb: The New Global Imperatives
Bunn, Matthew and Anthony Wier
Harvard University, Project on Managing the Atom; commisisoned by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). May 5, 2005, 140p.
This report calls for a global partnership to secure all nuclear stockpiles worldwide. Meeting that objective, it says, will require “sustained leadership and political heavy lifting” from Presidents Bush and Putin and their counterparts around the world. The authors offer detailed recommendations to strengthen current international efforts, including specific steps that the G8’s Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction should take, leading up to their meeting in Scotland in July; recommendations for actions by the current Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference; and options for action by the U.S. Congress.” Matthew Bunn is a Senior Research Associate in the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Anthony Wier is a Research Associate in the Project on Managing the Atom. Fulltext
A5 - Arms Control and American Security
Levi, Michael A.; O’Hanlon, Michael E.
Current History, April 2005, v104, #681, pp162-168
“Arms control is still important, because dangerous technologies abound and no practical strategy exits whereby one country or small group of countries can successfully keep safe from them…” Levi and O'Hanlon discuss the need for a new strategy for controlling dangerous technologies in an age of terror such as linking arms control to broader national security incentives. Michael A. Levi is non-resident fellow and Michael E. O’Hanlon a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. They are authors of “The Future of Arms Control.” Order Article
A6 - Sixty Years After Hiroshima, A New Nuclear Era
Graham, Thomas Jr.
Current History, April 2005, v104, #681, pp147-152
”In today’s strategic environment, military preemption and missile defense offer little security against an atomic holocaust. And the best safeguard – the international nonproliferation regime – is in danger of unraveling.” Graham discusses the Nonproliferation Treaty and outlines “several steps the United States should take in the near future that, combined with tough enforcement policies toward Iran and others and a serious attempt to deal with North Korea, could turn this … dangerous situation around.” Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr., senior counsel with Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius, is a former U.S. special representative for arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament. Order Article
A7 - The Military We Need: The Defense Requirements of the Bush Doctrine
Donnelly, Thomas
American Enterprise Institute, May 2005, 100p
In this description of the new missions the U.S. military has had to undertake since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the author poses the question of whether defense institutions are prepared for those new tasks, and maintains that, “The gap between America’s strategic reach and its military grasp has reached a point of crisis…” He continues, “the Bush administration must confront tough choices about how to transform America’s defense establishment for the challenges now confronting it.” Thomas Donnelly is a resident fellow in defense and security policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Fulltext
A8 - Base Closure and Realignment Report
U.S. Secretary of Defense, May 2005. 10v
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) is an independent body responsible for reviewing the Secretary of Defense’s recommendations for BRAC 2005. The Base Closure and Realignment Act specified the selection process for commissioners. The President was required to consult with the congressional leadership on nominations to serve on the commission. The first two volumes of the report cover realignment and job impacts to economic areas as well as detailed recommendations. Vols. 3-10 contain service reports from the three major military branches and a series of joint cross-service group reports. Fulltext
A9 - Military Base Closures: Implementing the 2005 Round
Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. Updated April 22, 2005, 21p
In November 2002, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld announced the first steps in implementing the new 2005 base realignment and closure (BRAC) law. These included development of a force structure plan, comprehensive inventory of military installations, and establishment of criteria for selecting bases for closure and realignment. This report summarizes what has been accomplished and implemented so far and provides detailed information about the 2005 round including a timeline of key actions. David E. Lockwood is a specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Defense Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division at the Congressional Research Service. Fulltext
A10 - Re-Forming Intelligence
Chambliss, Saxby
National Interest, Spring 2005, #79, pp79-83
Senator Chambliss discusses the passage of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 in the U.S. and how provisions of the legislation will affect the functions of intelligence agencies. He assesses the role of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in intelligence reform. The Honorable Saxby Chambliss is a United States Senator from Georgia. He sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Fulltext
A11 - Terrorist Motivations for the Use of Extreme Violence
Maj. Jaime Gomez, Jr.
Strategic Insights, May 2005, v4, #5, 11p
Gomez examines the background of terrorism and violence. "All too often, our analysis of extremist motives begins with our reaction to the terrorist act itself. However, for certain extremist organizations, channeling efforts to identify and isolate the root cause for such events requires a deeper understanding of the intricacies that foment such profound actions, specifically suicide terrorism and the use of a weapon of mass destruction." Air Force Major Jaime Gomez, Jr. is a graduate student from the Defense Analysis Department at the Naval Postgraduate School. Fulltext
A12 - The Origins of al Qaeda’s Ideology: Implications for U.S. Strategy
Christopher Henzel
Parameters, Spring 2005, v35, #1, pp69-80
Henzel presents the history of Sunni Islam and its impact on the establishment of al Qaeda and analyses the role of Sunnis in the Arab world. "If American strategists fail to understand and exploit the divide between the establishments and the revolutionaries within Sunni Islam, the United States will play into the radicals’ hands, and turn fence-sitting Sunnis into enemies." Christopher Henzel is a Foreign Service officer and a 2004 graduate of the National War College. Fulltext
A13 - Terrorism and the New Security Dilemma
Cerny, Philip G.
Naval War College Review, Winter 2005, v58, #1, pp11-33
The reliability of interstate balances of power is declining; the capacity of the 'states system' to provide security is deteriorating; the state itself is coming under increasing centrifugal pressure from both outside and inside, from above and from below; and the reshaping of the wider political environment in reaction to complex globalization remains rudimentary and uneven. We can expect substate and cross-border destabilization and violence, including but certainly not confined to terrorism, to become increasingly endemic. Fulltext
A14 - In Larger Freedom: Decision Time at the UN
Annan, Kofi
Foreign Affairs, May/June 2005, v84, #3, p63-, 12p,
“Dealing with today’s threats requires, broad, deep and sustained global cooperation. Thus the states of the world must create a collective security system to prevent terrorism, strengthen nonproliferation, and bring peace to war-torn areas, while also promoting human rights, democracy, and development. And the UN must go through its most radical overhaul yet.” Kofi Annan is the Secretary General of the United Nations. Fulltext
A15 - In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All,
Report of the Secretary General Kofi Annan, March 21, 2005.
The recommendations in this report lay the groundwork for decisions at the upcoming summit of world leaders at the UN in September 2005. "Taking its name from a key phrase of the UN Charter, which speaks of social progress and better standards of life “in larger freedom”, the report promotes a realignment of the world body to give additional weight to key development, security and human rights issues, while setting out plans to make the UN more efficient, open and accountable. Its recommendations are drawn in part from the conclusions of two UN-commissioned panels on collective security and on the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals, as well as promises made in the Millennium Declaration of 2000. Fulltext
A16 - Can the UN be Fixed?
Michael Soussan
Commentary, April 2005, v119, #4, pp55-60
The diplomatic debacle in 2003 leading up to armed action against Saddam Hussein made the UN appear all but irrelevant in responding to a major international crisis, especially in the terms urged by its important member, the U.S. Soussan discusses the UN’s current approach to politics and the reforms that would help the UN with several clusters of threats. Michael Soussan was program coordinator 1997-2000 for the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program. Fulltext
Weapons of Mass Destruction
A17 - Weapons of Mass Destruction and Nonproliferation — The Need for Global Engagement and Threat Reduction
Walker, Paul F.
Worldwatch Global Security Brief #4, May 2005
Weapons of mass destruction -- nuclear, chemical, and biological -- have all been subject to international agreements, both bilateral and multilateral that have restricted research, development, deployment, and use of these deadly and indiscriminate weapons. The continuing danger of WMD has been brought home by recent overt threats from terrorist groups. Walker offers policy options that need to be addressed in the near future to minimize threats and proliferation of WMD. Dr. Paul Walker is Legacy Program Director with Global Green USA, the U.S. affiliate of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Green Cross, in Washington, DC. Fulltext
A18 - Aum Shinrikyo, Al Qaeda, and the Kinshasa Reactor Implications of Three Case Studies for Combating Nuclear Terrorism
Daly, Sara A., John V. Parachini and William Rosenau
Rand Corporation, Project Air Force . Web-posted April 20, 2005. 89p.
“Revelations about A.Q. Khan’s global nuclear marketing efforts and Osama bin Laden’s contact with Pakistani nuclear scientists have raised concerns about terrorist acquisition of a nuclear or radiological weapons capability… This study suggests that strict controls on nuclear weapons, materials, and expertise will reduce opportunities for terrorists to acquire these resources.” In the three cases selected for analysis, the authors used available open source material, although in many instances this information provided only a fragmentary and tentative account.” Fulltext
A19 - The Threat
Hegland, Corine, Webb, Greg
National Journal, April 16, 2005, vol. 37, no. 16, pp. 1138-1145
This article assesses the threat posed by nuclear weapons in possession of terrorists. Focusing on the capabilities of terrorist groups to obtain and use nuclear materials, the authors come to the conclusion that “it’s not hard to build a nuclear weapon, but it’s difficult for terrorists to obtain the necessary nuclear materials and to unleash the bomb.”Corine Hegland is a National Journal reporter, Greg Webb is Global Security Editor -Newswire. Fulltext
Countries/Regions:
A20 - Balkan Cooperation on War Crimes Issues: 2005 Update
Kim, Julie
Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. March 28, 2005. 6p
A combination of intensified international pressure and deadlines associated with Euro-Atlantic integration processes has prompted a spate of transfers of persons indicted for war crimes to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague in late 2004-early 2005. Full cooperation with The Hague tribunal has been established as a key prerequisite to further progress toward a shared long-term goal for the western Balkan countries: closer association with and eventual membership in the European Union (EU) and NATO. The Euro-integration efforts of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro have stalled (to varying degrees) over ICTY cooperation, although recent evidence of progress in turning over indicted persons may prompt further consideration. Limited cooperation with ICTY has also held up some U.S. bilateral assistance to Serbia. Some top-ranking war crimes suspects remain at large; meanwhile, the Tribunal is preparing to wind down its operations and has issued its final indictments. Julie Kim is specialist in International Relations, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division. Fulltext
China
A21 - Confronting China: An Evaluation of Options for the United States
Thayer, Bradley A.
Comparative Strategy, Jan/March 2005, v24, #1, pp71-98
“Great power competition never takes a holiday. Even during the Global War on Terror, the United States must prepare for confrontation with China. How should the United States confront the considerable growth of Chinese power? This article considers the advantages and risks of four major options available to the United States : 1) economic sanctions against key goods imported by China (oil and information technology); 2) alliance formation against China; 3) covert support for separatist movements in Tibet and Xinjiang; and 4) military options available to the United States.” Bradley A. Thayer is an associate professor in the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies at Southwest Missouri State University. He has been a consultant to the Rand Corporation and a fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and Technology, Harvard University. Fulltext
A22 - The Persian Dilemma: Will Iran Go Nuclear?
Vakil, Sanam
Current History, April 2005, v104, #681, pp183-188
The United States and the European Union are spinning in confusion over Iran's apparent pursuit of nuclear weapons. The author discusses the factors that would affect Iran's approach to nuclear weapons production. Sanam Vakil is a research associate at the Council on Foreign Relations' Iran Project and an instructor, Middle Eastern studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Order Article
A23 - What Went Right
Lowry, Richard
National Review; May 9, 2005, v57, #8, p29, 9p
Following up on an article published in the same journal in October 2004 entitled “What Went Wrong,” Lowry reports on post -war conditions in Iraq and how the U.S. strategy of liberation, occupation, partnership, and self-reliance for Iraq is containing violence and promoting democracy. He covers religious and ethnic conflict that fuels the insurgency Iraq, political aspects of the "information campaign," details of the Najaf and Fallujah campaigns, and efforts to build Iraqi security forces. Richard Lowry is the editor of National Review. Fulltext
A24 - Reality Bites: The Impending Logic of Withdrawal from Iraq
Rubin, Barry
Washington Quarterly, Spring 2005, v28, #2, pp67-80
The author believes that Washington should withdraw its forces during the next 12-18 months -- after a new Iraqi constitution is drafted and the elections planned for December 2005 choose a permanent government. He maintains that remaining in Iraq will bring the U.S. into confrontation with a new government and the Shi'a majority. Barry Rubin is the Direc tor of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center. Order Article
A25 - Five Bad Options for Iraq
Byman, Daniel
Survival , vol. 47, no. 1, Spring 2005, pp7–32
” There are five options for a U.S. policy towards Iraq: continuing to muddle through with the current approach; expanding the size of the deployed military forces; shifting towards counterinsurgency operations; drawing down the overall force size and using the remainder for a more limited mission; and complete withdrawal. Of these, expansion is not feasible, and a withdrawal could prove disastrous. Shifting toward counterinsurgency offers many benefits, but it is highly unlikely that the United States would do it properly. By default, a limited drawdown represents the 'least bad” option. It would enable the United States to preserve some influence and continue to target the jihadists, but reduce the tremendous costs of continued operations.“ Daniel Byman is an Assistant Professor in the Security Studies Program of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. Order Article
A26 - Iraq’s New Security Forces: The Challenge of Sectarian and Ethnic Influences
Sharp, Jeremy M.
Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. March 25, 2005. 6p
This report analyzes the prospects for rebuilding an inclusive Iraqi security force that transcends Iraq’s various ethnic and sectarian communities. U.S. policymakers and Iraqi officials aim to create a unified Iraqi security force; however, the predominately Sunni Arab insurgency has hampered this effort, and many believe that the new Iraqi security agencies will ultimately be composed of mostly Shiite and Kurdish recruits with the Kurds also separately maintaining their own militias. As Iraqi officials attempt to build a pluralistic political system in the aftermath of successful parliamentary elections, an important challenge will be rebuilding an inclusive Iraqi security force that does not exacerbate relations between Iraq’s ethnic/religious communities and increase the likelihood of civil war. Jeremy M. Sharp is Middle East Policy Analyst in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of the Congressional Research Service. Fulltext
A27 - The Middle East Peace Talks
Migdalovitz, Carol
Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, Updated May 10, 2005. 19p
This regularly-updated report brings the chronology of negotiations on peace talks between Israel and Palestine up-to-date to early May 2005. Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of the Congressional Research Service. Fulltext
A28 - Fresh Ink for The Middle East Road Map
Broder, Jonathan
Congressional Quarterly Weekly, May 2, 2005, pp1134-
"Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and other changes on the ground give President Bush a chance to make his mark on the Mideast peace process where others have failed. Bush is embarking upon essentially another nation-building exercise, though this one has more international support than the effort in Iraq.” Jonathan Broder is on the CQ Staff. Order Article
A29 - Promoting Middle East Democracy II Arab Initiatives. Report
Mona Yacoubian
United States Institute of Peace, May 2005, Special Report #136
"This report reviews and analyzes the components of reform as proposed by those in the region. The paper ends with some overarching conclusions on Arab reform efforts as well as recommendations for U.S. policymakers." Mona Yacobian works as a special adviser to the United States Institute of Peace’s Muslim World Initiative, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Fulltext
Ukraine
A30 - Ukraine after the Orange Revolution: Strengthening European and Transatlantic Commitments
Forbrig, Joerg and Robin Shepherd, editors
German Marshall Fund and the Heinrich Boell Foundation. May 2, 2005. 136p
“Ukraine's recent Orange Revolution opens an enormous opportunity to reinvigorate the democratic reform process in that country and to bring it closer to European and transatlantic structures. A new book just released by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, jointly with the Heinrich Boell Foundation of Germany, brings together renowned experts from Ukraine, Europe, and the United States to look more closely and systematically into the steps needed to take advantage of this opportunity both domestically and internationally.” Joerg Forbrig is a Program Officer with the German Marshall Fund of the United States at the Office for Central and Eastern Europe in Bratislava, Slovakia. Robin Shepherd is an Adjunct Fellow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. Fulltext
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