Thursday, August 03, 2006

Thank you for visiting the U.S. Role blog, we have moved. Our new home is located here: http://www.usrole.com/

Your browser will now be directed to the new site.

posted by Joel @ 9:58 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

U.S. & Mideast Diplomacy
There seems to be an emerging consensus that Israel will disarm or at least severely weaken Hezbollah over the next few weeks at which point an international force made up of either UN or NATO forces will be inserted as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel. What happens after that? Former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft looks back to Clinton era diplomacy to suggest a way forward in this Washington Post op-ed, Beyond Lebanon. Scowcroft suggests that the basic framework Clinton offered in 2000 (addressing the borders of a Palestinian state, the refugees, settlements, and the status of Jerusalem) can still be embraced by the powers in the region, but only if the U.S. is serious about brokering a comprehensive settlement. Given the challenges of brokering such an agreement, Scowcroft is quick to point out the many benefits:
The benefits of reaching a comprehensive settlement of the root cause of today's turmoil would likely ripple well beyond the Israelis and the Palestinians. A comprehensive peace settlement would not only defang the radicals in Lebanon and Palestine (and their supporters in other countries), it would also reduce the influence of Iran -- the country that, under its current ideology, poses the greatest potential threat to stability in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan.

posted by Joel @ 10:20 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

U.S. & Mideast
I was away last week, an untimely vacation if ever there was one, so I'm rather late in offering some web resources relating to the recent crisis in the Middle East. To make up for that, I'd like to recommend the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace website where they have assembled a PDF file of commentaries by opinion leaders positioned to address the issues in this conflict. From the Carnegie e-alert:
As the current conflict in Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza has escalated and has involved the broader region, a rapid cessation of violence may be more difficult to achieve. In light of the current state of affairs, Carnegie experts Marina S. Ottaway, Nathan Brown, Julia Choucair, Michele Dunne, Amr Hamzawy, George Perkovich, and Paul Salem have collectively written several short commentaries addressing the crisis in the Middle East. Hamas, Hizbollah, Iran, Syria and others are explored in detail.

posted by Joel @ 11:36 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 10, 2006

U.S. & North Korea
How should the U.S. respond to North Korea's missile tests? Should the U.S. stage a preemptive attack on North Korea? It's time for some pro-con on this complex issue from The Washington Post:

Attack North Korea: William Perry & Ash Carter

Don't Attack: Jack Pritchard

posted by Joel @ 1:10 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 06, 2006

U.S. & North Korea
The Foreign Policy Association's web editor Robert Nolan takes a look (North Korea's Fireworks) at the recent provocative missile launches by North Korea and examines possible responses.

posted by Joel @ 2:48 PM 0 comments

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Web Resource: New CFR
Check out the new and improved Council on Foreign Relations website, edited by journalist Michael Moran. Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, national membership organization and a nonpartisan center for scholars dedicated to producing and disseminating ideas so that individual and corporate members, as well as policymakers, journalists, students, and interested citizens in the United States and other countries, can better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments.

posted by Joel @ 11:38 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

U.S. & Development
Robert Calderisi offers a report card (New Statesman - The worst man in the world?) on the first year of the Wolfowitz era at the World Bank.

posted by Joel @ 11:51 AM 0 comments