Reason for hope in Egypt

by Brian Vogt | February 9th, 2011 | |Subscribe

In this populous Muslim majority nation, demonstrators were fed up with more than 30 years of authoritarian rule by a former general.  The country’s economy was imploding.   The military had become an enormous state apparatus that reached its tentacles into all aspects of society, including hundreds of businesses.  The President called the shots that were rubber stamped by a compliant legislature.  Although there were regular elections, the results were always a foregone conclusion.   Opposition voices were stifled.  Security forces were known for their brutal treatment of regime opponents.

An emerging middle class, led initially by student activists, demanded reforms.    They were fed up with the crony capitalism that enriched the President and his associates while the rest of the country dealt with skyrocketing inflation.  Protests spread throughout the country.  Before long the President announced that he would not step down but that he would start a transition that would lead to new elections and he wouldn’t run.    Unfortunately, after years of repression, there seemed to be dearth of viable opposition leaders.

As the world has watched transfixed on unfolding developments in Egypt, one would assume that the description above refers to the events of the past 14 days. It does not.  It describes the 1998 democratic transition in Indonesia.  It is remarkable how similar the events appear.  Days after President Suharto announced that he would not run in a future election, he received word that he no longer had the support of the military, leading him to step down from the presidency and turn over power to his vice-president, B.J. Habibie. (more…)

National Security Reform: Mission Managers and Solving the Authority Problem

by Taylor Jo Isenberg | February 9th, 2011 | |Subscribe

“Virtually all serious observers of national security affairs now recognize the current structure of the national security system militates against unified problem-solving when the problem is a multiagency issue. The question is what to do about it.”

Counter-proliferation, counterinsurgency, food security, energy policy – all examples of complex and multifaceted issues that increasingly dominate America’s security priorities and starkly highlight the chronic limitations of the U.S. national security structure. The Project on National Security Reform and others stress the critical need for a Goldwater-Nichols Act of national security to take on the colossal and outdated bureaucracy built around the security challenges of the post WWII period. (more…)

New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to Enter into Force Tomorrow

by Alexis Collatos | February 4th, 2011 | |Subscribe

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/multimedia/dynamic/00340/98320924_340144e.jpg

Tomorrow in Munich, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will exchange instruments of Ratification for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), thus immediately rendering the treaty into force.  The exchange is the final step in a ten-month process that began last April in Prague, when Presidents Obama and Medvedev met to sign the treaty. After lengthy and thorough consideration, the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty in a bipartisan vote this past December, followed in January by the Russian Parliament.

The importance of this treaty is reflected in the widespread and politically diverse support it has received from the military and policy establishments. The Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, and seven former heads of U.S. Strategic Command and Strategic Air Command have come out in support of the treaty. In addition, this past June, thirty top national security leaders signed a PSA statement on New START,  including ten former Senators, four Secretaries of State, four Secretaries of Defense, and three National Security Advisors, as well as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the 9/11 Commission among others.

Broadly speaking, the treaty requires both Russia and the U.S. to decrease their amounts of deployed strategic nuclear weapons, thus reducing the threat of “doomsday” scenarios of nuclear exchanges between the two countries. More specifically, New START gives both the United States and Russia seven years in which to reduce their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 – down from the current numbers of between 1,700 and 2,200 – and limit the number of deployed delivery systems to 700 and the total delivery systems to 800. Upon entering into force, the treaty immediately instates a series of verification and inspection measures designed to provide each country with a sophisticated database of information on individual warheads and 18 physical on-site inspections per year. (more…)

Supreme Leader, Can You Hear Them Now?

by Kathy Gockel | February 2nd, 2011 | |Subscribe

iran-election-photo-via-ap-photo-by-burhan-ozbilici.jpg

As we watch the current demonstrations in Egypt and Jordan, and as Tunisia moves to a new phase in its history, much is being made of American ties to these leaders.  As the “Arab street” watches what is transpiring, it should note that the US and other western countries are letting these events play out even given real concerns over the impact this will have on geopolitics, global security and a shaky world economy.

Yet, as the governments and militaries of Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan show some restraint in handling these protests, one has to reflect on the fact that one of the most sophisticated populaces in the world, the Iranian people, were not shown the same courtesy by their regime.  Rather, the Supreme Leader, his allies, and his loyal guardsman and militias used and continue to use every opportunity to shut down peaceful protests and threaten the opposition.

Let’s hope the Supreme Leader and his allies realize that what is transpiring in the region is a revolt against autocracies writ large.  If Iran wants to become a real regional power and take what it believes is its rightful place in the international order, then it should unleash the greatest power it has – the power of its people.  After all, it is this Persian power that has contributed so much to world civilization and continues to garner international respect today.

Congressional Fellowship Program Now Accepting Applications

by PSA Staff | February 1st, 2011 | |Subscribe

Partnership for a Secure America’s Congressional Fellowship Program is now accepting applications for the Spring 2011 session. This highly selective program is for Congressional staff interested in generating dialogue, cooperative action and relationships to advance bipartisan action on national security and foreign policy issues. Through training, networking, and exclusive activities, this unique program aims to build a “next generation” of foreign policy and security experts equipped to respect differences, build common ground and achieve US national interests. The deadline to apply is March 11, 2011. For further information about the program, and to apply, click here.

PSA Advisory Board Member Frank Wisner Tapped to Help Defuse Tensions in Egypt

by PSA Staff | February 1st, 2011 | |Subscribe

The Obama Administration announced Monday that it asked Partnership for a Secure America Advisory Board member, Ambassador Frank Wisner, to travel to Egypt to meet with President Hosni Mubarak and other Egyptian political leaders. A former Ambassador to Cairo (1986-91), Ambassador Wisner brings considerable expertise and strong relationships in the Middle East to bear on this current assignment.  Deeply respected for his contributions to American diplomacy and peace-building in some of the world’s toughest neighborhoods, Wisner has served in both Democratic and Republican Administrations, most recently as President George W. Bush’s special envoy responsible for negotiating Kosovo independence.

An Uncertain Hand Rocks the Cradle of Civilization

by Jessie Daniels | February 1st, 2011 | |Subscribe

While doing some winter cleaning recently, I discovered an October 1970 edition of Life magazine I had purchased from a Manhattan street vendor some years back.  The cover story on the sudden death of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser featured a photo of crowds swarming to the funeral of the controversial leader, who was, for them, a symbol of dignity.  More than forty years later, the scenes from Egypt are strikingly different, but echoes of that same desire for dignity remain strong.

To many watching from afar, the images of Egyptian protesters are equally compelling and mysterious.  Their cause seems just, having more to do with outrage over bad governance than ideology, but “who are they?” has become a common query with regard to the disparate group of protesters.  That leaves the question of what comes as far from clear, which makes you want to sit on the edge of your seat to see what happens but also leaves you wondering whether you’ll be sorry you did.

While Tunisia’s so-called Jasmine Revolution helped to inspire Egypt’s so-called Lotus Revolution, more consequential is what alternative model emerges for a transitional democracy.  Part of the fear associated with the what-comes-next scenario comes from remembering past negative models like Gaza.  On the flip side, though, is Turkey, a secular democracy in a Muslim majority state.  Moreover, the country has become an increasingly influential player on the world stage, and gained prestige in the Middle East for doing so.  And as the Wall Street Journal noted, Turkish policymakers see the potential to “enhance its diplomatic influence” even further.
(more…)

Transformations in the Middle East

by James Prince | January 28th, 2011 | |Subscribe

http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_large/articles/egypt-525.jpg

Travelling in the Middle East over the past week has been extraordinary, to say the least. In a region where change is measured in incremental adjustments over decades, the days of rage and anger should not be interpreted as anything but transformational.

Observers have been tracking the angst of this new generation for about a decade.  The question was always where and when the teapot would sing.  Without any other release mechanism, overflowing anxiety simply funneled to the streets.

Although the activism in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Yemen reflect the distinctiveness of those particular countries, some significant common denominators thread through the region.  First, the demonstrations reflect a chronic angst stemming from the challenges of living in authoritarian states beset by stagnation and corruption; political, economic, and even social, cultural and religious repression, to a noticeable degree.  The call to action came not from political leaders but from frustration cutting through the younger set.
(more…)

No Panacea in the Year 2015

by Dr. Tammy S. Schultz | January 27th, 2011 | |Subscribe

I have written before on this blog about the dangerous assumptions that currently haunt thinking in the beltway, and the State of the Union address made this apparition rise again.  Specifically, that we will start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July, by the end of this year we will leave a stable Iraq, and all troops will be home by 2015.

Wars are remarkably costly – about $1 trillion between Iraq and Afghanistan thus far, to say nothing of the human costs.  And those costs continue once everyone is home from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Equipment will have to be repaired, replaced, or modernized.  Health care costs don’t end for the wounded, including those with post traumatic stress or traumatic brain injuries, nor should our obligation to these heroes.  And the U.S. military will still be deployed around the world engaging partners, and even potentially engaged in wars unknown (when has the world ever stopped for us to catch our breath?). (more…)

The State of the Union address is just like junior high school

by Brian Vogt | January 24th, 2011 | |Subscribe

Some teachers in junior high school would allow students to sit wherever they wanted in the classroom.  Whenever this was the case, undoubtedly we would quickly group ourselves with our friends.   The jocks sat with other jocks.  The nerds sat with other nerds (generally my group).  And the heavy metal thrashers sat with other heavy metal thrashers.  As you can imagine, there wasn’t much communication between the groups.  Other teachers assigned seats.  All the cliques got mixed up and we were forced to interact with people that  weren’t in our normal social circles.  Although it was uncomfortable at first, I sometimes found myself learning a bit about the people around me.  I learned to appreciate Metallica and the identify who was playing in the lineup for the weekend’s football game – not life changing discoveries, but important nonetheless in junior high interactions.

It turns out that the seating arrangements of the upcoming State of the Union address present a situation that is not altogether different from a junior high classroom.  Our elected representatives will be faced with a simple question:  is it better to sit with my close friends or reach out to to someone who isn’t in my clique?

Traditionally in the tightly choreographed State of the Union address, everyone plays their part.  Democrats sit with Democrats on one side of the room.  Republicans sit with Republicans on the other side of the room.  Democrats stand and clap at their signature issues and Republicans do the same for their issues.  Everyone plays their part – a bit like junior high.

Recently, however, something changed.  After the tragedy in Tuscon, we’ve all been rethinking the roles that we play.  There is a growing realization that there is lack of civility in our public life.

Ordinary Americans work with, socialize with, and go to church with people of many different political beliefs.  Unfortunately, our political discourse has been polarized by right wing and left wing media outlets that encourage people to see issues in black and white terms.   This harmful discourse was characterized by the outburst of Representatives Joe Wilson who exclaimed, “you lie!”, during President Obama’s last State of the Union address.  We see and hear it every day in the partisan attacks on cable news and talk radio.  (more…)

Next Page �