The News:
Two years ago:
An Ex-C.I.A. Chief
on Iraq and the Slam Dunk That Wasn’t, NYT April 28, 2007
Rice Rebuts Tenet’s
Assertion That ’01 Warning Was Ignored, NYT April 30, 2007
Saudis Round Up 172,
Citing Plot Against Oil Rigs, NYT April 28, 2007A Saudi Prince
Tied to Bush Is Sounding Off-Key, NYT April 29, 2007
Iraq Leader
Warns Iran on Attacks Abroad, AP, April 29, 2007
Terrorist
Attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan Rose Sharply Last Year, State
Department Says, NYT, May 1, 2007 - here are the Country Reports -
in particular the Middle East
and North Africa
Islamic Democrats? (about Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood) by James
Traub, NYT Magazine, April 29, 2007
Analysis:
Fight rages over Iraq oil law, UPI,
April 27, 2008
Diplomacy at Its Worst
op-ed by Nicholas Kristof, April 29, 2007
Iran to
Attend Regional Talks on Iraq Violence, NYT, April 30, 2007
Resignation
Could Be Part of World Bank Compromise, NYT April 30, 2007
Olmert
Rebuked by Israeli Panel on Lebanon War, NYT, May 1, 2007
Alternative Futures
(Hastedt
pp 409-423=Abel’s Coursepack 116-123)
What is the national interest? Are we falling victim to the "victory disease?" How should we define the principal threat(s) to US national security? What responsibilities do we have toward other states and toward the global community?
Futures | Globalization | balance | military power | economic power | soft power | promote democracy | multilateralism | 2007 class | 2009 class |
The Choices: | of power | democ | n=313 | n=131 | |||||
% vote | % vote | ||||||||
US as ordinary state | maybe | yes | 19.8 | 19.1 | |||||
Reformed America | yes | no | no | yes | yes | yes | strong | 22 | 37.4 |
Global Manager | yes | no | no | yes | yes | no | yes | 18.5 | 16 |
Pragmatic America | yes | maybe | yes | no | no | no | limited | 9.9 | 7.6 |
Neo-Containment | no | yes | yes yes | yes | no | no | minimal | 2.9 | 3.1 |
Triumphant America | negative WOT | no | yes | no | no no | lead | 2.2 | 0 | |
American Crusader | more negative | no | yes yes | no | maybe | dominate | 6.4 | 0.8 | |
America the Balancer | no | yes | police? | no | no | limited | 12.8 | 14.5 | |
Disengaged America | no | yes | no | limited | 5.4 | 1.5 |
The Choices
Hopes and Fears and Questions
First, a bit of background about George Tenet, the CIA, and "truth to power," as Tenet explained his function as CIA Director, illustrated by the CIA's reports in the summer of 2003 concerning the unpleasant facts on the ground in Iraq after the US invasion of March 2003. But he had already betrayed truth for power in July 2002 if the head of MI6 is to be believed - see A Tiny Revolution, Jan 8, 2006, concerning "The secret Downing Street memo." Can the CIA retain its integrity?
May the UN one day achieve the promise and hopes of 1945? UN Security Council: Chapter VII - Military Staff Committee? It died "almost immediately...The Security Council itself hobbled along during the Cold War, underwent a brief resurgence in the 1990s, and then flamed out with Kosovo and Iraq." (Michael J. Glennon, "Why the Security Council Failed," Foreign Affairs, May-June 2003)
May we focus on the risk of global warming to Global Security? Background to Kyoto Protocol and ongoing discussions
__________________________________________________________________________________