What are the U.S. options on Iran?
Originally published at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Transmission blog, June 25, 2009.
On June 24, the Brookings Institution held an interesting event, “Which Path to Persia? Options for a New American Strategy Toward Iran.”
A monograph of the same name will soon be released by the think tank, enumerating the choices U.S. policymakers have over Iran. These are the options that emerged from the briefing:
Out In the Cold: A Look at Obama’s Foreign Policy
Originally published May 29, 2009.
The foreign policy strategy of the Obama Administration, at least in its first four months, could be described as a terrifying mix of obsequiousness, blind optimism, and naivete. From incessant apologies to timidity in the face of the nation’s enemies, the Obama Doctrine seems to have the permanent weakening of America as its primary goal. A breakdown by region follows.
India: Bearing the Brunt of Terror
Originally published March 13, 2009:
Terrorist attacks continue to be a regular occurrence throughout India, and even seem to be increasing in incidence. This past year saw an astounding 10 major terrorist attacks, a figure equal to the number of attacks in 2005, 2006, and 2007 combined. The last calendar year without a terrorist attack in India was the year 2000.
Since 9/11, there have been at least 30 attacks within Indian territory, in addition to the deadly bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul last summer. In total, more than 1,200 people have been killed, nearly all of them civilians. The most remarkable fact about this situation is that, with the exception of the incredibly lethal and complex attack against Mumbai in November of last year, none of these attacks have attracted the attention of the Western media for more than a day or two. The fact that these attacks have become commonplace does not diminish their significance.
The Wheezing Bear
Originally published October 12, 2008.
In the modern era, where human capital is so highly valued, Russia’s 59-year male life expectancy (several years lower than that of Bangladesh, for comparison) reveals an almost total lack of sustainability for current economic growth. Compounding this handicap is the negative momentum of the healthcare system—the current life expectancy for Russian men is nearly four years lower than that recorded for the same group in 1961. No other industrialized country has ever recorded such a drop in life expectancy over such a prolonged period, especially in peacetime.
[...]
To put the situation in perspective, a 20-year-old man from Switzerland today has more than an 80 percent chance of surviving to age 65. A 20-year-old Russian man, on the other hand, has a less than 50 percent chance of reaching that age.
Publisher of Muhammad Cartoons Clarifies Free Speech
Originally published June 11, 2008.
Riots following the publishing of 12 cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people around the globe and the torching of the Danish embassies in Beirut, Damascus, and Tehran in early 2006. The man who commissioned the cartoons, Flemming Rose, came to Stanford on May 7 to present his views on free speech as well as his unique perspective on the cartoon crisis.
[...]
[Rose] emphasized the importance of defending free speech at a time when doing so is increasingly difficult and even dangerous, and specifically mentioned the inadequacy of the common affirmation that “I support free speech, but….” The right to free speech, he explained, precludes all other supposed rights to hear only inoffensive, respectful, tolerant language. “The only right you do not have in a democracy,” Rose pointed out, “is the right not to be offended.”
Kosovo’s Independence Leaves World Worried
Originally published March 18, 2008
EU members Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania have all thus far refused to recognize Kosovo’s independence due to concerns about their own ethnic minorities. Other countries worried about a possible precedent being set include China, Russia, Georgia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Israel. Even countries which have recognized Kosovo, such as France and Turkey, face minorities agitating for independence. Some have gone so far as to say that the recognition of Kosovo undermines the very notion of the multi-ethnic state, and a chain reaction may soon occur in which separatist movements in the wide range of countries listed above feel empowered to declare their own independence. Such a series of events, if it were to occur, would lead to a nearly unparalleled international crisis.
Archbishop of Canterbury Ready for Islamic Law
Originally published March 18, 2008
While the Archbishop’s statement is indeed frightening, especially considering his position as the head of the Church of England, official acceptance of shari’ah is in fact already looming. Many shari’ah courts already operate informally, and the British government has made several legal concessions on the issue, including modifying regulations on stamp duties to allow for shari’ah-compliant mortgages and allowing polygamous households to claim additional government benefits. If not for the Archbishop’s naïve view that sanctioning Islamic law would improve “social cohesion,” this entire situation would be a clear case of shooting the messenger. That was indeed the case just two months ago, when the Anglican Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, received death threats and went under police protection after warning that some parts of Britain had become “no-go areas” for non-Muslims. Regarding Archbishop Williams’ remarks, Nazir-Ali, who holds joint British-Pakistani citizenship, contended that introducing shari’ah alongside English law would be “impossible” without severely undermining the latter. He pointed out that shari’ah would be “in tension” with some aspects of modern British society, particularly regarding women’s rights.
The Future of Europe
Originally published December 7, 2007
Violent crime has tripled in the last twenty years. Rapes are now commonplace, some even occurring in broad daylight, and young women are afraid to go outside after dark. Certain neighborhoods are now so dangerous that even emergency services and police refuse to enter them out of concern for their own safety.
This sounds like a description of Compton in the 1960s, or perhaps the Bronx or Detroit at their very worst.
Yet this is the current state of Malmö, the third-largest city in Sweden.
What has caused this seemingly sudden and dramatic change in this traditionally peaceful Northern European country?
leave a comment