Think Tanked

Erratic Driving as Anti-Roadside Bomb Method

I'm reading Bob Woodward's Obama's Wars and will be blogging the think tank-related parts. Maybe it all is in some ways, but I'll focus on the explicit parts. 

To kick things off, here's what Woodward wrote of CNAS' Andrew Exum:

The Toyotas raced around Kabul. The drivers honked their horns rather than step on the brakes, madly changing lanes, swerving through traffic and accelerating at every opportunity. The theory was that erratic driving reduced the chances of a roadside attack. Afghans who didn't jump out of the way could be plowed down. After one of the SUVs ran a bicyclist off the road, Andrew Exum, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former U.S. Army Ranger, asked the driver, "What are you doing, man?"

"You can't be too careful. Could've been a bomb, sir," was the response. But this kind of commute left Afghans on the street visibly angry. The team could see how an emphasis on force protection was causing the coalition to lose the Afghan people. Exum wrote a one-pager for McChrystal about aggressive driving and armored vehicles entitled "Touring Afghanistan by Submarine."

Exum offers a slight clarification on his abu muqawama blog:

All of that is true. But the title of that one-pager actually referred back to another dynamic -- one that Woodward writes about a page earlier. The way in which I saw NATO/ISAF vehicles travel around Afghanistan bothered me in two ways. The first way is mentioned above: I saw NATO/ISAF vehicles driving around Afghanistan as if we were the sovereign authority and not in Afghanistan on behalf of the sovereign authority, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. We needed to behave as if we were the invited guests of the Afghans rather than some occupying power. But more than that, the experience of traveling around Mazar-e-Sharif -- a largely secure city in northern Afghanistan -- in an armored German vehicle, whereby I could only observe Mazar and the Afghans themselves through a narrow two inch by four inch slit of bullet-proof glass, really bothered me. It was, as Woodward writes, as if I was seeing Afghanistan through a periscope. And if this was how most German soldiers were seeing Afghanistan, I had no confidence that any of them really understood what was going on in northern Afghanistan at a time when the provinces under German responsibility were noticeably worsening. (And it wasn't just the Germans. In Wardak Province, for example, a U.S. commander insisted on us travelling in an MRAP ... 200 meters.)

Kind of an interesting further discussion going over there, too.

Cato's Mark Calabria Talks Housing on CNBC

AM Briefing: 9/23/10

The irony of Obama's roots (Washington Post)

Michael O'Hanlon asks: Why not Plan A- on Afghanistan? (Politico)

Afghanistan's curruption rot (New York Post)

Novermbre's Fifty Years' War (National Review)

Meet Michael Lewitt (Washington Post)

Hanson claims Democrats are taking after Stephenson (National Review)

Daybook: 9/30/10

Getting Specific: How to Fix the Budget (New America Foundation) While the threats from budget deficits as far as the eye can see and a ballooning national debt are on the public's mind, there is still too little discussion about how to actually fix the problems. In fact, when it comes to specifics, most politicians are more likely to embrace changes that would make the deficit situation worse, not better.  

Russia and the Rule of Law (Hudson Institute) In 2003, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once one of Russia's wealthiest businessmen as head of YUKOS Oil, was arrested on what most analysts considered trumped up and politically motivated charges of multi-billion ruble tax evasion. When Khodorkovsky was eligible for parole in 2008, prosecutors leveled a second series of money-laundering charges against him, accusing him and his business partner of stealing 350 million tons of oil. The Economist described these charges as "Kafkaesque." Khodorkovsky's second trial is likely to wind up this fall. The Khodorkovsky case exemplifies the abuse of the legal system, the state's blatant role in property confiscation and redistribution, and wide-spread state corruption, all of which continue to rage in Putin's Russia despite growing internal and international skepticism.

Hezbollah's Impact on Security and Political Dynamics in the Middle East (Center for American Progress) Over the last decade, Hezbollah has reshaped security and political dynamics in Lebanon and the broader Middle East as part of the self-proclaimed “axis of resistance” that includes Iran, Syria, and Hamas. As a terrorist group, political party, and theological movement, Hezbollah has managed to unite disparate populations in an aggressive strategy that has coalesced into one of the most significant threats to the United States and Israel.

Borderline or Borderlands? (Center for American Progress) The U.S.-Mexico border has become a symbol in the increasingly overheated debate about immigration. From a distance the border looks like a dividing line. In fact, it's a binational region, and for millions of Americans and Mexicans it is home. Border residents share an economy, environment, history, and culture. But with a stalled immigration policy and a raging drug war, the people who live in the borderlands also bear the brunt of the violence and political friction.

Private Capital, Public Impact (Brookings) As experts, policymakers, the business community and citizens grapple with assigning responsibility for the financial crisis, the private investment community remains a target for harsh criticism. The public debate around private capital has unearthed a lack of understanding of its many forms and applications, which include private equity, venture capital, sovereign wealth funds, entrepreneurial finance and hedge funds. Rigorous analysis and sound research is necessary to define private capital’s effectiveness and to inform the policy dialogue.

The Obama Doctrine: Hindering American Foreign Policy (Heritage Foundation) Almost two years into his term, President Obama had hoped to improve America’s standing in the world by crafting a foreign policy vastly different from his predecessor’s. His statements and actions demonstrate a doctrine that sees America less as “the exceptional nation” than as an “equal partner,” one nation among many. Characteristics of his policies include a heightened emphasis on multilateralism, an apologetic attitude toward the past, a more restrained role on the global stage, and an atmosphere of mutual respect toward oppressive autocracies.

For more think tank events, see the calendar in the sidebar.

Brookings: 'Education Nation' From Global Competence

On the Brookings blog today, Rebecca Winthrop, Director of the Brookings Center for Universal Education and Justin van Fleet, University of Maryland Ph.D. Candidate, write that the NBC Education Nation initiative is a step in the right direction to have a national dialogue about how to move our education system in the right direction, but an important component is omitted: global competency.

Educating young people to become global citizens will allow them to learn about the interdependence of the world's systems, believe that solutions to global challenges are attainable, feel morally compelled to confront global injustices and take responsible action to promote a just, peaceful and sustainable world. While at first glance a focus on global citizenship may seem secondary in a system where basic literacy remains a challenge for many, these skills are vital. If we truly aspire to have a world-class education system in America, we must engage with the world. The challenges that face the world today—from global poverty and climate change to financial systems and conflict—require globally-minded solutions. Global competency skills are necessary so that young people can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges.

Domestic Policy Council's Barnes on Immigration Reform

AM Briefing: 9/29/10

Drones get only half the job done (Daily News)

Legalizing drugs is consistent with conservative policies (LA Times)

Victor Davis Hanson rescuing Carly Fiorina (National Review)

Free world must hold onto cultural identity (The Australian)

Christine O'Donnell and constitutionality (National Review)

Pledge to bankrupt (Boston Globe)

Daybook: 9/29/10

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (CSIS) At the dawn of neo-Nuclear Renaissance, Small Modular Nuclear Reactors have been at the center of much talk inside and outside Washington. While the reactors are only at the pre-license application discussion stage, the federal government is demonstrating both the readiness and support for their market entry in the near future.

Towards a Palestinian State: Is Institution-Building Succeeding? (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) Are Palestinian institutions approaching readiness for statehood? What obstacles exist to progress on the ground? How does the state-building track align with the negotiating track, and what are the challenges or opportunities presented by the coinciding one-year goal for completion of direct peace talks? This panel will discuss what is still needed for Palestinian state-building to succeed, and whether it can be accomplished in the upcoming year.

The Employment-Based Immigration Reform Solution (AEI) At this event, economists Pia Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny will present their proposal for an employment-based immigration policy. Their solution would remove barriers currently preventing potential workers from entering the United States, promote economic growth, and reduce the flow of illegal immigrants.

Pro-Growth Tax Policy for All Americans: Why We Should Not Raise Taxes in a Weak Economy (Heritage) U.S. Senator Ben Nelson has offered consistent support for reducing the tax burden on American families, believing that “taxpayers know what to do with their money better than government bureaucrats.” Since coming to the Senate in 2001, Nelson has played a key role in passing several major tax cuts, including providing the lynchpin of Democratic support for both the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush. In September, Nelson announced that he would again break ranks with his party and support the continuation of the 2001/2003 rates, noting that raising taxes in this economy could impair recovery and “hold back economic development across America.”

American Power After 9/11 (Center for American Progress) With the passage of two key political milestones—the August 31 withdrawal of American combat forces from Iraq and Afghanistan’s September 18 parliamentary elections—the Center for American Progress will host a discussion about U.S. leadership, the reliability of partners, and the role and utility of multilateral institutions. 

What to Do about the Bush-Era Tax Cuts: A Live Web Chat with William Gale (Brookings) William Gale is set to participate in a live web chat where he will answer your questions about the expiring tax cuts, the politics behind the decision and the economic impact of possible outcomes. POLITICO senior editor David Mark will moderate the discussion.

For more think tank events, see the calendar in the sidebar.

CEIP's Muasher on Middle East Regionalism & Peace

The Center for American Progress has published an interview with Marwan Muasher, former Jordanian foreign minister and current vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Most of the interview focuses on the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative and its connection to regional stability, but I thought this was a telling passage.

What is your sense of possibility [of successful Israeli-Palestinian negotiation] in the coming months?

I think the bilateral track on its own has little chance of arriving at a successful conclusion, simply because each side does not have what the other side wants. What I explained before is that there are now regional elements that cannot be addressed through a Palestinian-Israeli track alone; the question of Hamas, the question of Hezbollah, the question of the relationship with Iran, the question of Syria’s role, cannot all be addressed through just a separate peace agreement. Even if they successfully arrive at an agreement, there is no way for that agreement to stick without the support of the whole Palestinian population and therefore without the inclusion of Hamas. There are elements such as what you do about the refugee issue, what you do about East Jerusalem, where I believe the compromises will have to be met through a regional settlement. Neither the Israelis, nor the Palestinians would be able to make such compromises if the reward is only a separate Palestinian-Israeli agreement.

Do you imagine reviving the multilateral groups?

No. I don’t mean that we need to have multilateral negotiations taking place. I think the negotiations can still be on the Palestinian-Israeli front—I would add to that a Syrian-Israeli track. But I think that some understanding of the end game has to be arrived at with the Arab states. So that any agreement on the Palestinian-Israeli front would gain the support of Arab states and would not blame the Palestinians for any compromises made.

Catch the full interview at the Center for American Progress.

CSIS: Can Iranian Sanctions Create the Leverage Needed?

CSIS held a discussion with Stuart A. Levey, Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, on "Can Sanctions on Iran Create the Leverage We Need?" Moderated by The Honorable Juan C. Zarate, Senior Adviser, CSIS Transnational Threats Project.