Brookings: Topics - Force and Legitimacy

War of Necessity, War of Choice

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 01, 2009, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

The two Iraq wars in 1991 and 2003 represent milestones in American military intervention abroad. They reflect the influences of the two dominant and competing schools of American foreign policy. On June 1, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings will host Richard N. Haass for a discussion of his new book War of Necessity, War of Choice, as well as the implications of these two wars for future American military interventions in the Middle East.

Managing Global Insecurity: A Plan for Action

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

American and global leaders face a choice: they can either use this moment to help shape an international, rule-based order that will protect their global interests, or resign themselves to an ad hoc international system where they are increasingly powerless to shape the course of international affairs. The longer the delay in new approaches and new cooperation against today’s threats, the more difficult the challenges will become. Global leaders must chart a shared path forward that marries power and responsibility to achieve together what cannot be achieved apart: peace and security in a transnational world.

Purposes of a League of Democracies

Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In this video clip of a discussion held by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ivo Daalder explains what he sees as the four purposes of a proposed league (or concert) of democracies.

The United Nations Can Save Burma

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In the aftermath of tropical cyclone Nargis, Ivo Daalder and Paul Stares note "the military junta in Burma is failing the most basic responsibility of any government to take care of its citizens." They suggest that the United Nations must pass a resolution demanding the Burmese government to immediately accept offers of international aid without interference.

Afghanistan and NATO: Forging the 21st Century Alliance

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 29, 2008, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM

The NATO-led operation in Afghanistan is challenging an alliance born in the Cold War to face twenty-first century security issues. Brookings welcomed NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer for a discussion on the effectiveness of the International Security Assistance Force operation in Afghanistan and what is needed for NATO and the international community to achieve success.

Detention Retention: Are Guantanamo Detainees All Innocent?

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Detainees held for nearly six years at the Guantanamo Bay military prison recently received another hearing at the Supreme Court. But neither the justices nor the public should take at face value the insistence that large numbers of innocents populate Guantanamo, writes Benjamin Wittes. The broader debate over Guantanamo has suffered greatly from these overbroad claims of erroneous detentions.

A Legal Framework for Detaining Terrorists: Enact a Law to End the Clash over Rights

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

A core challenge facing the next president in the war on terror is developing a legal framework for detaining terrorists. Brookings’s experts Benjamin Wittes and Mark Gitenstein offer recommendations that balance basic protections for detainees with regularized judicial review.

Iran's Influence in Iraq Under Increased Scrutiny

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Peter Rodman discusses the validity of General Patreaus's accusations that Iran is hindering Iraq's political and miliary progress.

From the Middle East to the Pacific: The Military's Shifting Focus

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 13:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 05, 2007, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM

Moving beyond Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pacific Rim with emerging Asian powers presents vexing diplomatic and strategic challenges to U.S. influence. In his new book, Robert D. Kaplan examines how the U. S. military is gradually shifting from an operational focus on the Middle East to one on China and the Pacific.

Restore Trust in America's Leadership

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Ivo H. Daalder and James Lindsay, Democracy Journal (Fall 2007)

How to Tackle Rising Instability and Insurgency in Afghanistan

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Bruce Riedel argues that the United States has under researched the war against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan from the beginning, saying “too few troops and too few resources have been the Achilles heel of the Bush administration's approach for almost six years.”

Take Some Cues From the Cold War, Mr. President

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

From George Kennan's "Long Telegram" in 1948 to the end of the Cold War, Philip Gordon offers four lessons that the United States ought to apply in combating terrorists today.

The Next Intervention: Legitimacy Matters

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo Daalder and Robert Kagan, The Washington Post (8/6/07)

Iraq Trip Report

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Following a recent trip to Iraq, Brookings scholars Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack argue that the U.S. is making progress there. "The most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms," they note.

U.S. Assuring Arab States It Will Remain a Force in Mideast Post-Iraq

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Tamara Cofman Wittes, CFR.org (8/1/07)

The Iraq War and the New Terrorist Threat Facing the Middle East and U.S.

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony by Daniel Benjamin before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Armed Services Committee (7/31/07)

America Must Pull Out of Iraq to Contain Civil War

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Bruce Riedel and Samuel Berger, Financial Times (7/23/07)

Attack on a Fundamental Right

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Letter to the Editor by Roberta Cohen, Washington Post (7/22/07)

Pakistan and the War on Terror

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Carlos Pascual, The Brian Lehrer Show (7/19/07)

A Third Way: Alternatives for Iraq's Future

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony by Daniel L. Byman before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Armed Services Committee (7/18/07)

Beyond Preemption : Force and Legitimacy in a Changing World

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Drawing on these high-level discussions, Ivo Daalder and his colleagues make specific proposals for how to forge a new international consensus on the vexing questions about the use of force, including its preemptive use, to address todays interrelat

The Evolution of Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In this chapter from Beyond Preemption, Susan Rice and Andrew Loomis write that failure to respond to current humanitarian disasters is inexcusable and offer ideas to handle them.

Coping with Failure in Iraq

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Thursday, May 24, was a good day for George W. Bush. After four months of trying stare each other down over the Iraq War, Bush got his way when the Democratically controlled Congress passed a war funding bill without a deadline or timetable to begin the withdrawal of American troops. And at hastily called press conference to celebrate Bush's victory that day, a bird relieved himself on the president's jacket sleeve—a sign, many believe, of good luck.

Achieving Stability in Iraq

Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Carlos Pascual, Radio Times (5/14/07)

Containing Global Terror

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 13, 2007, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Four years ago, the Bush administration concluded that containment as a foreign policy strategy had become obsolete and that pre-emptive, unilateral military action was warranted, even necessary. Yale professor of political science Ian Shapiro disagrees. In his new book, Containment: Rebuilding a Strategy against Global Terror (Princeton University Press, 2007), Shapiro argues for containment as a pragmatic idea for dealing with the nation's post September 11 threats and critiques the current policy of military pre-emption. On April 13, Shapiro joins Daniel Benjamin, Brookings senior fellow and former National Security Council director for counterterrorism, in a discussion of containment policy. Brookings President Strobe Talbott will provide the introduction.

Plan B: A Containment Strategy for Iraq in Civil War

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

January 29, 2007, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings unveiled a new report, "Things Fall Apart: Containing the Spillover from an Iraqi Civil War," by Daniel L. Byman and Kenneth M. Pollack. This policy paper examines the history of some dozen recent civil wars to reveal the general patterns by which such conflicts can "spill over" into neighboring states, causing further civil wars or regional conflicts.

Q&A on the State of the Union

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Carlos Pascual (1/23/07)

Q&A on the New Iraq Strategy

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Martin S. Indyk (1/11/07)

America Abroad - A Blog on Current Affairs

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Commentary by Ivo H. Daalder, TPM Caf� (1/5/07)

Bush Foreign Policy: The Next Phase

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Speech by Strobe Talbott, Keynote Address to Stanley Foundation Conference (12/7/06)

The End of the Silver Lining: A Chinese View of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Wu Xinbo, The Washington Quarterly (1/1/2006)

The Bush Doctrine

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Comment by Philip H. Gordon, Commentary Magazine (December 2006)

The United Nations at a Crossroads: Debating the Use of Force in an Evolving World

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 12, 2006, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

International Perspectives on the Use of Force and Legitimacy

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 11, 2006, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Military Role in Sudan Crisis

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Susan E. Rice, NPR (10/4/06)

How the Fighting Stops: Achieving a Sustainable Ceasefire in Lebanon

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

July 31, 2006 at 12:00 AM

Iraq: The March of Folly

Sun, 30 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Book Review by Daniel L. Byman, Washington Post (7/30/06)

Taking It to the Streets in Iraq

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Book Review by Michael E. O'Hanlon, Slate (7/28/06)

U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

July 28, 2006, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Iran, Iraq, North Korea: Bush is No Longer Just Muscles

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon, Corriere della Sera (7/17/06)

Wrong on North Korea

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, TPM Caf� (7/13/06)

Has Bush Gone Multilateral?

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, TPM Caf� (7/11/06)

The End of the Bush Revolution

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs (July/August 2006)

Will America Attack Iran?

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Philip H. Gordon, Prospect Online (June 2006)

The Iran Talks

Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, TPM Caf� (5/31/06)

Reading Ahmadinejad the Kennedy Way

Wed, 10 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, TPMCafe (5/10/06)

Army Genocide Prevention Unit?

Sun, 07 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael E. O'Hanlon, The Washington Times (5/7/06)

Is War with Iran Inevitable?

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, NRC Handelsblad (4/21/06)

Do Targeted Killings Work?

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Daniel L. Byman; Foreign Affairs (March/April 2006)

President Bush's National Security Strategy: Is the U.S. Meeting Its Global Challenges?

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 21, 2006 at 10:30 AM

Dangers of Pre-Emptive War Doctrine

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Michele Norris interviewed Ivo Daalder on the doctrine of pre-emptive war, which President Bush reasserted in his recently released National Security Strategy.

Nonproliferation: Still Time for a Good Deal With India

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The nuclear deal with India that President Bush agreed to in New Delhi last week is a missed opportunity for American leadership on nonproliferation. But the deal is far from the disaster that its detractors claim.

Lessons Learned in Anticipating, Preventing, and Responding to Conflict

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 28, 2006, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Finding effective means of anticipating, preventing and responding to violent conflict remains one of the great challenges facing policymakers. Enduring wars, such as those in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have cost millions of lives and destabilized entire regions. Troubling developments in countries like Iran and Pakistan test the international community's ability to avert the threat of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of dangerous or unstable regimes. What have we learned from past experience that can help us prevent emerging threats from evolving into worst case scenarios? How can the U.S. government and international actors better anticipate conflicts and respond more effectively to those that persist in order to save lives and mitigate the grave economic, political and security costs of civil and inter-state wars?

Looking Ahead: Troop Withdrawal in Iraq

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Michael E. O'Hanlon; WTOP Radio (1/2/06)

America Abroad (2005) - A Blog on Current Affairs

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Commentary by Ivo H. Daalder, TPM Caf� (2005 Blog Index)

Preventive War, A Useful Tool

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

It would be unfortunate if President Bush's doctrine of preemption were a casualty of the Iraq war. We should avoid waging unilateral preventive wars of regime change. But circumstances will probably arise in which the option of using force preventively should be available—whether to kill terrorists, prevent weapons proliferation, halt genocidal killing or stop the spread of deadly disease. The task is to make the idea a more limited and more legitimate tool for dealing with new security threats.

The Future of Preemption

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Ivo H. Daalder and James B. Steinberg, The American Interest (Winter 2005)

Bush's Foreign-Policy Strategy: Is the Revolution Over?

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and James M. Lindsay, The Mercury News (10/14/05)

UN Summit: More than a Missed Opportunity

Wed, 14 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Commentary by James B. Steinberg, America Abroad - A Weblog

Iraq's Security

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony by Kenneth M. Pollack, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (7/18/05)

The Return of Bush's Pre-9/11 Foreign Policy

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder, Center for American Progress (5/3/05)

Why the Democrats have a Hard Time Gaining Trust in Diplomacy and Security

Sun, 01 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Ivo Daalder and James Lindsay, Foresight (May 2005)

America Abroad: President Bush Does Europe

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and Charles A. Kupchan, Los Angeles Times (2/20/2005)

Raymond Aron on the Use of Force and Legitimacy

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Analysis by Pierre Hassner (February 2005)

Force, Legitimacy, and Order

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Analysis by Stanley Hoffmann (February 2005)

U.S.-French Crises in Historical Perspective: An Aronian View

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Analysis by Jean-Claude Casanova (February 2005)

Preventive Force in US National Security Strategy

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Article by James B. Steinberg, Survival (Winter 2005-2006)

Bush's Foreign Policy Revolution: A Radical Change

Sun, 26 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and James Lindsay, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune (9/26/04)

Are We At a Turning Point in Iraq?

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 14, 2004, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Children at War

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

P. W. Singer, an internationally recognized expert on twenty-first-century warfare, explores how a new strategy of war, utilized by armies and warlords alike, has targeted children, seeking to turn them into soldiers and terrorists.

The Urgent Need to Save Lives with Force

Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Michael O'Hanlon and John Prendergast, Financial Times (8/26/2004)

New Rules on When to Go to War

Mon, 02 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and James B. Steinberg, Financial Times (8/2/04)

Those Who Ignore History Are Doomed to Hear About It

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Book Review by Ivo Daalder, New York Times (7/14/04)

Historical Present

Thu, 24 Jun 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Thomas E. Mann, The New Republic Online (6/24/04)

The Preemptive-War Doctrine has Met an Early Death in Iraq

Sun, 30 May 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo H. Daalder and James Lindsay, Los Angeles Times (5/30/04)

Allies at War : America, Europe, and the Crisis Over Iraq

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 GMT

In Allies at War, distinguished Brookings analysts Philip Gordon and Jeremy Shapiro provide answers to critical questions about the current crisis in US-European relation and its implication for the future.

The Rise of the Shadow Warriors

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Jennifer D. Kibbe, Foreign Affairs (March/April 2004)

How Bush's Doctrine of Pre-emption was Ambushed by Reality

Fri, 26 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Martin S. Indyk, The Age (3/26/04)

Event Summary: Iraq: One Year On

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Event Summary on the Brookings Briefing featuring a panel of experts looking back on America's year-long involvement in Iraq. (3/10/03)

Iraq: One Year On

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 10, 2004, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

American Choices in the 'War on Terror'

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Review by Philip H. Gordon, Survival (Spring 2004)

Doctrine Not Radical

Sun, 29 Feb 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael E. O'Hanlon, The Arizona Republic (2/29/04)

Think Tank Expert Trying to Shape Changing World

Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with James B. Steinberg (January 2004)

Don't Underestimate George W. Bush

Sun, 21 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ivo Daalder and James Lindsay, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (12/21/03)

After Saddam: Capture Provides Psychological Lift, But Iraq's Future Uncertain

Sun, 21 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael O'Hanlon, San Diego Union-Tribune (12/21/03)

Military Medals and Pentagon Meddlers

Fri, 19 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael O'Hanlon and Kurt Campbell, Washington Post (12/19/03)

Will Iraq Be Howard's End?

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael O'Hanlon, The Wall Street Journal (12/3/03)

First-Hand Views from Iraq

Tue, 02 Dec 2003 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

December 02, 2003, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

America Unbound : The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy

Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMT

How did a man once mocked for knowing little about the world come to be a foreign policy revolutionary? Daalder and Lindsay dismiss claims that neoconservatives have captured the heart and mind of President Bush.

The Future of American Operations in Iraq

Tue, 30 Sep 2003 13:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 30, 2003, 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Assessing Progress in Iraq

Mon, 29 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Michael O'Hanlon gives his views on the Iraq mission following a September 2003 trip to the country.

Taking the Lead

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Review Essay by Michael E. O'Hanlon, Survival (Autumn 2003)

America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMT

What precisely was the Bush revolution in foreign policy? At its broadest level, it rested on two beliefs. The first was that in a dangerous world the best, if not the only, way to ensure America's security was to shed the constraints imposed by frie

Do the Math: We Need More Boots on the Ground

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Michael E. O'Hanlon, the Los Angeles Times (8/12/03)

Uncle Sam's Regime Change in Iran

Wed, 23 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Book review by Ivo H. Daalder, The New York Times (7/23/03)

The Neoliberal Take on the Middle East

Tue, 22 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Ronald Asmus and Kenneth Pollack, The Washington Post (7/22/03)

Should U.S. Troops Be Deployed to Liberia?

Sat, 05 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Susan Rice, NPR's Weekend Edition (7/5/03)

Saddam's Bombs? We'll Find Them

Fri, 20 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Kenneth M. Pollack, The New York Times (6/20/03)

Rally 'Round the Flag: Opinion in the United States before and after the Iraq War

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Public opinion polls�and historical experience�show that President Bush may gain little lasting political benefit from the U.S. victory in Iraq. Americans are already beginning to put aside his accomplishments overseas to evaluate what he has accompl

Arab Public Opinion on the United States and Iraq: Postwar Prospects for changing prewar views

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Brookings Review article by Shibley Telhami (Summer 2003)