Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs - Democracy, peace and war

David Hamburg on Giving Peace a Chance

James F. Smith — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:41:18 -0500

May 16, 2013

When Dr. David A. Hamburg led the Carnegie Corporation of New York in the 1980s and ‘90s, he drew on his roots as a physician to foster projects and research that advanced a simply stated goal: “the prevention of rotten outcomes.”

Now in his late 80s, Hamburg is still putting his medical instincts to work. He is discovering new ways to use early-prevention methods to avoid deadly conflict and enable healthy human development.

Hamburg spoke at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs on May 3 about his forthcoming book, Give Peace a Chance. His son and co-author, filmmaker Eric Hamburg, joined him at the event, along with two Harvard friends, Law School Dean Martha Minow and Belfer Center Director Graham Allison.

International Council Members Debate Critical Issues

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:16:43 -0500

The Belfer Center launched its annual International Council meeting on April 9 with animated discussions of, among others, U.S. energy politics, the links between economic policy and national security, cybersecurity, and the rise of China. Participants included members of the Center's International Council and Board of Directors as well as faculty and senior fellows.

Afghanistan’s Future Holds Promise, Danger, Experts Agree

James F. Smith — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:15:55 -0500

"Even as they acknowledged that potential dangers loom in Afghanistan over the next two years, experts at a Harvard conference pointed to some encouraging signs. One example: the number of schoolchildren has grown from 800,000 in 2001 to nearly nine million today....Speakers from Afghanistan and the West recognized that violence persists and problems such as endemic corruption still plague the country....But they took solace from the work of Afghans themselves in building a credible national military force that has increasingly taken on the brunt of combat duties"

Hot Off the Presses

Susan M. Lynch — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:03:27 -0500

A survey of recent books by Belfer Center affiliates.

Elbe Group Facilitates U.S.-Russia Communication, Security

Kevin Ryan — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:02:01 -0500

As U.S. and Soviet forces converged in Germany in the final days of WWII, both armies met at the River Elbe near Torgau. That meeting of comrades, united in the face of common threats, is the inspiration for the Belfer Center’s “Elbe Group,” whose purpose is to maintain an open and continuous channel of communication on sensitive issues of U.S.-Russian relations. In late March, the Elbe Group met in Jerusalem for its eighth meeting since its founding in 2010.

International Security Journal Highlights

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:01:28 -0500

International Security is America’s leading journal of security affairs. It provides sophisticated analyses of contemporary security issues and discusses their conceptual and historical foundations. The journal is edited at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and published quarterly by the MIT Press.

Why Maliki Must Go

Nussaibah Younis — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:47:22 -0500

"...Mr. Maliki, who took office in 2006, had a successful first term, he has squandered the opportunity to heal the nation in his second term, which began in 2010. He has taken a hard sectarian line on security and political challenges. He has resisted integrating Sunnis into the army. He has accused senior Sunni politicians of being terrorists, hounded them from power and lost the cooperation of the Sunni community. The result: the political bargain that had sustained the fragile Iraqi state broke down."

China, North Korea and the Spread of Nuclear Weapons

Ben Rhode and Thomas Plant — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:17:03 -0500

Once described as ‘as close as lips and teeth’, in recent years the relationship between China and North Korea has become more strained. Beijing has conflicted motivations in its policy towards Pyongyang. The threat to Beijing’s interests if North Korean nuclear weapons or materials find their way into the hands of others outweighs the danger of a regime collapse in Pyongyang.

Obama's Nuclear Vision - or Illusion?

Graham Allison — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:42:22 -0500

"Four years ago today, President Obama gave his first speech abroad. In Prague, he announced a bold vision for a “world without nuclear weapons.” Four years on, it is fair to ask: How is that working out? Assessing all the positives, and all the negatives, are we closer to the president’s aspiration — or further from it?"

Still Trying to Win the Peace in Iraq

Derwin Pereira — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:19:14 -0500

"Ten years ago, this newspaper dispatched me to cover the Iraq War and its impact on the Middle East on a two-month odyssey that took me to Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar....The good news is that Iraqis are winning that peace, as they should. How well they consolidate their gains has implications for the region in the immediate future....Iraq will contribute to the process if it can show that day- to-day democracy can work in ethnically-divided societies, and that the Middle East is not fated to be a group of tribes forever in quest of a region."

The Hard Work Ahead of John Kerry in Syria

David Ignatius — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:15:40 -0600

"John Kerry’s first task as secretary of state should be to develop a coherent policy for Syria, where U.S. sanctions are proving counterproductive, the fighting around Damascus is deadlocked, the economy is in ruins and the country is headed toward a sectarian breakup," writes David Ignatius.

Involving Russia in Syria

David Ignatius — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:08:41 -0600

"Syria is the world’s most intractable and dangerous problem. But two ideas emerged on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that could draw Russia into a more constructive role in solving the crisis, rather than allowing it to remain an obstructionist bystander," wirtes David Ignatius for the Washington Post.

New Book by Graham Allison and Robert Blackwill Explores Global Insights of “Grand Master” Lee Kuan Yew

Sharon Wilke — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:03:20 -0600

When Lee Kuan Yew speaks, who listens? Presidents, prime ministers, chief executives, and all who care about global strategy.

Graham Allison and Robert D. Blackwill, two leading strategic thinkers, asked Lee Kuan Yew the toughest questions that matter most to thoughtful Americans weighing the challenges of the next quarter century. The result is their new book, Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States, and the World – published today by MIT Press.

Raised on Hatred

Ayaan Hirsi Ali — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:00:21 -0600

Ayaan Hirsi Ali writes, "As a child growing up in a Muslim family, I constantly heard my mother, other relatives and neighbors wish for the death of Jews, who were considered our darkest enemy. Our religious tutors and the preachers in our mosques set aside extra time to pray for the destruction of Jews."

Time to be like Ike

David Ignatius — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:41:18 -0600

January 9, 2013

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius analyzes Obama's new picks for this second-term Cabinet.

A Syrian Way Out of the Civil War

David Ignatius — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:47:43 -0600

"To help oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an opposition group has drafted a plan for a transitional justice system that would impose harsh penalties against die-hard members of his inner circle but provide amnesty for most of his Alawite supporters.

The goal is to provide a legal framework that reassures Alawites this isn’t a fight to the death and that they will have a place in a post-Assad Syria. The plan would also encourage the rule of law in areas that have been liberated from Assad’s control, stemming the growing trend toward warlordism and revenge killings," writes David Ignatius for the Washington Post.

Encouraging Signs Toward Peace in Afghanistan

David Ignatius — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:05:42 -0600

"In this season of good will, there is a rare bit of good cheer about the prospects for peace with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The reason seems to be that some Taliban leaders are concluding that they couldn’t win the civil war that might follow U.S. withdrawal of combat troops," writes David Ignatius for the Washington Post.

Peacemakers 2012

Nicholas Burns — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:17:39 -0600

"As the holidays approach, 2012 hasn't provided much hope for the seasonal wish of 'Peace on Earth,' Not when the headlines reveal the savagery of the Syrian and Congolese civil wars, Hamas-Israel rocket barrages, insurrection in Mali, fighting in Afghanistan, violence in Egypt, and the heartbreaking nightmare of the death of innocent young children in Newtown, Conn," writes Nicholas Burns, director of the Belfer Center's Future of Diplomacy Project. "But, if we look at this year more closely, it is possible to find people, thousands of them, who may not have the power of a state at their disposal but are pushing the cause of peace step by difficult step in every corner of the world."

Moving Beyond Race in Malaysian Electoral Politics

Derwin Pereira — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:09:22 -0600

"The coming general election in Malaysia will be a watershed no matter who wins. It will demonstrate how ethnicity and economics interact today, four decades after they threatened to tear the country apart," writes Derwin Pereira for Malaysia's The Straits Times.

Refocus beyond Benghazi

Nicholas Burns — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:14:25 -0600

Republicans continue to question this week about what UN Ambassador Susan Rice knew and when she knew it on Benghazi. A real debate would focus on what we must do to reinforce security at our embassies and consulates rather than argue over who said what in the days following the attacks. What Congress should also focus on are the increasingly serious challenges confronting us in the ever-volatile Middle East.

Tales of War

Robert B. Zoellick — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:50:38 -0500

November 2, 2012

On November 6 Americans will vote for their next commander-in-chief, the first of the duties assigned to the president by the constitution. The security outlook he will face is in flux. There are plans for a “rebalancing” of military attention to the Asia Pacific region, new tensions over old islands in the western Pacific, and even speculation over a novel “Air-Sea” operational concept, which would integrate air force and navy capabilities to deter – and, if need be, to counter – precision missiles and other weapons that could threaten America’s projection of power across oceans.

Indonesia’s Resilience Faces Test of Extremism

Derwin Pereira — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:43:01 -0500

"Terrorism is like a giant wave that sweeps up on shore. It will fall back to sea, but not without leaving its imprint on the sand or the soil of the shore. The imprint of extremism on Indonesia’s religious shoreline is cause for worry," writes Derwin Pereira in The Straits Times.

New Poll Shows Voters Have Strong Interest in Global Affairs

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:29:59 -0500

Voters in the pivotal battleground states of Ohio and Florida show strong interest in global security issues, and want to hear the candidates’ views on defense, Iran and terrorism in the final presidential debate, according to a new poll conducted jointly by leading Democratic and Republican pollsters for Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Advice To The Next President: National And Homeland Security

Graham Allison and Juliette Kayyem — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:31:34 -0500

"Having a professional military means that the United States can go to war while the vast majority of citizens are not directly affected. Therefore it falls upon the president, more than any other individual, to make sure the nation goes to war only if and when absolutely necessary."

Dr. Hugh Roberts, "Buttressing the Status Quo: The Problem of Algeria's "Opposition" and its Democratic Deficit"

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:32:40 -0500

October 17, 2012

An audio recording of Dr. Hugh Roberts' lecture at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School on October 15.

Why Europe Deserved the Peace Prize

Pierpaolo Barbieri — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 22:41:28 -0500

"With all its imperfections, Europe today is the largest single market in the world, featuring effective anti-trust regulations, curtailing economic nationalism, and promoting free trade agreements with counties as far away as Asia and Latin America. New potential members are eager to join, from booming Turkey to crisis-ridden Iceland. Despite all the talk of stalling, Turkish membership will eventually come to pass."

Inside Bibi's Bunker

Chuck Freilich — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:56:22 -0500

"How these debates will be resolved depends on Israel's unique policymaking process. The question of whether to strike Iran is not just up to Netanyahu: In Israel, like other parliamentary democracies, the premier is merely "first among equals" — not the chief executive or commander in chief, as in the United States. With the exception of very limited circumstances, such as responding to imminent attacks, the Israeli prime minister requires cabinet approval for all national security decisions."

Syria’s Eerie Parallel to 1980s Afghanistan

David Ignatius — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:36:38 -0500

David Ignatius writes that the United States and its allies "are moving in Syria toward a program of covert support for the rebels that, for better or worse, looks very much like what America and its friends did in Afghanistan in the 1980s."

Vital Interdependence

Kevin Ryan and Simon Saradzhyan — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 10:09:03 -0500

In a recent op-ed published in Russia in Global Affairs the Belfer Center's Kevin Ryan and Simon Saradzhyan argue that at a time when deep U.S. defense budget cuts are underway, supporters of continued U.S. missile defense development should consider the potential for cutting costs that cooperation with Russia could offer.

Obama's 'Secret Wars' Against America's Threats

David E. Sanger — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:40:00 -0500

David Sanger, senior fellow at the Belfer Center and adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, was interviewed on NPR’s “On Point” about his new book on President Obama’s foreign policy efforts, including a cybercampaign against Iran’s nuclear program. Sanger’s book, Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power, was published this week.