Young Professionals in Foreign Policy - Economic

Syrian-Iranian Ties Not Easily Shaken

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:52:06 -0700

Some analysts believe Syria would be willing to distance itself from Iran in favor of a peace treaty with Israel. Syria and Iran have a history of close cooperation and their strategic relationship cannot be easily compromised.

There is an assumption that Syria would distance itself from Iran in favor of a peace treaty with Israel and normalized relations with the United States. Syria’s strategic relationship with Iran began in 1979 and both countries sought friendship as a deterrent from a mutual Iraqi threat. Iraq rivaled Syria as the true inheritor of Ba’thism and Arabism. Ethnic, religious and territorial disputes between Iran and Iraq prompted the former to seek an alliance with Syria.

"U.S. plan to fight drugs in Mexico bound to falter without changes."

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:31:29 -0700

On June 30, President Bush signed into law an initiative called Plan Merida, a $465 million program designed to help Mexico deal with the unchecked drug trafficking and violence that have recently turned much of the U.S.-Mexican border into a war zone. The initiative is the most recent chapter in the long history of attempts to regulate activity along America's southern frontier. It is bold and ambitious - and it probably won't work.

Plan Merida dwarfs previous U.S. counter-narcotics assistance to Mexico, and the Bush administration has touted the aid package as a major step forward in the fight against the drug trade. As currently designed, however, Plan Merida stands little chance of producing meaningful long-term results. Why? Because at its core, Plan Merida represents the same flawed ideas that have long bedeviled U.S. drug policy. If not modified substantially, this program will go down as simply another failed offensive in the war on drugs.

Israel Need Not Fear Turkey's Islamist Government

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:47:19 -0700

Analysts are concerned that recent Islamist trends in Ankara could threaten the long-standing amicable relations between Israel and Turkey. These fears were highlighted by legislation passed in Turkey on Feb. 9, which rescinded a law in the constitution banning the wearing of a traditional Islamic headscarf. However, in June Turkey's high court overturned this ruling, claiming it violated separation of religion and state. Turkey is governed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), whereby Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the prime minister and Abdullah Gul is the president. Erdogan and Gul share pro-Islamist beliefs that clash with the secular nature of the majority of Turkey's political and military establishment.

Georgian War Could Revitalize Chances for European Missile Defense Sites

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:47:26 -0700

The looming debate in Congress over building U.S. missiles defense sites in eastern Europe could be significantly altered in the wake of Russia’s war with neighboring Georgia.

The Bush administration is moving quickly to cement agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic in a rush to break ground on interceptor and radar sites in those two countries before leaving office. Democrats in Congress have stymied these efforts by using their legislative powers to postpone groundbreaking on the sites.

Gaz de France cancels Nabucco interest

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:04:43 -0700

French energy firm Gaz de France recently canceled its bid to become the seventh member of Nabucco pipeline consortium.

The French gas company’s involvement with the Nabucco pipeline was contentious. Turkish energy officials opposed Gaz de France’s involvement with the Nabucco pipeline because of the French National Assembly’s approval of a bill which made it a crime to deny that Armenians suffered at the hands of the Ottomans during the First World War.

Despite resistance, however, France continued to show interest in participating as recently as last month. Details of the cancellation were not given, though Jean Sirelli of Gaz de France-Suez said that it would consider rejoining if the pipeline was extended to France.

My take on it is that it doesn't really matter. Nabucco has enough leadership; what it needs are the actual supplies. Dubbed 'a pipeline without gas,' the Nabucco pipeline project has floundered in the absence of a natural gas source. Azerbaijan, the onetime hope for the pipeline’s leadership, is no longer “feasible” as a supplier. In the absence of a single gas source, Nabucco leadership is deliberating a more multilateral approach for the pipeline, potentially supplying Europe an amalgamation of Middle Eastern, Northern African, and Eurasian gas. This would raise the multi-billion dollar price tag on Nabucco even higher, but at the very least save its face.

Stephens Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:40:34 -0700

The Senate on Friday confirmed Kathleen Stephens to serve as U.S. ambassador to South Korea, setting her up to replace outgoing Ambassador Alexander Vershbow in September.

The confirmation by voice vote came moments before the Senate left for its five-week summer recess and just days before President Bush is set to visit South Korea as the first leg of his tour of Asia. Sen. Sam Brownback , R-Kan., removed his hold on Stephens late Thursday, paving the way for the full Senate to act on the stalled nomination.

Young professionals in domestic policy

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:28:34 -0700

In what has been dubbed as the city's "brain gain," New Orleans has benefitted from the stream of young professionals moving to the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Many are compelled to move by a sense of wanting to help the city, either directly by working in disaster-related industries or simply trying to reverse the trend of net emigration since the 2005 disaster.

These 20- and 30-somethings work primarily in disaster relief work, but can be found in fields as diverse as business or politics. They come mostly for opportunity, and for the chance to feel part of something greater. They can see the impact of their work, be part of rebuilding a broken city, and a share sense of camaraderie and purpose with their fellow city residents. Personally, I wonder if these new residents seek some of the romanticism and raw energy associated with a rising American city - Gold Rush-era San Francisco, Atlanta during Reconstruction, or even 1950's New Orleans, as portrayed in A Streetcar Named Desire.

U.S.-Iraq Pact May Spur Democrats

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:06:53 -0700

Democratic efforts to weigh in on Iraq policy could be gaining steam after the White House announced it has agreed with Iraq to a “general time horizon” for further troop drawdowns.

After years of unsuccessful attempts to legislate drawdowns and a change of mission for U.S. forces, top Democrats heralded a July 18 announcement that President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have agreed to include an unspecified schedule for U.S. troop withdrawals as part of a pending bilateral security agreement.

The announcement is likely to spur current efforts to codify Iraq withdrawal timelines and congressional oversight of any U.S-Iraq security agreement as part of the defense authorization and appropriations bills.

What is Causing Uncertainty in Oil Markets?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:06:40 -0700

As has been noted before in [my articles of the Diplomatic Courier], oil markets are suffering from a great deal of uncertainty. Producers and consumers all disagree on the impetuses for the doubling on oil prices over the past year — to $135 a barrel at the close of last week. Exporting countries have maintained that there is enough oil being pumped to meet the world’s needs and place blame firmly on the heads of speculators in the commodities markets. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia lambasted the “selfish interests” for the ballooning prices, while the country’s oil minister, Ali Naimi, asserted: “There is enough supply of oil in the global market.

NEXT AMERICA POSTING: Careful What You Wish For

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:20:21 -0700

Check out the debate over Energy Independence at Next America!

Is Energy Independence A Myth or the Right Goal for America to Pursue?

YPFP members should definitely contribute to this fascinating discussion. Here's my response to the commentary from their website:

While energy independence is a powerful rhetorical concept, and energy security is an important strategic objective, neither phrase has very much to do with reality. It is essential for the health of our economy, the welfare of our citizens, the safety of our environment and the independence of our foreign policy that we recognize we are indeed in on the brink of an energy crisis and take appropriate correctives, but most of the solutions being discussed suffer from two flaws:

Washington DC leading high-tech cluster

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:12:42 -0700

With almost 300,000 employees, the DC area surpasses Silicon Valley in number of high-tech jobs, according to a report released by the American Electronics Association. Adding over 6,000 jobs in 2006, the DC area also had the second-largest growth in the US after The Big Apple. Other leading metro areas by high-tech employment were the New York City region (#1), Boston (#4) and Dallas-Fort Worth (#5).

The study’s definition of “high tech jobs” encompassed a variety of fields. While New York City’s is a hub of internet services, Silicon Valley remains the national leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Washington DC’s tech cluster is based around computer system design.

The first city-level report created since the burst of the dot com bubble, the study also warned that stringent visa requirements barring skilled foreigners to work in the United States and lack of qualified American graduates would hinder high-tech competitiveness in the long-term.

Further Reading
American Electronics Report releases Cybercities 2008
Cybercities 2008 on the Business Innovation Technology Society blog

Innovative (and plugged-in) non-profits

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:42:18 -0700

As I've written before, our generation of 'digital natives' is also using the internet to change public service. Here are some innovative non-profits I’ve come across recently.

Creative Commons
Operating under the motto of "share, remix, reuse – legally," Creative Commons seeks to further idea sharing and creative thinking by providing an alternative to traditional copyrights. Founded in 2002 while Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig was arguing Supreme Court case Eldred v. Ashcroft, Creative Commons licenses fall between the private domain (all rights reserved) and the public domain (no rights reserved). By selecting the degree of restriction, creators are able to maintain their rights while inviting derivative works based on their own.

The Associated Press and 'fair use'

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:43:29 -0700

The Associated Press has roiled the blogosphere with a recent attempt to enforce what it deemed as an infringement of copyright laws. Last week the American news organization sent a letter to the Drudge Retort, asking the liberal link hub to remove seven items that contained long quotations from AP articles. After leading bloggers criticized the policy the AP retreated on Saturday calling their action “heavy-handed". They indicated however, that the battle wasn’t over, and that they were going to find a “positive” way to enforce their copyright

Mind the gap: England's brain drain

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:06:12 -0700

The United Kingdom will need to attract highly-skilled foreign workers in order to maintain a competitive economy, said the London–based Work Foundation this week.

Their report, which highlighted key trends in migration and future obstacles for British companies, warns that a hostile environment towards migrants could harm the ability of firms to attract skilled, talented workers that are desperately needed in the UK. National debates about immigration combine low-skilled and highly-skilled migrants, forcing politicians into the precarious balance of being open to talent and growth while not appearing weak on national security.

A snag in the pipeline

Wed, 07 May 2008 05:07:12 -0700

A gas OPEC is in the offing. That is a major danger for the West, even if it were to create one potentially valuable opportunity.

Europe is dangerously dependent on Russia for natural gas. Not only does the continent as a whole rely on Moscow for half of the gas it consumers, but almost half of the European Union's member states are subject to crippling Russian control over their energy sectors through Russian ownership of pipelines and strategic companies or their near-total reliance on Russian gas (and, sometimes, both). That not only leaves a large part of Europe vulnerable to geopolitical pressure from Moscow, but highlights a looming strategic challenge to Western interests: the development of a Russian-led OPEC for natural gas.