Summer 2010 Vol 34:2

Table of Contents 

From the Editor-in-Chief PDF

INTERVIEWS

Leslie H. Gelb

Fashioning a Realistic Strategy for the Twenty-First Century  (PDF)

“Smart” power and “soft” power have become buzzwords to describe how a state can exert influence short of using force. The Fletcher Forum interviewed Leslie Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, to discuss the nature of power and its importance to U.S. grand strategy in the twenty-first century. Gelb points out that while the essential meaning of power has not changed, power today is measured far more by the size of a nation’s economy than the size of its military force.

 

Hassan Abbas

Engaging the Muslim World  (PDF)

In June 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama delivered an address in Cairo, Egypt, calling for a “new beginning” between the United States and the Muslim world.  Approaching the first anniversary of the speech, The Fletcher Forum sat down with Columbia University Professor Hassan Abbas to discuss if, and how, relations between the United States and the Muslim world have changed during the Obama Presidency.

 

FEATURES

Stuart W. Bowen, Jr.

A Golden Moment: Applying Iraq’s Hard Lessons to Strengthen the U.S. Approach to Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations  (PDF)

In response to the perceived dysfunction of U.S. civil-military coordination in Iraq, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen proposes developing a United States Office for Contingency Operations (USOCO). He outlines staffing and responsibilities for this permanent office that would improve the ability of the U.S. government to assist in reconstruction activities around the world.

 

Nathan J. Brown

The Hamas-Fatah Conflict: Shallow but Wide  (PDF)

Ever since the Palestinian Authority violently split into Hamas and Fatah camps in 2007, Gaza and the West Bank have followed markedly different trajectories. The West Bank has experienced relative peace and prosperity while Gaza has suffered under diplomatic isolation and an Israeli-imposed blockade. Nathan Brown, Nathan Brown, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, elucidates the traditional differences and growing similarities between Hamas and Fatah, including their methods of governing, monopolization of violence, and the nature of the political parties themselves.

Brian Finlay

The Bioterror Pipeline: Big Pharma, Patent Expirations, and New Challenges to Global Security

Brian Finlay, senior associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, argues that although new biotechnologies have yielded tremendous benefits for humanity, they remain a major potential threat to global security. Increasingly, the fundamental challenge of the biotech revolution is to ensure that technologies with a legitimate use in the civilian economy are neither inhibited by overly invasive legal restrictions, nor diverted for nefarious use as bioweapons.

 

Steve Breyman and Aneel Salman

Reaping the Whirlwind: Pakistani Counterinsurgency Campaigns, 2004-2010

As the United States and NATO redouble their efforts to restore stability to Afghanistan, the importance of Pakistan’s role in the conflict has become increasingly clear. Pakistan’s willingness to confront insurgent groups, however, has been inconsistent at best. In this article, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Steve Breyman and Aneel Salman compare Pakistani counterinsurgency strategy under the presidencies of Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari.

 

Mohammad A. Auwal

Ending The Exploitation of Migrant Workers in the Gulf

While the Arab Gulf states have received considerable attention for their tremendous natural-resource wealth, far less focus has been placed on the system of migrant labor that underpins their economic growth. In this revealing article, Mohammad Auwal, professor of communication studies at California State University in Los Angeles, uses first-hand accounts to shed light on the plight of migrant laborers working in the Gulf.

 

PERSPECTIVES

William A. Rugh

Yemen and the United States: Conflicting Priorities  (PDF)

Yemen has once again become a key counterterrorism priority. William Rugh, former U.S. ambassador to Yemen argues that U.S. officials must strive to align American objectives with those of Yemen’s President, Ali Abdullah Salih.


 

Luis Alberto Moreno

To Tackle CO2, Start with H20: How Latin America’s Water Problems Could Affect Climate Change Negotiations  (PDF)

Despite its economic reliance on water resources, Latin America is especially vulnerable to disturbances in water supplies resulting from global climate change. President of the Inter-American Development Bank Luis Alberto Moreno therefore sees a unique opportunity to re-engage Latin American policymakers in global climate negotiations.

 

Tom Brookes

From a Global Burden to an Engine of Growth: Reframing Climate Policy After Copenhagen

After a prolonged build-up, the international climate summit in Copenhagen disappointed many in failing to conclude a legally binding, international treaty. Tom Brookes, managing director of the Energy Strategy Centre, explores the reasons why the conference fell short of expectations and where global climate policy may go from here. 

 

Review

A Millennium of Byzantine Power

By Edward N. Luttwak

Reviewed by W. Scott Thompson

 

Political Islam from Muhammad to Ahmadinejad

By Joseph M. Skelly, Ed.

Reviewed by Lorenzo Vidino

 

 

The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs aims to provide a broad, interdisciplinary platform for analysis of legal, political, economic, environmental, and diplomatic issues in international affairs. The editorial board of the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs believes that the publication’s audience values and expects the inclusion of conflicting viewpoints; the board does not expect readers to concur with all of the views expressed by Forum authors. This inherent diversity supports the very definition of a “forum,” i.e., a public meeting place for open discussion.

The views and opinions expressed in the journal are solely those of individual authors and should not be regarded as reflecting any official opinion or position of The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, the Fletcher School, or its faculty.

Shashi Tharoor, F76

"The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs is a prime example of the School’s long-standing commitment to convening thought-leaders to bring to light the world’s most vital issues. During our time as students at Fletcher, my friends and I felt it was necessary to provide a showcase for the important scholarship occurring at the School and beyond on a daily basis. The creation of the journal made this possible. I’m pleased to know that more than 30 years later, the Forum remains an essential read for professionals in the international affairs arena.”

- Shashi Tharoor, F76, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, award-winning author, businessman, and current member of Indian Parliament.