Winter 2007 Vol 31:1

Valur Ingimundarson

Iceland’s Security Identity Dilemma: The End of a U.S. Military Presence

In September 2006, the U.S. military withdrew its last troops from Iceland, ending a 55-year presence and leaving Iceland—without a military of its own—the sole country in NATO without territorial defense. Iceland is now in a transition phase, the end of which is not yet clear. In the process, Iceland is reexamining its security and institutional ties to Europe and the United States and reevaluating the basis of its foreign policy.

Jonathan Hafetz

Vindicating the Rule of Law: The Legacy of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld

Recent developments in the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress designed to respond to the war on terror threaten to undermine the rule of law at home rather than combat the threat of extremism abroad. What does the future hold?

C. David Welch

An Inside View: The State Department and American Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Three decades of shifting focus has increasingly opened U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East to global public scrutiny. The Forum spoke with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs about public and media perception of the U.S. and questioned current efforts at engaging Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Iran.

Martin Indyk

This New Struggle for Power: Assessing American Foreign Policy in the Middle East 

Director of The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution, Middle East expert and former Ambassador to Israel, Dr. Indyk speaks with The Forum in an in-depth and wide-reaching interview about U.S. strategic options for the Arab-Israeli conflict, the crisis in Lebanon, the war in Iraq, and the looming prospect of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Anokhi Parikh and Alan Whiteside

Twenty-five Years of HIV/AIDS: South Africa’s Policy Challenges

A quarter-century since the first deaths from AIDS were recorded in South Africa, the nation has yet to implement a successful national prevention and treatment program. Policies that reflect a committed political will, reduce stigma, strengthen the public health infrastructure, and fight gender inequality can stem the epidemic’s devastating effect.

Stephen W. Bosworth

Chasing the East Asian Sun

Following a grand tour of East Asia and the publication of his book, Chasing the Sun: Rethinking East Asian Policy, Fletcher School Dean Stephen W. Bosworth presents a compelling vision of a dynamic region, and explains why China is perhaps “the most daunting challenge” facing American foreign policymakers today.

James L. Schoff

Transformation of the U.S.-Japan Alliance 

Junichiro Koizumi’s final term as Japan’s prime minister ended in September 2006, and with this change of leadership follows intense scrutiny about Japan’s future security policy. Japan has placed primacy on its alliance with the United States at the expense of other foreign policy initiatives, but resists Washington’s efforts to lobby for a wider international role for the Japanese military. The future holds multiple options, each worthy of consideration.

Richard Weitz

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: The Primakov Vision and Central Asian Realities

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become an important actor in Eurasia with tremendous geopolitical potential. It currently lacks the internal cohesion and capabilities usually found in strong multilateral security institutions, but the organization’s growing importance warrants NATO initiatives to develop direct ties with it.

Meredith L. Weiss

The Malaysian State Turns 50—and the Nation?

Fifty years since the island comprised of ethnic Malay, Chinese, and Indian citizens won its independence, Malaysia continues to struggle to define its national identity. Despite the domestic confusion this ambiguity creates, it may also provide a strategic advantage for Malaysia as it jockeys for position on the world stage.

Manjeet S. Pardesi and Sumit Ganguly

The Rise of India and the India–Pakistan Conflict

For almost 60 years, India’s conflict with Pakistan has blocked its aspirations for strategic dominance of the subcontinent. But India’s economic, military, and political advantages over its rival are increasingly stark. Whether or not the Kashmir dispute is resolved, India will continue to move toward great power status, as long as New Delhi can manage relations with Islamabad to ensure stability.

Bassam Tibi

A Migration Story: From Muslim Immigrants to European “Citizens of the Heart”?

In the past few decades Europe has changed its demographic composition, becoming home to more than 20 million Muslims. This change raises important issues regarding the definition of European identity, the nature of citizenship in a world of migrants, and social and cultural integration of diverse populations. The future of Europe, and the future of Islam within Europe, hinges on the degree to which these issues can be successfully resolved.

Irene Bloemraad

Citizenship and Pluralism: The Role of Government in a World of Global Migration

In a world of unprecedented levels of migration across national borders, state governments must come to grips with the incorporation of diverse members. To successfully integrate newcomers and maintain political cohesion among disparate groups, host countries should look to embrace a model of citizenship that both legally and symbolically welcomes immigrants.

Ali Noorani

Race, Class, and the Emergence of an Immigrant Rights Movement in the United States

Since the 1996 passage of legislation limiting immigrant access to social benefits—and the racial, ethnic, and socio-economic rhetoric that accompanied it—the immigrant rights movement in the United States has grown from a nascent social movement to a critical mass. In a post-9/11 national security environment and in the face of a Congressional push for stronger immigration legislation, will the movement succeed in championing a comprehensive reform agenda?

Karen Jacobsen

Migration within Africa: The View from South Africa

The demographic changes of the past three decades in South African cities mirror larger patterns of migration within the African continent as a whole. As regional migration and urbanization reach ever greater proportions, host countries like South Africa must formulate appropriate policy to addresses the economic, social, and legal implications of these phenomena.

Gawdat Bahgat

Redefining Energy Security in the Persian Gulf

Political posturing about energy security often equates energy security with energy independence. The global energy market is in reality becoming increasingly interdependent, however, and definitions of energy security more complex. As a result, major consumers have a strong and continuing interest in ensuring political stability in the Persian Gulf.

Integrating Islam: Political and Religious Challenges in Contemporary France

By Jonathan Laurence and Justin Vaisse
Reviewed by David Ethan Corbin

Understanding China and India: Security Implications for the United States and the World

By Rollie Lal
Reviewed by Bruce Klingner 

Chaos and Violence

By Stanley Hoffmann
Reviewed by Steven Michael Ward

Table of Contents | Winter 2007 Vol 31:1