IRAN -- NUCLEAR PROGRAM
May 1, 2009
"U.S.-China Relations: Key Next Steps"
News
By Beth Maclin, Communications Assistant
With the United States and China expected to be the two dominant powers in the twenty-first century, it is essential that they actively manage their relationship to avoid military conflict, a group of distinguished Chinese and American scholars said at a major conference in Washington, D.C. The scholars—from Harvard Kennedy School, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and elsewhere—have worked together for more than two years to create a blueprint for a new relationship between the two countries.
April 13, 2009
"Iran Should Honor Obama's Courage"
Op-Ed, Agence Global
By Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow, The Dubai Initiative
Barack Obama has initiated a courageous first step in diplomacy with Iran. Iran must do likewise. Courage and boldness on both sides can initiate serious diplomatic engagement, which in turn can lead to breakthroughs that transform the entire Middle East.
March 23, 2009
"How to Keep the Bomb From Terrorists"
Op-Ed, Newsweek
By Graham Allison, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Douglas Dillon Professor of Government; Faculty Chair, Dubai Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
The only thing that can keep nuclear bombs out of the hands of terrorists is a brand-new science of nuclear forensics.
March 23, 2009
"Dialogue or Dictating to Iran?"
Op-Ed, Agence Global
By Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow, The Dubai Initiative
The American gestures to Iran seem sincere and serious, but from the Iranian perspective they still suffer from the persistent structural weakness of dictating the rules of the game to Iran and others in the Arab-Asian region.
March 16, 2009
"Report from the Commission on U.S. Policy Toward Russia -- The Right Direction for U.S. Policy Toward Russia"
Press Release
By Sasha Talcott, Director of Communications and Outreach
With the leadership of the Bipartisan Commission on U.S. Policy towards Russia, established by the Belfer Center at Harvard Kennedy School and the Nixon Center in Washington, Belfer Center Director Graham Allison met last week in Moscow with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
March 11, 2009
"Iran's Nuclear Deception"
Op-Ed, Boston Globe
By William H. Tobey, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"We probably will never know whether the case of the found enriched uranium was a mistake or a feint. That uncertainty, however, and the horrible consequences of a significant lapse in our ability to monitor Iran's nuclear program should lead the IAEA, the Obama administration, and our European negotiating partners to exercise great caution in considering proposals that would depend on intricate and foolproof verification schemes."
December 29, 2008
"Bush's 'Orphans' Haunt the World"
Op-Ed, Toronto Star
By Thomas M. Nichols, Research Fellow, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom
"Presidents are often remembered for the things they did, but like many administrations before his own, a significant part of George W. Bush's legacy might well lie with the things he failed to do. The Bush administration essentially "orphaned" several foreign policy issues after 2000 (relations with Mexico and Canada, and the environment, among others) but two are particularly important: tensions with Russia and the future of nuclear arms control."
December 27, 2008
"Needing Coercive Diplomacy to Deal with Iran"
Op-Ed, The Huffington Post
By Joshua Gleis, Former Associate, International Security Program, 2008-2009; Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2006-2008
"The United States must re-examine the manner in which it has dealt with Iran's nuclear program. For too long, U.S. administrations have let their counterparts take the lead in Iranian negotiations. In the meantime, many of those involved in talks with the Iranians have themselves greatly benefited from economic cooperation with the Shiite Islamist regime. Russian assistance, for instance, will allow the Iranians to make their first nuclear plant operational by January 2009. The Germans continue to be the largest trading partner with the Iranians, a country it is supposedly trying to pressure. And NATO ally Turkey recently announced a $12 billion deal to invest in Iran's South Pars offshore gas field. Adept negotiators, the Iranians have used this time to secretly advance their nuclear weapons program while still turning a profit...."
December 4, 2008
"Engaging Iran Effectively"
Op-Ed, BitterLemons-International.org -- Middle East Roundtable, issue 6, volume 45
By Chuck Freilich, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
"Many in Israel will be alarmed by US engagement of Iran. Indeed, some will fear abandonment in the face of a potentially existential threat. Others clearly favor engagement, primarily as a way-station toward harder measures, but also in the hope, forlorn as it may be, that a deal can be worked out that will forestall the need for them. Assuming the US effectively addresses the time factor by insisting on a cessation of enrichment during engagement, Israel would have a major interest in its success and would likely support any agreement reached."
November 20, 2008
"Iran, Israel, Syria and Hezbollah—Here Comes More Conflict"
Op-Ed, Ohio Jewish Chronicle
By Joshua Gleis, Former Associate, International Security Program, 2008-2009; Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 2006-2008
"As Americans inch closer to a new administration, President-elect Obama and his staff will have more critical foreign policy decisions to make than any of his recent predecessors. Hezbollah is rearming at an ever-increasing rate. Iraq is backpedalling on its promises to allow US forces to remain in the country and fight Al Qaeda. Syria is talking peace with the west and Israel while continuing to support Hezbollah in Lebanon and Al Qaeda elements in Iraq. Afghanistan is barely holding on while the Taliban grows fiercer. The puppet master in all these cases is Iran, and there is no consensus on how to deal with it...."
