CIAO DATE: 09/2009
Volume: 32, Issue: 4
October 2009
Russia's Spheres of Interest, not Influence (PDF)
Dmitri Trenin
Russia's twenty-first century great power policies differ from traditional nineteenth and twentieth century ones. For example, its leaders are talking about a non-exclusive "sphere of interest," not an outdated "sphere of influence" as many imagine. Here's the difference.
Can Berlin and Washington Agree on Russia? (PDF)
Stephen F. Szabo
The future of the U.S.-German relationship will hinge on their approach toward Russia.What are the sources of divergence and convergence of interests between Berlin and Washington, and can they develop a common strategy?
Harnessing the Financial Furies: Smart Financial Power and National Security (PDF)
Juan C. Zarate
The former U.S. deputy national security adviser explains the new paradigm of smart financial power, which is targeted, effective, and central to national security, as well as the challenges facing its application in Iran, North Korea, and elsewhere in the years to come.
Europe's New Security Dilemma (PDF)
Lorenzo Vidino
Authorities in most European countries are faced with the same dilemma: can nonviolent Islamists be engaged and used as partners against violent radicalization? The debate goes to the heart of how to identify the enemy.
Prix Fixe and a' la Carte: Avoiding False Multilateral (PDF)
Stewart Patrick
To lead effectively, the United States should selectively apply two apparently contradictory, but fundamentally complementary, forms of multilateralism: choosing from the "prix fixe" menu of formal organizations and ordering up "a` la carte" coalitions of like-minded nations.
Using Social Power to Balance Soft Power: Venezuela's Foreign (PDF)
Javier Corrales
To challenge the United States, Venezuela's most effective foreign policy tool has been the use of generous handouts abroad, peppered with a pro-poor, distribution-prone rhetoric. This social power diplomacy is a strategy that others might replicate more effectively.
What Do They Really Want?: Obama's North Korea (PDF)
Victor D. Cha
Kim Jong-il may want nuclear weapons, but is that all? The former deputy of the U.S. delegation to the Six-Party Talks draws on North Korean positions that, even when contradictory, may explain core goals which lie beneath Pyongyang's rhetoric and provocative actions.
Playing the Same Game: North Korea's Coercive Attempt at (PDF)
Narushige Michishita
Those who argue that Pyongyang has abandoned diplomacy risk missing the point: nuclear weapons and missiles are still the means, not the ends. North Korea is actually taking necessary steps to prepare for future talks with the United States.
Kim Jong-il's Clenched Fist (PDF)
Jonathan D. Pollack
The nuclear issue is symptomatic of deeper questions about the future identity and viability of the DPRK. Kim Jong-il appears to have decided to bequeath nuclear weapons to the successor leadership, but what will the next leader do?
Cooperative Denuclearization toward North Korea (PDF)
Dingli Shen
While it seems unlikely that North Korea will abandon its nuclear quest in the short term, major powers could still adjust their stance toward each other to improve the chances of collectively deterring Pyongyang and reducing their vulnerability to being manipulated.
Washington Hold 'Em: the New Era in U.S. Politics (PDF)
Charles E. Cook, Jr.
There is a bit of a good news-bad news dynamic at work ahead for Republicans in the 2010 midterm elections. Beyond that, however, a much larger and more profound change is taking place in political life in the United States.