LIVE STREAM: Coll, Bergen, Chandrasekaran, and DeYoung on America’s War in Afghanistan

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Today, the New America Foundation is hosting an important event on America’s war in Afghanistan, featuring my New America Foundation colleagues Peter Bergen and Steve Coll, as well as Washington Post standout journalists Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Karen DeYoung.

Will the Pittsburgh G-20 Mean More than Traffic & Protesters?

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I am up this morning in Pittsburgh speaking in a forum sponsored by the RAND Corporation and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh about the political context of next week’s G-20 meeting. We’ve just gone through one morning panel, and I will be in the next segment that starts at 9:45 am.

What Colin Powell Needs to Convey to Barack Obama

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(photo courtesy of Atlantic Council of the United States) Barack Obama has invited Colin Powell in to see him today — and knowing General Powell’s respect for the Office of the President, whether occupied by Barack Obama or George W.

STREAMING LIVE: America’s Debt Overhang

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Big conference on America’s debt mess today. I’m moderating a big chunk. Here is the rundown of a very interesting symposium thinking through the challenges of private debt overhang and the public debt debate. The bursting of the housing and credit bubbles has left the United States with a huge debt overhang.

Obama Taking Wrong Course with Conditionality Approach to Cuba

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President Obama has missed yet another chance to pressure Congress to end the self-inflicted damage of a “unilateral embargo” against Cuba and to take American foreign policy writ large in a new, more constructive direction.

Why Should Europe Accept Turkey Into Its Union?

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I just finished reading the Independent Committee on Turkey’s report on Turkey’s EU accession negotiations. The Committee consists of European elder statesman who support Turkey’s membership and are alarmed by the “vicious circle” of events that is jeopardizing Turkey’s EU prospects.

America’s Credibility Problem Persists Despite Obama’s Popularity

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In today’s New York Times, Ronald Asmus provides a useful summary of the German Marshall Fund’s recently released Transatlantic Trends report. The report indicates that support for American foreign policy has risen dramatically in Western Europe, but not in Eastern Europe or Turkey.