The Second Face of Barack Obama
Dramatic events like the killing of Osama bin Laden can often change the course of political debate, writes Ambassador John Kornblum, AICGS Trustee and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany. In this case, killing bin Laden has added new luster to the image of President Obama and to the role of the U.S. as the leading world power, and an America battered by economic problems, social unrest, and foreign conflicts will certainly draw strength from Sunday’s SEAL mission. This essay originally appeared in the May 6, 2011, edition of Handelsblatt.
The End of bin Laden: A Chance to Refocus
In this week’s At Issue, Executive Director Dr. Jackson Janes discusses the domestic debates in Germany and the U.S. over the killing of Osama bin Laden and how these debates reflect the national psyches of the transatlantic partners.
Osama bin Laden and America’s Long Journey From 9/11 to 5/1
Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and a frequent participant in AICGS events, takes a look at the U.S.’ transformation in the ten years since 9/11, showing how the nation has changed its security outlook to finally reach the goal of justice with bin Laden’s killing. Volker argues that while we still have many lessons to learn from those ten years, there might be a light at the end of the long tunnel. This article originally appeared in the May 5, 2011, edition of The Christian Science Monitor.
How Europe Can Get the Germany it Needs
Since the beginning of the euro crisis last year, no solution to the crisis was possible without Germany, write AICGS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr. Ulrike Guérot and Mark Leonard, both of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Although Germany has now signaled it will do what it takes to save the euro, much of Europe is worried about the way this will be done; the authors argue that Germany needs to recast its approach to economic governance to avoid the creation of a two-speed Europe and put its economic might at the heart of a push to develop a global Europe.
The Debate Over Libya – Analysis of Germany’s UN Vote Abstention
The debate over the response to the Libyan civil war continues on both sides of the Atlantic and in particular on Germany’s decision to abstain from the UN Security Council …
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Support Our WorkThe Currency of Confidence
In this week’s At Issue, Executive Director Dr. Jackson Janes discusses the declining value of the dollar versus the euro and the implications for both Germany and the United States in maintaining confidence in economic fundamentals at home and abroad.
Libya: The Debate
The debate over the response to the Libyan civil war continues on both sides of the Atlantic and in particular on Germany’s decision to abstain from the UN Security Council vote. In particular, Roger Cohen of The New York Times energized the debate after an op-ed he wrote that criticized Merkel’s leadership and inability to learn lessons from recent history. AICGS has collected several essays and articles which have appeared recently on the debate, including pieces from Dieter Dettke, Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger, Constanze Stelzenmüller, and others.
Welcome to the Stuttgart Republic
When Germany abstained in the United Nations Security Council’s vote on Libya, quite a few eyebrows were raised in the United States and in Europe (not to speak of the German strategic community). While the U.S., France, and the United Kingdom were united in the determination to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Libya, Germany sided with Russia and China – as well as with Brazil and India, two countries that also have ambitions to become permanent members of the Council – in basically declaring neutrality (let’s set aside how realistic these permanent member ambitions have now become in light of the recent vote). In departing from her traditional Western allies, Germany, reciprocating French unilateralism in the Libya crisis, dealt a blow to transatlantic – and European – coherence and security cooperation.
We Need a New Atlanticism
In an essay originally written for Handelsblatt, AICGS Trustee and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany John Kornblum argues for a new Atlantic equation as current events slowly make the old format of the transatlantic alliance obsolete. Kornblum writes that by defining a pragmatic vision of openness and transparency for transatlantic relations, we can maximize each side’s strengths to set a global example for the future. This essay originally appeared in the April 15, 2011, edition of Handelsblatt.
A Love Affair with the Status Quo
The German people have developed a preference for the status quo, writes AICGS Trustee and former German Ambassador to the United States Wolfgang Ischinger. The world is fundamentally changing, yet German politicians are responding passively in concert with the status quo preference, a shortsighted view that does nothing but harm future generations of Germans and Europeans, Ischinger argues. This essay originally appeared in the July 6, 2011, edition of Der Spiegel.
Lessons for Liberals: Next Steps for the FDP
In this week’s At Issue, Executive Director Dr. Jackson Janes examines how the FDP lost support since the 2009 election and the challenges they – and all parties – face in getting voters to buy in to their messages.
NATO Between Emergency Help and Nation Building
As violence continues in Libya, NATO has taken the lead in enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 1973 by “all necessary measures,” the result of strenuous debates on who should be in charge. The mission – as well as the considerations leading to NATO’s decision – has ignited an intense debate in public discourse and in policymaking circles. The analysts of the NATO Defense College in Rome, including regular contributor Dr. Karl-Heinz Kamp, have assembled their views on the situation and present some options for the Alliance as it continues the mission in Libya.
