Iraqi People Need To Take Initiative, Says Kurd Official

By Rob Sanna-Talk Radio News Service

The Chief of Staff for the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, located predominantly in northern Iraq, called upon the U.S. to take a less dominant role as the Iraqi government forms.

“The United States must not take the initiative in forming the Iraqi government, that’s not good for the United States, and its not good for Iraq,” said Fuad Hussein during a discussion with the Atlantic Council in D.C. Friday.

“But if we take the initiative… It is important to have the UN there and also the United States…the ground must be well prepared for negotiations,” Hussein added.

It is his belief that the U.S. should act more as an arbitrator to help bring the political parties of Iraq together, and have a very limited role in determining policy. He did concede, however, that the U.S. is needed to provide security from terrorism, influence from neighboring countries like Iran and the division among Iraqi people.

“We can not secure [Iraq], the threat of terrorism is still there, intervention from various countries is still there, influence of various neighboring countries is still there, we are still divided until 2011… Security wise we need to have good relationships and agreements with the outside world,” said Hussein.

Eurasia Task Force Concludes U.S.-Central Asia Relations Need Rebalancing

By Rob Sanna- Talk Radio News

U.S. relations with Central Asia can be improved by inviting local leaders to Washington, making strong statements demonstrating U.S support, and supporting border security to prevent terrorists and extremists from entering new democracies and the spread of illicit material, according to a new report from the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Task Force.

“It is a region that presents tremendous opportunity for democracy, security, energy production, for cooperation,” Chuck Hagel, a former Republican Senator from Nebraska and current chairman of the Council, said during a discussion on the report Monday.

Former Ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan Ross Wilson, who joined Hagel, noted that the United States has a history of providing aid for countries in central Asia because many of them were formed when the Soviet Union fell and they were very unstable.

Today, he argues, the United States are in a similar position except now the primary concern is ensuring that these new democracies are protected against terrorism, narcotics, and other destabilizing factors overflowing from Afghanistan.

Ross also pointed out that during the nineties, the region received plenty of personal and active diplomacy that involved high profile policy makers from the United States getting involved with the issues in the various new countries.

More recently, the dialogue has primarily been coming from the U.S. Military asking for basing, overflight rights, and other support while the civilian government demands democratic measures be put in place.

Ross argues that this policy has created an impression with local leaders that the U.S. only has its own interests in mind and not the interests of the region.

France's Re-Entry Into NATO Is No "Trojan Horse," Say Experts

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service

A panel of foreign affairs experts argued Tuesday that France's re-entry into the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization's military command is not a "Trojan Horse" plot to undermine the power of NATO. Speaking at the Atlantic Council's discussion "Going from Oui to fait Accompli: France's Normalization with NATO" the panel discussed the key role that France will play in bringing together the European Union and the United States within NATO.

Leo Michel, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, says the idea that France's re-involvement in NATO will allow them to undermine the organization is ridiculous.

"This is a win, win outcome. It is not cover for some a nefarious French plot to hobble NATO."

"French reintegration is a vote of confidence in the trans-Atlantic community and provides an example to the rest of the Europe of a common effort towards meeting challenges coming at us" explained Jim Townsend, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO policy.

However, the panel stressed that France's new role did not mean that the relationship between France and the United States would be "simple and easy."

" There are some in town that think that the clouds are going to open and rainbows are going to appear and all of a sudden divisions after division of French forces are going to flow into the NATO system...that is just not realistic." However, Townsend added, "The addition of French strategic thought back into NATO military command...will be a tremendous plus for the alliance."