PUBLICATIONS BY Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
Research
Commentary
Media Appearances
2009 Research
September 03, 2009
President Obama Must Not Surrender to Russia on Missile Defense
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Sally McNamara
(WebMemo #2603)
Abandoning the third site missile defense installation would sacrifice U.S. interests, as well as those of its allies in Europe, on the altar of political vanity. Such a move would also grant Russia a strategic victory and embolden Iran.
July 17, 2009
The Invisible Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton's Failure of Leadership on the World Stage
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2548)
Hillary Clinton's underwhelming performance so far as secretary of state is representative of a U.S. foreign policy that projects weakness rather than strength and is leaving the United States increasingly vulnerable in the face of an array of enemies.
June 02, 2009
Barack Obama's Top 10 Apologies: How the President Has Humiliated a Superpower
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Morgan Roach
(WebMemo #2466)
The following is a list of the 10 most significant apologies by the President of the United States in his first four months of office as they relate to foreign policy and national security issues.
March 30, 2009
Barack Obama's European Tour: The President Must Protect the Transatlantic Alliance
By Nile Gardiner
(WebMemo #2370)
President Obama must project a clear vision for U.S. global leadership, one that is anchored firmly in the transatlantic alliance with Britain.
March 01, 2009
The Obama–Brown White House Talks: The U.S.–U.K. Special Relationship Must Be Maintained
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2317)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be the first European leader to meet with President Barack Obama when he visits the White House on March 3. The two world leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including the war in Afghanistan, the Iranian nuclear threat and the global financial crisis, as well as the upcoming G-20 talks in London and the NATO 60th anniversary summit in Strasbourg/Kehl.
February 24, 2009
Oil-for-Food Revisited: The U.N. Should Not Pay Benon Sevan's Legal Fees
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D. and Steven Groves
(WebMemo #2308)
The U.N.'s decision to pay Benon Sevan's legal fees should be condemned by both the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration.
February 10, 2009
The U.S. and U.K. Must Oppose French Plans to Weaken NATO
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Sally McNamara
(WebMemo #2285)
The French proposal to build up a separate EU defense structure—i.e., a competitor to NATO sucking up valuable NATO resources—is simply unacceptable and should be firmly rejected.
February 09, 2009
Biden's Munich Speech: Obama Administration Foreign Policy Projects Weakness and Confusion
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2280)
Vice President Joe Biden's outline of the Obama Administration's foreign policy vision should be viewed as one of the weakest projections of U.S. leadership in recent memory.
2008 Research
July 09, 2008
Europe and Israel: Strengthening the Partnership
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D
(WebMemo #1984)
The United States, NATO and key European allies must work together to defend Israel in the face of growing intimidation from Iran and an array of international terrorist movements.
June 10, 2008
President Bush's Transatlantic Tour: The U.S. Must Pressure Europe on Afghanistan and Iran
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1952)
The war in Afghanistan and the looming Iranian nuclear threat will be priority issues for the United States as President Bush crosses the Atlantic this week for what is likely to be his final tour of Europe.
April 15, 2008
The Bush-Brown White House Meeting: A Chill in the Special Relationship?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1892)
The Anglo–American Special Relationship continues at many levels behind the scenes, from intelligence cooperation to collaboration on missile defense, but it beginning to show significant signs of strain over the handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, low levels of British defense spending, and the broader war against Islamist terrorism.
April 01, 2008
The Battle for Basra: Britain Should Launch a Troop Surge in Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1876)
Walking away from a front line of the war against terrorism would significantly increase the terrorist threat to the West.
March 24, 2008
The Bucharest NATO Summit: Washington and London Must Not Give in to French Demands
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Sally McNamara
(WebMemo #1863)
Paris should only be welcomed back into NATO’s leadership club on terms that are acceptable to all members. That means rejecting its proposal to build up a separate E.U. defense structure.
March 18, 2008
Iraq Five Years On: The Coalition Is Winning the War Against Al-Qaeda
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1860)
The U.S. and its allies must make a long-term military commitment to defeating the al-Qaeda threat in Iraq.
March 10, 2008
Britain: A Central Front in the War Against Islamist Terrorism
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1843)
The recent conviction of the fanatic known as “Osama bin London” and five of his followers is a significant blow to Islamist terrorism in the United Kingdom.
March 07, 2008
The EU Lisbon Treaty: Gordon Brown Surrenders Britain's Sovereignty
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Sally McNamara
(WebMemo #1840)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown's decision to reject a referendum on the new European Union Reform Treaty should be viewed as one of the biggest acts of political betrayal in modern British history.
February 15, 2008
The West Must Back Full Independence for Kosovo
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Sally McNamara
(WebMemo #1818)
Whether Belgrade and Moscow like it or not, Kosovo will shortly become independent.
2007 Research
November 09, 2007
The Bush–Merkel Summit: Washington Must Pressure Berlin Over Iran
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1700)
President Bush must call on all EU member states to support tough sanctions aimed at halting Iran’s drive to build nuclear weapons.
November 05, 2007
The Bush–Sarkozy White House Summit: A U.S.–French Entente Cordiale
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1692)
An "entente cordiale" with Paris is sensible, but any attempt to replace the Anglo–American alliance with a new partnership with France would be naïve and short-sighted.
October 22, 2007
Britain Must Reject the New EU Reform Treaty
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Sally McNamara
(WebMemo #1672)
The British Government must listen to the growing calls in Britain for a referendum on the treaty.
October 12, 2007
Gordon Brown's Wrong Move on Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1661)
Gordon Brown's announcement this week that Britain will reduce her troop strength in Iraq sends all the wrong signals at a time when the U.S. and the U.K. are engaged in a global war against Islamic extremists.
July 27, 2007
The Bush-Brown Camp David Summit: Will There Be a Shift in the Special Relationship?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1570)
Against a backdrop of simmering diplomatic tensions, new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown must act to preserve an alliance that is crucial for defending freedom throughout the world.
July 02, 2007
The Appointment of Mark Malloch Brown Will Strain U.S.-British Relations
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1534)
Mark Malloch Brown's appointment is a slap in the face of the Anglo-American alliance and does not bode well for relations between the Gordon Brown government and the Bush Administration.
June 29, 2007
The Foiled London Bomb Attack: A Reminder That Britain Is At War
By Nile Gardiner
(WebMemo #1532)
Prime Minister Gordan Brown must demonstrate his abilities as a war leader--at a time of great threat to British and international security.
June 27, 2007
Gordon Brown and the Future of the U.S.-U.K. Alliance
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1529)
In practice, Brown is unlikely to immediately transform the essence of the Anglo-American alliance, but he will adjust its style, tempo, and priorities as well as the dynamics that drive it.
June 12, 2007
The Falklands War, 25 Years Later: Lessons for British Global Power
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1501)
Britain was victorious in the Falklands War because it was free to shape its own destiny and willing to use military power to aggressively defend its interests.
June 06, 2007
Great Britain and the International Coalition in Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #1028)
The war in Iraq is not only America’s war: It is Britain's too. An early withdrawal of British or American troops would have catastrophic implications for the future of the country and would be seen by many Iraqis as a betrayal of trust.
May 10, 2007
The End of the Blair Era
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1449)
Blair leaves behind a strong British stamp on the world stage, but he also leaves a Britain that is weaker militarily, seriously overstretched by its overseas commitments, and highly vulnerable at home to Islamic terrorism.
May 09, 2007
Hearing on Economic and Military Support for the U.S. Efforts in Iraq: The Coalition of the Willing, Then and Now
By Nile Gardiner
(Testimony #9999)
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Rohrabacher, and distinguished Members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight. Thank you for holding today's hearing on a very important issue: the role of the international coalition in Iraq.
May 09, 2007
The Sarkozy Revolution: Five Recommendations for the New French President
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1448)
Nicolas Sarkozy is a unique figure on the French political scene, but it remains to be seen whether he can bring about the change in both domestic and foreign policy that is so badly needed to restore France’s battered image.
May 02, 2007
The Queen's U.S. State Visit: Strengthening the Special Relationship
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1439)
The Queen's state visit should serve as an important reminder of the bonds that link the world's two most powerful nations.
April 27, 2007
Congress's Call for Iraq Withdrawal Undermines the U.S.-British Alliance
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1435)
Congress is sending a clear signal of defeat to America's enemies in Iraq and across the world, which undercuts the United State's closest ally, Great Britain, as well as the Iraqi government.
February 20, 2007
Trends in the European Union and Russia: Implications for the United States
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #996)
The European continent faces a stark choice between a Europe based around the principles of free markets, free trade, limited government, national sovereignty, and decentralized power, and a federal Europe that worships at the trough of socialism and supra-nationalism. The U.S. policy must support a Europe of nation-states.
February 07, 2007
The Decline and Fall of the United Nations: Why the U.N. Has Failed and How It Can Be Reformed
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #991)
The United States remains committed to working with the U.N., but how long that commitment lasts depends on its willingness to be reformed and its ability to confront the challenges of today. Terrorism, tyranny, and genocide remain the three great evils of our time, and the U.N. will be judged by how it responds to them.
January 22, 2007
The UNDP North Korea Scandal: How Congress and the Bush Administration Should Respond
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Brett D. Schaefer, and Steven Groves
(WebMemo #1318)
The United States must demand an immediate, fully independent inquiry into this latest scandal.
January 16, 2007
The United States Must Act to End Abuses by U.N. Peacekeepers
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Steven Groves
(WebMemo #1314)
Congress and the Bush Administration must act to help ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that future abuses are prevented.
2006 Research
December 11, 2006
Kofi Annan's Legacy of Failure
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1283)
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan leaves behind a U.N. tainted by human rights failures, corruption, peacekeeping abuses, and mismanagement.
December 06, 2006
The Bush–Blair White House Summit: The U.S.–U.K. Relationship Is Still Special
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1280)
President Bush and British Prime Minister Blair will meet in Washington amid tensions in the U.S–U.K. special relationship.
November 27, 2006
The NATO Riga Summit: Time for Backbone in the Alliance
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1261)
The NATO Riga summit should serve as a forum for reinvigorating NATO’s role as a powerful force in the global war on terrorism.
November 17, 2006
John Bolton: An Effective Force for U.S. Interests at the United Nations
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Brett D. Schaefer
(WebMemo #1258)
As U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton has proven a forceful advocate of American interests, a powerful voice for U.N. reform, and a staunch defender of the cause of human rights.
November 14, 2006
Britain Must Not Retreat From Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1254)
While Blair is right to reject a pullout from Iraq, his efforts to engage Iran and Syria are a major mistake.
August 28, 2006
British Conservatives Must Defend the U.S.–U.K. Special Relationship
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1201)
The Tories' odd turn threatens British leadership on the world stage.
August 15, 2006
Britain Must Reject Appeasement of Islamic Terrorists
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1194)
An open letter reveals the real sympathies of Britain's 'moderate' Muslim leaders.
July 26, 2006
John Bolton: A Powerful Voice for America at the United Nations
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Brett D. Schaefer
(WebMemo #1179)
Bolton has proven a forceful advocate of American interests, a powerful voice for UN reform, and a staunch defender of the cause of human rights.
July 12, 2006
President Bush in Europe: Shaping US Policy Toward Germany
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1157)
President George W. Bush travels to Germany this week to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the G-8 summit in Moscow. In her first months as German leader, Merkel has made a significant effort to improve relations between Washington and Berlin in the wake of the tensions produced by disagreements over the war in Iraq.
July 07, 2006
The London Bombings: One Year Later
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1145)
Thursday, July 7, 2005, will go down as one of the darkest days in British history since the Second World War. A series of bomb blasts in the heart of London killed 52 people and injured more than 700.
July 05, 2006
The Supreme Court Guantánamo Ruling: How the Administration Should Respond
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Todd Gaziano
(WebMemo #1143)
Last week, the Supreme Court issued a split decision declaring unlawful the military commissions the United States planned to use at Guantánamo Bay. Regardless of the decision's legal merits, it is not a rebuke of the Bush Administration's conduct of the battle against the threat of transnational terrorist groups.
June 20, 2006
The U.S./EU Summit: Tensions in the Transatlantic Relationship
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1136)
President George W. Bush's June 21 Vienna summit with EU officials takes place amid mounting tension between Washington and Brussels over the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, as well as the growing controversy in Europe over the 'rendition' of terror suspects, and will further illustrate the deep divisions between Washington and Brussels over the war on terrorism. The meeting will likely underscore the widening gulf between the United States and supranational institutions such as the European Union and the Council of Europe in their approach to dealing with the al-Qaeda threat.
June 13, 2006
Malloch Brown Is Wrong: The U.S. Should Press Even Harder for UN Reform
By Brett D. Schaefer and Nile Gardiner Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1122)
In a June 6 speech before the Center for American Progress and the Century Foundation, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown chastised the Bush Administration and previous U.S. administrations over their approach to the UN. Malloch Brown's comments reinforce the need for the Bush Administration and Congress to press for broader U.N. reform. Instead of acquiescing to Malloch Brown's desire to see America's engagement limited to paying what the UN demands and supporting its edicts, the United States and its allies must increase their efforts to make the United Nations more accountable, effective, and transparent. To that end, the U.S. should oppose authorizing the remaining UN budget until the General Assembly approves the Secretary-General's reform measures. And if an increased UN regular budget is approved over the objection of the U.S., the U.S. should withhold funding for the United Nations.
June 08, 2006
The Death of Zarqawi: A Major Victory in the War on Terrorism
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1118)
A turning point in the war on terrorism?
May 25, 2006
The U.S.-UK White House Summit: End of the Bush-Blair Partnership?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1095)
British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets President George W. Bush at the White House this week in perhaps the last major Washington summit between the two world leaders.
May 11, 2006
The British Elections: Implications for U.S. Foreign Policy
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1070)
The UK's May 4 local elections were a political earthquake that dramatically altered the electoral landscape in America's closest ally.
May 09, 2006
Kofi Annan's Conflicts of Interest Must Be Investigated
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1067)
A high-level appointment for a member of a panel that awarded Annan $500,000 raises questions.
April 24, 2006
Forging a U.S.-British Coalition to End Iran's Nuclear Weapons Program
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1047)
Why and how Washington and London should collaborate.
April 12, 2006
Italy's Regime Change: What Washington can Expect from Romano Prodi
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1036)
The U.S. must watch for a potential anti-American axis between Rome, Paris, and Madrid.
April 06, 2006
The Right Decision on the UN Human Rights Council
By Brett Schaefer and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1031)
The Bush Administration should be applauded for its decision not to seek election to the newly created United Nations Human Rights Council. The 47-seat body is not a significant improvement over the hugely discredited Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The new Council's complete lack of membership criteria renders it open to infiltration and manipulation by the world's worst human rights abusers. Significantly, Burma, Syria, Libya, China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe all voted in favor of the new Council in the General Assembly, in the face of strong U.S. opposition. The brutal North Korean regime has given the Council its ringing endorsement.
February 27, 2006
The UN's Guantanamo Folly: Why the United Nations Report is Not Credible
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Carafano, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #1000)
Unsubstantiaed allegations from a discredited body. In other words, more of the usual.
February 10, 2006
UNESCO's Chavez Outrage
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Stephen Johnson
(WebMemo #995)
A prize meant to reward liberty goes to a despot. What gives?
February 06, 2006
The Great EU Inquisition: Europe's Response to the U.S. Rendition Policy
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #988)
The EU still doesn't take the war on terrorism seriously, except when it offers the chance to bash the U.S.
February 06, 2006
Congress Should Withhold Funds from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Phillips
(WebMemo #987)
There is a real risk that a Hamas-led PA will exploit UNRWA to further its anti-Israel agenda.
January 31, 2006
State of the Union 2006: America's Global Leadership
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #978)
A President's answer to "the call of history."
January 24, 2006
Confounding the Mullahs of Iran: It's Time for Israel to Join NATO
By John Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #966)
On the surface, Iran appears to have bested the international community in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. As former Secretary of State Colin Powell has observed, after two years of fruitless negotiation, the international community is no closer to halting Iran's quest for nuclear weapons. Instead, the great powers endlessly debate where and when a diplomatic showdown will take place while Iran resumes its nuclear research. In essence, the world is fiddling while Rome burns. The West has one ace left to play before a final showdown looms. Extending NATO membership to Israel could convince Iran's Mullahs that developing a nuclear capability is not in their interest.
January 11, 2006
After Schroeder: U.S.-German Relations in the Merkel Era
By John C. Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1907)
Washington must adopt a pragmatic, realistic approach toward working with Germany. Realpolitik should be the order of the day. As the EU member with the largest economy and largest population, Germany is simply too important to be ignored. It is in the U.S. interest to engage Berlin on an issue-by-issue basis, working together where agreement can be reached.
January 06, 2006
The Bush/Merkel White House Meeting: Recommendations for the Bush Administration
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #957)
Washington must not raise its expectations too high with regard to relations with Germany in the post-Schroeder era.
January 05, 2006
Britain's Conservatives Must Reclaim the Anglo-American Special Relationship
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #955)
The Conservative Party must once again be the home of the special relationship.
January 04, 2006
Germany's Strategic Error in the War Against Terrorism
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #953)
Mohammad Ali Hammadi release last month raises questions about Germany's commitment to the war on terror.
2005 Research
December 28, 2005
Congress Should Investigate the United Nations Tsunami Relief Effort
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #952)
A recent investigation raises serious questions about U.N. handling of tsunami relief funds.
November 10, 2005
The Final Volcker Oil for Food Report: An Assessment
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #913)
The 18-month investigation, chaired by Paul Volcker, has documented a huge amount of evidence regarding manipulation of the $60 billion Oil-for-Food Program by the Saddam Hussein regime with the complicity of more than 2,200 companies in 66 countries as well as a number of prominent international politicians.
October 25, 2005
George Galloway and the Oil-for-Food Scandal: Time for U.S. and British Inquiries
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #892)
A new Senate report lays the groundwork for criminal investigation, and perhaps prosecution, in both the U.S. and the UK.
October 04, 2005
The Case Against British Withdrawal from Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #871)
British troops must remain until Iraq is stable and secure enough to stand on its own feet.
September 28, 2005
Human-Rights Failure Irrelevance and ignominy at the United Nations
By Joseph Loconte and Nile Gardiner
(WebMemo #999)
Last week's gathering of world leaders in New York, marking the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, already looks like another forlorn triumph of rhetoric over reform. Secretary General Kofi Annan billed the event as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to confront global threats and revitalize the United Nations.
August 26, 2005
The U.S. Should Strongly Support Britain's Anti-Terrorist Measures
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #823)
British Home Secretary Charles Clarke this week declared his government's intention to deport or exclude individuals who advocate or support the use of terrorism. Clarke outlined a list of "unacceptable behaviors" for foreign nationals.
August 23, 2005
Make or Break for the Iraqi Constitution
By John Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #822)
The U.S. needs to push on one issue--federalism.
August 18, 2005
U.N. Security Council Expansion Is Not in the U.S. Interest
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Brett D. Schaefer
(Backgrounder #1876)
The problems of the United Nations are myriad, but few if any would be resolved by expanding the Security Council. Even a modest expansion of the Council would contribute to gridlock, dilute U.S. influence in the Council, and likely result in a Council more hostile to the United States on many key issues.
August 11, 2005
The United States Should Oppose Expansion of the U.N. Security Council
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D. and Brett D. Schaefer
(WebMemo #820)
In the next few months, the United Nations General Assembly is expected to consider several proposals to expand the U.N. Security Council from the current 15 members.
August 03, 2005
John Bolton: A Force For Change at the U.N.
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #814)
The President's decision to bypass congressional obstructionists and send John Bolton to the United Nations via recess appointment should be applauded by all who support fundamental reform of the world body.
July 21, 2005
The London Bombings: How the U.S. and the U.K. Should Respond
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Phillips
(Backgrounder #1871)
Although the July 7 London bombings were carried out by homegrown terrorists, the bombers were clearly part of a larger international network. The fact that British citizens carried out the attacks is a wake-up call for Britain. The bombings must result in a sea change in how America's closest ally deals with Islamic extremists.
July 07, 2005
The London Terrorist Attacks: The Anglo-American Alliance Will Not Be Broken
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #786)
The terrorists fail to understand the British bulldog tradition of rising to meet every challenge.
July 06, 2005
The G-8 Summit: Advancing U.S. Leadership on Africa
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #784)
There are better ways to stoke development in Africa than foreign aid.
June 15, 2005
The Cotecna Memorandum: End of the Road for Kofi Annan?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #765)
A newly revealed memorandum contradicts Annan's earlier testimony.
June 06, 2005
The Bush/Blair Pre-G-8 Meeting: Tensions in the Anglo-U.S. Alliance?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #754)
Will disagreements over Blair's 'soft issues' agenda damage the special relationship?
May 06, 2005
The British Election: Implications for the U.S.-UK Alliance
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #740)
Tony Blair was elected on May 5 to a third term as British Prime Minister, but with a greatly reduced majority in the House of Commons.
April 21, 2005
Time for Paul Volcker To Resign
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #729)
The resignation of two investigators from his Committee took what credibility it had left.
April 13, 2005
The Volcker Oil-for-Food Interim Reports: Next Steps for Congress
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1843)
The United Nations' senior leadership has apparently not learned any lessons from the Oil-for-Food scandal. Congress should increase pressure on Kofi Annan to resign, launch a major investigation into Iqbal Riza and the shredding of U.N. documents, and call for the creation of an external body to oversee U.N. operations.
March 31, 2005
The Volcker Interim Report on Kofi Annan: Issues of Concern for Congress
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #707)
This latest report dramatically adds to the growing picture of mismanagement, incompetence, and unaccountability at the United Nations, a world body in deep crisis and in serious need of reform.
March 22, 2005
The U.N. Peacekeeping Scandal in the Congo: How Congress Should Respond
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Heritage Lecture #868)
In the Congo, acts of great evil and barbarism have been perpetrated by United Nations peacekeepers and civilian personnel entrusted with protecting some of the weakest and most vulnerable women and children in the world. Congress has a vital role to play in helping ensure that those responsible are brought to justice, and that abuses by U.N. personnel in peacekeeping missions are brought to an end.
March 01, 2005
The United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC): A Case for Peacekeeping Reform
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Testimony #9999)
This hearing will undoubtedly shine a huge spotlight on a major scandal in the heart of Africa, which has until now received relatively little attention from Congress and the world's media.
February 18, 2005
President Bush Should Advance a New U.S. Vision for Europe
By John C. Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1825)
A Europe in which national sovereignty remains paramount regarding foreign and security policy, and states act flexibly rather than collectively wherever possible, will enable America to engage the continent most successfully. This flexibility, in international institutions or ad hoc coalitions of the willing, is the future of the transatlantic relationship because it fits the objective realities of the continent.
February 17, 2005
President Bush's Trip to Europe: Key Issues and Recommendations
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #669)
A trip to determine the future of the transatlantic alliance.
February 16, 2005
The Bush Administration Should Not Back the European Constitution
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #668)
An EU-wide foreign policy is not in the U.S. interest.
February 14, 2005
The U.N.'s Heart of Darkness: Why Congress Must Investigate the Congo Scandal
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Joseph Loconte
(WebMemo #664)
"Acts of gross misconduct have taken place."
February 09, 2005
An Assessment of the Volcker Interim Report and the Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-For-Food Program
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Testimony #9999)
The Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program (IIC) released its interim report on February 3, 2005.
February 01, 2005
The Volcker Investigation into the U.N. Oil-for-Food Scandal: Why It Lacks Credibility
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1819)
Paul Volcker's previous position as a director of the United Nations Association and Business Council for the United Nations raises serious questions about his objectivity and neutrality with regard to the Oil-for-Food investigation. A mechanism for external oversight of the operations of the Volcker Committee should be put in place.
January 19, 2005
The Volcker Oil-for-Food Investigation: Is There a Conflict of Interest?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #641)
Paul Volcker and the U.N.'s chief cheerleaders.
January 12, 2005
The Oil-for-Food Audits: A Damning Indictment of U.N. Operations in Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #638)
Fifty-five damning audits.
2004 Research
December 15, 2004
The White House Should Call on Kofi Annan To Resign
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #623)
The President has kept his options open. It's time to act.
November 10, 2004
The Bush/Blair Washington Summit: Strengthening U.S.-British World Leadership
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #606)
The two leaders have much to discuss.
November 08, 2004
The U.N.'s Fallujah Folly
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #605)
Fallujah highlights Kofi Annan's lack of moral clarity.
October 27, 2004
Is the U.N. Meddling in the U.S. Presidential Election?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #596)
Did the U.N. leak a report on Iraqi explosives to influence the U.S. elections?
October 26, 2004
The British Iraq Troop Redeployment: Why It Is Necessary
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #595)
Is Britain 'sucked further into the mire?' Hardly.
October 19, 2004
Kofi Annan's Shrinking Credibility
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #589)
Annan should step down as Secretary-General while the Oil-for-Food investigation proceeds.
October 04, 2004
A Conservative Vision for U.S. Policy Toward Europe
By John C. Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1803)
Four principles should guide Administration policy toward Europe: (1) Europe will remain the foundation of future U.S. coalitions well into the 21st century; (2) a Europe in which national sovereignty remains paramount suits America's national interest; (3) the U.S.-British alliance must remain pivotal to long-term U.S. strategic thinking; and (4) Europe must be seen as it is, not as many Europeans might wish to see themselves.
October 04, 2004
Executive Summary: A Conservative Vision for U.S. Policy Toward Europe
By John C. Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #1803)
September 20, 2004
The Volcker Oil-for-Food Commission: Is It Credible?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Phillips
(WebMemo #569)
What little is known of the Commission's staff and operations is not encouraging.
September 17, 2004
Kofi Annan's Iraq Blunder
By James Phillips and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #567)
Kofi Annan's jibe undercuts efforts to stabilize postwar Iraq that have been endorsed by the Security Council.
September 07, 2004
The Myth of U.S. Isolation: Why America Is Not Alone in the War on Terror
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #558)
The American public could be forgiven for thinking that the transatlantic alliance no longer exists.
July 20, 2004
The Defense Authorization Bill: A Survival Guide
By Jack Spencer, Baker Spring, Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Brett D. Schaefer, and John J. Tkacik
(Backgrounder #1780)
As the conference committee reconciles the House and Senate versions of the 2005 defense authorization bill, some of the most important differences that must be resolved include the issues of missile defense; base realignment and closure; the U.N. Oil-for-Food scandal; U.S.–Taiwan military-to-military exchanges; Rapid Acquisition Authority; and "Buy America" and other protectionist purchasing requirements.
June 30, 2004
The Oil-for-Food Scandal: Next Steps for Congress
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., James Phillips, and James Dean
(Backgrounder #1772)
Oil for Food is one of the greatest financial scandals of modern times. Not only should Congress threaten to withhold a portion of U.S. funding for the U.N. unless it is completely satisfied that the U.N. is fully cooperating with inquiries into the scandal, but the U.N. should be excluded from any leading role in shaping the future of Iraq.
June 07, 2004
Blair Could Make a Strategic Error on China
By John J. Tkacik, Jr., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1768)
The Bush Administration should urge the British government to reconsider its support for French-driven plans to lift the EU arms embargo on China. It should convey the message that lifting the ban will harm U.S. strategic goals in Asia and will weaken the international campaign to advance human rights in China.
June 04, 2004
The D-Day Commemoration: The President's Chance to Remind the World of the Importance of the Transatlantic Relationship
By John Hulsman, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #517)
For all the differences between America and Europe—based on different views of philosophy, culture, religion, politics, and economics—great truths still bind together their peoples.
June 04, 2004
The United States Must Stand Firm at the UN Over Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Phillips
(WebMemo #516)
A revised Security Council resolution may not pass muster with those on the Council whose interests differ from the United States' and Britain's. No matter their demands, Washington should not sacrifice its control over security matters.
April 21, 2004
Investigate the United Nations Oil-for-Food Fraud
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Phillips
(Backgrounder #1748)
The abuse of the Oil-for-Food program was the result of a staggering management failure by the United Nations and has raised troubling questions about the U.N.'s credibility and competence. The Oil-for-Food debacle reinforces the need for sweeping reform of the U.N. bureaucracy and the need for an annual external audit of its accounts.
April 21, 2004
The United Nations Oil for Food Fraud: How the U.S. Should Respond
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Testimony #9999)
Statement of Dr. Nile Gardiner to the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations.
April 13, 2004
The Bush/Blair White House Summit: Strengthening the Coalition in Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #474)
The threat of revolution and civil war in Iraq will dominate talks between the two allies, and the Bush Administration will be looking to the British leader to help strengthen the resolve of the international coalition of over 30 nations operating in the country.
April 09, 2004
After Madrid: Preserving the Alliance Against Terrorism
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1743)
To counter possible adverse effects of the recent Socialist party electoral victory in Spain, the Bush Administration should shore up the "coalition of the willing," convene a White House summit about Iraq, strengthen the alliance with New Europe, increase anti-terrorism intelligence-sharing, coordinate efforts to combat al-Qaeda in Spain, and support NATO leadership in Iraq.
April 05, 2004
Advancing U.S. Interests at UNESCO
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Jennifer A. Marshall
(Executive Memorandum #919)
The Bush Administration should make a concerted effort to ensure that UNESCO undergoes fundamental and lasting reforms, and long-term U.S. membership in this organization should depend on implementation of these reforms. The United States should not hesitate to withdraw from UNESCO once again if it becomes evident that U.S. membership is not in the national interest.
April 01, 2004
An Historic Moment for NATO
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #465)
In an age of global terrorism, the role of NATO remains vital. The recent bombings in Madrid have reinforced the need for greater transatlantic cooperation in the war against terror.
March 16, 2004
The Spanish Elections: End of the Road for the Washington-Madrid Alliance?
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #449)
The Bush Administration must do everything in its power to help ensure that Spain does not drop out of the U.S-led war on terror. If it does so, the terrorists will have won at the polls.
March 12, 2004
The Madrid Bombings: Staying the Course in the War on Terror
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #445)
The terrorists' goal was to shatter the Spanish-American alliance, precisely because it has been so effective in combating terrorism. This must not be allowed to happen.
March 01, 2004
The U.N. Oil-for-Food Scam: Time for Hearings
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and James Phillips
(WebMemo #438)
In effect the oil-for-food program was little more than "an open bazaar of payoffs, favoritism and kickbacks." The seriousness of these charges warrants investigation by the U.S. Congress and an independent U.N. commission.
February 10, 2004
A Fresh Start for Liberia
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #420)
So far, the United States has taken the lead in rebuilding Liberia. Contributing further short-term aid and helping to establish institutions of democracy and civil society should be the U.S.'s next steps.
January 30, 2004
The Hutton Report: Implications for the Anglo-U.S. Alliance
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #407)
The report by Lord Hutton is a powerful rebuttal of the anti-war critics who had taken aim at the heart of British foreign policy and the Anglo-U.S. special relationship
January 22, 2004
A Limited Role for the United Nations in Post-War Iraq
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and James Phillips
(WebMemo #402)
An effective job by the U.N. in assisting with the electoral process in Iraq will help to restore its reputation on the international stage.
2003 Research
November 14, 2003
The President's State Visit to Britain: Advancing the Anglo-U.S. Special Relationship
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1707)
The goals of President Bush's November 19-21 state visit to London should be to demonstrate a united Anglo-U.S. front on Iraq, strengthen U.S.-British cooperation in the war against terrorism, formulate a joint position on dealing with rogue states, and provide reassurances to Washington regarding NATO, the European Security and Defense Policy, and the European Constitution. The Anglo-U.S. alliance must remain the cornerstone of strategic thinking in both Washington and London.
October 27, 2003
Reform the United Nations
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Baker Spring
(Backgrounder #1700)
The United Nations continues its slow decline as a force on the world stage and will go the same way as the League of Nations unless it is radically reformed and restructured. The U.N. failed spectacularly to deal with Saddam Hussein, and its influence is likely to diminish further in the coming years unless it demonstrates a greater willingness to address the threat posed by international terrorism, state sponsors of terror, and rogue regimes developing weapons of mass destruction.
October 22, 2003
Recommendations for the Madrid Donor Conference On Iraqi Reconstruction
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D.
(WebMemo #356)
The Madrid Conference will be an excellent opportunity for the U.S. to show leadership on the international stage, and convince skeptical nations that a successful and secure post-Saddam Iraq is in the world's interest. The Administration should also oppose UN/World Bank control of reconstruction funds, and advocate debt forgiveness.
October 20, 2003
Recommendations to the Bush Administration on U.N. Reform
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Baker Spring
(WebMemo #353)
On October 21, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Kim R. Holmes, will deliver a major address on the challenges facing the United Nations. His speech comes at a time of widespread disenchantment with the U.N. across America. The U.N. needs radical restructuring, revision of its charter, reform of its major commissions, and the streamlining of its bloated bureaucracy.
October 15, 2003
U.S. Military Assistance for Africa: A Better Solution
By James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1697)
The United States is facing increasing international pressure to play a more prominent role on the world's most troubled continent, but instead of sending U.S. peacekeepers, the Bush Administration should consider expanding its U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to include Africa. This organization could help facilitate the establishment of a more effective African-led military intervention force, reducing the need for direct U.S. involvement
September 24, 2003
President Bush's Wake-Up Call to the United Nations
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #341)
President Bush's major address yesterday to the United Nations General Assembly in New York was a powerful wake-up call for an organization that is in danger of becoming irrelevant on the world stage.
September 08, 2003
Achieving Trade Liberalization: Why the U.S. Should Challenge the EU at Cancun
By Sara J. Fitzgerald and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #1686)
At the September 10-14 World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick should work to ensure that the final version of the agreed framework is as close to his original July 2002 proposal as possible and push WTO members, particularly the European Union, to reduce subsidies and tariffs and improve market access. In short, he should pressure Europe to offer real agricultural reform.
August 14, 2003
Don't Lift Sanctions Against Libya
By Dr. Nile Gardiner, James Phillips and Peter Brookes
(WebMemo #329)
The Libyan government has announced that it will pay $2.7 billion in compensation to the families of the 270 victims of the 1988 Pan Am Lockerbie bombing, including 189 Americans. The compensation offer is expected to result in a UN Security Council resolution calling for the lifting of sanctions against Tripoli, which have been in place since 1992.
July 25, 2003
The WTO Cancun Meeting: Why the US Should Question Europe's Orwellian Farm Reforms
By Sara J. Fitzgerald and Nile Gardiner Ph.D.
(WebMemo #321)
Developed countries should travel to the World Trade Organization's ministerial meeting in Cancun with a strategic plan to lower subsidies and tariffs in order to finish the Doha round on time. Without real change, much of the developing world will continue to be frozen out of the West's markets and be consigned to further decades of poverty.
July 16, 2003
The Post-War Iraq Bush/Blair Summit: Strengthening the Anglo-US Special Relationship
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D. and John Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #314)
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair will be meeting this week in Washington to discuss the situation in post-war Iraq, as well as the continuing global war against terrorism and the rising threat posed by rogue regimes such as Iran, Syria and North Korea.
July 03, 2003
A New Vision for Africa
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D.
(WebMemo #307)
President Bush must take with him a new vision for Africa, based on the universal principles of economic liberty, political freedom and respect for the rule of law. Along with a vision backed by a greater willingness on the part of Washington to actively shape the future of the continent.
May 19, 2003
End the Oil-for-Food Program
By Dr. Nile Gardiner, and James A. Phillips
(Executive Memorandum #879)
The United States, United Kingdom, and Spain have jointly put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the lifting of economic sanctions against Iraq and the phasing out of the oil-for-food program. France and Russia have opposed the move, arguing that sanctions should be lifted and oil for food ended only after Iraq has been declared free of weapons of mass destruction by U.N. inspectors and the United Nations has been given a lead role in shaping the future of Iraq.
April 30, 2003
Forgive the Iraqi Debt
By Dr. Nile Gardiner, and Marc Miles, Ph.D.
(Executive Memorandum #871)
Forgiving these debts would constitute both an historic contribution to the economic development of post-Saddam Iraq and a major gesture of support for the Iraqi people. If European and Arab leaders truly want to help the people of Iraq, the best way to demonstrate this would be by easing the debt burden.
April 21, 2003
Blueprint for Freedom: Limiting the Role of the United Nations in Post-War Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and David B. Rivkin, Jr., Esq.
(Backgrounder #1646)
The U.N. is slowly dying as a force on the world stage and will go the way of the League of Nations unless it is radically reformed and restructured...
April 21, 2003
bg1646es: Blueprint for Freedom: Limiting the Role of the United Nations in Post-War Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and David B. Rivkin, Jr., Esq.
(Executive Summary #1646)
The U.N. is slowly dying as a force on the world stage and will go the way of the League of Nations unless it is radically reformed and restructured. It failed spectacularly to deal with the growing threat posed by Saddam Hussein, and its influence may well diminish further in the coming years. Indeed, what happens to the U.N. in the future very much depends upon how it behaves here and now.
April 08, 2003
The Northern Ireland Bush/Blair Summit: Britain and American Must Remain United
By Nile Gardiner and John C. Hulsman
(WebMemo #252)
Great Britain is viewed unquestionably by Washington as its most important ally, politically, strategically and militarily and is seen as the keystone of the coalition of the willing formed to unseat Saddam Hussein. In the weeks ahead the Bush Administration must rebuff UN plans for a central role in a post-war government.
April 01, 2003
Limit the Role of the United Nations In Post-War Iraq
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(WebMemo #246)
Limit the Role of the United Nations In Post-War Iraq
March 26, 2003
The Bush-Blair Summit: Iraq, the U.N., and the Future of Europe
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and John C. Hulsman, Ph. D.
(WebMemo #239)
In its place, Washington and London must call for a flexible Europe, united by a common heritage and culture, but which maintains the principle of national sovereignty at its core.
March 19, 2003
The Anglo-U.S. Special Relationship and the Coalition of the Willing
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(WebMemo #228)
The world's two most powerful nations remain united in their determination to deal with the twin global threats of state-sponsored terrorism and the production of weapons of mass destruction by rogue states.
March 12, 2003
French Act Unilaterally When Their Interests are at Stake
By John Hulsman and Dr. Nile Gardiner
(WebMemo #219)
France, a rapidly declining force on the international stage, is clinging to its delusions of grandeur, in a desperate attempt to rein in U.S. power.
January 14, 2003
How the U.S. Should Respond
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Executive Memorandum #850)
French strategists increasingly are taking the view that a war against Iraq is inevitable, and Paris has signaled its intent to send troops and an aircraft carrier group to the Gulf should the regime in Baghdad fail to disarm voluntarily.
January 10, 2003
Blair Must Not Go Wobbly On Iraq
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and John C. Hulsman, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #186)
The Prime Minister has shown outstanding international leadership on the Iraq question: it is time for him now to face down opposition within his own fractious party, and to make a convincing case for war to the British people.
2002 Research
October 30, 2002
What Berlin Must Do
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and Helle Dale
(Backgrounder #1609)
Germany is at a crossroads. It can either stand in isolation by opposing action against Iraq, or it can join the international coalition to remove a menacing dictatorship from power. If Berlin refuses to confront the Iraqi threat, it will be seen as irrelevant in the fight against terrorism.
October 30, 2002
BG1609ES: What Berlin Must Do to Repair
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and Helle Dale
(Backgrounder #1609)
BG1609ES: What Berlin Must Do to Repair the U.S.-German Alliance
October 01, 2002
Why America May Not Have to Go It Alone
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Backgrounder #1598)
Mounting evidence suggests that Iraq may be liberated by one of the biggest strategic and diplomatic coalitions ever. The tide is turning against Baghdad, and the U.S. may not have to go it alone to rid the world of the threat to security and peace posed by Saddam Hussein.
October 01, 2002
bg1598es: Why America May Not Have to Go It Alone
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Executive Summary #1598)
bg1598es: Why America May Not Have to Go It Alone: The Growing Anti-Saddam Coalition
September 27, 2002
Tony Blair's Challenge in Securing British Support for a War
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Backgrounder #1596)
The Bush Administration must recognize the difficulties Prime Minister Blair faces in shoring up support domestically and across Europe and demonstrate its support for his courageous leadership. It should also focus on ways to strengthen the Anglo-U.S. relationship while building an international coalition for a campaign to oust Saddam Hussein.
September 25, 2002
wm148: Why America Might Not Have to Go it Alone
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #148)
wm148: Why America Might Not Have to Go it Alone: The Growing Anti-Saddam Coalition
September 25, 2002
wm148es: Why America Might Not Have to Go it Alone
By Nile Gardiner
(Executive Summary #148)
wm148es: Why America Might Not Have to Go it Alone: The Growing Anti-Saddam Coalition
September 25, 2002
wm147: Tony Blair's Challenge in Securing British Support for a War
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #147)
wm147: Tony Blair's Challenge in Securing British Support for a War Against Iraq
August 14, 2002
BG1575ES: The Transatlantic Divide Over the Middle East
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Executive Summary #1575)
BG1575ES: The Transatlantic Divide Over the Middle East: How the U.S. Should Respond
August 14, 2002
The Transatlantic Divide Over the Middle East
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Backgrounder #1575)
The overtly anti-Israeli rhetoric of the European Union, combined with the EU's huge financial investment in the PA, suggests that the EU cannot be seen as an honest broker in the current Middle East crisis. This raises serious doubts over the neutrality of the European Union in any future peace efforts in the region.
April 01, 2002
BG1531ES: British and European Responses to U.S. Military Action Against Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #1531)
BG1531ES: British and European Responses to the Proposed U.S. Military Action Against Iraq
April 01, 2002
British and European Responses to U.S. Military Action Against Iraq
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
(Backgrounder #1531)
As the Bush Administration contemplates taking military action against the regime of Saddam Hussein, it should be fully aware of the dominant factors that bear upon a British commitment of military, strategic, and diplomatic support for such a war.
April 01, 2002
BG1531ES: British and European Responses to U.S. Military Action Against Iraq
By Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
(Executive Summary #1531)
Executive Summary: BG1531ES: British and European Responses to the Proposed U.S. Military Action Against Iraq
2009 Commentary
November 20, 2009
Obama Has Achieved Nothing on the World Stage
By Nile Gardiner
No American president has spent more time abroad in his first year in office than Barack Obama. His trip to Asia this week is his 8th foreign tour, taking the total number of countries visited to 20.
September 23, 2009
The UN Loves Barack Obama because He is Weak
By Nile Gardiner
Barack Obama's Gallup approval rating of 52 percent may well be lower at this stage of his presidency than any US leader in recent times with the exception of Bill Clinton. But he is still worshipped with messiah-like adoration at the United Nations, and is considerably more popular with many of the 192 members of the UN than he is with the American people.
September 22, 2009
The U.N.'s Anti-Israel Crusade Continues
By Nile Gardiner
The United Nations has come up with yet another spectacularly biased report, this time 575 pages long, accusing Israel of "war crimes" in Gaza and "possibly crimes against humanity".
August 05, 2009
No Negotiation with the Taliban
By Nile Gardiner
There are clear signs that the Labour government in London has begun to build an exit strategy for Afghanistan based upon the premise of negotiations with so-called moderate elements of the Taliban.
July 23, 2009
Barack Obama should become a Eurosceptic
By Nile Gardiner
The media coverage of Barack Obama's visit to Moscow this week has overwhelmingly focused on the arms control deal struck with Dmitry Medvedev and his much-hyped pledge to reset relations with Moscow. Little attention has been paid however to the president's striking defence of the principle of national sovereignty at a speech he gave at the New Economic School in Moscow.
June 03, 2009
Barack Obama should stop apologising for America
By Nile Gardiner
No leader in American history has gone to greater lengths than Barack Obama to make amends for his own country. From condemnation of American "arrogance" in a speech in Strasbourg to acknowledging U.S. "mistakes" before millions of Muslims on Arab television, Obama has rarely missed an opportunity to apologise for the actions of the American people.
June 03, 2009
Barack Obama Must Heed the Lessons of the Holocaust
By Nile Gardiner
When President Obama enters the gates of the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald on June 5, he will be sharply reminded of the evils of totalitarianism. Over 50,000 Jews and political dissidents perished at the camp before it was liberated by American troops in April 1945.
May 13, 2009
Obama Should Stop Talking to Tyrants
By Nile Gardiner
The Obama White House has made a greater effort than any U.S. administration in history in extending the hand of friendship to unsavory regimes. There is barely a tyranny on the face of the earth that hasn’t been earmarked for "engagement" by the Obama team, from Tehran to Caracas to Khartoum.
May 08, 2009
David Miliband is wrong about the Lisbon Treaty
By Nile Gardiner
The Foreign Secretary has a bizarre article in this week's Spectator that suggests a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon will wreck the Special Relationship with America. David Miliband's piece is an example of political scaremongering at its worst, a poorly penned attempt to justify a failed European policy that is undermining Britain's position as a sovereign nation as well as her ability to act effectively as a world power.
April 30, 2009
Worse than Jimmy Carter
By Nile Gardiner
It is hard to think of a U.S. president who has done more to weaken his country on the world stage in such a short period of time -- and that includes the hapless Jimmy Carter. President Obama's first 100 days as a world leader have been an overwhelming failure, a damaging mix of diplomatic gaffes and humiliating apologies for America's past, combined with a naïve outreach to American-hating tyrants and despots, as well as an overwhelming indifference towards traditional allies, including Britain.
April 10, 2009
The Humbling of a Superpower
By Nile Gardiner
It is hard to imagine a bigger slight to the memory of the more than 100,000 American soldiers who died liberating Europe than the image of a U.S. president attacking the "arrogance" of his own country on French soil. President Obama's speech last week ahead of the NATO summit in Strasbourg, barely 500 miles from the beaches of Normandy, marked a low point in presidential speechmaking on foreign policy.
April 06, 2009
Europe's indifference is killing NATO
By Nile Gardiner
As the 28 leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization gather in Strasbourg and Kehl, the world's most important multilateral alliance is in crisis. 60 years on from its founding in the aftermath of World War Two, NATO has evolved into a two-tier alliance split between those who fight and those who do not. On one side of the NATO divide is a small group of Anglosphere nations -- Britain, America and Canada - plus stalwarts like the Poles and the Dutch, who possess a martial warrior ethos; on the other is a sizeable number of European countries who treat the alliance as little more than a glorified peacekeeping force.
April 03, 2009
The West Must Stand Up to Tehran
By Nile Gardiner
It is not hard to see why President Obama decided to throw a bust of Winston Churchill out of the Oval Office. The great British Prime Minister stood for much the new administration seemingly does not: a determination to stand up to tyrants and dictators, a belief in the use of maximum force to defeat your enemies, and a firm conviction that the United States and Britain are great powers for liberty and freedom that united together will defend the free world.
April 01, 2009
Obama's Honeymoon with Europe: Will It Survive the Week?
By Nile Gardiner
With "tea party" protests drawing thousands, and even Democratic lawmakers questioning the scope of his unprecedented spending proposals, President Obama has now entered a rocky patch here at home. But if he thinks it's getting tough here, just wait till he gets to Europe next week.
April 01, 2009
Will David Cameron clash with Barack Obama over Europe?
By Nile Gardiner
As Toby Harnden first reported in The Daily Telegraph, the U.S. president will meet with David Cameron on Wednesday ahead of the G-20 summit in London. The decision to meet with the Conservative Party leader is an unusually smart foreign policy move by the new U.S. administration after a series of poor decisions by the White House with regard to the Anglo-American alliance.
March 18, 2009
The Worst UN President in History
By Nile Gardiner
In a highly competitive field, Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann surely wins the award for worst ever President of the 192-member United Nation General Assembly. The former Sandinista foreign minister and excommunicated Catholic priest has been a massive embarrassment, even by the extraordinarily low standards of the UN.
March 18, 2009
Barack Obama will back a federal Europe
By Nile Gardiner
Barack Obama heads to Britain and Europe in two weeks' time as the leader of the first U.S. Administration to wholeheartedly back the creation of a federal Europe. In contrast to earlier U.S. administrations, including those of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the Obama administration is avowedly Euro-federalist in outlook, and is keen to help build a European Union defense identity as well as support the foundations of a European superstate in Brussels.
March 11, 2009
No Way To Treat A Prime Minister
By Nile Gardiner
There are three words to describe the White House's reception for the British Prime Minister last week: public relations disaster. Gordon Brown arrived in Washington as the first leader from across the Atlantic to greet the President on U.S. soil since his inauguration, but his visit to the Oval Office left a sour taste with the British media and millions of television viewers watching from the UK.
March 09, 2009
Barack Obama must grow as a statesman if he is to lead the free world
By Nile Gardiner
One thing’s certain when President Obama arrives in London at the end of March - he’ll receive a far warmer and more cordial welcome than the one he doled out to Gordon Brown in Washington earlier this week. As the British media widely noted, the Prime Minister was given a humiliatingly low key reception at the White House at the hands of a new U.S. Administration that seems to care little for the Anglo-American alliance or even the basics of international diplomacy.
March 02, 2009
Barack Obama must preserve the special relationship: Great Britain is America's most reliable friend
By Nile Gardiner
Gordon Brown arrives in Washington this week as the first European leader to meet with President Obama at the White House. He has pipped his closest rivals President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel in the race to the Oval Office, and will be only the fifth Prime Minister to be accorded the honour of addressing a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
2008 Commentary
December 27, 2008
George W Bush: winning the war on terror
By Nile Gardiner
Europe's political elites are no doubt salivating at the prospect of George W. Bush departing the White House in January.
July 28, 2008
Does Obama Ever Think of Us?
By Nile Gardiner
Barack 's brief visit to London coincided with the opening of the new Batman film in British cinemas. How fitting. On his journey through Europe last week the US presidential contender garnered adulation fit for a superhero. As a series of polls has shown, if the British public could vote on the American race, Obama would crush his rival John McCain by a margin of four or five to one.
June 17, 2008
Ireland Saves Europe From Itself
By Nile Gardiner
Thomas Cahill’s history, “How the Irish Saved Civilization” may require a second volume after last Thursday’s historic Irish referendum. Ireland’s rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon was a seminal moment in the modern history of Europe, when brave Irish voters spoke out in defense of the nation state. The result was a humiliating rebuff for the cloistered Brussels political establishment which had sought to force a hugely controversial treaty upon 490 million Europeans without a popular vote. It was a stunning demonstration of democracy triumphing over an Orwellian vision of Europe dreamed up by often faceless unelected officials callously indifferent to the views of the ordinary man on the street.
June 10, 2008
The UN Sinks to New Depths
By Nile Gardiner and Ray Walser
Last week’s unopposed election of Nicaraguan Reverend Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann as the next President of the 192-member United Nations General Assembly will further undermine the standing of the UN in the eyes of the American public. D’Escoto served as foreign minister of Nicaragua during the Sandinista dictatorship of Daniel Ortega in the 1980s and is known for his extreme, stridently anti-American views.
May 21, 2008
We're under investigation -- by the U.N.
By Nile Gardiner
While hundreds of thousands are dying due to the callous indifference of the military junta in Burma and millions are fleeing oppression and hunger in Robert Mugabe's brutal Zimbabwe, the U.N.'s farcical Human Rights Council (HRC) is focusing its attention elsewhere — the United States, the freest nation on the face of the earth.
May 09, 2008
Israel at 60
By Nile Gardiner
Few countries in modern times could claim the title "warrior nation". The United States and Great Britain definitely can, and Israel certainly qualifies for this distinction too.
May 07, 2008
Sarko Is No Reagan
By Nile Gardiner
When French voters swept Nicolas Sarkozy into the Elysee Palace in May 2007, he was hailed as a brave reformer, a radical free marketeer who would challenge decades of socialist economic consensus.
May 07, 2008
Out of the Shadows?
By Nile Gardiner
The Labour party's crushing defeat in last week's local elections for England and Wales marks the beginning of the end for New Labour and the premiership of Gordon Brown.
May 01, 2008
Law of the Jungle
By Nile Gardiner
It is hard to believe the United Nations' reputation as an international peacekeeping organization could sink any lower, but it just has. The BBC's flagship investigative news program, Panorama, revealed this week that the UN's biggest peacekeeping mission, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been blighted by yet another scandal. The 18-month BBC study into the conduct of the 17,000 strong, $1.1 billion a year operation (known as MONUC) found that UN troops have been involved in arming militia groups and smuggling gold and ivory.
April 24, 2008
The Second Time as Farce
By Nile Gardiner
If further proof be needed of the terminal decline of the United Nations as a world body that purports to advance human rights, look no further than the recent appointments of Richard Falk and Jean Ziegler by the UN's Human Rights Council (HRC). Both appointments should be of major concern to U.S. leaders disturbed by the UN's increasing failure in the arena of human rights and the blatant and widespread anti-American and anti-Israeli bias among key UN human rights officials.
April 15, 2008
Whither the "Special Relationship"?
By Nile Gardiner
Gordon Brown flies into Washington this week a day after the pope does. The timing is unfortunate for the dour British prime minister, whose D.C. visit will be hugely overshadowed by the eagerly anticipated arrival of the far more dynamic Benedict XVI. Whereas tens of thousands of Americans will queue up for a glimpse of John Paul II’s successor, Brown will garner little public attention outside the White House, where he meets with President Bush on Thursday. His predecessor Tony Blair always attracted intense interest on his numerous trips to Washington. But Brown is no Blair.
April 14, 2008
We'd rather have a Winston
By Nile Gardiner
The US sees the prime minister as lacking the stomach for a war on terror
April 03, 2008
A Two-Tier Alliance
By Nile Gardiner
AS THE 26 leaders of the NATO Alliance gather in Bucharest this week for the organization's 59th summit, there will be simmering tensions between the United States and what Donald Rumsfeld memorably described in 2003 as "Old Europe." As the Bucharest meeting will show, the traditional rifts between Germany and France and America on some of the biggest foreign policy questions of the day is still firmly in place.
April 01, 2008
And Now for the British Surge
By Nile Gardiner
As the battle between Iraqi security forces and Iranian-backed Shia militias raged in the port of Basra over the past week, British troops remained largely on the sidelines. Some 30,000 Iraqi soldiers were sent into the city by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to retake control from the Mahdi army led by Iranian-based firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, but struggled to gain a foothold and defeat the heavily armed militias.
April 01, 2008
Deficient Proposal
By Nile Gardiner and Sally McNamara
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to unveil a series of proposals for rejoining NATO’s integrated military command structure at the Bucharest Summit on April 2-4.
April 01, 2008
The Anti-Churchill
By Nile Gardiner
When British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visits the United States next month he is unlikely to receive as enthusiastic a welcome as his predecessor, Tony Blair. A recent report in London's Sunday Telegraph cast a bleak spotlight on the current state of Anglo-American relations with the stark headline: "'Special Relationship' dies under Gordon Brown."
March 21, 2008
French Government, Sarkozy a Disappointment
By Nile Gardiner
In the immediate years following 9/11, the news media could always rely on a leading French politician for a sneering, headline-grabbing quote on America’s supposedly weakened standing in the world. Following decades of tradition, former President Jacques Chirac turned anti-Americanism into a chic art form, rarely resisting a dig at the U.S.-led war on the terror and American foreign policy. His foreign minister and later prime minister, the effete and pompous poetry-writing Dominique de Villepin, was even worse, famously refusing to say which side he backed during the U.S.-British-led invasion of Iraq.
March 14, 2008
The West is Winning in Iraq
By Nile Gardiner
As the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq approaches, the United States has proved her critics wrong -- again. The U.S.-led surge in Iraq has been a remarkable success, and the fledgling democracy is no longer descending into civil war. The ballot box and the rule of law are rapidly replacing terror, fear and intimidation as the norm. Even the BBC reported in January that Al-Qaeda in Iraq had been “reduced by 75 percent.”
March 01, 2008
Prince Harry The Hero Puts Europe to Shame
By Nile Gardiner
The revelation that Prince Harry has been courageously serving in Afghanistan for nearly three months (under a media blackout) should be applauded by all who believe that the war against Islamist terrorism is vital to the defense of the free world. As Chief of General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt stated, Harry is a “credit to the nation,” and his bravery is a powerful demonstration that the British warrior spirit is still alive and well.
February 29, 2008
Osama bin London
By Nile Gardiner
The conviction in London this week of the Muslim fanatic known as “Osama bin London” and five of his followers is a significant blow to Islamist terrorism in the United Kingdom. In one of the biggest anti-terror trials in British history, Mohammed Hamid was found guilty of leading an al-Qaeda inspired terror cell and of running terrorist training camps on British soil with a view to sending recruits on to Afghanistan and East Africa.
January 01, 2008
Military folly if Britain turns its back on Iraq
By Nile Gardiner
One year on from the execution of brutal dictator Saddam Hussein, the future looks bright for the Iraqi people. There is a renewed sense of confidence in a nation that just six months ago teetered on the brink of disaster.
2007 Commentary
December 08, 2007
The Decline of the Royal Navy: Admiral Nelson Must be Turning in His Grave
By Nile Gardiner
A recently leaked British government study provides a shocking glimpse into the decline of the Royal Navy once the most feared fighting force on the face of the earth. From the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 to the Falklands War in 1982, the Royal Navy has been an imposing force on the world stage. Today it stands as a shadow of its former self.
December 05, 2007
Wobbly Gordon Brown
By Nile Gardiner
The world needs stronger British leadership.
November 30, 2007
Cameron has mountain to climb on his mission to the US
By Nile Gardiner
Gordon Brown should be worried about today's meeting between David Cameron and President George W Bush, even if it is officially described as a "drop in".
November 09, 2007
Britain: A Hornet's Nest of Islamic Extremism
By Nile Gardiner and Sally McNamara
The news from London this week has been pretty grim. Jonathan Evans, the new Director-General of Britain’s domestic intelligence service has unveiled some spectacularly unnerving statistics. In a major speech in Manchester on November 5, he revealed that MI-5 had identified over 2,000 al-Qaeda-inspired terrorist suspects on UK soil, 400 more than previous estimates. In addition, he estimated there were probably another 2,000 unidentified individuals who also posed a terror threat, making a total of 4,000 al-Qaeda linked operatives based in the United Kingdom.
November 07, 2007
Beltway Sarko
By Nile Gardiner
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's arrival this week in Washington signals a sea change in the relationship between Washington and Paris. What would have been unthinkable a year ago — a two-day summit between the leaders of France and the United States — is now a political reality that is beginning to change the complex and troubled landscape of U.S.-European relations. Not only will Sarkozy meet with President Bush at the White House and Mount Vernon, he will also address the U.S. Congress, a great honor and rare privilege, especially for the president of a formerly hostile power.
October 30, 2007
No Knight in Shining Armor
By Nile Gardiner
Few international figures are less deserving of an honorary knighthood bestowed by the queen of England than former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who received Britain’s highest honor for a foreign national last week.
October 25, 2007
Happy UNday?
By Nile Gardiner
As overpaid and under worked United Nations bureaucrats quaff champagne and feast on canapés and shrimp in Turtle Bay to celebrate U.N. Day, it is important for the world to remember those who have been failed by the organization, or have suffered at its hands.
October 24, 2007
Conservatives for Terror?
By Nile Gardiner
As Britain fights a global war alongside the United States and other key allies against Islamic terrorism and its state sponsors, it is hard to believe that elements within the British Conservative Party are actually working to undermine it.
October 20, 2007
Brave New Europe
By Nile Gardiner and Sally McNamara
Imagine if the citizens of the United States were handed a new Pan-American "constitution" or "treaty" drawn up in Buenos Aires, and crafted by unelected foreign officials behind closed doors. The several hundred page document, the centerpiece of a grand political union of the Americas, would pave the way for the creation of a Pan-American foreign minister, a permanent Pan-American president, and a Pan-American diplomatic service.
October 10, 2007
Brown, Out
By Nile Gardiner
The British prime minister makes a wrong move on Iraq.
July 31, 2007
Special, Still: Bush and Brown Meet
By Nile Gardiner
President Bush's meeting with new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Camp David is taking place amid simmering tensions between London and Washington. Remarks made by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander and new Foreign Office Minister Mark Malloch Brown, were widely interpreted as an attempt to create distance between the new Brown government and the Bush administration. Malloch Brown's outspoken comments in particular, given in an interview with the London Daily Telegraph, caused considerable unease in the United States, and would have led to a major diplomatic incident had they not been swiftly disavowed by the Brown administration.
July 06, 2007
Wrong Way Warsi
By Nile Gardiner
The appointment by the Conservative party of Sayeeda Warsi as shadow minister for Community Cohesion sends the wrong signal at a time when Britain is fighting a global war against Islamic terrorism and extremism, both domestically and internationally.
July 03, 2007
The Other Brown
By Nile Gardiner
The appointment of Sir Mark Malloch Brown as the United Kingdom's new minister for Africa, Asia, and the United Nations represents the clearest sign yet of a break with the pro-U.S. stance of the Blair government. Malloch Brown, the former chief of staff and deputy to ex-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, is known for his stridently anti-American views and fierce opposition to the war in Iraq. His selection by new Prime Minister Gordon Brown sends a clear signal that his administration will adopt a more openly critical stance toward U.S. foreign policy.
June 30, 2007
Brown's Early Test: Britain is reminded we're still at war
By Nile Gardiner
British police Friday thwarted a car-bomb attack that would have brought carnage to the streets of London just days before the second anniversary of the July 7, 2005, bombings that claimed 52 lives. The car was packed with nails, gas canisters and petrol containers, and left outside a nightclub near Piccadilly Circus. This latest attempt to kill and maim hundreds of civilians is most likely the work of al Qaeda or one of its numerous British-based affiliates. It was timed to coincide with the departure of Tony Blair, and the entrance of new Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It also coincided with Blair's appointment as the Quartet’s new Middle East envoy in the face of strong opposition in the Arab world.
June 28, 2007
After Blair: Will the special relationship survive?
By Nile Gardiner
Tony Blair's departure from Downing Street potentially marks the end of an era in U.S.-British relations. His extraordinarily close partnership with President Bush since the 9/11 attacks defied all expectations and provided the engine for the global War on Terror. In the past six years, the alliance between the United States and Great Britain rose to its strongest point since the days of the Cold War bond between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
June 15, 2007
Blair Must Not Betray Britain Over Europe
By Nile Gardiner
British Prime Minister Tony Blair deserves great credit for his leadership in the war on terror, as well as his steadfast support for the United States in the dark days following the 9/11 attacks. He played a key role in the liberation of both Afghanistan and Iraq, and today over 12,000 British troops are fighting in these critical theaters of operation.
May 18, 2007
Britain Must Become Great Again
By Nile Gardiner
The unfortunate decision by British defense chiefs not to send Prince Harry to Iraq will be interpreted as an act of weakness by Al Qaeda as well as Iranian-backed insurgent groups in Iraq.
March 27, 2007
Iran's Act of War
By Nile Gardiner
Iran's seizure of 15 British Navy personnel in Iraqi coastal waters last Friday is a hostile act of war that should be condemned by the UN Security Council and by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was in addition a clear violation of Iraq's national sovereignty that should draw a firm response from the Maliki administration.
March 01, 2007
The End of the Affair?
By Kim Holmes and Nile Gardiner
For over half a century the Anglo-American "special relationship" has been a dominant force in world affairs. Today it is the engine of the global war on terror, and its enduring strength continues to confound and even infuriate leaders in continental Europe. Britain is the only nation the U.S. truly trusts as an ally; it is the British prime minister and not the German chancellor, the French president or the U.N. secretary-general, to whom the U.S. president looks first for partnership in addressing the big international security matters of the day.
February 06, 2007
Germany's Weak-kneed Approach to the War on Terror
By Nile Gardiner
The huge controversy in Germany over the Khaled al-Masri case does not bode well for transatlantic cooperation in the war against Al Qaeda. Prosecutors in Munich have issued warrants for the arrest of 13 alleged CIA agents, prompting growing concern in Washington regarding Germany’s commitment to aggressively fighting the war against terrorism.
2006 Commentary
December 18, 2006
Kofi's stain
By Nile Gardiner
Some people go out in style. On Monday, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan bade farewell by biting the American hand that has fed him for the last decade. Kofi's American swan song, delivered at the Truman Library in Missouri, was a condescending piece of finger-wagging from a discredited diplomat who can barely disguise his contempt for American foreign policy.
July 12, 2006
Ride On, Cowboy
By Nile Gardiner and Joseph Loconte
The ongoing crisis in Sudan has put many critics of U.S. foreign policy — particularly those who lament the Bush administration’s “cowboy diplomacy” — in an untenable position. Recall that two years ago the United Nations concluded that “massive human rights violations” were being committed by the Sudanese government and its proxy militia against civilians in Darfur. What have two years of U.N. diplomacy and multilateralism accomplished for the people of Sudan?
May 03, 2006
The Gathering Storm over Iran
By Nile Gardiner and Joseph Loconte
In the current standoff with Iran, the West is approaching what can fairly be described as another Munich moment.
March 24, 2006
Another charade at the United Nations
By Joseph Loconte and Nile Gardiner
The tragedy of the latest United Nations effort to reform its discredited Human Rights Commission, approved last week by the General Assembly, is not that it's a breathtaking defense of the status quo.
January 10, 2006
Merkel Comes to Washington: Six Tips for the Bush Administration
By Nile Gardiner and John Hulsman
The summit will be an important opportunity for Washington and Berlin to lay the groundwork for greater cooperation in the war on terror and in confronting the growing threat posed by rogue regimes such as Iran and Syria.
2005 Commentary
December 23, 2005
Germany Capitulates to Terrorism
By Nile Gardiner
The extraordinary decision by German authorities to release convicted terrorist and murderer Mohammad Ali Hammadi should be strongly condemned by both the Bush Administration and Congress. Hammadi's release and subsequent safe passage to Lebanon raise major questions regarding Germany's commitment to the war on terror, and will cast a huge shadow over the forthcoming January 11 White House meeting between President Bush and newly elected German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
September 28, 2005
Human-Rights Failure Irrelevance and ignominy at the United Nations
By Joseph Loconte and Nile Gardiner
Last week's gathering of world leaders in New York, marking the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, already looks like another forlorn triumph of rhetoric over reform. Secretary General Kofi Annan billed the event as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to confront global threats and revitalize the United Nations.
September 28, 2005
Human-Rights Failure: Irrelevance and ignominy at the United Nations
By Joseph Loconte and Nile Gardiner
Last week's gathering of world leaders in New York, marking the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, already looks like another forlorn triumph of rhetoric over reform. Secretary General Kofi Annan billed the event as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to confront global threats and revitalize the United Nations.
September 13, 2005
Scandal-plagued U.N. needs new leadership
By Nile Gardiner
As world leaders gather in New York to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, there is little to celebrate.
July 11, 2005
Terror Will Not Break Anglo-American Alliance
By John C. Hulsman & Dr. Nile Gardiner
The barbaric terrorist attacks in London Thursday, which claimed at least 37 lives, are a direct assault on the Anglo-U.S. alliance, the engine of the global war on terror.
July 10, 2005
Anglo-US alliance: bulwark of our western civilisation
By Nile Gardiner and John Hulsman
This week's barbaric terrorist attacks in London, which claimed dozens of lives and injured hundreds of people, were a direct assault on the Anglo-US alliance, the engine of the global war on terror.
July 01, 2005
Kofi Annan's Delusions of Grandeur
By Nile Gardiner
There has rarely been a more outrageous piece of political grandstanding. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's recent article in The Washington Post was a pathetic attempt to claim credit for political and economic developments in Iraq.
June 25, 2005
Standing in the Way: Democrats Block Bolton Again
By Nile Gardiner
"A capacity for straight talking rather than peddling half-truths is a strength and not a disadvantage in diplomacy," wrote Margaret Thatcher in a letter of support for John Bolton.
June 23, 2005
EU Defeat: The Utopian Dream Ends
By John C. Hulsman & Dr. Nile Gardiner
Make no mistake: Europe's dream of uniting to form a superpower counterweight to the United States died with the "non" vote in France and the rejection, a few days later in the Netherlands, of the European Union constitution.
June 17, 2005
A New Vision for Human Rights
By Joseph Loconte and Nile Gardiner
Two years ago a newspaper headline in Khartoum, Sudan, proclaimed that the government's human rights file was ''closed forever."
June 01, 2005
Paul Wolfowitz: Freedom Fighter
By Nile Gardiner Ph.D.
Few policy makers in recent American history have been as controversial on the world stage as Paul Wolfowitz, the newly elected President of the World Bank. For critics of Bush Administration foreign policy, Wolfowitz is the embodiment of a new American imperialism, supposedly driven by an elite cabal of Washington neo-conservatives.
April 15, 2005
Democrats Turned Bolton Hearing Into Circus
By Nile Gardiner
When he goes to the UN Bolton will aggressively advance the U.S. national interest, lay down clear markers for UN reform and challenge the conventional wisdom. He will be a powerful force for change in a hidebound institution where corruption, mismanagement and anti-Americanism have run rampant for far too long
April 02, 2005
UN Scandal:
Kofi Aide Shredded Thousands of Documents
By Nile Gardiner
"Hell no!" was Kofi Annan's bullish response when asked last week if he would resign over the oil-for-food scandal.
March 10, 2005
Why Bolton will be good for the UN
By Nile Gardiner
John Bolton's nomination as US ambassador to the United Nations could not have come at a more critical time for the world organization.
February 20, 2005
Britain is the key to Bush project of flexible Europe
By Nile Gardiner and John Hulsman
In the lead-up to President Bush's European tour this week, there has been feverish
speculation in London that the leader of the free world will voice his support for the
European Constitution while in Brussels. Rumours have abounded that the White House,
under sustained pressure from the European Union (EU), is about to cave in to Franco-
German demands that Washington back the drive for a more united Europe in return for
European support over Iraq, Iran and the war on terror.
2004 Commentary
December 16, 2004
A Clarion Call for Annan
By Nile Gardiner
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently told reporters he expects to keep his job for the next two years. "I have quite a lot of work to do," he said.
It's true there's plenty to do at Turtle Bay. But Annan's not the man for the job. That's why President Bush should deliver a clear message to the secretary-general: It's time for him to resign.
December 14, 2004
Kofi Must Go
By Nile Gardiner
The aura of invincibility that has surrounded Annan in his six-year tenure as United Nations secretary general has been shattered, and it is increasingly likely that he will go in the next six to 12 months.
December 10, 2004
Congress Should Withhold U.S. Funds from the U.N.
By Nile Gardiner and James Dean
American taxpayers should demand accountability from an institution that depends on their funding. Luckily, that's finally starting to happen. As the United Nations Oil for Food scandal continues to unfold, Congress is beginning to flex its investigative muscle. Five different committees are investigating the largest financial fraud of modern times.
December 07, 2004
Kofi's Hour Is Up
By Nile Gardiner
Incompetence upon insult upon outrage.
November 23, 2004
Britain, U.S., Partners in Fighting Terror
By Nile Gardiner
Every once in a while, someone will get something right for the wrong reason. Consider Robin Cook, a former British foreign secretary and an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq.
October 31, 2004
Is U.N. Trying to Influence U.S. Elections?
By Nile Gardiner
It seems that every four years, there's some sort of "October surprise" in American politics.
October 21, 2004
America Isn't Alone In The War On Terror
By Nile Gardiner
It used to be said that American politics stopped at the water's edge. Not this year.
October 12, 2004
Kofi Annan's Iraq Blunder
By Nile Gardiner and James Phillips
Opponents of the war in Iraq have used many choice words to describe the U.S.-led military action there.
June 18, 2004
Don't Lift the Arms Embargo on China
By John Tkacik and Nile Gardiner
British Prime Minister Tony Blair would be making a strategic error if he decided to support the French proposal to lift the European Union's arms ban on China. Reports that he's on the verge of doing so is already creating tensions between the United States and Great Britain at a time when the two nations must jointly lead the war on terrorism and prepare Iraq for the June 30 transfer of power.
February 24, 2004
U.N. Should Have Limited Role in Iraq
By Nile Gardiner and James Phillips
U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi (search) visited Iraq recently and soon will present proposals for smoothing the potentially jarring transition from occupation to national sovereignty in Iraq, which is scheduled for July 1.
January 28, 2004
A Command for Africa
By James Carafano, Ph.D., and Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
Now is a particularly good time to consider how we might respond better to challenges in African security. With the United States on the offensive in the Middle East and Asia, Africa could be the next hot spot for al Qaeda's mischief. In particular, the United States must remain alert to the rise of African states that might foster global terrorism.
2003 Commentary
November 25, 2003
Reform the United Nations
By Nile Gardiner and Baker Spring
Critics have condemned the Bush administration's proposal to close down the U.N. Information Center in Washington, D.C., as yet another example of American "unilateralism."
October 21, 2003
A French Revolution in Iraq?
By Joseph Loconte and Nile Gardiner
Paris wants an early transfer of power in Iraq and rejects the latest American offer as "a disappointment." Many in Washington see French hubris at work.
August 27, 2003
Not Yet, Muammar
By Nile Gardiner
Qadhafi's decision to pay $2.7 billion did not come from the bottom of a contrite heart...
July 19, 2003
Strengthening the Special Bond
By Nile Gardiner and John Hulsman
Thursday's meeting between President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair was their fourth major summit this year.
July 09, 2003
Helping Africa
By Nile Gardiner
President Bush appears truly committed to helping Africa. Even some of his critics now admit as much. But what exactly can the president do to end suffering and turn the continent into "a prosperous place"?
June 04, 2003
Britain and America: Shaping the Future of Europe
By Nile Gardiner and John Hulsman
As the world's leaders gather in Evian at the G-8 summit (search), the divide between Europe and the United States over Iraq continues to loom large. But President Bush has a formidable ally at his side: British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
May 21, 2003
Q:Would it be a Mistake to let the United Nations Play a Lead Role in Reconstructing Iraq?
By Nile Gardiner and David B. Rivkin
Q:Would it be a Mistake to let the United Nations Play a Lead Role in Reconstructing Iraq?
May 20, 2003
Don't Involve the U.N.
By Nile Gardiner
Don't Involve the U.N.
April 28, 2003
Limiting the U.N. in Iraq
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and David B. Rivkin
Limiting the U.N. in Iraq: Nile Gardiner and David Rivkin outline the limited role the U.N. should have in planning a post-war Iraqi government.
April 09, 2003
An U.N.-Helpful Plan for Iraq
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
An U.N.-Helpful Plan for Iraq: The United Nations has detailed an "Assistance Mission" to be put into place in Baghdad to oversee a post-Saddam Iraqi government. However, the U.S. doesn't believe the U.N. is capable of such a task, nor does it feel the U.N. has the right over what the U.S. is fighting to achieve.
March 12, 2003
Ideals & Facts
By Joseph Loconte & Dr. Nile Gardiner
As the United States and Britain prepare for a possible war against Iraq, religious leaders from both countries are waging an all-out campaign for peace. Faith-based idealism, however, is no substitute for a sober judgment of the threat from Baghdad.
March 06, 2003
Foiling Franco-German Folly
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
Foiling Franco-German Folly
March 06, 2003
Asia's Tony Blair
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and Dana Robert Dillon
Asia's Tony Blair
February 12, 2003
China will "Stand Aside" on Iraq
By John J. Tkacik, Jr. & Dr. Nile Gardiner
China will "Stand Aside" on Iraq
February 03, 2003
Why Britain will fight in Iraq
By John C. Hulsman & Dr. Nile Gardiner
Why Britain will fight in Iraq
January 31, 2003
New versus Old Europe
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
New versus Old Europe: the Growing Coalition Against Saddam
2002 Commentary
December 12, 2002
ed121202: The Right Side of History
By Dr. Nile Gardiner
ed121202: The Right Side of History
November 26, 2002
ED112602: Europe's New German Problem
By Joseph Loconte and Dr. Nile Gardiner
What Gerhard Schroeder proudly calls "the German way" is actually Europe's new German problem. It's become clear that Berlin's recent break with Washington over Iraq signals a fundamental clash of values.
November 12, 2002
ED111202: A Multi-Front War for Blair
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and John C. Hulsman, Ph.D.
ED111202: A Multi-Front War for Blair
November 01, 2002
ED110102b: Germany Isolates Itself
By Dr. Nile Gardiner and Baker Spring
ED110102b: Germany Isolates Itself...Again
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