By Zalmay Khalilzad, Published: May 9, 2013 Zalmay Khalilzad was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2009. The use of chemical weapons in Syria has increased pressure on President Obama to arm the opposition. Earlier in the conflict, I endorsed such a step. But circumstances have changed. Instead, the United States should focus on working with …
Democracy Promotion Benefits the United States
By Zalmay Khalilzad | May 3, 2013 In his recently published criticism of U.S. democracy programs, particularly those of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Jordan Michael Smith characterizes that organization’s work as “controversial.” Controversial? In 2003, on the twentieth anniversary of NED’s founding, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution commending its work and pledging future support. The vote was …
The Perils of Development: Afghanistan’s Threatened Treasures
By Cheryl Benard and Eli Sugarman May/June 2013 Armed conflict devastates a country, straining its institutions to their limits and beyond, shattering the foundations of its economy, and causing immeasurable human suffering and loss. It also calls into question the country’s very ability to exist, posing fundamental questions about its worth and capabilities. Why is this happening to us? Will …