DOCSLIB.ORG

The Case of the Manas Airbase

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Case of the Manas Airbase 19.01.2016-25.01.2016 • No: 51 MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND KYRGYZSTAN: THE CASE OF THE MANAS AIRBASE Since gaining independence in 1991 of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Kyrgyz Parliament refused to extend Kyrgyzstan has officially been globalized. (USSR) the airport was witnessing steady its military agreement with the U.S. in The relations of the United States (U.S.) decline. In spite of being distant from 2014 based on the desire to improve its with Central Asia commenced in the early Afghanistan, the Manas Airport was relations with Russia and on Kyrgyzstan`s 1990s, entailing diplomatic recognition selected as the best option by the U.S. plans to be accepted to the Eurasian Eco- and opening of embassies. According to Military due to its technical and infra- nomic Union in 2015. After long negotia- the agreement between the governments structural specifications. tions on the U.S. military base in Central of the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan regarding The Manas Airbase was opened as a Asia, the U.S. Manas Airbase was decided cooperation to facilitate the provision of center for deployment and transit of mili- to be closed in June 2014. assistance signed in 1993, the U.S. has tary forces during the U.S. military opera- The new policy of Kyrgyzstan contradict- been providing financial and humanitarian tion in Afghanistan on December 16, ed the plan of the U.S. military estab- aid and non-lethal military assistance to 2001. Yet, as the country was already lished in 2012 to withdraw its troops and the country to elevate sovereignty and to coping with energy shortage, the worsen- equipment from Afghanistan. The prob- achieve economic progress and democrat- ing global economic crisis affected Kyr- lem was that closing the Manas Transit ic governance. By joining the North gyzstan in 2008. Under these circum- Center was scheduled ahead of the draw- Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) stances, the Kyrgyz Government accepted down of the U.S. anti-terrorist operations Partnership for Peace in 1994 Kyrgyzstan Russia’s offer to provide a $2.15 billion in Afghanistan at the end of 2014. After has gained an opportunity to engage in a credit which later caused a transformation the decision of the Kyrgyz authorities to number of training exercises in the fields in the country's foreign policy towards a cancel the Manas air lease agreement, it of defense, security and civil emergency Russian oriented one. Hence, the Presi- became even more difficult for the U.S. planning cooperation. The purpose of the dent of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, military to act according to the plan, as it Partnership for Peace was to increase has announced intention to close the had to withdraw more than 90,000 troops stability and to reduce the threats for Manas Airbase in 2009. However, after and a number of enormous depots of peace in the region. long negotiations the U.S. Government military gear. The Manas Airbase was a The stable relationship between the two has convinced the Kyrgyz Parliament to reverse transit point of the new Distribu- states reached another level right after the extend and to reform the base lease. This tion Channel route which was established September 11 terrorist attacks. It was a was a new step in formation of the new to avoid nonstable routes through Paki- wakeup call which was considered as a status of the Manas Airbase. The new stan. life changing moment for the regional After closing the Manas Transit Center in official bilateral agreement on the U.S. politics, as in 2001 the U.S. has changed 2014, the bilateral collaboration agree- Manas International Transit Center was its foreign policy of providing mainly ment between the two states was relevant ratified on June 25, 2009. The new func- humanitarian assistance through the Unit- until the denouncement of the treaty in tion of the airport was to serve as a trans- ed States Agency for International Devel- July, 2015 prompted by the U.S. Gov- opment (USAID) to a security-oriented portation hub. Through protracted negoti- ernment human rights defender award policy in Central Asia. At that point, ations on reforming the status of the which was given to an activist who was under the Pentagon's Global Defense Manas Airbase, the U.S. Military has involved in the revolution and ethnic Posture Review (GDPR), the U.S. has significantly escalated annual fee for clashes in Kyrgyzstan. offered Kyrgyzstan to host the U.S. Inter- utilization of the airbase from $17.4 mil- To conclude, it should be noted that dur- national airbase at the ex-Soviet civilian lion to $60 million. That was not the first ing the 13 years of utilization of the Manas International Airport. Kyrgyzstan time when the U.S. officials had increased Manas International Aiport, the Airbase was provided with a military aid for sup- fee for exploitation of the airport. The first transported over 5.3 million military port of the Operation Enduring Freedom- increase was made in 2005, when the servicemen from 26 ISAF member states Afghanistan (OEF), which was coordinat- President Kurmanbek Bakiyev demanded and more than 33,000 refueling missions ed under the U.S. and the U.K. joint substantial increase of the yearly payment on their way in and out of Afghanistan. partnership and the International Security for leasing the airbase from to $2 million The U.S. Military Forces had a huge Assistance Force (ISAF) operation of the to $17.4 million. impact on the Kyrgyz economy by invest- NATO nations, in the period of 2001- In spite of the fact that the Kyrgyz Par- ing more than $318 million on the utiliza- 2014. liament was in favor of the U.S. invest- tion of the airport. Therefore, even though The Manas Airport, which was construct- ment into the Kyrgyz economy at the time the cooperation treaty was suspended in ed in 1970, was the largest civilian inter- of economic stagnation, the Manas case 2015 and the Manas Transit Center was national airport located 25 km northwest was becoming a questionable issue. How- closed in 2014, the U.S. still remains the of Bishkek. It had a long (4,200 meters) ever, Almazbek Atambayev, who won the major humanitarian partner of Kyrgyz- exiting airstrip suitable for jet bombers presidential elections in 2011, finally stan. and cargo planes. However, as the infra- brought the issue of the Manas Airbase to structure was neglected after the collapse the conclusion. Written by Akbota Akylbayeva, Eurasian Research Institute, Kazakhstan the Executive Director of the BP, the from the Alat terminal. Therefore, Politics, Foreign Affairs and Security projects would be completed by the volume of transported goods will ñ The President of Kazakhstan, 2018. increase after construction of a new Nursultan Nazarbayev, dissolved the ñ According to the Statistics Commit- RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) terminal in lower chamber of the Kazakh par- tee of the National Ministry of Econ- Alat enabling to transship heavy liament, the Mazhilis, and set the omy of Kazakhstan, in 2015 the trucks. early parliamentary elections for country produced 79.5 million tons ñ On the sidelines of the meeting be- March 20, 2016. Earlier the Mazhilis of oil, including gas condensate, tween the Chinese President, Xi asked Nazarbayev for its early disso- which is 1.7% less than in 2014. Jinping, and his Iranian counterpart, lution due to the aggravating eco- Moreover, Kazakhstan increased gas Hassan Rouhani, in Tehran, Iranian nomic situation in the country. production by 5.2% and reached and Chinese officials signed 17 ñ The Parliament of Tajikistan has 45.713 billion cubic meters (bcm) in Memorandums of Understanding passed amendments to the Constitu- 2015 compared to 45.462 bcm in (MoU) for cooperation in various tion allowing the current President of 2014. sectors including nuclear, economic, Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, to be ñ According to the Chairman of Board industrial, transportation, ICT, cul- elected unlimited number of times. of Directors of the Russian gas pro- tural, science and educational fields. The Council of Justice is also to be ducer, Gazprom, Viktor Zubkov, the ñ According to the Statistics Agency abolished. The Lower House of the company expects the price of gas under the President of Tajikistan, the Parliament submitted the adopted bill supplies to Europe to be $184 per foreign trade turnover of the country to the Constitutional Court. After- 1,000 cubic meters in the first quar- decreased by 18% or by $950 million wards, the date of the national refer- ter of 2016 versus $284 in the same in 2015 compared to 2014 reaching endum will be scheduled to adopt period of the last year. It was also $4.3 billion. The export of goods fell these changes. stated that Gazprom is planning to by almost 9% reaching $890 million ñ During the sixth round of the Uzbek- supply 160 bcm of gas to Europe in in 2015 while the import of goods US political consultations held in 2016. In 2015 the company increased decreased by 20.1% exceeding $3.4 Washington, the Foreign Minister of its gas export to the non-CIS coun- billion. Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov, met tries by 8% compared to 2014 and ñ According to the report of the State with the U.S. Assistant Secretary of reached 159.4 bcm. Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, State for South and Central Asia, ñ According to the Minister of Energy the volume of the country’s GDP Nisha Desai Biswal. The sides dis- and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Vla- amounted to 54.4 billion manat cussed the results of cooperation for dimir Demchishin, due to the deci- ($33.5 billion) in 2015 or by 1.1% period after the fifth round of politi- sion to replace the transit tariff with more than in 2014.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • January 2014 Current Affairs Colorado Becomes First US State
    January 2014 Current Affairs Colorado Becomes First US state To Allow Marijuana Sale Colorado has on 1 January become the first U.S. state to license the sale of the drug for recreational use. In November 2012, Colorado voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana, as did voters in Washington state. Under the new state law, residents are now able to buy marijuana like alcohol. US Senate Passed USD 1.1 Trillion Spending Bill The US Senate has passed the USD 1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that eliminates the threat of another government shutdown at least until October 2014 and puts conditions on Pakistan for continuation of aid. Passed by the House of Representatives on 16 January, the bill now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign it into law, thus preventing another shutdown. Bolivian President Evo Morales Assumes G77 Chairmanship Bolivian president Evo Morales has assumed the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 nations.Bolivia was chosen head of the G-77, which actually groups 133 developing nations, by consensus, and Morales was at the United nations on 8 January to take over the chairmanship from outgoing Fiji. The organization was created in June 1964 with the purpose of formulating and promoting the new economic interests of southern countries within the United Nations system. South Sudan Government and Rebels Signed Ceasefire Agreement South Sudan’s Government and Rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement .The agreement was signed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa by representatives of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel delegates loyal to ousted vice president Riek Machar on 23 January .
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Engagement Toward Central Asia: No Great Game After All
    Chroniques américaines U.S. Engagement Toward 1 Central Asia: No Great Game After All? Mathieu Boulegue is a security and policy analyst Mathieu BOULEGUE in post-Soviet affairs. Partner at the risk management and business consulting firm AESMA. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Washington has defined general foreign policy objectives towards the Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. They were broadly defined as helping with the integration to the world economy; the protection of Human Rights; the respect of territorial integrity; good governance and transparency; the fight against transnational threats; etc. However, there has never been a clear-cut strategy or even a vision for Central Asia as a whole Les opinions exprimées dans that would have made the implementation of those objectives possible. ce texte n’engagent que leur auteur. In the context of the withdrawal of Coalition forces from Afghanistan, the engagement of the United States in Central Asia must be assessed. For the past few years, U.S. engagement towards Central Asia has been 2 based on the think tank-empowered concept of “connectivity” , namely a leitmotiv seeking the expansion of business opportunities and trade linkages 3 ISBN : 978-2-36567-464-5 in order to “integrate the region more firmly into the global economy” . The © Tous droits réservés, Paris, idea is that the U.S. can foster and profit from increased interregional Ifri 4 connectivity in a number of areas as well as bolster the resilience of Central Asian states against transnational threats. While not really shifting away from the focus on security, the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to in International Affairs
    GUIDE TO Women Leaders IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS WOMEN’S FOREIGN POLICY GROUP 2014-2015 Women’s Foreign Policy Group’s Guide to Women Leaders in International Affairs is published to highlight the voices of women around the world and the role that they play as leaders, diplomats, and policymakers. The Guide provides an index of prominent women from across the international community including: heads of state and government, government ministers, leaders of international organizations and corporations, American officials and diplomats, and women representatives to the US and the UN. This free publication is available online and is distributed to our members and partners. WFPG is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, educational membership organization that promotes global engagement and the leadership, visibility and participation of women in international affairs. To learn more about WFPG visit wfpg.org. Table of Contents August 2014 01 HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT 01 Elected Heads of State and Government 02 Non-Elected Heads of State and Government 02 Vice Presidents and Deputy Heads of State and Government 05 MINISTERS 05 Ministers of Foreign Affairs 07 Ministers of Defense and Security 09 SENIOR-LEVEL UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS 09 Department of State 13 Department of Defense 15 Department of Commerce 16 Department of the Treasury 16 Department of Labor 18 United States Agency for International Development 20 Office of the United States Trade Representative 21 National Security Council 21 Peace Corps 22 SENIOR-LEVEL OFFICIALS
    [Show full text]
  • 106 Department of State
    106 DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENT OF STATE Type Level, Location Position Title Name of Incumbent of Pay Grade, or Tenure Expires Appt. Plan Pay OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Washington, DC .... Secretary of State .............................................. John Forbes Kerry ............. PAS EX I ................ Do .................... Chief of Staff to the Secretary and Director of Jonathan Joseph Finer ...... NA ES ................ ................ the Policy Planning Staff. Do .................... Deputy Chief of Staff (Policy) ........................... Thomas D Sullivan ............ NA ES ................ ................ Do .................... Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations/Manage- Jennifer Stout ..................... NA ES ................ ................ ment). Do .................... Senior Advisor ................................................... David H. Thorne ................ NA ES ................ ................ Do .................... Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure .......... Lee Wolosky ........................ NA OT ................ ................ Do .................... Special Presidential Envoy to the Global Coa- Brett H McGurk ................. NA OT ................ ................ lition to Counter ISIL. Do .................... Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Af- James Coad O’Brien .......... PA OT ................ ................ fairs. Do .................... Senior Advisor ................................................... Cindy Chang ....................... SC GS 15 ................ Do ...................
    [Show full text]
  • Yoga for World Peace 3Rd International Day of Yoga
    Volume 31 n Issue 2 & 3 n March-June 2017 Yoga for world peace 3rd International Day of Yoga Celebrating Indian women PBD 2017: REACHING CINEMA HERITAGE TRIBUTE OUT TO INDIAN DIASPORA A WORLD OF INDIE FILMS INDIA’s MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS VETERAN ACTOR OM PURI Final_New IP cover Yoga.indd 1 8/8/17 5:43 PM UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS INDIA CHAMPAKULAM BOAT RACE The Champakulam Boat Race is cel- ebrated with much fanfare, with a large procession that includes water floats, highly decorated boats and music and dance performances. WHEN: July 8, 2017 WHERE: Champakulam, Kerala HEMIS FESTIVAL IndEPENDENCE DAY Hemis Gompa, the largest Buddhist India celebrates its independence monastery in Ladakh, hosts the from British rule on August 15, 1947. Hemis festival for two days every Most of the festivities take place year. The festival is famous for around the Red Fort in Delhi with a the masked dance called Cham. flag hoisting ceremony and cultural There is also a bustling fair full of programmes. handicrafts and other items that you must explore. WHEN: August 15, 2017 WHERE: Across India but especially WHEN: July 3-4, 2017 in Delhi WHERE: Hemis Monastery, Ladakh NEhrU TrOPHY SnAKE BOAT RACE The Nehru Trophy is held in memory of India’s late Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru. The race has been held annually ever since 1952. This year will be the 65th edition of the spectacular race. WHEN: August 12, 2017 WHERE: Punnamada Lake, Alleppey in Kerala DREE FESTIVAL ATHACHAMAYAM The fertility festival of Dree is The Athachamayam festival marks celebrated by the Apatani tribe in the beginning of Onam.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement for the Record by Hon. Nisha Desai Biswal
    STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD BY HON. NISHA DESAI BISWAL NOMINEE FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS BEFORE THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 Chairman Kaine, Ranking Member Risch, Members of the Committee, I am honored to be here today as President Obama’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. It is a privilege to appear before this Committee again, and I’m grateful for the confidence President Obama and Secretary Kerry have placed in me. I also want to thank Representative Nita Lowey for taking time away from her important responsibilities to introduce me. Representative Lowey has been much more than a boss over the years. She is a friend and mentor. Working for her and with the dedicated staff of the House and Senate appropriations committees has been one of the highlights of my career. I also want to thank the Members and staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where I cut my teeth and had the opportunity to work with some extraordinary individuals, many of whom have crossed over to this side of the Capitol. I’m grateful for their continued friendship and support. I am joined today by many family and friends to whom I owe my success. First, my parents, Kanu and Lata Desai, who could not be here today but who changed my life when they immigrated to America, leaving behind all that they knew in pursuit of opportunity. I am joined by my brother, Pinank Desai, and my father and mother-in-law, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Balancing Progress and Managing Expectations
    S. HRG. 114–764 U.S.-INDIA RELATIONS: BALANCING PROGRESS AND MANAGING EXPECTATIONS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION MAY 24, 2016 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 28–984 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:15 Apr 26, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\MOVED TO RUN\28-984.TXT MIKE FOREI-42327 with DISTILLER COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS BOB CORKER, Tennessee, Chairman JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland MARCO RUBIO, Florida BARBARA BOXER, California RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey JEFF FLAKE, Arizona JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire CORY GARDNER, Colorado CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware DAVID PERDUE, Georgia TOM UDALL, New Mexico JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Connecticut RAND PAUL, Kentucky TIM KAINE, Virginia JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts TODD WOMACK, Staff Director JESSICA LEWIS, Democratic Staff Director JOHN DUTTON, Chief Clerk (II) VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:15 Apr 26, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\FULL COMMITTEE\HEARING FILES\MOVED TO RUN\28-984.TXT MIKE FOREI-42327 with DISTILLER CONTENTS Page Corker, Hon. Bob, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Saroj Bishoyi Contributors
    August 24 – August 30, 8 (5), 2015 Editor: Saroj Bishoyi Contributors Yaqoob-ul Hassan Afghanistan Gulbin Sultana Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives Gunjan Singh China Titli Basu Japan and the Korean Peninsula Rajorshi Roy Russia and Central Asia Manpreet Sohanpal Iran, Iraq, Syria and the Gulf Saroj Bishoyi United States of America Amit Kumar Defence Reviews Rajbala Rana Internal Security Reviews Arpita Anant UN Reviews Follow IDSA Facebook Twitter 1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg, New Delhi-110010 Telephone: 91-26717983; Fax: 91-11-26154191 Website: www.idsa.in; Email: [email protected] The Week in Review August 24 – August 30, 8 (5), 2015 CONTENTS In This Issue Page I. COUNTRY REVIEWS 2-26 A. South Asia 2-8 B. East Asia 8-11 C. Russia 11-18 D. West Asia 18-22 E. United States of America 22-26 II. DEFENCE REVIEW 26-27 III. INTERNAL SECURITY REVIEW 27-30 IV. UNITED NATIONS REVIEWS 30-33 1 The Week in Review August 24 – August 30, 8 (5), 2015 I. COUNTRY REVIEWS A. South Asia Afghanistan (August 24-30, 2015) Jundullah’s chief killed in Kunduz; Dostum rejects massacre allegations; Helmand’s Musa Qala district captured by Taliban; Aziz Haqqani added to List of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists”; Kabul- Ashgabad signed five MoUs; Pakistan is a weak country and won’t stop terror in Afghanistan anytime soon. A prominent terrorist who was leading the Jundullah terrorist group in Afghanistan was killed in an airstrike in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan. The Afghan intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) said Abu Hazifa was killed in an airstrike launched in coordination with the intelligence department.
    [Show full text]
  • Building the Silk Road Economic Belt: Challenges in Central Asia*
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Apollo Cambridge Journal of China Studies 17 Building the Silk Road Economic Belt: Challenges in Central Asia* Hongzhou ZHANG† S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Abstract: Central Asia occupies the centrepiece of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) initiative. Yet, reviving the Silk Road in Central Asia will not be easy and the geopolitical challenges will be the biggest hurdle to building the SREB in the region. The idea of Central Asia as a regional grouping in political and security terms is almost non-existent and Central Asian countries remain widely divided with serious internal conflicts caused by unresolved boundary, water and energy disputes, regional rivalry, deep mistrust and differences in political, diplomatic and security policies. Also, there is an on-going big power game in Central Asia. In recent years, while better trade and investment ties with all five Central Asian countries boosted China’s economic influence in Central Asia, China is still far from being a dominant force in Central Asian affairs because of the influence of Russia and, to a lesser extent, the United States. In the near to medium term, China still cannot compete with Russia which had a significant head start in the region. Regarding reactions towards China’s SREB, Central Asian countries seem to have mixed feelings. On the one hand, they generally welcome more Chinese investment while on the other, some express anxiety and concerns with China’s rapid expansion in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Trump Rails at Media for Its Reporting, Repeating Scores Wounded Islamic State Claims Responsibility Umpteenth Time CNN Is ‘Fake Media’ the Leaks Are Real
    THEINDIANPANORAMA FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 www.theindianpanorama.com VOL 11 ISSUE 7 ● NEW YORK ● FEB 17 - 23, 2017 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 ● PRICE 40 CENTS Sasikala's new identity: Qaidi Modi's war on civil KAREENA KAPOOR Number 9234 in Bengaluru society; Minority NGOs I WANT PEOPLE TO Central Prison 9 are specially targeted 18 ACCEPT ME IN 8 EVERY PHASE Car blast kills 51 in Iraq, Trump rails at media for its reporting, repeating scores wounded Islamic State claims responsibility umpteenth time CNN is ‘fake media’ The leaks are real. But the news about them is fake. The White House is a fine-tuned machine. Russia is a ruse. WASHINGTON (TIP) t was a 90 minute show of bravado by a super performer. Trump bullied reporters, dismissed Ifacts and then cracked a few caustic jokes - a combination that once made the candidate irresistible cable TV fodder. Now in office, he went even further, The blast site blaming the media for all but sinking his not-yet- launched attempt to "make a deal" with Moscow. BAGHDAD (TIP): A car packed with For its stunning moments and memorable one- explosives blew up on Thursday,February 16, in liners, Donald Trump's first solo news conference as southern Baghdad, killing at least 51 people and president has no rivals in recent memory. For all the wounding 55, security and medical sources trappings of the White House and traditions of the said, in the deadliest such attack in Iraq this forum, his performance was one of a swaggering, year, says a Reuters report.
    [Show full text]
  • Committed: U.S
    Committed: U.S. Foreign Policy in Asia and Completing the Rebalance U.S. Foreign Policy Committed: U.S. Foreign Policy in Asia and Completing the Rebalance Edited by Shihoko Goto Committed: U.S. Foreign Policy in Asia and Completing the Rebalance Edited by Shihoko Goto www.wilsoncenter.org Available from: ASIA PROGRAM Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004-3027 www.wilsoncenter.org ISBN: 978-1-938027-58-1 Cover: President Barack Obama looks out a window of Air Force One during the flight from Canberra to Darwin, Australia, Nov. 17, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) THE WILSON CENTER, chartered by Congress as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key nonpartisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for Congress, the Administration, and the broader policy community. Conclusions or opinions expressed in Center publications and programs are those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center staff, fellows, trustees, advisory groups, or any individuals or organizations that provide financial support to the Center. Please visit us online at www.wilsoncenter.org. Jane Harman, Director, President, and CEO BOARD OF TRUSTEES Thomas R. Nides, Chair Public members: William D. Adams, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services; David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States; Carla D. Hayden, Librarian of Congress; John F. Kerry, Secretary of State; John B.
    [Show full text]