Brookings Press Blog

SHOOTING UP Author Discusses Afghanistan on PRI’s “To the Point”

Vanda Felbab-Brown recently warned about the risks associated with reaching out to the Taliban in a conversation with “To the Point” host Warren Olney. "There is real danger for the [Obama] administration to signal that they do not believe the military offensive, the multi-faceted surge will make a difference," said Felbab-Brown. "And thereby engaging in strategic negotiations with the Taliban leadership that was responsible for the al Qaeda safe-haven, that will be associated with 9-11, really leaves the administration vulnerable to charges of being soft on protecting US homeland." 

Other participants in the program include Lieutenant General Nick Parker, deputy commander under General Stanley McChrystal for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan; ISAF special adviser Sarah Chayes; and Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid.

- Hear the discussion on “To the Point.”

- Read Felbab-Brown's reaction to the State of the Union.

- Learn more about Shooting Up.

Bruce Riedel (THE SEARCH FOR AL QAEDA) on defeating al Qaeda in Yemen

In The Daily Beast, Bruce Riedel, author of The Search for al Qaeda, looks at the challenges facing the Obama administration as it tries to defeat al Qaeda in Yemen after the failed Christmas Day attack on the Amsterdam–Detroit flight.

The mission will be exceedingly difficult to accomplish, as Yemen has always been one of the world’s least-governed spaces, is deeply divided on complex and confusing sectarian and regional grounds, is armed to the teeth, and has a ruling government that is a weak partner in the fight. To make matters worse, several decades of bad U.S.-Yemeni relations have soured most Yemenis on America and made many sympathetic to al Qaeda.

Although the United States can provide military and economic assistance, Riedel writes that dealing with al Qaeda operatives in the country will depend upon assistance from the Yemeni government.

In a post on Up Front, the blog of the Brookings Institution, Riedel offers an overview of how al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has grown to become a player in the global Islamic jihad in the last year.

Al Qaeda has always found weak and failing states like Yemen to be its best staging bases and sanctuaries. Along with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia, Yemen offers an ideal location to operate with little outside interference. The president has been right to focus additional resources on combating AQAP, but the battle has just begun. If the Yemeni state becomes further destabilized, bin Laden’s cadre in the Arabian Peninsula will have more room to operate.

- Read the full article on The Daily Beast.

- Read the full post on Up Front.

- Learn more about The Search for al Qaeda.

Will Pakistan cave in?

Bruce Riedel investigates the historical and current frameworks of the jihadist movement in Pakistan

National Interest editor, Justine Rosenthal, interviews Bruce Riedel

Who knows what the future may hold? As Pakistan breeds instability within many socio-political dimensions, a jihadist takeover of the nation might sprout the most fatal threat to security in the Middle East and for the United States. Bruce Riedel examines the possibility of the invasion of the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other terrorist factions in one of the Middle East’s most vulnerable states. In a National Interest article, Riedel traces the history of the Pakistani dilemma and links it to current developments.

Will Pakistan be the beginning of the end of terrorism in the Middle East? In his insightful analysis, Riedel says, “Pakistan is a complex and combustible society undergoing a severe crisis. America helped create that crisis over a long period of time. If we don’t help Pakistan now, we may have to deal with a jihadist Pakistan later. That should focus our attention.”

- Learn more about Riedel's latest book book, The Search for al Qaeda

- Read “Armageddon in Islamabad” by Bruce Riedel in National Interest

- Watch National Interest editor, Justine Rosenthal, interview Riedel

What do you know about Al-Qaeda?

Bruce Riedel’s Search for al-Qaeda receives critical acclaim

In The Search for al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future, Middle East expert and former CIA officer Bruce Riedel argues that the past Administration was mistaken to declare a “war on terror” rather than a war against al Qaeda. In the book, he reviews how al Qaeda was created and developed, presenting authoritative and chilling background on "The Manhattan Raid," and focuses closely on what has happened to the movement since 9/11. He outlines al Qaeda’s ultimate goals and with a comprehensive analysis, reveals the origins, leadership, ideology, and strategy of the terrorist network. The book ends with innovative recommendations on how this movement can be stopped.

Critics maintain that The Search for al Qaeda “promotes, and provokes, fresh thinking and polemics.” Even in that sense alone, it is a valuable contribution to the public debate. Amir Taheri of AlSharq AlAwsat adds, “With the Obama administration apparently adopting Riedel’s analysis, we should soon know whether these recommendations would produce the desired effects.”

If the first rule of war is to "know your enemy," then we have a long way to go in winning this war against terror. As Riedel advises, it begins with the search for al Qaeda.

Bruce Riedel was a senior advisor to three U.S. presidents on Middle East and South Asian issues. He is currently a senior fellow with Brookings' Saban Center for Middle East Policy. At the request of President Obama, he chaired an interagency review of policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan for the White House that was completed in March 2009.

- Begin your Search for Al-Qaeda

- Read reviews of The Search for al Qaeda by Amir Taheri of AlSharq AlAwsat and by Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times

Brookings authors Benjamin Wittes and Martin Indyk in the news

Experts from the Brookings Institution give their opinion and get quizzed on global and national events

With the recent departure of American troops form Iraq, the topical Iranian elections and uprisings, and the ongoing Israel-Palestine state struggle, Brookings intellectuals Benjamin Wittes and Martin Indyk analyze Obama’s approach to addressing terrorism and the recent happenings in Iran, Iraq, Israel as well as the crises in the Middle East respectively.

In a Washington Post op-ed writted with Jack Goldsmith, Benjamin Wittes examines past presidencies and suggests the model the Obama administration can take to address new ground rules for a war on terror. His assessment: “Roosevelt's approach, not Bush-era unilateralism, should be President Obama's model.” In his forthcoming book, Legislating the War on Terror: An Agenda for Reform, Wittes addresses the legal issues surrounding the struggle against terrorism.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Martin Indyk, director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, expounds on America’s role in Middle East affairs. With years of international experience as ambassador to Israel (April 1995-September 1997 and January 2000-July 2001) and recent books—Which Path to Persia? and Restoring the Balance—under his belt, Indyk offers his expertise on how President Obama can tackle the issues in the region stating, “Obama is determined. He understands that he has to be persistent, and that will require everybody else to change their calculations.”

Martin Indyk is acting vice president and director of Foreign Policy at The Brookings Institution, and Benjamin Wittes is currently a senior fellow of Governance Studies at Brookings and the contributing editor of The Atlantic.

- Learn more about the changing circulations in the Middle East from Indyk's books, Which Path to Persia? Options for a New American Strategy toward Iran and Restoring the Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President

- Read the Indyk's full interview with Ruthie Blum Leibowitz of The Jerusalem Post

- Learn more about America’s struggle against terrorism from the book Legislating the War on Terror

- Read Wittes and Goldsmith's Washington Post op-ed, "Will Obama Follow Bush Or FDR?"

Brookings Authors on Gaza, Iraq, and Pakistan

Experts offer commentary on foreign affairs

In addition to penning timely and important books, Brookings Press authors often provide expert analysis of current policy decisions and discussions. Here are three recent articles.

Tamara Cofman Wittes, author of Freedom’s Unsteady March, writes on YaleGlobal that the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue must combine the aspirations of Arab citizens with regional interest.

Michael O’Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, who recently authored a chapter on Iraq in Restoring the Balance, discuss President Obama’s decision to withdraw American troops from that country in the New York Times.

Akbar Ahmed, author of Journey into Islam, explains why he believes that Obama must save Pakistan on The Huffington Post.

- Learn more about Freedom's Unsteady March

- Learn more about Restoring the Balance

- Learn more about Journey into Islam

One Sunday, Two Reviews in NYTBR

The Search for al Qaeda and Restoring the Balance reviewed 1/18

The January 18th issue of the New York Times Book Review includes reviews of The Search for Al Qaeda and Restoring the Balance. From the review of The Search for Al Qaeda by Bruce Riedel and The Duel by Tariq Ali:

The pros and cons of continuing or escalating the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan can be gleaned from two recent books, “The Search for Al Qaeda” by Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A. analyst and adviser to three presidents, and “The Duel” by Tariq Ali. One thing they agree on—and which was underscored by the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai—is that Pakistan is going to be at the forefront of foreign policy concerns for the Obama administration.

. . .

Riedel manages to distill the essence of Al Qaeda in just 150 pages. Among other things, he notes that the Islamic fundamentalists do not hate America’s values, only its policies.

. . .

Which man is right, which one wrong? Whatever the case, their books are a starting point for a much-needed debate.

From the review of Restoring the Balance by Richard Haass and Martin Indyk:

Beginning in July 2007, two of this country’s pre-eminent Middle East policy research institutions, both with close ties to the incoming administration, the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations, took the rare step of joining forces and asking 15 of their scholars to focus on the crucial challenges facing the next president. The results are collected in “Restoring the Balance,” a thoughtful and nicely structured collection of seven essays that examine the Iranian challenge and its many parts.

. . .

The Middle East is rich in awkward realities. Still, whether or not this plan will succeed, much of it will probably be attempted. In that sense, “Restoring the Balance” is a very useful and readable introduction to the thinking beyond the coming shift.

- Read "War Room Debate", the review including The Search for al Qaeda, by Ray Bonner

- Learn more about The Search for al Qaeda

- Read "Mission to Tehran", the review of Restoring the Balance, by Ethan Bronner

- Learn more about Restoring the Balance

Martin Indyk on Charlie Rose and Today Shows

Restoring the Balance will also have DC and NYC book launches

Martin Indyk, coauthor of Restoring the Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President, will be appearing on the Charlie Rose show on Tuesday, December 2 and on NBC's Today Show Wednesday, December 3! On December 2 there will also be two major launch events for this new book: the Brookings Institution will host a launch event during the day in Washington, and the Council on Foreign Relations will host an event in New York later that evening.

Indyk was the Ambassador to Israel and assistant secretary of state for near east affairs during the Clinton Administration. He now directs the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings. Restoring the Balance will be available in bookstores shortly.

- Learn more about Restoring the Balance

Brookings and the Presidential Transition

Three new titles highlight the challenges facing the incoming administration

As supporters of Barack Obama celebrate their candidate’s historic victory, political observers and potential appointees are already turning their attention to questions of transition and governing. Three new titles from the Brookings Institution Press bring timely and expert analysis to bear on the changing political landscape and the immediate challenges facing the incoming administration. Each has garnered considerable attention already and should continue to do so.

• Stephen Hess, the nation’s most experienced expert on presidential transitions, is author of What Do We Do Now? A Workbook for the President-Elect. His book already has been positively reviewed in Library Journal and featured in U.S. News and World Report. What Do We Do Now? will be launched and excerpted as part of an ambitious Brookings-wide initiative on the presidential transition. On Thursday, November 6, Hess will appear on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show, Fox 5 DC morning news, and will also participate in a Washington Post on-line chat. The book will also be excerpted in tomorrow’s edition of Politico.

• Kurt Campbell and James Steinberg are the authors of Difficult Transitions: Foreign Policy Troubles at the Outset of Presidential Power. Drawing on decades of high-level government service and public policy experience, former presidential advisers Kurt Campbell and James Steinberg review past foreign policy episodes and identify the major pitfalls that a president-elect must try to avoid in the early days of an administration. Both authors are well known in policy circles — e.g Steinberg has been widely mentioned as a potential National Security Adviser. The book will be launched with fanfare on November 13 at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank. The dust jacket includes endorsements from Brent Scowcroft, Richard Holbrooke, and Madeleine Albright.

• Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Martin Indyk, former US ambassador to Israel and current director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, head up a stellar cast of authors on Restoring the Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President. This is the first book to leverage fully the resources of these eminent foreign policy organizations. The goal is a new, nonpartisan strategy toward the tinderbox Middle East. The book will be rolled out in both New York and Washington with launch events on Tuesday, December 2, and it will receive a heavy publicity push from both institutions. It may ride the coattails of last week’s cover story in Newsweek, coauthored by Haass. Among the other authors are Steve Simon (coauthor of The Next Attack), Kenneth Pollack (A Path Out of the Desert), and Bruce Ridel (The Search for al Qaeda).

- Learn more about What Do We Do Now?.

- Learn more about Difficult Transitions.

- Learn more about Restoring the Balance.

The Search for al Qaeda Featured in Newsweek

John Barry interviews author Bruce Riedel

This latest issue of Newsweek features an interview with Bruce Riedel, author of The Search for al Qaeda: Its Leadership, Ideology, and Future:

Bruce Riedel was in the White House Situation Room on 9/11. For 30 years he was one of the CIA's senior analysts of the Middle East, rising to be a special assistant to the President on the National Security Council staff. Now he has written an analysis of Al Qaeda—and a critique of America's strategy in combating it. He outlined his concerns to NEWSWEEK's John Barry.

NEWSWEEK: Why this book now?
Bruce Riedel: I starting writing this book two years when I retired from CIA, because I think Al Qaeda is still the No. 1 threat to America; but there is still much that is misunderstood or not understood about the nature of that threat.

- Read the Newsweek article by John Barry, "How to Fight Al Qaeda Now: An Ex-CIA analyst talks about the terrorists’ power—and their vulnerabilities".

- Learn more about The Search for al Qaeda.