Below, please find the latest articles to have appeared in print and electronic media about CSIS and its experts. For your reference, there is also a link to archived media coverage of CSIS.
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, appeared on CNN's Situation Room, "Oil, Iraq, and Stability."
BLITZER: The oil supply and demand, sending oil prices tumbling almost $5 today. China announced it's dropping oil subsidies because prices will increase 8 percent starting today. The increased demand for gas in China helped drive down the cost of crude to just under $132 a barrel.[...] RICK BARTON, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTL. STUDIES: It's really hard to get away from the feeling that our interest in oil was clearly one of our core strategic reasons for being in Iraq. And this doesn't help with diminishing that argument.Read the article
June 12
A study by the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, A Perilous Course: U.S. Strategy and Assistance to Pakistan, was quoted by Bloomberg, "Pakistan Pares Back 43-Year Defense Budget Secrecy Inch by Inch."
Pakistan's new civilian government disclosed seven facts yesterday about the military budget to parliament, six more than usual during the past 43 years. Legislators received budget books that divided spending by categories including "physical assets'' and "civil works.'' Since 1965, all they'd seen each year was a grand total. The military previously published only the total spending as a single line in government accounts. The secrecy has extended to the estimated $20 billion in U.S. aid and covert intelligence assistance provided since 2001, according to a study in August by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. The center and lawmakers in Congress say there has been no accountability for the U.S. money, earmarked to fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban.Read the article
June 12
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Associated Press, "Deadly U.S. Airstrike Worsens Ties with Pakistan."
U.S. airstrikes into Pakistan that might have accidentally killed allied fighters have upset the fragile relations between Washington and Islamabad over how to stem violence in the lawless border region.Rick Barton, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the incident comes at a bad time, when the new Pakistani government is already overwhelmed trying to find its way."It could easily be used as a provocation for some of the groups that are most anti-American and are outside the government as well," he said. Read the article
June 12
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by Agence France Press, "US Defends Deadly Pakistan Air Strike."
The United States defended itself against charges its forces killed 11 Pakistani troops in an incident Wednesday that threatened to worsen already tense ties with its key war-on-terror ally. The US-led coalition in Afghanistan admitted carrying out an air strike in Pakistan Wednesday but said it targeted militants — not the Pakistani soldiers — and that its response was coordinated with Pakistan. [...] Rick Barton, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, echoed his remarks. "The new government needs to be encouraged," he said. "When the US makes mistakes of this sort, it produces pressure, and it will produce instability."Read the article
June 11
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Chicago Tribune, "Afghan Aid Faces Reshaping Amid War."
The Bush administration is signaling strong support for Afghanistan by sending First Lady Laura Bush to headline a donors' conference in Paris this week. But competing agendas among all the countries involved may stymie real progress toward rebuilding the war-torn country. Afghans have suggested that aid should be channeled through their government instead of through non-governmental organizations or international contractors. [...] "It's still not clear who is in charge—President [Hamid] Karzai, the U.S., which part of the U.S., NATO," said Frederick Barton, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.Read the article
June 11
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Associated Press, "U.S. Defends Airstrikes That Angered Pakistan."
U.S. airstrikes into Pakistan that may have accidentally killed allied fighters have upset the already fragile relations between Washington and Islamabad over how to stem violence in the lawless border region. Defense Department press secretary Geoff Morrell defended the bombing Wednesday and said it was too early to know whether the strike killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary forces, as alleged by the angry Pakistani Army. Rich Barton, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the incident comes at a bad time, when the new Pakistani government is already overwhelmed trying to find its way. "The bad news with this kind of an incident is that it really distracts from the more important transition that's going on in Pakistan and it could really be exploited as an organizing tool to get people back to thinking the United States is the root cause" of problems in their country, Barton said.Read the article
May 26
Rick Barton, cordirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by Reuters, "U.S., Iran and Arab Neighbors to meet on Iraq."
The United States will prod Sunni Arab states to offer more support to the Iraqi government at a conference in Sweden this week as a way of countering the growing influence of non-Arab Iran in Iraq. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will chair the conference on Thursday, aimed at assessing progress in implementing a plan adopted at a meeting in Egypt last year to help Iraq rebuild after five years of war. [...]"Clearly this kind of meeting has some potential but it probably should not be overstated," said Rick Barton, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, adding debt relief and distribution of oil funds would be high on the agenda. Read the article
April 30
Rick Barton, Teresita Schaffer, Gerald Hyman, and Karin Von Hippel, were quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan, "Pakistani Leadership Can Bring Far-Reaching Reforms Through Political Will."
The Pakistani leadership can enact far-reaching democratic reforms through demonstration of political will as February 18 polls have produced a unique opportunity for such a transformation, US experts returning from a just-concluded visit to the country said. The experts, who belong to various Washington think tanks, interacted with a cross-section of the Pakistani society and found a widespread desire for democratic progress and reforms at this defining moment for the nation. [...] Ambassador Teresita Schaffer, who had several diplomatic assignments in South Asia in her career, sparked the discussion with observation that Pakistan is in a “moment of transition” and that by virtue of staying power of the new government, there may be “greater potential for remedying institutional problems.” [...] Rick Barton, who specializes in International Security Programme at the CSIS, said he found the Pakistanis oozing confidence about the fact that they see a real turning point in the current moment. “The Pakistani leaders want to do things, they feel since the public is backing them, they can deliver—the public leaders are now having a higher degree of responsibility, some are even performing beyond expectations,” he said, citing the new government leaders getting down to business in various fields. [...] Gerald Hyman, president of the CSIS’s Hills Programme on Governance concluded from his wide-ranging interactions that “support for democracy is quite deep among Pakistanis and there is a broad support for going back to 1973 Constitution.” [...] Karin Von Hippel, a senior fellow at the CSIS, said as stated by Pakistanis, the objective behind the pacts approach is to isolate foreign terrorist elements. She noted there is skepticism about the outcome of peace deals with militants in the United States because of the past experiences. However, she said, Washington should work cooperatively with Pakistan and help develop greater expertise of the South Asian country in curbing terrorism. Read the article
April 10
Rick Barton, cordirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by USA Today, "All Eyes on al-Sadr as Iraq Violence Swells."
As a young seminary student, his nickname was Mulla Atari, because he preferred video games to studying the Quran. Now, Muqtada al-Sadr is a radical cleric revered by millions of poor Shiites as a modern-day Robin Hood. He also may be the most powerful man in Iraq. The recent spike in violence here has shown that the enigmatic Shiite cleric and his Mahdi Army militia continue to have the muscle to plunge Iraq into warfare — and essentially reverse recent security gains made by the U.S. military that the Bush administration cites as a key sign of progress. Or as he did in August, al-Sadr can stop much of the bloodshed by ordering a cease-fire — and win some credit from the U.S. military for the resulting calm."It's hard to tell whether al-Sadr is the key to progress in Iraq, or America's sworn enemy," says Rick Barton, an adviser to the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan commission set up by Congress that recommended withdrawing from Iraq last year. "These are big questions that remain unanswered."Read the article
March 31
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, and Julianne Smith, director of the CSIS Europe Program, were quoted by Government Executive, "Shortage of helicopters hampers troops in Afghanistan, observers say."
When President Bush travels to the NATO summit this week he is expected to push member nations to commit additional ground forces to Afghanistan to battle a resurgent Taliban force. While additional troops will help, some say the need for more helicopters to ferry soldiers and equipment on the battlefield is just as critical. [. . .] he helicopter shortfall is critical because Afghanistan's nascent security forces, spread out in isolated security posts, cannot depend on U.S. and European military firepower if they run into sizable Taliban groups. The Afghan security forces "need to know that they can be saved when they are being attacked," said Rick Barton, director of the Post Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read More
Rick Barton and Karin von Hippel, co-directors of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, had an op-ed published in the Daily Times of Pakistan, "Dealing with Extremism."
The recent surge in extremist violence across Pakistan requires a dramatic shift in the current campaign against terrorism, in Islamabad as well as in Washington. Already, in early 2008, Pakistan has suffered the tragic consequences of more than 100 suicide and other bomb attacks, with more than 30 people killed in Lahore in a recent attack.The recent parliamentary elections provide an opportunity for a citizen-driven campaign to reduce violence against civilians. Indeed, the one area of post-election political convergence is that extremist violence is now a critical threat in Pakistan.Read the article
Karin von Hippel, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Christian Science Monitor, "Chaotic Somalia Keeps U.S. on Terrorism Watch."
In the ruined, chaotic state of Somalia the United States has long been engaged in a shadowy struggle with the forces of militant Islam. This US effort has two main goals: to prevent extremist groups from taking root in Somali society, and to counter notorious terrorist figures thought responsible for attacks throughout North and East Africa. The US missile strike launched March 3 against the southern Somali town of Dobley was part of this larger fight. Whatever the attack's results – the Defense Department officially is keeping mum — US intelligence officials in recent weeks said they are generally pleased with their progress against terrorism in the region. [...] "I am concerned we are not helping the Somalis build even a minimally functional government," says Karin von Hippel, co-director of the post conflict reconstruction project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read the article
February 21
Craig Cohen, a fellow with the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Washington Post, "U.S. Payments to Pakistan Face New Scrutiny."
Once a month, Pakistan's Defense Ministry delivers 15 to 20 pages of spreadsheets to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. They list costs for feeding, clothing, billeting and maintaining 80,000 to 100,000 Pakistani troops in the volatile tribal area along the Afghan border, in support of U.S. counterterrorism efforts. "My sense is that the Pakistani military would not be out on the border if not for the Coalition Support Funds. That's the baseline cost of getting them out on a mission that is really our mission," said Craig Cohen, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the author of a recent study on U.S.-Pakistan relations. Read the article
February 20
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Associated Press, “Analysis: Musharraf Loss Fallout Unclear."
At first glance, the resounding defeat of President Pervez Musharraf's party in Pakistan's parliamentary elections might seem a setback to the U.S. war on terrorism. After all, Musharraf has been a key ally in the fight against al-Qaida. The election results could bring heavy public pressure to bear on the next Pakistani government to cooperate less with the U.S. Rick Barton, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the role Musharraf will play in the new government is an open question. Should Musharraf voluntarily relinquish power, "it could lead to a peaceful transition and would signal the country has moved into another stage of political development," Barton said. If he hangs on defiantly, it could "essentially stalemate the system," Barton said. Read the article
February 12
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, had a commentary published in the Boston Globe, "A New Course for the U.S. and Pakistan."
AS PAKISTAN faces two near-term crises, parliamentary elections on Feb. 18 and increasing extremist violence, the United States has an opportunity to build a new and constructive relationship with the country. In the past, America has been reactive, driven by fear and uncertainty, with the end-result a military dominated policy. Now, there is a chance to forge a more values-centered partnership. Pakistan's champions of democracy are warning that the election will not be free or fair. They cite recent violence, a biased elections commission, intelligence community meddling, and the absence of an independent judiciary. While the major democratic parties are expected to win, the rewriting of the rules by President Pervez Musharraf will probably produce a political stalemate or a public rejection. Read More
January 24
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Washington Post, "U.S. to Step Up Training of Pakistanis."
The U.S. military plans to significantly expand and accelerate its counterinsurgency training and provision of equipment for Pakistan's armed forces this year as part of a five-year, $2 billion U.S.-Pakistani effort to help stabilize the country, senior U.S. and Pakistani officials said. . . Despite the aid, the insurgency of Islamic extremists in Pakistan has grown, and the Pakistani Army has lost hundreds of troops in tribal areas. "It has not worked," said Rick Barton of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read More
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the New York Times, "Iraq Spending to Rebuild has Slowed, Report Says."
Highly promising figures that the administration cited to demonstrate economic progress in Iraq last fall, when Congress was considering whether to continue financing the war, cannot be substantiated by official Iraqi budget records, the Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday. The Iraqi government had been severely criticized for failing to spend billions of dollars of its oil revenues in 2006 to finance its own reconstruction, but last September the administration said Iraq had greatly accelerated such spending. By July 2007, the administration said, Iraq had spent some 24 percent of $10 billion set aside for reconstruction that year. Rick Barton, co-director of the postconflict reconstruction project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said all measures of economic progress in Iraq were difficult to pin down precisely. But he said the United States, taking those difficulties into account, should have been wary of touting progress before the facts were clear. “The data in these places is hugely unreliable to begin with, primarily because nobody gets out in the field to see what’s going on,” Mr. Barton said. “But what is probably troubling is that when you know this, you shouldn’t be using this to create wrong impressions or false impressions and pretending that you know what’s going on.”Read the article
Craig Cohen, a fellow with the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by CQ Politics, "U.S. Command Throws a Hail Mary Pass in Pakistan."
In the wake of the Benazir Bhutto assassination, American officials aren’t talking much about plans to dramatically boost U.S. military aid and counterinsurgency operations in the wild, tribal areas of Pakistan. You can’t blame them. If the past is any guide, a $300 million military aid package rolling down the rails in Congress was headed for deep, deep waters, even before the latest eruption of political chaos in Islamabad. [...] “I think the notion that we need a more comprehensive strategy for the tribal areas is the right one. It was probably overdue,” says Craig Cohen, chief of research on U.S. policy toward Pakistan at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Read the article
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