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  • Reassessing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment by Council on Foreign Relations, 2 Jul 2009 -- "The Jackson-Vanik Amendment, an addition to the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, was crafted to put pressure on the Soviet Union for human rights abuses but has become a symbol of lingering tensions in the U.S.-Russia relationship. In order to receive the benefits of normal trade relations with the United States, nonmarket economies, which originally meant Communist economies, must comply with free emigration policies. ..."
  • How Out of Control Entitlement Spending Is Draining the Defense Budget by James Jay Carafano, 2 Jul 2009 -- "Unless dramatically reformed, entitlement programs will soon choke out funding for even the most basic and fundamental nation defense capabilities, according a recent report from The Heritage Foundation. The year 1973 saw mandatory government spending (Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare) outpace defense spending for the first time. ..."
  • The Six-Party Talks on North Korea's Nuclear Program by Council on Foreign Relations, 1 Jul 2009 -- "The Six-Party Talks are aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program through a negotiating process involving China, the United States, North and South Korea, Japan, and Russia. Since the talks began in August 2003, the negotiations have been bedeviled by diplomatic standoffs among individual Six-Party member states--particularly between the United States and North Korea. ..."
  • A Shaky Iraq's Sovereign Step by Council on Foreign Relations, 1 Jul 2009 -- "Celebratory fireworks marked the withdrawal of U.S. troops from urban areas this week in Iraq, but mingling with the high spirits was unease in many quarters over the road ahead. As a number of analysts have noted, tensions between Sunni Arabs and Kurds in Iraq's oil-rich northern provinces remain high; power-sharing deals in Kirkuk languish; and violence in Mosul continues apace. ..."
  • Getting to "Yes" in Iraq by Arthur G. Martirosyan, 1 Jul 2009 -- "Iraqis are celebrating on the streets as the US withdraw its troops from the major urban areas of Iraq, but the fresh violence in Kirkuk serves as a sober reminder of the country's still fragile security condition. Many are focusing on what the Iraqi military and police can do to provide short-term security. ..."
  • New Chapter for U.S.-Korea Alliance by Scott Snyder, 30 Jun 2009 -- "by Jack Pritchard, John Tilelli, and Scott Snyder The recent White House summit between Barack Obama and Lee Myung-bak came at a moment when the U.S.-ROK alliance has emerged as a linchpin in the Obama administration's efforts to successfully manage an overcrowded global agenda and as a pivotal tool for safeguarding U.S. long-term interests in Asia. The two leaders addressed three main areas: effective policy coordination to address North Korea's nuclear threat, the development of a global security agenda that extends beyond the peninsula and collaboration to address the global financial crisis as South Korea takes a lead on the G20 process...."
  • Rule Number One: Always Blame China, then Russia by George Smith, 27 Jun 2009 -- "Today, a collection of items having to do with the tradition of blaming China and its mighty but hard-to-see cyberwarriors. As stories on our nation's cybersecurity strategy and the military's plans for a cyberforce unfold, you'll continue to see a lot of this. ..."

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