Semaine du 17 au 23/02/2007


Etats-Unis - De plus en plus d'américains sombrent dans l'extrême pauvreté

U.S. economy leaving record numbers in severe poverty
McClatchy Newspapers 22/02/07

"The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have-nots" continues to widen.

A McClatchy Newspapers analysis of 2005 census figures, the latest available, found that nearly 16 million Americans are living in deep or severe poverty. A family of four with two children and an annual income of less than $9,903 - half the federal poverty line - was considered severely poor in 2005. So were individuals who made less than $5,080 a year.

The McClatchy analysis found that the number of severely poor Americans grew by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005. That's 56 percent faster than the overall poverty population grew in the same period. McClatchy's review also found statistically significant increases in the percentage of the population in severe poverty in 65 of 215 large U.S. counties, and similar increases in 28 states. The review also suggested that the rise in severely poor residents isn't confined to large urban counties but extends to suburban and rural areas..."


Irak, Royaume Uni, Etats-Unis - The British Defeat in the South and the Uncertain Bush “Strategy” in Iraq
Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic & International Studies February 21, 2007

"There are many definitions of “strategy,” some of which are virtually indistinguishable from “tactics.” To use one of the better dictionary definitions, however, “strategy” is “the science and art of employing the political, economic, psychological, and military forces of a nation or group of nations to afford the maximum support to adopted policies in peace or war.”

By this definition, and any other meaningful definition of “strategy,” a meaningful US strategy in Iraq cannot simply focus on winning in Baghdad and going on with efforts to fight the insurgents in the most troubled. A meaningful US strategy in Iraq has to combine all of the necessary means to achieve a clearly defined objective and it has to have an end game.

In practice, any form of US action that ends in some form of “victory” means finding a strategy that allows the US to withdraw most US forces from an Iraq that is stable enough to have reduced internal violence to low levels that can be controlled by local forces, that is secure against its neighbors, that is politically and economically unified enough to function and develop as a state, and which is pluralistic enough to preserve the basic rights of all of its sectarian and ethnic factions..."


Irak, Etats-Unis - Learning from Iraq counterinsurgency in American strategy
Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College 01/07

"When the United States removed Saddam Hussein from power in the spring of 2003, American policymakers and military leaders did not expect to become involved in a protracted counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq. But it has now become the seminal conflict of the current era and will serve as a paradigm for future strategic decisions..."


Irak, Etats-Unis - Unilateralism: Anatomy of a Foreign Policy Disaster
Strobe Talbott, President, The Brookings Institution, February 21, 2007

"With the toll of the Iraq war mounting daily and the U.S. Congress gridlocked over how to extricate its troops from the quagmire, the questions that everyone asks are what went wrong, and how can the United States recover?

The answer to the first question can be summed up in one word: unilateralism. While the senior George Bush was an arch-multilateralist, his son has been an arch-unilateralist..."


Irak, Etats-Unis - Time for a National Debate on Plan B
By Colin Kahl, Foreign Policy 02/07

"...There are no good options for addressing Iraq’s ongoing civil war, only three bad ones: Maintain a neutral stance and attempt to use a mix of coercion and security to facilitate national reconciliation; take sides; or let the conflict burn itself out. The president’s new plan—call it Plan A—embraces the first option. But if beefing up the U.S. troop presence in Baghdad and Anbar province fails to limit the violence by this summer, the United States could find itself forced to choose between two competing visions of Plan B: taking sides or getting out..."


Irak, Syrie - Syrian-Iraqi Relations: A New Chapter?
Seth Wikas, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, February 8, 2007

"Syria and Iraq began a new phase in their relationship two months ago with the resumption of diplomatic ties and the visits of Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Muallem to Baghdad and Iraqi president Jalal Talabani to Damascus. At the same time, however, the United States continues to criticize Syria for the inadequate monitoring of its border with Iraq. While demonstrating its willingness to be engaged on Iraq, Syria has ended its open-door policy toward Iraqi refugees, pushing their interests aside in this new stage of bilateral relations..."


Irak, Arabie Saoudite - Saudi Arabia's Own Iraq Nightmare
By Daniel L. Byman, Brookings Institution, 2/8/2007

"...A predominantly Sunni Muslim nation that prides itself on an ultra-puritanical Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, Saudi Arabia has growing reason to be alarmed about the rising influence of Iran's hard-line Shiite regime in war-torn Iraq. As sectarian violence continues to deepen there -- and with the balance of power across the Middle East possibly at stake -- there is a growing danger that the Saudi leadership will try to protect its interests by supporting Sunni radicals in their fight against Iranian-backed Shiites, even though these same fighters are also rabidly anti-American. That could have ominous consequences for the long-standing, though always complicated, alliance between Riyadh and Washington..."


Iran - Iran: “Weakling” or “Hegemon”?
Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic & International Studies February 20, 2007

"Iran is a state that must be assessed largely in terms of its capabilities, not its intentions. Its political structure is too unstable to predict, and its choice of defensive or offensive options is more likely to be determined by its perceptions of future opportunities and risks than its current policies and strategy. Seen from this perspective, Iran is not a “weakling,” but neither is it capable of major aggression or becoming a regional “hegemon” if it meets effective resistance from its neighbors and the US..."


Chine, Afrique - Africa-China Relations: The View from Washington
Remarks by James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, February 9, 2007

"...interest in China in Africa reflects the very real expansion of China's engagement with the continent. And specific events have focused further attention on the topic. Last November's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation drew 43 heads of state and representatives from 5 other African nations - more than normally attend an African Union summit on the continent! This event signified African leaders' serious interest in China and vice versa..."


Russie, Etats-Unis - U.S.-Russia Interests on Collision Course
Lionel Beehner, Council on Foreign Relations, February 14, 2007

"U.S.-Russia relations during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s tenure have seesawed between mutual cooperation and confrontation. Recently tensions have escalated over American moves to establish an antimissile shield, further expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and encourage the installation of pro-Western governments across Eastern Europe, Moscow’s former sphere of influence. During a biting speech at a recent international security conference in Munich, Putin accused Washington of creating a unipolar world, reviving a nuclear arms race, and demonstrating an “almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations.” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates disputed accusations the United States was reverting back to a Cold War-like atmosphere of bilateral relations..."


Lire également, Read also :

Putin: the louse that roared
Max Bot, Council on Foreign Relations, February 14, 2007


Russie - The Putin Era in Historical Perspective
National Intelligence Council (via Federation of American Scientists) 02/07

"Participants in a November 15, 2006 conference sponsored by the National Intelligence Council broadly agreed that Russia has never developed a capitalist culture or the institutional structure of a modern capitalist state; that Russians historically have believed that autocracy is the only viable system for their country because it is too large and ethnically diverse to survive intact under any other form of rule; and that being a great power is a central part of Russia’s historical identity. Given the continuity of these long-held attitudes, change in Russia probably will come only when a leader is willing to confront and transcend the roots of this historical legacy, which the Putin administration is unlikely to do..."


Venezuela - Venezuela: Hugo Chávez’s Revolution
International Crisis Group, 2/22/2007

"After eight years in power, President Hugo Chávez won an overwhelming re-election in December 2006. Flush with oil revenues, bolstered by high approval ratings and at the start of a six-year term, he expresses confidence about advancing what he calls his Bolivarian Revolution, named after Simón Bolívar, the country’s independence hero, and installing his still only vaguely defined “Socialism of the 21st Century”. There are concerns in Venezuela and much of the hemisphere, however, that to do so the ex-colonel and one-time coup leader may be willing to sacrifice democratic principles. He is not yet a dictator and for the most part has not tried to act in a dictatorial manner, but the trend toward autocracy is strong. If he continues to build personal power at the expense of other institutions and militarise much of the government and political life, there will be serious risks for internal conflict, especially if the oil boom that cushions the economy falters..."


Défense - The 2006 URW Symposium Proceedings Book
Unrestricted Warfare Symposium, Johns Hopkins University

"The Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory and Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies are sponsoring a Symposium on Meeting the Unrestricted Warfare Threat. The symposium brings together prominent strategists, analysts, and technologists who have been investigating critical aspects of Unrestricted Warfare. Using roundtables and discussion groups, the symposium will integrate the speakers’ diverse perspectives to develop an understanding of Unrestricted Warfare threats and strategies, explore approaches to analysis and assessment, and examine technological counters to weapons favored by terrorists. Symposium attendees have a unique opportunity to join these experts as they seek to meet the Unrestricted Warfare threat by Integrating Strategy, Analysis, and Technology. A highlight of the symposium will be the closing panel of senior government officials who will offer their perspectives on this critical challenge, and answer questions from participants. The collection of papers presented at the symposium will be provided to all attendees shortly thereafter..."


Terrorisme - Three Explanations for al-Qaeda's Lack of a CBRN Attack
Chris Quillen, Jamestown Foundation, February 15, 2007

"The evidence of al-Qaeda's interest in conducting a terrorist attack with chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapons appears compelling. As early as 1998, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden declared the acquisition of CBRN weapons a "religious duty" for Muslims [1]. He followed up in 2003 by asking for and receiving a fatwa from Saudi Sheikh Nasir bin Hamid al-Fahd that condoned the use of CBRN weapons by Muslims against infidels [2]. Combined with the multitude of warnings from al-Qaeda associates that a CBRN attack against the West is not only forthcoming but also long overdue, the Muslim "duty to warn" has been firmly established. In al-Qaeda's opinion, no further justification is needed and no additional warnings are required [3]..."


Terrorisme - The Nature of the Terrorist Threat
Daniel Benjamin, Brookings Institution, 14/02/07

"More than five years after the cataclysm of September 11, 2001, the terrorist threat has become more varied, complicated and difficult to understand than perhaps at any time in memory. The United States faces an array of different kinds of terrorist threats, some of which are related, some of which are not. Some are extraordinarily dangerous; others pose a risk on a much smaller scale. Some are genuinely global; others are purely local, others still reach beyond their countries of origin but are better characterized as more or less regional..."


Terrorisme - United Nations Counter-Terrorism Online Handbook
United Nations

"The newly-launched United Nations Counter-Terrorism Online Handbook showcases United Nations’ system-wide resources and activities in the field of counter-terrorism. The handbook is a collaborative effort of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), which brings together 24 UN departments, programmes, funds, offices and agencies that have a counter-terrorism related mandate as well as outside partner organizations. The Handbook may be searched according to broad themes such as preventing a terrorist attack, technical assistance, mitigation and response. Other searches allow users to focus on areas such as financing of terrorism; promoting education, tolerance and dialogue; protecting nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological materials; assisting victims; preventing travel by terrorists; providing training to law enforcement entities; assisting with drafting of anti-terrorism legislation; defending human rights; or dealing with hostage situations; and protecting key infrastructure. The Online Handbook is one initiative that arose from the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which was adopted by the General Assembly in September 2006..."


Monde musulman - What Islamists Need to Be Clear About: The Case of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
Carnegis Endowment for International Peace February 2007

"In March 2006, Carnegie senior associates Amr Hamzawy, Marina Ottaway, and Nathan Brown explored the ambiguous position of moderate Islamist movements on crucial political issues—what the authors referred to as “gray zones”. The paper elicited many responses, positive and negative, by representatives of Islamist movements.

In this Carnegie Policy Outlook, What Islamists Need to be Clear About: The Case of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamzawy, Ottaway, and Brown respond to the reactions and critiques by Islamists and seek to explain the issues on which Islamist movements need to achieve greater clarity in order to gain credibility in the West. Using the case of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the authors address Western concerns over the Islamist political vision and provide new analysis into the complexity of the Brotherhood’s position on key issues such as Sharia law, religious identity, organization and leadership, universal citizenship, and women’s rights..."


WMD - Security Council Affirms Determination to Strengthen Cooperation Aimed at Countering Nuclear, Chemical, Biological Weapons Proliferation
United Nations Security Council, 23/02/07


Chine - Brand China
The Foreign Policy Centre 02/07

“In this new report, from the author of the widely discussed paper ‘The Beijing Consensus’, Ramo argues that China’s national image, and the misalignment between China’s image of itself and how it is viewed by the rest of the world, may be its greatest strategic threat. It argues that alongside its other reforms, China needs a ‘fifth transition’ if the trust and understanding necessary for the next stage of its development are to be achieved...”


Sécurité - Information Security Guide For Government Executives
NIST 01/07

"Information Security for Government Executives provides a broad overview of information security program concepts to assist senior leaders in understanding how to oversee and support the development and implementation of information security programs..."


Délocalisations - The Implications of Service Offshoring for Metropolitan Economies
The Brookings Institution, 02/07

"An examination of service offshoring—the movement of service jobs overseas—forecasts higher than average job losses in twenty-eight U.S. metropolitan areas between 2004 and 2015. Information technology jobs, and the metropolitan areas where they are concentrated, will be hardest hit. To cushion the service offshoring blow, the paper urges federal, state, and local leaders to together pursue policies that boost productivity and innovation, assist workers who are harmed by offshoring, and modernize approaches to economic and workforce development..."


Europe - Eurostat Yearbook (2006-07)
Eurostat 20/02/07

"What percentage of the population is overweight or obese? How many foreign languages are learnt by pupils in the EU? In which Member State are gasoline and diesel most expensive? How much waste is generated per inhabitant? The answers to these questions, and to many more, can be found in the 11th edition of the statistical Yearbook, published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities..."


Europe, Innovation - More than 40% of EU27 enterprises are active in innovation
Eurostat 22/02/07

"In the EU27 42% of enterprises from industry and services reported some form of innovation activity between 2002 and 2004. Among the EU27 Member States the highest proportion of companies with innovation activity in this period was recorded in Germany (65% of enterprises), followed by Austria (53%), Denmark, Ireland and Luxembourg (52% each), Belgium (51%) and Sweden (50%). The lowest rates were observed in Bulgaria (16%), Latvia (18%), Romania (20%), Hungary and Malta (both 21%)..."


Europe, Industrie - Industrial relations country profiles
European Industrial Relations Online Observatory

"Background information on industrial relations in 25 European countries: facts and figures, links to sources, an overview of the main industrial relations features, actors, processes and outcomes..."


Energie - Annual Energy Outlook 2007 with Projections to 2030
US Energy Information Administration

"The Annual Energy Outlook 2007 presents a projection and analysis of US energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030. The projections are based on results from the Energy Information Administration's National Energy Modeling System. The AEO2007 includes the reference case, additional cases examining energy markets, and complete documentation..."


Chine - Focus: China and the world
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu 28/02/07

"China is increasingly becoming the center of the global economy. It is a manufacturing hub, home to one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world and an emerging source of innovation and entrepreneurship. Multinationals entering this market find not only great opportunity but risk and challenges, from business strategy and operations to financial management and information technology. Preparing to meet these challenges can mean the difference between sustainable growth and stagnation..."