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61. Defending the Tower in the Age of Twitter: Lithuanian Lessons on Russian Disinformation

Author:
Deborah A. McCarthy
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
January 13 is known as “Bloody Sunday” in Lithuania. Shortly after midnight on that date in 1991, Soviet tanks and infantry combat vehicles rolled in the darkness toward the Vilnius TV Tower. Tens of thousands of unarmed Lithuanians awaited them there, singing songs of defiance. After the troops encircled the crowd, loudspeakers falsely announced that the “separatist” Lithuanian government had been overthrown. “Go back to your parents and children,” the recorded voice urged. The crowd was incredulous. At 1:50 a.m., the soldiers opened fire and the tanks lurched forward. 14 civilians died and over 700 were wounded. Lithuanians sitting in front of televisions across the country can still recall with chilling clarity the final broadcasted images—a Soviet soldier knocking down a camera and the last words from the anchor desk. Then the televisions went dark.

62. Promoting US Interests and Development in Tajikistan

Author:
Susan M. Elliott
Publication Date:
05-2015
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
When the Soviet Union collapsed over two decades ago, the United States was one of the first nations to recognize Tajikistan as an independent country. Shortly thereafter, a civil war began that lasted for five years and caused considerable death and destruction. Even as fighting diminished in the late 1990s, the suffering of the Tajik people continued. Hunger stalked the land. Damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure in some parts of the country was extensive. Economic prospects were bleak because the war had interfered with market development. The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies, began humanitarian relief efforts to help provide basic nutrition to those hardest hit by the devastation of war. In the years since, US assistance programs have evolved from providing only humanitarian assistance to building human capacity and creating long-term, sustainable economic development.
Political Geography:
United States and Tajikistan

63. Crimea: A New 9/11 for the United States

Author:
Paul A. Goble
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
In 1991, with the end of the Cold War, the disappearance of the Soviet bloc, and the disintegration of the USSR, many Americans—policymakers among them—believed that we had reached the end of history. They believed that we had entered a new period in which cooperation among countries on the basis of shared commitment to democratic values and free market economics would not only be possible but would become the central feature of the international system.
Political Geography:
United States

64. Ireland's Economic Outlook: Economic Recovery is Under Way

Author:
Anne Anderson
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
"Ireland's economic recovery is under way." This is not the pronouncement of an Irish Government Minister or an economic observer in Ireland. It is not even a quote from an Irish Ambassador, although it certainly could have been. Instead this quotation is drawn from a statement made by hard-nosed professionals at the credit rating agency, Standard and Poor's, in July 2013. This is an organization whose job it is to call it as they see it, and to provide dispassionate analysis of financial and economic data.
Political Geography:
Ireland

65. Observations about the Spanish Economy

Author:
Eduardo Aguirre
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
"Our relationship with Spain needs to improve...fix it!" That was the main theme of my Oval Office meeting with President George W. Bush before I left for my post in Madrid in 2005. The president had reviewed a draft of my list of priorities in Spain and agreed with its substance. He also underscored the issues that were more important to him, injecting personal observations, and a few choice colorful words, that as a fellow Texan, I had no problems understanding.
Political Geography:
Spain

66. Trends Impacting the Gulf: Observations from a Departing Ambassador

Author:
James B. Smith
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
For over four years, my wife and I had what can only be described as a rich, fulfilling and intense experience in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We were caught in the middle of the so-called Arab Spring. We watched the significant role social media played in protests, as a generation of well-educated young people demanded more from their government. It was remarkable to witness this moment in history, as forces of change and globalization tugged at the soul of this most conservative society. However, unless you experienced it first hand, it can be difficult to track the changes in Saudi Arabia.
Topic:
Globalization
Political Geography:
Saudi Arabia

67. Working with Brunei to Get the Rebalance Right

Author:
Daniel L. Shields
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
When President Obama delivered his address to the Australian Parliament in 2011 affirming his strategic decision that the United States will play a larger role in shaping the Asia Pacific region and its future—what came to be called the rebalance—few observers outside Brunei Darussalam might have anticipated that Brunei would emerge as an essential partner for the United States in the effort to get the rebalance right. But that is what happened. The United States worked closely with Brunei, especially in the context of Brunei's role as the 2013 Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to develop innovative projects to promote comprehensive American regional engagement. Two important examples of initiatives to broaden US regional engagement were the Brunei-US English Language Enrichment Project for ASEAN and the US-Asia Pacific Comprehensive Energy Partnership. As these projects were being implemented, Brunei's effective Chairmanship of ASEAN helped lower the temperature in the region on the South China Sea and promote broad regional military-to-military cooperation, particularly through a Brunei-hosted Humanitarian Assistance/ Disaster Relief and Military Medicine exercise that brought together 18 nations, including the United States and China. The rebalance also includes a commercial side, and US companies have enjoyed increased success in Brunei. Looking ahead, the opportunities for trade should multiply once the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, in which Brunei and the United States are among the twelve parties, come to a successful conclusion.

68. Why There is Hope for the Future of Honduras

Author:
Lisa Kubiske
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
Much of what you read nowadays about Honduras feeds the perception of a country plagued by violence, corruption, poverty, impunity, and human rights abuses. Honduras is indeed confronting very serious challenges in security, fiscal management, governance, job creation, and justice sector reform. However, this is only one side of the coin and masks a lesser-known reality that provides reason for optimism. Despite the considerable challenges Honduras faces, the US government has dedicated partners both in the Honduran government and in other sectors of society who have contributed to successful, sustainable initiatives, including the Central America Regional Security Initiative, that make a difference in the quality of Honduran citizens' lives and advance mutual interests. There is indeed hope for the future of Honduras.

69. EU-US Trade Deal to Strengthen the Transatlantic Relationship

Author:
João Vale de Almeida
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
The doomsday voices that for years predicted the imminent collapse of the Euro and the European Union itself have gone silent with the EU economy gradually improving: the European Union is set to emerge from recession in the fourth quarter of this year with GDP growth expected at 1.4 percent in 2014; business activity in the eurozone rose at the fastest pace in August for more than two years; and the eurozone purchasing managers' index hit a 16-month high in June. We are by no means out of the woods yet, but we believe that we are starting to see signs of economic recovery in Europe. And this means that much-needed jobs should follow.
Political Geography:
Europe

70. Latvia: Out of the Crisis, Coming into its Own

Author:
Mark A. Pekala
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
In 2008, as the world battled the global financial crisis, a small country on the Baltic Sea emerged at the center of the world's attention: Latvia. One of the most severely affected economies in the world and dubbed by Paul Krugman "the new Argentina," Latvia stood in the global spotlight. During the crisis, Latvia's GDP dropped by a quarter and unemployment ballooned to 23 percent.
Political Geography:
Argentina