The American Strategist

Because of Philippe Sands, a London-based international criminal lawyer and professor, American wheels of justice have begun to grind in the direction of the nation's most senior lawyers; the men who designed and then covered up the legal authorization for the use of torture by the U.S. Military. After testifying on Capitol Hill to Rep. John Conyers' House Judiciary Committee, Philippe Sands joined Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (ret.) and me to explain, examine and discuss what exactly happened, and the burgeoning case against the lawyers for Secretary of State Don Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, CIA Director George Tenet, and President George W. Bush.

Drawing from his recently-released book, Torture Team, and his article in this month's issue of Vanity Fair, Philippe revealed a powerful indictment of the actions of the White House from 2001-2006. For the full event video, click here.

Ultimately, however, the question of accountability for these actions, which Supreme Court Justice Kennedy wrote may amount to "war crimes," in his 2006 concurring Hamdan opinion, must be complemented with a robust new committment to stregthen the American system against future perversions of America's considerable power.

Col. Wilkerson, in his remarks, discussed one such option that would restore balance within America's national security architecture . In short, he would promote the Assistant Secretaries of State for each region of the world to Under Secretary of State, send them out of Foggy Bottom and into the field and then make the regional combattant commander, (CENTCOM, SOUTHCOM, PACOM, etc.) report to the Under Secretary of State for that region. Col. Wilkerson, of course, makes the point more eloquently:

John Ikenberry and Anne-Marie Slaughter recently proposed that the U.S. create an organization made up of the world's liberal democracies, "Concert of Democracies," that would serve as a souce of legitimacy for the use of force outside of the United Nations. In a recent TPM Cafe piece, New America's Michael Lind argues this would serve only to allow a hawkish U.S. President to get weak states to rubber-stamp an unpopular was such as in Iran.

A proposal by Gordon Brown's government to up the taxes paid by resident foreigners and demand greater transparency in their offshore dealings has many fearing an exodus of London's international financiers. This comes at a time when increasing numbers of businesses in London are also moving their headquarters to countries with lower taxes. Layoffs by banks in the wake of the subprime crisis are further damaging the City's reputation as a vibrant financial center. A loss of foreign residents and international business would be devastating for a city that has emerged as New York's greatest rival for global preeminence.

Snapshot asks, could New York reclaim the top spot if London falls?

Pacific Daily News (05/07) analyzes Parag Khanna's hypothesis of the decline of U.S. hegemony.
US News (05/06) quotes Sherle Schwenninger on the cost of doing business in the U.S.
AFP (05/06) cites Steve Clemons discussing the negative impact of Clinton's comments on Iran.
Hard News (05/06) discusses Peter Bergen's research on the link between education and terrorist recruitment.
The People's Daily (04/25) quotes Steve Clemons arguing against a boycott of the Beijing Games.

For the first part of 2008, the Chinese have increased the pace of yuan revaluation, but in doing so they may have augmented inflation, the very problem they are trying to prevent. Speculators poured funds into China (some believe as much as $200bn) during the first quarter of 2008 on the assumption that the undervalued yuan will appreciate further. The increased pace of appreciation during the first quarter only gave speculators more incentive to sneak cash in China's back door. The resulting growth in the monetary base has contributed to Chinese inflation. As a policy response some have argued China should do a one-off revaluation of the currency anywhere from fifteen to forty percent. Unsurprisingly, the Chinese authorities have not taken this risk.

Snapshot asks, what will be the pace of future yuan revaluation and will it stoke or reduce inflationary pressure?

Some are questioning whether the US is in a recession. Job losses last week were less than expected at -20,000. Many expected between -75,000 and -80,000. The stock market has rallied and the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke through the 13,000 mark last week. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25bp but two members of the FOMC dissented. Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Fed, and Charles Plosser, president of the Philadelphia Fed, argued there was no need for a cut. Despite a blip of positive news, the prospects for the U.S. housing market and American consumer are likely to continue to drag on the economy. For a graphic representation of how damaged the US housing market is, see Ben S. Bernanke's Mortgage Delinquencies and Foreclosures.

Snapshot asks, if this recession is led by falling housing prices and damaged consumers, when will it be worst?

As the Japanese are wont to say, "business is war." Apparrently, that is how the Bush White House sees the recently-announced deal between Switzerland and Iran over a $42 billion natural gas contract. And, living up to the their own dysfunctional war planning record, the White House is now considering a retaliation against Switzerland where it hurts the United States most: by ending the Swiss sponsorship of the U.S. and Cuban Interests Sections. That will teach them not to mess with us.

Of all the pathetic evidence that the Bush Administration had degraded U.S. influence in the world, this is up there. Rarely have we seen how weak the man behind the curtain really is.

It also is an object lesson in global leadership. Part one of that lesson is that states will always seek to satisfy their own calculation of their national interests. Unless the interest equation is changed, inertia will rule in the affairs of sovereign peoples. The Swiss need gas, Iran has it. The Bush administration did not, apparently, care enough to insert themselves effectively in the Swiss decision loop.

Tehran Times (05/03) quotes Flynt Leverett on UN sanctions and Iran's energy contracts.
Foreign Policy (05/02) features Steve Coll and Peter Bergen discussing Bin Laden.
Russia Profile (04/30) cites Anatol Lieven on the future of US-Russia relations.

The American Prospect (05/01) features Parag Khanna discussing the "second world's" growing influence.
The Project on Middle East Democracy (05/01) quotes Steve Clemons' critique of U.S. foreign policy.

Wired Magazine (04/28) cites Jeffrey Lewis' research on the Syrian Nuclear Program
The Week Daily (04/25) quotes Steve Clemons on the implications of Syria's Nuclear Program
The New Republic (04/25) responds to Steve Clemons' debate against a Beijing Boycott