March
March 31, 2008
Work With the European Union to Address the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
A comprehensive solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis must include action and cooperation between the government of Iraq, regional governments, the United Nations, international donors, the U.S. government, European Union, and non-government organizations. European Union member states should: Expand resettlement programs for Iraqis Standardize asylum applications Increase humanitarian assistance funding and bilateral support in the education and health sectors to countries hosting Iraqi refugees Do not force Iraqis to return against their will Urge the government of Iraq to create peaceful conditions through reconciliation
March 28, 2008
Work With International Donors to Address the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
A comprehensive solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis must include action and cooperation between the government of Iraq, regional governments, the United Nations, international donors, the U.S. government, European Union, and non-government organizations. International Donors should: Encourage a political resolution to the crisis Increase humanitarian assistance inside Iraq Provide bilateral aid to the neighboring countries, focusing on the increased demands for health, education, and basic services Fully fund appeals by the United Nations, international, and non-governmental organizations to assist Iraqi refugees and their host communities, coordinate assistance efforts, and increase the quotas of Iraqis resettled in third countries Recognize that the Arab-Israeli conflict and the plight of the displaced Palestinians is a major impediment to peace in the region Do not support the involuntary return of Iraqis
March 27, 2008
Encourage Economic Linkages Between Iraq and its Neighbors
Another way to help get Iraq’s neighbors to play a more constructive role is to encourage economic linkages so that countries neighboring Iraq have a greater stake in helping Iraqis tackle their internal conflicts. For example, Iraq depends on several countries to export its oil products, particularly from the northern fi elds near Kirkuk, which are connected to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan by a pipeline. Iraq also has pipelines connecting it to Syria that had been used before the 2003 war. Getting these pipelines back up and running at full capacity could help strengthen linkages between Iraq and its neighbors. These pipelines are not fully operational in part because of repeated attacks by Iraqi insurgent groups. In addition, in May 2007 Iran and Iraq signed a deal to increase Iraqi oil exports to Iran via a new pipeline in the southern part of Iraq.
March 26, 2008
Use Regional Security and Diplomatic Initiatives to Contain and Resolve Iraqi Conflicts
The United States should begin intense regional and international efforts to contain, manage, and ultimately resolve each of Iraq’s conflicts. The United States should build on the suggestions of the Iraq Study Group and the steps already taken by the Bush administration to participate in regional security conferences in Baghdad and Egypt and hold bilateral discussions with Iran.
March 25, 2008
Phased Military Redeployment from Iraq in One Year
The United States should immediately begin redeploying its troops from Iraq and declare it does not intend to maintain military bases permanently in Iraq. A swift strategic redeployment from Iraq, coordinated with Iraq’s government, gives the United States the best chance to revitalize its ground forces now stretched too thin to address growing threats on other fronts in the fight against global terrorist groups in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
March 24, 2008
Seek Enforcement of the Leahy Amendment
The federal government should cut off unconditional U.S. support for Iraq’s national security forces. Congress should stop training Iraqi national forces and seek enforcement of the Leahy Amendment.
March 21, 2008
Downsize the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
The United States should reassign its personnel from the Baghdad embassy to consulates throughout Iraq to help assist in initiatives needed to better advance U.S. interests in Iraq. These consulates would be located in areas of Iraq that are relatively safer, such as Erbil in the northern Kurdish autonomous region. They would require additional security protection, including a contingent of at least two hundred Marines with backup air support from U.S. military bases in neighboring countries.
March 20, 2008
Provide Support for Collective Security Efforts in the Middle East
The United States should provide additional funding and support for collective security efforts in the Middle East and Gulf region. The United States should support cooperative security measures as it resets its military presence in the Gulf region with confidence-building measures such as enhanced border security and increased communications and early warning systems to prevent conflicts.
March 18, 2008
Increase the Number of Iraqis Allowed into the United States
We should increase the number of Iraqis allowed in the United States annually from 7,000 to 100,000. The United States has a moral obligation to help Iraqis displaced by the conflict, particularly those who risked their lives working with the U.S. military and diplomatic personnel. The Bush administration should raise the limit immediately and implement measures to more efficiently respond to requests for asylum.
March 17, 2008
Create a New Special Envoy for Middle East Diplomacy
Congress should require the president to appoint a seasoned high-level envoy who can command attention in the region and the resources the State Department and other agencies may need to contain and manage Iraq’s conflicts and resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. This senior diplomat should provide Congress with quarterly reports outlining steps toward stabilizing the region and resolving its conflicts.
March 11, 2008
Work With the United Nations to Address the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
A comprehensive solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis must include action and cooperation between the government of Iraq, regional governments, the United Nations, international donors, the U.S. government, European Union, and non-government organizations. The United Nations should: Assume a stronger leadership role in the coordinating of humanitarian assistance and return policies Devise creative solutions for resettlement and return in cooperation with the Iraqi government and international resettlement countries
March 11, 2008
Work With Regional Governments to Address the Iraqi Refugee Crisis
A comprehensive solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis must include action and cooperation between the government of Iraq, regional governments, the United Nations, international donors, the U.S. government, European Union, and non-government organizations. Regional governments should: Allow for access to legal protection and health and education services. Stop threats of deportation and arrest. Encourage Iraqi families to register with UNHCR to access services. Work with the Iraqi government and international community to develop a coordinated return plan Allow Iraqi refugees to secure livelihoods. Create conditions and protections that provide legal protection, access to services, and freedom of movement.
March 11, 2008
Work With the Iraqi Government to Address the Refugee Crisis
Violence in Iraq and the debate over continued U.S. engagement have overshadowed one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Since 2006, sectarian fighting, political and criminal violence, lack of basic services, loss of livelihoods, spiraling inflation and uncertainty about the future pushed more than four million Iraqis from their homes, and made another four million dependent on assistance. Neighboring countries, which accepted more than two million refugees, now impose harsher visa restrictions, creating a “pressure-cooker” situation. Those rendered homeless by the war are often unable to return safely to their homes yet are running out of resources abroad. A comprehensive solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis must include action and cooperation between the government of Iraq, regional governments, the United Nations, international donors, the U.S. government, European Union, and non-government organizations.
March 10, 2008
Transfer, Triage, and Restructure At-Risk Mortgages Through Our SAFE Loan Program
The overarching goal of SAFE—the Saving America’s Family Equity plan—is to transfer large numbers of existing loans from the current holder of the mortgages—who is faced with a variety of uncertainties and conflicting interests—to new owners who will refinance them on affordable terms. The sale price paid would reflect the current value of those mortgages, significantly less than the face value.
March 7, 2008
Promote Independent Global Media to Reverse Global U.S. Isolation and Win the War of Ideas
The United States, rather than vilifying existing outlets such as al Jazeera, should engage them repeatedly, challenging when appropriate editorial decisions viewed as promoting violence and conflict.
March 6, 2008
Change FEMA's Business Model
Whether we face more disasters in the future, those that occur will likely be more severe and costly than we have experienced in the past. The answer does not lie in a different bureaucracy, but in a significant increase in operational capability at FEMA.
March 5, 2008
Establish Critical Infrastructure Security Priorities
Critical infrastructure is just that, critical, but for different reasons. Infrastructure associated with high risk of death or injury may require stronger federal regulation and oversight.
March 4, 2008