Alexander Cooley
Snapshot
For years, Pentagon officials took comfort in the relative stability of Bahrain, which serves as a major base for the U.S. military. But the protests in the country have raised concerns that it will evict U.S. forces -- part of a broader pattern that is jeopardizing U.S. basing agreements around the world.
This article appears in the Foreign Affairs/CFR eBook, The New Arab Revolt.
Snapshot
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is not the powerful anti-Western bloc it appeared to be a few years ago. The organization should deliver some tangible accomplishments before the West rushes to condemn or cooperate with it.
Capsule Review
Jan/Feb
2006
Essay
Nov/Dec
2005
As the Pentagon prepares to redeploy U.S. forces around the world, it should review its practice of setting up bases in nondemocratic states. Although defense officials claim that having U.S. footholds in repressive countries offers important strategic advantages, the practice rarely helps promote liberalization in host states and sometimes even endangers U.S. security.
