Many of the Center's programs, both self-initiated and at the behest of Congress or the Administration, look at the country's policy challenges abroad.
Currently, as part of the Strengthening America's Future Initiative, the Center is conducting a series of issues groups on a number of crosscutting issues and synergies within the realms of U.S. foreign policy and economics. These groups include an analysis and recommendations for renewing U.S. geopolitical relations and of the U.S. economic and financial system.
The Middle East
In December 2005, Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) called CSPC President David Abshire to discuss the establishment of a "Fresh Eyes on Iraq" Task Force, which evolved into the Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former 9/11 Commission Co-Chair and retired Congressman Lee Hamilton. CSPC played a critical role in rallying broad bipartisan support from both houses of Congress, with final recommendations to Congress and the White House issued on December 6, 2006.
In the spring of 2007, the Center built on that effort and launched the Afghanistan Study Group, co-chaired by Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering and General James L. Jones, to reassess the effort being undertaken in that country and the significant dangers of it becoming the "forgotten war." On January 30, 2008, the Center released the Afghanistan Study Group Report in a special event on Capitol Hill hosted by Senators John Kerry and Norm Coleman.
The Center also received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to strengthen non-governmental linkages in health, science and interfaith access between Israel and the Palestinian territories. Conceived by Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) and endorsed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, this two-pronged effort was led by Ambassadors Dennis Ross and Tony Hall.
CSPC has been a leader in actively developing the U.S.-Syria relationship through non-governmental efforts. In 2009, the Center led a U.S.-Syrian Dialogue to develop links between Syrian institutions and their counterparts in the United States. The delegation of distinguished science, health, and higher education experts met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as other U.S. and Syrian government officials. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), the Chairman and ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, have all encouraged the work.
Transatlantic Relations
CSPC's transatlantic efforts have attempted to strengthen U.S. ties with Europe and bring European perspective to events in the U.S. Since 2004, the Center has worked with senior decision-makers in the United States and Europe to address disconnects between the European Union, NATO and the G8. With a focus on foreign policy, homeland security and the Middle East, the first round of these consultations resulted in the Center publication Maximizing NATO for the War on Terror, which recommended steps to pursue shared security interests through better leadership and greater Executive branch coordination. In 2006, Center staff followed up on those efforts with senior European allies in Brussels, London, Berlin and Lisbon, with a goal of strengthening multilateral leadership and seeking European opinions on the way forward in Iraq.
During the 2008 Presidential transition, the Center conducted a European Exchange Program to bring rising European leaders to Washington to explore the transition process, improve future transatlantic communications, and to prevent communication breakdowns between transatlantic governments during the American Presidential transition.
In 2009, CSPC launched an action initiative to mobilize NATO in Afghanistan by persuading European leaders to encourage NATO to enact reforms and encourage member nations to share more equitably in NATO's involvement in Afghanistan. The project will be co-chaired by David Abshire and W. Bruce Weinrod, the former Secretary of Defense Representative for Europe and Defense Advisor to the U.S. Mission to NATO, and advised by recently-retired Supreme Allied Commander for Europe General Bantz J. Craddock.
Geoeconomics
As part of CSPC's transition efforts in 2001, former Ambassador Richard McCormack conducted an analysis of increasingly complex financial contingencies in Latin America and around the globe. This document was widely circulated among White House, State Department, and Treasury Department officials.
Staff Contact
For more information, please contact Thomas M. Kirlin, Ph.D., Vice President for Operations and Chief Financial Officer, via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 202-872-9800
