When twin suicide truck bombs rocked Baghdad on Oct. 25, killing more than 150 people in the worst terrorist strike there in two years, the attacks provided a grim reminder that Iraq's security remains fragile in the face of a still-deadly insurgency. By contrast, Anbar province, the former hotbed of terrorist and insurgent activity, has remained relatively quiet. Indeed, when the history of the Iraq war is written, the turnabout of Anbar will feature prominently.
Once the focal point for al-Qaida in Iraq and the Sunni insurgency, Anbar's main towns of Falluja and Ramadi are synonymous with some of the war's worst fighting. But Anbar today is one of the quietest regions in the country. That transformation is the result of a 2006 decision by tribal leaders to form the "Awakening Councils," striking an alliance with U.S. forces and sending local "Sons of Iraq" to fight Al Qaeda.
Recently, National Journal Staff Correspondent James Kitfield spoke with Anbar's governor, Qasim Abed al-Fahadawi, who was in Washington for a conference. The interview touched on the pending withdrawal of U.S. combat troops, Iraq's difficult transition to normalcy, and the lessons that the "Anbar model" holds for the war in Afghanistan.
Subscribers can read the whole interview here.
Behind the scenes of the energy debate, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., is working to prepare the United States for the December United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen. Cardin was recently in Athens to deliver an address on climate change to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a regional security coalition. He was there as part of his duties as chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency staffed by congressional members and administration officials that works with OSCE. Cardin is also a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which is currently marking up the climate legislation introduced recently by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
NationalJournal.com spoke with Cardin after his trip to get his take on some of the key components of a global climate change treaty and domestic climate legislation.
Continue reading Cardin Eyes Climate Measures Here And Abroad.
After 9/11, the foreign policy establishment turned its eye on West Africa as a potential oil supplier without all the political complications of the Middle East. African crude exports to the U.S. duly increased from 15 percent of total crude imports in 2004 to 22 percent in 2006. But with oil prices down, terrorism worries replaced with economic headaches and the Obama administration focused on renewable energy, American efforts to bring political stability -- and secure a steady flow of oil -- in West Africa have been uneven.
Enter David Goldwyn, who in August became the State Department's first coordinator for international energy affairs. He has advised Nigeria on its transparency initiatives, and he held numerous posts during the Clinton administration, including assistant secretary of Energy for international affairs. Goldwyn sat down with NationalJournal.com to talk whether there is any hope for Nigeria, the threats posed by China and what to do about Africa's up-and-coming oil giants.
Continue reading Obama's Oil Man In Africa.
The group FreedomWorks, led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, has been a key force in organizing fiscal conservatives into tea party protests and rallies. NationalJournal.com recently spoke with FreedomWorks President and CEO Matt Kibbe, who defended the tea partiers, provided some insight on who makes up the movement and advised Republicans on how they can win them over.
Continue reading FreedomWorks CEO: GOP Can't Ignore Us.
Former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio got a boost in his bid for the Republican nomination for Florida's open Senate seat when he was recently endorsed by FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey. Armey, a former House majority leader, and FreedomWorks have tapped into the conservative grassroots, helping to organize what's now known as the tea party movement. NationalJournal.com recently spoke with Rubio about what kind of relationship he and the Republican Party should have with the tea party movement.
Continue reading Tea Parties Buoy Rubio's Bid In Florida.
Republican strategist and message man Ed Gillespie, now principal at Ed Gillespie Strategies and founder of the nonprofit Resurgent Republic, has served his party in many capacities. But the outreach to Hispanic voters he oversaw in his role as chairman of the Republican National Committee during President George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign is considered one of his signal achievements. He recently spoke with NationalJournal.com about how the Republican Party can win over more Hispanic voters -- they favored Barack Obama last year more than 2-1 over Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. -- and the outlook for enacting comprehensive immigration reform legislation in 2010.
Continue reading Immigration Debate 'Has To Change'.
Mary Peters served as President George W. Bush's secretary of Transportation from 2006 to 2008 and as the head of the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2005. During her tenure she proved an advocate of market-based approaches to transportation problems. An Arizona native, Peters returned to her home state in 2008 and is currently consulting for Zachry American Infrastructure, which promotes private investment in infrastructure projects, and the engineering firm HDR. She spoke this week with National Journal about how best to pay for the infrastructure improvements the country needs.
Continue reading Bush DOT Chief Discusses Reauthorization.
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