January 7, 2011 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. In this Issue: The 112th Congress and the Spending Thicket Maintaining an American Lead in Technology A Looming Debt Limit Crisis What Sadr's Return Means for Iraq The 112th Congress and the Spending Thicket The new Congress, featuring a GOP-controlled House and a Democratic-led Senate, is likely to be dominated by partisan squabbles over debts and deficits, sidelining foreign policy, says CFR's James Lindsay. Read more Council Special Report: Congress and National Security by Kay King Foreign Affairs: "Why the Rich Are Getting Richer - American Politics and the Second Gilded Age" by Robert Lieberman Blog: "Treaties and Filibusters" on by Kay King ("The Water's Edge") Backgrounder: 2010 Midterms and Foreign Policy Blog: "John Boehner's Big Day" on James Lindsay ("The Water's Edge") CFR experts on Congress Maintaining an American Lead in Technology To keep its edge in technological innovation against India and China, the United States must focus on open immigration policies, strengthening political and social networks, and more, says CFR's Adam Segal. Read more Book: Advantage - How American Innovation Can Overcome the Asian Challenge by Adam Segal Expert Roundup: "Reviving U.S. Power Abroad from Within" with Richard Haass, Peter Peterson, and others Article: "Sometimes, the Conventional Wisdom is Right" by Stephen Sestanovich (Foreign Policy) Op-ed: "LeBron James, Cristiano Ronald Justify a Move" by Amity Shlaes (Bloomberg.com) Foreign Affairs: "U.S. Education and Competitiveness" by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan CFR experts on U.S. Strategy and Politics A Looming Debt Limit Crisis Most nations have adjusted their foreign policies to focus on economic security, but the United States has not, writes CFR's President Emeritus Leslie Gelb in Foreign Affairs. Today's leaders should adapt to an economic-centric world and look to Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower for guidance. Read more Foreign Affairs: "American Profligacy and American Power" by Richard Haass and Roger Altman Analysis Brief: A looming debt crisis Op-ed: "Washed Away on the QE2" by Benn Steil (Project Syndicate) Op-ed: "When Irish IOUs are Smouldering" by Benn Steil and Paul Swartz (Financial News) Working Paper: "How Dangerous is U.S. Government Debt - The Risk of a Sudden Spike in U.S. Interest Rates" by Francis Warnock Interactive: Crisis Guide - The Global Economy CFR experts on Economics What Sadr's Return Means for Iraq Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's return to Iraq after self-imposed exile in Iran bolsters voices that want all U.S. troops out by the end of 2011 and marks the transition of his group from a militia to a powerful political force, says CFR's Mohamad Bazzi. Read more Interview: "Promise, Peril for Iraq's New Government" with Joost Hiltermann, International Crisis Group Op-ed: "A Fragile Coalition Holds Iraq Together" by Mohamad Bazzi (New Straits Times) Foreign Affairs: "How to Leave a Stable Iraq" by Stephen Biddle, Michael O'Hanlon, and Kenneth Pollack Book: War of Necessity, War of Choice by Richard Haass Interactive: Timeline - The Iraq War CFR experts on Iraq

CFR Welcomes Two New Adjunct Fellows Jendayi Frazer and John Pomfret have joined CFR's Studies Program as adjunct senior fellows. Frazer is a former assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Pomfret, formerly a diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Post, will focus on China. Read Frazer's new op-ed on African governance in the Christian Science Monitor.     Preventive Priorities Survey CFR's Center for Preventive Action recently polled foreign policy experts on the most pressing conflict prevention priorities in 2011. Read the results of the survey.     On the CFR Blogs THE WATER'S EDGE Lindsay wraps up the week's U.S. foreign policy news in today's "Friday File." ASIA UNBOUND On the blog, CFR's Asia experts share their predictions for the new year. PRESSURE POINTS Elliott Abrams introduces his new blog and argues that Egypt's police state is failing to protect its citizens after the New Year church bombing. AFRICA IN TRANSITION John Campbell urges the White House to think twice about a presidential visit to Africa. FROM THE POTOMAC TO THE EUPHRATES Steven Cook discusses the dangers of dismissing the potential for instability in the Middle East. MICHAEL LEVI Levi offers five energy stories to watch in 2011. GEO-GRAPHICS Chart demonstrating cause for concern about the stability of Spanish bank deposits. Read and weigh in on CFR's expert blogs.

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