Perspectives on Stewarding American Power

By IGE on 28 February 2007

America's role in the world is being tested and redefined by its engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as significant foreign policy challenges in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. How can America effectively steward its power in the long war against the terrorists?

March 2006: Winning the Long War

In the long war against the terrorists, Chris Seiple notes, "We must engage the world with a realism that respects the political and spiritual power of religion and that understands that only good theology defeats bad theology."

September 2005: Religious Terrorism

Peter Nasuti reviews four books on religious terrorism, surveying the factors at play in the rise of terrorism and the effects of counterterrorism policies.

November 2004: Religion & Realpolitik: Recommendations for the President

On the day of the 2004 presidential election, Chris Seiple notes that the new president, to be successful, must be able to lead a nationwide conversation in religion and realpolitik.

September 2004: The 9/11 Imperative

Writing for Government Executive, Chris Seiple calls for a revolution in national security affairs "to create a national security establishment - from people to organizations to congressional oversight committees - that is as nimble as the enemy we face."

May 2004: Abu Ghraib and America

As the hypocrisy at Abu Ghraib becomes public knowledge, Chris Seiple notes that American faces a moment in which it must decide its identity, and what that identity means for its engagement of the world.

November 2003: On Frailty and Freedom

Six months after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and two years after the collapse of the Taliban, Chris Seiple writes that religious freedom in these regions will not come easily. "It is frail. It is messy. It takes time to develop. And it must be done in a manner consistent with local culture and traditions. But this freedom — whether seen as a gift, or a shrewd policy position — is, now more than ever, our necessary choice and challenge."

September 2003: Religion and the New Global Counterinsurgency

Chris Seiple discusses the "war on terror," noting that "we are waging a different kind of war. That war is a global counterinsurgency and it requires a grand strategy that incorporates all the elements of national power as well as a much better understanding of religion."

May 2003: Waging Peace

Reflecting on the replacement of Jay Garner with Paul Bremer in Iraq, Chris Seiple writes in Government Executive, "To ensure that Americans did not die in vain in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States must have leaders who understand the role of force as well as the intricacies of market economies and rule-of-law initiatives."

May 2003: The Privilege of Power

Writing for The Christian Science Monitor, Amb. Robert Seiple discusses the war in Iraq and anti-Americanism, noting, "It is incumbent on citizens of the most powerful democracy human history has ever known to make sure - with all of the cultural, institutional, academic, military, and religious instruments available to them - that power is tempered with leadership that is discerning, just, and compassionate."

April 2003: The Grand Strategy: Sustainment

Chris Seiple discusses the war in Iraq in the context of a shift in America's grand strategy in the 21st Century, noting: "To be sure, while the destination of freedom is clear, the road there is bumpy."

March 2003: Baghdad Spring

In this Foreign Policy Research Institute e-note, Chris Seiple discusses the political objectives, military strategy, and challenges of the war in Iraq.

September 2001: U.S. Strategic Objectives

In an address delivered in Tashkent to the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies of the President of Uzbekistan, Chris Seiple discusses regional policy recommendations and objectives.

Last updated 12 January 2009