Contenu du sommaire : L'Amérique sur tous les fronts

The War in Iraq : America in Quest of Meaning
This article sheds light on what the author terms the “Paradox of Meaning” in Iraq, after assessing the American strategy and its implications in Baghdad and Washington. Building from the post-surge debates within the U.S. government since the Spring of 2007, Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer critically examines the contradictions between rhetoric and practice and the growing gap between the American and the Iraqi “political clocks”. Her analysis is a reflection on America's (re-)interpretation of the relation between Power, Responsibility and Sovereignty in Iraq.

Iraq, Iran and the U.
S. Congress : The Vociferous Debates over the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill. Despite majority Congressional support for the massive FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill (with some key modifications), Congress, for the most part, does seek to modify Bush administration policy toward Iraq, but has been unable to do so. Concurrently, however, the majority of Congress does support President Bush's hardline policy toward Iran of “negotiation through strength,” despite the efforts of an influential Congressional minority to press for direct negotiations with Tehran without preconditions. The inability of the President and the Congress to formulate a coherent strategy toward both Iraq and Iran does not bode well for the next American president.

Examining Afghanistan : The Fundamental Need for Greater Efficiency and Commitment
This article takes a look at the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, nearly six years after the U.S.-led invasion to overthrow the Taliban. Stemming from a fact-finding mission, it highlights both the domestic and international challenges presented by the situation in Afghanistan, sketching out a worrying picture for the future.

The Fight against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
A key element of the fight against organised crime and terrorism, tracking down criminal financial networks has developed significantly over the past forty years, and particularly under American efforts in the 1970s. These efforts intensified after 9/11 in the scope of the USA Patriot Act. However, the efficiency of this financial approach focusing on money laundering and terrorism financing, in the U.S. and elsewhere, remains in question. The American example illustrates the gap between expectations and lack of result, between theory and practice.

The Mafia and America's Eastern Coast Docks
The docks and harbours of the Eastern coast are under the firm, yet discreet rule of Cosa Nostra. By infiltrating the International Longshoremens's Association, the dockers's trade union, the Organization has managed to establish a tight grip on the port's business. Despite several judicial investigations, enquiries and media campaigns, the Mafia has not been eradicated from that American territory that is geographical (docks and harbours), economic (shipment of goods) and social (unionism) at the same time. One does wonder how the Mafia manages to adapt to change and to overcome waves of criminal repression.

Changing Horse. Recreating Entrepreneurial Economies in the Mid-Western United States
Economies of the Midwest United States led the world in entrepreneurialism, wealth creation, and economic transformation in the 20th century. But the institutions created to maintain that wealth are now constraining the region's capacity to make the changes necessary to adapt to the new global economy. To restore their entrepreneurial capacity, the economies of the Midwest need to create and integrate four institutional capacities : the agglomeration of research and skill sets that we often associate with university research parks, assistance to new business startups through “one-stop shops” for economic development, stronger private sector connections with the region's research universities, and very early-stage venture funding.