This week, the government in Afghanistan fell as the Taliban took control of Kabul, a major earthquake hit Haiti killing over 2,000 people, and the U.S. announced that Covid-19 vaccine booster shots would be available to Americans beginning in September. Read more below.
This Week’s Content Highlights
Features from Aspen Strategy Group Members
Madeleine Albright joined a press conference: “Rep. Jason Crow, Madeleine Albright Speak on Situation in Afghanistan”
Dianne Feinstein in an official statement: “Maximum Effort Needed to Evacuate Americans, Save Afghans at Risk of Taliban Violence”
Michèle Flournoy quoted by Greg Jaffe in The Washington Post
Susan Glasser in The New Yorker: “‘Not Our Tragedy’: The Taliban Are Coming Back, and America Is Still Leaving"
Kay Bailey Hutchison interviewed by Sarah Wheaton with Zoya Sheftalovich for Politico’s Brussels Playbook
Dina Powell McCormick on Dana Perino’s Everything Will Be Okay podcast: “Following Your Path with Dina Powell McCormick”
David Petraeus on NBC News with Lester Holt: "General Petraeus on Afghanistan"
Condoleezza Rice in The Washington Post: “The Afghan People Didn’t Choose the Taliban. They Fought and Died Alongside Us.”
Larry Summers on the Here & Now podcast with Scott Tang: “Former Treasury Secretary On Consumer Prices, Inflation, U.S. Role In Global Pandemic Efforts”
ASG Rising Leaders in the News
ASG Rising Leader Zoe Weinberg is co-host of the new podcast Next in Foreign Policy produced in collaboration with Foreign Policy for America's NextGen initiative. Listen to hear new ideas from young and diverse voices in foreign policy and national security.
The premier episode features Ms. Weinberg and fellow co-host Grant Haver discussing great power competition with the Eurasia Group’s Ali Wyne. Listen here.
Tweet of the Week
Things to Know
Content Relevant to Aspen Security Forum Discussions
Amanda Coletta and Ellen Francis for The Washington Post: “Haiti Earthquake Survivors, Stranded By Storm, Search for Shelter”
Asa Fitch and Bob David in The Wall Street Journal: “Intel CEO Pitches Pricey Chip Plants to Officials at Home and Abroad”
P. Michael McKinley in Foreign Affairs: “We All Lost Afghanistan”
Erik Ortiz for NBC News: “As U.S. Promotes Booster Shots Against Covid, Moral Questions Arise Over Vaccine Equity”
James Stavridis in TIME: “I Was Deeply Involved in War in Afghanistan for More Than a Decade. Here's What We Must Learn”
"The International Community Must Do More for Vulnerable Afghans"
The Aspen Ministers Forum - a group of former foreign ministers from around the globe - has released a statement on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
Signed by 23 former ministers including Madeleine Albright, the statement calls for the evacuation of Afghan allies, increased humanitarian support, and the "creation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan that upholds...human rights, women’s rights, and minority rights."
Book of the Week
By Barnett Rubin
"Afghanistan: What Everyone Needs to Know is a concise introduction to the issues facing Afghanistan today.
In the book, Rubin provides an overview of Afghanistan history, explores aspects of the country's cultures, peoples, and its relationships with neighboring states, and examines how it became the center of many international conflicts. Written in a question-and-answer format, Afghanistan: What Everyone Needs to Know makes decades of academic research on the country accessible for college students, professionals, and anyone else interested in learning more about Afghanistan."
Applications Open
Brent Scowcroft Award Fellow
The Aspen Strategy Group is seeking the next Brent Scowcroft Award Fellow. Named in honor of ASG Chair Emeritus Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, the fellowship program provides the first stepping-stone for young professionals with an interest in U.S. foreign policy to forge careers inspired by General Scowcroft’s expertise and ethos of service. Scowcroft Fellows typically join the ASG team for a period of 6 months, during which time they are encouraged to develop practical skills and build knowledge in the field of foreign policy and national security.
Applications are now open for this temporary, full-time, paid position.
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