“I think basically we`ve stopped things from getting even worse. I think that the monetary policy of a traditional sort — lowering interest rates — really didn`t have any significant traction. It really didn`t produce the kind of upturn that Federal Reserve policy had in the past. But all of these lending and guarantee programs have stopped credit from drying up even more. It had really stalled out, and now the Fed has basically been, with the help of the Treasury, replacing some of what would normally be private sector credit.”

Martin Feldstein, a member of the Belfer Center’s Board of Directors, was interviewed on PBS’ The Charlie Rose Show about Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package on January 6, 2009.

To watch the interview, go to: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9899

“In this crisis, doing too little poses a greater threat than doing too much. Any sound economic strategy in the current context must be directed at both creating the jobs that Americans need and doing the work that our economy requires.”

Lawrence Summers, a member of the Belfer Center’s Board of Directors, wrote “Obama’s Down Payment,” which the Washington Post published on December 29, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18753/

“For the most, part the United States doesn’t put much pressure on Israel; the aid tends to be given unconditionally. And as we’ve seen in the last 11 days, you rarely if ever see American politicians uttering more than the mildest criticisms. This is an unusual situation, to say the least, and I’d argue it’s not good for the United States, but also not good for Israel either.”

Stephen Walt, a member of the Belfer Center’s Board of Directors, was interviewed on NPR’s Talk of the Nation about U.S. influence over Israel on January 6, 2008.

To listen to the interview, go to: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99049852

“Hamas and Hizbullah are the ideological step-children of the Likud Party and especially Ariel Sharon, whose embrace of violence, racism and colonization as the primary means of dealing with occupied Arab populations ultimately generated a will to resist.”

Rami Khouri, a senior fellow with the Belfer Center’s Dubai Initiative and director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs and the American University of Beirut, wrote “Why Hamas (and Hizbullah) will be difficult to defeat,” released by Agence Global on January 5, 2009.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18757/

“The Bush administration essentially “orphaned” several foreign policy issues after 2000 (relations with Mexico and Canada, and the environment, among others) but two are particularly important: tensions with Russia and the future of nuclear arms control.”

Thomas Nichols, a research fellow with the Belfer Center’s International Security Program and the Project on Managing the Atom, wrote “Bush’s ‘orphans’ haunt the world,” which the Toronto Star published on December 29, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18750/

“The Izz ad din al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas’ military arm, had been boosting its defensive capabilities and using the heavily populated Palestinian civilian territory to its advantage, calculating that one wrong move on the part of Israel would bring international pressure to bear on Israel to stop its counteroffensive before its objectives were met. Yet it appears Hamas has overstretched its hand and alienated much of the Arab world by aligning itself with Iran and Syria, as well as by seeking unrealistic demands for a renewed ceasefire.”

Joshua Gleis, an associate of the Belfer Center’s International Security Program, wrote “Lessons learned from the 2006 war being implemented in Gaza,” which the Huffington Post published on December 30, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18752/

“The correct context in which to understand and analyze the current situation is that it is a war — an active, bilateral Palestinian-Israeli war — not unilateral Hamas rocketry. Imperial power and indigenous nationalism can go on fighting for decades, to no avail.”

Rami Khouri, a senior fellow with the Belfer Center’s Dubai Initiative and director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs and the American University of Beirut, wrote “Hanukkah and Hamas,” released by Agence Global on December 31, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18756/

“We remain deeply mired in a colonial-era mentality in many respects. The massive attention paid to awaiting the new Middle East policies of the Obama administration in the United States is the most dramatic manifestation of this trend.”

Rami Khouri, a senior fellow with the Belfer Center’s Dubai Initiative and director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs and the American University of Beirut, wrote “A marginalized region,” released by Agence Global on December 30, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/

“These trends can be seen in action during the current Israeli attack against Gaza: Palestinian and Arab radicalization, Islamist responses amidst pan-Arab lassitude, the continued discrediting of President Mahmoud Abbas’ government, and regional populist agitation against Israel, its U.S. protector, and most Arab governments. None of this is new. And that is precisely why it is so significant today, as Israel’s war on Gaza paves the way for a repetition of the five trends above that have plagued Israelis and Arabs alike.”

Rami Khouri, a senior fellow with the Belfer Center’s Dubai Initiative and director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs and the American University of Beirut, wrote “Punishing Gaza in vain,” released by Agence Global on December 29, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18754/

“President-elect Obama must re-introduce coercive diplomacy as its chief strategy for negotiations with the Iranians. This tactic has proven time and again to be one of America’s most effective tools. An Obama administration must begin direct talks with the Iranians, and make them understand that under no circumstances will it allow Iran to develop a nuclear capability. It must be made clear that the use of force is still most definitely on the table.”

Joshua Gleis, an associate of the Belfer Center’s International Security Program, wrote “Needing Coercive diplomacy to deal with Iran,” which the Huffington Post published on December 27, 2008.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/18751/