Daniel P. Serwer

President-elect Obama has stated his commitment to withdraw combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months, leaving a residual force of unspecified size for counterterrorism operations, training and equipping Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and protection of Americans. Judging from his statements during the campaign, it appears that the President-elect would like to leave Iraq’s internal problems to the Iraqis and treat Iraq as part of overall regional concerns rather than being his central focus.

The Bush Administration and Congress face difficult choices in Iraq. How can the relative success during the surge be prolonged and solidified? Should the drawdown continue? When will the Iraqi security forces be ready to take over? What can be done to accelerate political progress?

Briefing before the bipartisan Congressional briefing series sponsored by Congressmen Howard Berman (D-CA) and Chris Shays (R-CT) on Kosovo’s declaration of independence; Serbia’s recent elections; U.S., European and Russian reactions; and, prospects for averting conflict in the Balkans with Daniel Serwer, Soren Jessen-Petersen and the International Crisis Group.

How will the recent Sunni "Awakenings" against Al Qaeda translate in Iraq’s broader political milieu? Already under the siege of an insurrection, can the current Iraqi government address the pitfalls of the coming year?

Daniel Serwer, USIP Guest Scholar Soren Jessen-Petersen and James O’Brien briefed Congressional staff on the importance of addressing that status of Kosovo.

Daniel Serwer testified before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Hearing on Human Rights, Democracy and Integration in South-Central Europe on the current situation in Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo, and on why none has established a firm foundation for peace after years of conflict.

An Overview of U.S. Institute of Peace Activities to Promote Democracy and Minority Rights in Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo

Congressional Testimony by Dan Serwer, director of the Balkans Initiative and Peace and Stability Operations.

Congressional Testimony by Dan Serwer, director of the Balkans Initiative.

Kosovo today is an international protectorate created by UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which foresees establishment of substantial autonomy and self-governance under the aegis of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) followed by a decision on final status. In the three and a half years since the NATO/Yugoslavia war, officials have generally avoided discussion of Kosovo final status and sought to postpone the decision foreseen in resolution 1244. At the same time, pressures are building and many informed observers believe that a decision will be needed sooner rather than later, but certainly within the next two to five years. Continuing to defer the matter will increase the risk of future conflict.

This report describes the lessons learned from past nonviolent campaigns and ways in which these lessons might be applied in the future. It is a product of a conference co-sponsored by the United States Institute of Peace and the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC). Participants included prominent leaders and organizers from past nonviolent struggles in South Africa, Serbia, Mongolia, Kosovo, Chile, Poland, and the U.S. civil rights movement; advocates of nonviolent change in Belarus, Zimbabwe, Burma, and the Kurdish region of Iraq; and a number of analysts and observers with expertise on the subject.

The report examines the Albanian populations of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Albania, and outlines the major issues Albanians face in each of these areas. The report also discusses the views of the governments and majority populations in Balkan states with large Albanian minorities.

The Dayton Upgrade Project at the United States Institute of Peace held a series of meetings to examine the peace process in Bosnia in the five years since the signing of the Dayton Accords. Subjects addressed included post-war security structures in Bosnia, institution building, economic restructuring, ethnicity, and nationalism.