Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, national membership organization and a nonpartisan center for scholars dedicated to producing and disseminating ideas so that individual and corporate members, as well as policymakers, journalists, students, and interested citizens in the United States and other countries, can better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments.

The Council does this by convening meetings; conducting a wide-ranging Studies program; publishing Foreign Affairs, the preeminent journal covering international affairs and U.S. foreign policy; maintaining a diverse membership; sponsoring Independent Task Forces; and providing up-to-date information about the world and

U.S. foreign policy on the Council’s website, www.cfr.org

THE COUNCIL TAKES NO INSTITUTIONAL POSITION ON POLICY ISSUES AND HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. ALL STATEMENTS OF FACT AND EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION CONTAINED IN ITS PUBLICATIONS ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AUTHOR OR AUTHORS.

The Council will sponsor an Independent Task Force when

(1) an issue of current and critical importance to U.S. foreign policy arises, and

(2) it seems that a group diverse in backgrounds and perspectives may, nonetheless, be able to reach a meaningful consensus on a policy through private and nonpartisan deliberations.

Typically, a Task Force meets between two and five times over a brief period to ensure the relevance of its work.

Upon reaching a conclusion, a Task Force issues a report, and the Council publishes its text and posts it on the Council’s website. Task Force reports can take three forms:

(1) a strong and meaningful policy consensus, with Task Force members endorsing the general policy thrust and judgments reached by the group, though not necessarily every finding and recommendation;

(2) a report stating the various policy positions, each as sharply and fairly as possible;

(3) a “Chairman’s Report,” where Task Force members who agree with the chairman’s report may associate themselves with it, while those who disagree may submit dissenting statements.

Upon reaching a conclusion, a Task Force may also ask individuals who were not members of the Task Force to associate themselves with the Task Force report to enhance its impact. All Task Force reports “benchmark” their findings against current administration policy in order to make explicit areas of agreement and disagreement. The Task Force is solely responsible for its report. The Council takes no institutional position.

For further information about the Council or this Task Force, please write to the Council on Foreign Relations, 58 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10021, or call the Director of Communications at 212-434-9400. Visit the Council’s website at www.cfr.org

TASK FORCE MEMBERS

1. PETER ACKERMAN

2. DAVID ALBRIGHT

3. SHAUL BAKHASH*

4. ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI

5. Co-Chair

6. FRANK CARLUCCI* ROBERT EINHORN

7. ROBERT M. GATES

8. Co-Chair H. P. GOLDFIELD*

9. STEPHEN B. HEINTZ

10. BRUCE HOFFMAN

11. JOHN H. KELLY

12. WILLIAM H. LUERS

13. SUZANNE MALONEY Project Director

14. RICHARD H. MATZKE*

15. LOUIS PERLMUTTER

16. JAMES PLACKE

17. NICHOLAS PLATT

18. DANIEL B. PONEMAN*

19. ELAHÉ SHARIFPOUR-HICKS

20. STEPHEN J. SOLARZ

21. RAY TAKEYH

22. MORTIMER ZUCKERMAN

* The individual has endorsed the report and submitted an additional or a dissenting view.

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