In The News

Declare Victory and Get on With Ousting Gaddafi

Mark Malloch-Brown April 7, 2011
As a conference in London revealed, the international community is divided over the next steps for Libya.. The task of saving Libyan civilians from massacre has been completed, argues Mark Malloch-Brown, former UN deputy secretary. Debate focuses what UN Resolution 1973 allows: Germany and Italy support a ceasefire, the US and UK suggest more military action is required, and Saudi Arabia and the...

Libya Exposes Fault Lines in the Mediterranean – Part I

François Godement March 25, 2011
Europe and the West, enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, anticipate a quick end to the conflict. With the tenacity of the pro-Gaddafi forces, that assumption may prove to be misplaced. The crisis reveals a range of security vulnerabilities affecting the Mediterranean and beyond. In the first article of this YaleGlobal series, China specialist François Godement notes how the need to evacuate...

Libya: When Bombs Fall and Allies Fall Apart

Dilip Hiro March 21, 2011
Protests in Libya against Muammar Gaddafi, in power for 42 years, began in mid-February. As Gaddafi’s repression turned increasingly brutal, calls emerged within the Middle East, Europe and the US for limited intervention – a no-fly zone to stop his forces from launching aerial attacks against civilians and rebels. Decision-makers were divided: Among the concerns was reinforcing the impression...

Endgame for Afghanistan

Sreeram Chaulia November 17, 2010
The US and Iran have been at odds since militants overthrew the government and stormed the US embassy more than 30 years ago and, more recently, over Iran’s nuclear program and resistance to UN inspections. But the two nations still share common interests – animosity for the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Sunni extremism – particularly since the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, points out author Sreeram...

Moscow Furious, Says US Not Pushing Drug War in Afghanistan

Fred Weir May 25, 2010
Perhaps better than anyone, veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan understand the challenges confronting NATO in its attempt to stabilize the region. But Russians express concern that more drugs from Afghanistan cross over their borders and those of former Soviet satellites. Russian authorities suggest that the drug trade is linked to terrorism and NATO could do more to control and destroy...

With New Challenges, Should NATO Go Global?

Richard Weitz February 26, 2010
NATO’s top civilian leader, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen envisions an expanded, global role for NATO. Today, threats to NATO’s founding members, let alone the world, tend to be global in nature and frequently from non-state actors. Hence, overcoming such threats requires a globally connected security Alliance. Though Rasmussen’s vision is less ambitious than a 2006 Global NATO proposal...

Stop Slapping the Allies, Secretary Gates

Fred Kaplan February 26, 2010
NATO was formed as a defensive alliance: to protect Western Europe from the Soviet Union. Now, with the war in Afghanistan testing NATO’s ability to shift gears and become an offensive union, the organization seems to be failing. Participation has been lackluster, and efforts to coordinate NATO actions have consistently undermined efforts to fight the Taliban and insurgents. The threadbare state...