In The News

Brexit and Bust: Britain Plunges Into the Unknown

Daniel Twining June 23, 2016
The United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union has shocked the world and is a wake-up call for the single market of 28 nations and more than 500 million people. The fury over economic and political cooperation that led to the referendum could intensify. “In unsettling ways, the June 23 referendum has put the future of Europe, the transatlantic alliance and the international...

NATO War Games In Poland Get Russia's Attention

David Welna June 21, 2016
NATO conducted a joint military exercise in northwest Poland with 30,000 troops. The exercise did not identify a specific enemy, but planners had Russian interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine in mind. The United States and Europe are relying on a stance used during the Cold War – that strength deters Russian aggression. Other researchers suggest that such exercises irritate Russia and...

Long Nuclear Shadow Could Revive Calls for Abolition

Bennett Ramberg June 21, 2016
Led by Russia and the United States, the world reduced the nuclear stockpile from 60,000 weapons to about 16,000 held by nine nations. The total still poses a grave global threat. Any nuclear attack or accident would kill many, devastating an entire region, which in turn would revive demands for abolition, explains Bennett Ramberg, author and a former policy analyst in the US Bureau of Politico-...

Brexit and the Future of US-UK Military Cooperation

Stephen Meyer June 19, 2016
Analysts have long debated the feasibility of the European Union moving beyond an economic partnership with tighter integration in other areas, including foreign policy. The United Kingdom’s decision to remain or leave the European Union would signal a direction for the nation’s future military relationships. “If the British vote down the Brexit referendum later next week and choose to remain in...

US Officials Say American Muslims Do Report Extremist Threats

Kristina Cooke and Joseph Ax June 16, 2016
The US has more than 3 million Muslims, about 1 percent of the population. A good relationship with the Muslim community is indispensable for law enforcement, notes James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation: “It’s at the heart of the FBI’s effectiveness to have good relationships with these folks.” His statement countered claims by US presidential candidate Donald Trump who, in...

War of Words: What's in the Name “Rohingya”?

Azeem Ibrahim June 16, 2016
Myanmar's constitution recognizes 135 ethnic groups, but excludes the Rohingya. Some estimates put the minority at 1.4 million, a fraction of the nation’s more than 50 million people. Nationalists have concocted a revisionist history, insisting that Rohingya Muslims are really from Bangladesh, brought in by British colonizers, to deny the group citizenship rights and identification cards...

Fewer Guns, Fewer Deaths: An Idea Everyone But the US Seems to Agree With

Iain Overton June 15, 2016
Most of the world is appalled that the United States resists pursuing what the president calls “common sense” regulations to curb mass shootings, explains Iain Overton of Action on Armed Violence for the Globe and Mail. A mass shooting in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub left 49 dead, and the suspect is reported to have scouted Disney World as a target. Most US voters and even gun owners support...