In The News

The Silence of the BRICS

Jaswant Singh September 5, 2014
Peace eludes the world, and moral authority is lacking. “For many, this global rudderlessness recalls Europe’s sleepwalk into catastrophe 100 years ago,” writes Jaswant Singh, former foreign minister of India for Project Syndicate. His essay reflects deep worry that a reckless accident or attack by just one person, combined with global tensions and nations’ refusal to accept borders, could...

Israel Faces International Criticism for Land Grab Revenge

Inna Lazareva September 2, 2014
Soon after the rockets and bombs stopped falling with the long-term ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, Israel dropped a bombshell of an announcement. The international community quickly condemned Israel’s plan to designate more Palestinian-claimed territory near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank as “state land,” paving the way for more Israeli settlements: “More than 300,000 Israelis live...

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Invasion, West to Consider Sanctions

Gregory L. White and Colleen McCain Nelson August 30, 2014
Russia is sending troops and equipment to aid separatists in eastern Ukraine. Whether called incursion or invasion, the move widens the divide between Russia and the West. Tactics and terms used by Russians, including President Vladimir Putin, suggest the goal may be establish a corridor with Crimea, annexed by Russia in March. “Russia's latest moves suggested that the sanctions so far weren...

Pakistan, Obsessed Over India, Risks Anarchy

Husain Haqqani August 21, 2014
Hope was brief for easing a long troubled relationship after Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif traveled for the May inauguration of Narendra Modi as India’s prime minister. Sharif, who won in a 2013 landslide victory, now confronts protests from the opposition as the Pakistan military and agitators thrive on the notion of India as a permanent enemy, with many even condoning terrorist activities directed at...

PM's Pakistan Outreach Ends in Predictable Whimper

Siddharth Varadarajan August 19, 2014
Political extremists and opposition parties vilify Indian or Pakistani leaders who try for improved ties with between the two countries. India’s prime minister cancelled a meeting between the two foreign secretaries after a Pakistan High Commissioner met with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference on pursuing self-determination for Kashmir, an area of bitter dispute between India and Pakistan....

Turkey's Kurdish Buffer

Soner Cagaptay July 17, 2014
The rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or IS or ISIS, in conjunction with the civil wars in Syria and Iraq, has put more pressure on both Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kurds to work together. The Kurdish people are spread throughout Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. Before 2003, Kurds would have resisted working the Turkish government, which they regarded as oppressive. Kurdish...

Beijing Tells G7 Nations to Stay Out of Disputes

Teddy Ng and Agence France-Presse June 9, 2014
Beijing vowed to answer provocations against its territorial sovereignty after the G7 leaders stated concerns over the maritime tensions between China and its Asian-Pacific neighbors. China has long insisted that territorial disputes must be settled by negotiations between China and the states directly affected. G7 leaders, including US and Japan, have suggested that countries involved in...