In The News

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...

The Long Road to Reunification

Yoav Cerralbo November 17, 2010
A goal for many Koreans since World War II has been reunification of North and South, and hopes are high with dictator Kim Jong Il designating a young successor. One-time bitter foes can unite into one nation, as demonstrated by Germany, though the possibility of Korean reunification depends on neighboring China, which supplies and controls the North, explains Hans-Gert Poettering, chairman of...

Israeli Settlement Plan Sparks International Outrage

Harriet Sherwood November 11, 2010
A key component of any peace deal between Palestinians and Israelis is a freeze on construction of Israeli settlements. Settlements on occupied territory are illegal under international law. Yet Israeli leaders refuse to commit to a freeze; newly disclosed plans for settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank threaten the latest US attempt at peace talks and spur widespread international...

Fighting Terrorism in Yemen Requires Patience and Partners

November 10, 2010
Countries with high rates of poverty and lax central governments provide ideal settings for those intent on committing acts of terrorism. The most recent try was printer cartridges, loaded with explosions, in overseas packages addressed to Chicago synagogues, mailed from Sana’a, Yemen's capital. Yemen has severe water shortages, low rates of literacy, high rates of child hunger, with nearly...

The £1 Billion Hostage Trade

Esme McAvoy, David Randall November 9, 2010
More than 12,000 people are taken hostage each year worldwide. Until 2004, the problem was pocketed among a few regions, but is now global. Kidnapping is on the rise in Nigeria, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Mexico, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere. Originally used by guerrillas for political purposes, the crime has become increasingly commercialized: Criminals compares strategies and set up...

Obama in India: Taking the Partnership Global

Teresita C. Schaffer November 5, 2010
Increased trade and an urgent need for global governance have shifted the nature of the US-India relationship from bilateral to strategic in nature, explains Teresita C. Schaffer, director for the South Asia Program with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In just a decade, a minimal security relationship between the two nations transformed into regular military exercises and...

India's and China's Roads to World Leadership – Part II

Frank Ching November 3, 2010
Modern global crises – economic, environmental, security or other forms– can strike with sudden force, quickly leap frogging borders. The world desperately needs leaders to manage the response or better yet prevent problems in the first place. This YaleGlobal series examines the potential of the world's two most populous nations as candidates for taking on global leadership roles. In the...