In The News

Reining in China's Ambitions

Daniel Blumenthal July 28, 2010
China claims the bulk of the South China Sea almost as its lake, and bristles about what it considers hostile passage of foreign naval vessels in the economic zone. The Obama administration has recently sent notice it insists on freedom of navigation and it expects peaceful resolution of territorial disputes with Vietnam, Malaysia and other nations. China prefers dealing with nations one to one,...

In Afghanistan, a Threat of Plunder

Paul Collier July 21, 2010
Afghanistan’s poor security situation, combined with reports of enormous untapped mineral wealth, could unleash a tragic rush to exploitation, environmental destruction and civil conflict. Without good governance, Afghanistan’s lithium and gold may do little to improve Afghani daily life – as was the case with gold in the Congo, oil in Nigeria, or diamonds in Sierra Leone. In contrast, Botswana...

Obama’s America and the World: A Promise at Risk

Strobe Talbott July 20, 2010
Disappointment swelling since Barack Obama’s election isn’t limited to his domestic opposition – it also runs deep among progressives who long for the US president to move swiftly on stirring campaign promises. Obama entered office with a horrendous legacy, a list longer than that encountered by previous US presidents: ongoing Middle East conflict, hemorrhaging Afghan war, North Korea’s and Iran’...

McChrystal Tests Obama’s Priorities

David Sanger June 23, 2010
Throughout history generals have griped about civilian commanders, as summarized by this New York Times article. But with the internet and instant global communication, such complaints do not remain secret long, exposed to colleagues and enemies alike. Any hint of insubordination or internal divisions adds to war’s complexity, dulling public support in the homeland and afar. Complaints by General...

Kyrgyzstan Falls Apart: Can Democracy Work in Central Asia?

Benjamin Bidder, Matthias Schepp June 22, 2010
Ethnic violence has swept through Kyrgyzstan, and an article in Der Spiegel suggests that the country could follow the path of other former Soviet satellites, abandoning plans for a democratic system of government. “Central Asia faces a dilemma,” write Benjamin Bidder and Matthias Schepp. “Democracy doesn't seem to work there, but the region's autocratic regimes run the risk of...

The Burma-North Korea Axis

Aung Lynn Htut June 18, 2010
Even as the United States faces a multitude of challenges, both domestic and global, a New York Times opinion essay warns that leaders cannot afford to overlook trouble spots like Burma. All problems could look small indeed next to the threat of nuclear weapons in the hands of the junta ruling Burma. The regime is skilled at deceiving foreign watchers, such as long hiding renewed ties with North...

The Breach

Mark Hibbs June 14, 2010
The Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons seeks to prevent the spread of such weapons and ultimately achieve global nuclear disarmament. Only a handful of states have not ratified the treaty, among them historical rivals Pakistan and India, which amassed nuclear arsenals after the international binding agreement came into force. In 2006, a plan was announced allowing the US to sell...