In The News

Peace Deal for Turkey

Mohammed Ayoob March 25, 2013
Promised rapprochement between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish government has implications for the Middle East, particularly Syria, Iraq and Iran, nations that also have sizable Kurdish minorities concentrated in contiguous regions. Jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan issued a statement on the Kurdish New Year, calling for an immediate end to hostilities against the Turkish state, without...

BRICS Not That Sturdy

Harsh V. Pant March 22, 2013
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa represent about 40 percent of the world’s population and nearly 25 percent of its economic output. Yet momentum of the organized grouping of strong emerging economies could be fading, suggests Harsh V. Pant of King’s College. A major challenge to potential clout of BRICS is China’s dominance: “China’s power makes the other members nervous, leading...

No Shift in Iran's Nuclear Behavior, Despite Sanctions

Joby Warrick, Anne Gearan March 21, 2013
Sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy, but may have also strengthened leaders’ resolve to defy the US and Europe by pursuing a uranium-enrichment program. “[H]ardships have not triggered significant domestic protests or produced a single concession by Iran on its nuclear program,” report Joby Warrick and Anne Gearan for the Washington Post. “Although weakened, Iran has resisted Western...

“China Dream” – Unshaken Party Rule

Börje Ljunggren March 20, 2013
China’s new president is entering office with more charisma and more authority than has been credited to previous leaders. Xi Jinping is ambitious for big reforms, but must deal with corruption, environmental devastation and an unwieldy bureaucracy that’s mostly lacking vision and set on maintaining the status quo. Xi wants to continue economic reforms that would make China a respected,...

EU Fails to Speak With One Voice on Syria

Joshua Chaffin March 19, 2013
The Syrian rebels are outgunned and the bloodshed continues. European leaders have disagreed how to bring the civil war in Syria to swift, humane conclusion. France and Britain want to end an arms embargo for opposition groups, particularly moderates; Germany resists. A compromise emerged Monday, with the EU allowing security advice, but not actual arms transfer. Such arguments underscore the...

Powers Seek Influence in Burma’s Conflict

Bertil Lintner March 18, 2013
Burma’s President Thein Sein, while visiting Europe, announced that the government’s fighting against ethnic resistance forces has ended – even as the government moves more troops into the troubled areas. Meanwhile, the United States and China are scrambling for influence by brokering peace to end the ethnic conflicts. Dozens of think tanks and NGOs from the West are attracting donor funds and...

Fossil-Fuel Subsidies Help Asia Roar

Will Hickey March 15, 2013
Governments have long provided subsidies, direct and indirect, on fuels for both consumers and producers. Providing subsidies on fossil fuels is costly in terms of public health and climate change. In 2009, G20 leaders agreed that subsidies should be curtailed, but Asian countries continue to fund them to support economic growth. Subsidies for consumers lead to waste, traffic and pollution. Less...