In The News

Can China and Turkey Forge a New Silk Road?

Anna Beth Keim, Sulmaan Khan January 18, 2013
China and Turkey are taking steps to reinvigorate their relationship and role as strong bookends to the Asian continent while encouraging new connections along the routes of the ancient Silk Road network. The two countries aim to boost bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2020, and plans are underway to connect Ankara and Beijing by rail. But there are complications, too. Turkey, NATO member, also...

Deafness at Doomsday

Lawrence M. Krauss January 17, 2013
Global leaders routinely ignore the views of scientists in many areas of policymaking, and this threatens global security. “Scientists’ voices are crucial in the debates over the global challenges of climate change, nuclear proliferation and the potential creation of new and deadly pathogens,” writes Lawrence M. Krauss, theoretical physicist at Arizona State University. Nine countries have...

Is Mali Another Loss for Counterinsurgency?

Max Fisher January 16, 2013
The world’s most powerful nations continue to struggle over how to defeat extremists, often a minority faction that can destabilize entire nations – from Afghanistan in Central Asia to Mali in Africa. The strategies range from those small in scale, including intelligence collection, deployment of special forces, use of drones and working with local forces, to a heavy military presence, including...

Conservative Causes Go Global

Clifford Bob January 16, 2013
Global civil society has long been ideologically diverse and hard fought over many years, as demonstrated with the anti-slavery or suffrage movements. Causes with global stature carry greater prominence than local or national efforts, giving supporters access to more allies, resources and shared strategies. And while conservatives support minimal government in many areas, particularly...

In Disputes Over Asian Seas, Winner May Take Zilch

Robert A. Manning January 14, 2013
Three senior US officials are visiting America’s two East Asian allies, South Korea and Japan, in a bid to defuse tensions over territorial claims. Strains of nationalism and saber-rattling with modern weaponry like drones could derail Asia’s quest for prosperity and global leadership and threaten the dream of an Asian Century, explains Robert A. Manning, senior fellow with the Brent Scowcroft...

Two Diverging Roads for Afghanistan

Thomas Barfield January 11, 2013
US President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai are meeting throughout the day at the White House, developing specifics on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the US role in the region. Afghanistan faces two futures. “The direction depends on whether Afghanistan breaks its longstanding lack of economic integration with the outside world,” suggests Thomas Barfield, Afghanistan...

Japan and China Step Up Drone Race, Tension Builds Over Disputed Islands

Jonathan Kaiman, Justin McCurry January 11, 2013
About 200 kilometers north of Taiwan are small islands claimed by major trade partners Japan and China. The islands are uninhabited, but analysts have suggested that oil and gas reserves could rest underneath nearby waters. The new leaders of the two nations are turning to drones and fighter jets for surveillance of the islands, called Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan. Japan plans on...