In The News

Democracy in Decline

Ayman El-Amir March 26, 2008
Most countries of the world are democracies, but recent elections demonstrate the challenges of the political system. The US promoted democracy in its battle against terrorism, and yet entrenched “regimes have borrowed America's fight against terrorism slogan as a way to stifle domestic dissent, arrest the dynamics of change, hamper the progress of basic freedoms and human rights and rig...

China and Pakistan: New Friends Can’t Compare

Willem van Kemenade March 12, 2008
The United States built a close relationship with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the basis of his hard line against terrorism. Shared recognition of a security threat bound the two states together, much as it did during the early Cold War. But Pakistani voters questioned that priority, and the outcome of February parliamentary elections revealed the fragility of the current US-Pakistan...

Back to the Great Game in Kazakhstan

Charles Tannock February 29, 2008
Kazakhstan borders two great powers, Russia and China, and lies within Europe’s sphere of influence. Its geography, together with its massive oil reserves and majority Muslim population, make Kazakhstan a point of interest for all three parties. However, the European Parliament has thus far ruled out courting the central Asian state because of human-rights violations. Charles Tannock, member of...

Running for Cover

February 28, 2008
In a relatively rare instance of policy – rather than personal – disagreement, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama hold differing views on how to make sure Americans have health insurance. While Clinton proposes an individual mandate, Obama contends that making health care affordable is the only way to achieve true universal coverage. Individual mandates have run into trouble, in legislation in...

Separatist Movements Seek Inspiration in Kosovo

Stephan Orth February 26, 2008
Kosovo has become a rallying cry for minority rights, autonomy and independence in European states such as Spain and Greece, report Stephan Orth, Nadine Michel and Maike Jansen for Spiegel Online. Perhaps more significant, the writers note, is Kosovo’s symbolism in the ethnically diverse and traditionally less powerful Eastern European and Balkan countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus....

Democracy in Pakistan Might Bring Tension with Washington

Husain Haqqani February 22, 2008
Voting in Pakistan’s Feb 18 parliamentary elections was an act of courage. The people who turned out rejected extremist politics as well as the allies of President Pervez Musharraf. Instead, Pakistanis selected representatives from the center-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by Asif Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto, and the center-right Pakistan Muslim League, led by Nawaz Sharif. The two...

New Partners in Pakistan

Matt Phillips February 22, 2008
Long awaited elections in Pakistan, despite violence and low turnout that affected results, produced a strong repudiation of President Pervez Musharraf, whose party came in third place, according to unofficial results. An alliance between the two leading parties, the late Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, would fall just short of the two-thirds of...