In The News

10 Years On, SCO Decides to Induct India as Full Member

Anil Sasi July 14, 2015
India and Pakistan will be full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, joining China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Membership will allow both two members to access more energy from Central Asia, reports Anil Sasi for the Indian Express. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded with an offer to work with the six-member grouping to enhance connectivity,...

Ashraf Ghani's Bold Move for Taliban Peace

David Loyn July 10, 2015
The Afghan government and Taliban, accompanied by representatives of the Haqqani network, met for peace talks. The Taliban demand closure of all foreign bases, a prisoner exchange and end to a United Nations blacklist on travel for individuals. The government expects the insurgents to respect women’s rights; all members of the Afghan delegation were male. “The presence of US and Chinese diplomats...

Why Smart Africa Is Smart Policy

Stuart N. Brotman July 9, 2015
In 2013, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union at that time organized a summit to address Africa’s need for information communication technology, or ICT, an endeavor they called “Transform Africa.” More than 1,200 delegates from different countries, corporations and civil society groups discussed how to bring ICT to Africa. They...

Greece’s “No” Is No Victory for Democracy

Bernard-Henri Lévy July 8, 2015
Greek defiance, expressed in a referendum that rejected terms for a bailout, is a defeat for democracy – signaling Greece's lack of respect for a process. Citizens in other European nations have deep worries about another bailout without reforms that prevent over-spending, waste and corruption. “Despite its defects, the EU has become a laboratory of democratic innovation, in which, for the...

Angela's Ashes: How Merkel Failed Greece and Europe

Peter Müller and René Pfister July 6, 2015
The Greek debt crisis, has put Europe into turmoil, and leaders could have set limits on Greece long ago. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras heightened uncertainty by scheduling a referendum on whether Greece should accept conditions for a bailout. “Tsipras' radicalism lies in his faith in the power of the decision,” write Peter Müller and René Pfister for Spiegel Online. If he doesn't...

Power Transitions in Saudi Arabia Spell Changes in the Middle East

Bruce Riedel July 2, 2015
Saudi Arabia has long valued continuity, reducing uncertainty by planning leadership transitions years in advance, preparing individuals for their future roles. But King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, crowned this year, has made many changes, including removing his predecessor’s choice for crown prince and naming his son as minister for defense as the country wages war against rebels in neighboring Yemen...

The New Ukrainian Exceptionalism

Matthew Rojansky and Mykhailo Minakov June 23, 2015
Ukraine struggles to survive as an independent nation against external and internal forces – Russia, the powerful neighbor next door, and Russian sympathizers throughout eastern Ukraine. “Russian-backed aggression, relentless propaganda and meddling in Ukraine’s domestic politics have pushed many Ukrainians to adopt a deeply polarized worldview, in which constructive criticism, dissenting views,...