In The News

Nuclear Challenge from Pakistan and Iran – Part II

Leonard S. Spector October 7, 2009
Iran’s surprise revelation of a nuclear facility near the city of Qom was not such a surprise given that Western intelligence agents already knew of the site. The consensus analysis was that Iran revealed the existence of the site precisely because it had been discovered. But Leonard S. Spector, Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, believes the revelation was...

Nuclear Challenge from Pakistan and Iran – Part I

Matthew Rojansky, Daniel Cassman October 5, 2009
This past summer, advances of the Pakistani Taliban toward the capital Islamabad caused wide concern in the media. Though the Pakistani army vigorously pushed back, reclaiming Swat Valley and an American drone killed the top Taliban leader in Pakistan, the threat to the regime remains, according to Executive Director of the Partnership for a Secure America Matt Rojansky and his research assistant...

Chinese Jeans Bearing Name of God Anger Iranians

Robert Tait September 16, 2009
In a gaffe that may top the list for cultural insensitivity, jeans produced in China to be sold in Iran bore a hallowed phrase from the Koran on the seat pocket of their product. Perhaps the manufacturers thought the inclusion of such a phrase would appeal to the Muslim customers and increase brand recognition. What they missed was the relevance of the phrase for devout Muslims and the less than...

Afghanistan’s Election Matters as Much for the Country as for the World

Bruce Riedel August 27, 2009
Afghanistan’s presidential election could provide a critical update on the progress of the war in that country, writes Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. That is, it should reveal the strength of the Taliban insurgency relative to the success of the US and NATO. The US and NATO appear to have an upper hand given that the Taliban were unsuccessful in disrupting the election...

Nigeria’s ‘Taliban’ Enigma

Joe Boyle July 29, 2009
A recent spike in violence in northern Nigeria has drawn attention to a mysterious group of radicals known variously as “Taliban,” “Maiduguri,” and “Boko Haram.” All the terms have been attributed to the group by local people; it has no name for itself and has no link to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The group aims to overthrow the Nigerian state, impose strict Islamic law and abolish what it calls...

The Last Straw

July 17, 2009
Pakistan’s biggest problem may not be poverty or insurgency, but potential conflict due to climate change. Current estimates suggest that in as little as 25 years, climate change could wreak havoc on the rivers in Kashmir, the source of 90 percent of Pakistan’s supply of irrigated water, creating significant food security hurdles. Pakistan’s options to address the possible crisis are to let its...

Iraq Suffers As The Euphrates River Dwindles

Campbell Robertson July 15, 2009
Iraq currently faces one of the worst droughts in years, as the Euphrates River, one of the country’s main sources of fresh water, is in danger of drying up. Below average rainfall combined with poor water management policies both in Iraq and throughout the region have led to the present conditions. In many areas, there is not enough water to grow crops, leaving Iraq dependent upon grain imports...