In The News

For Now, Putin Struts on the World Stage

Thomas Graham September 19, 2013
The crisis over the use of chemical weapons in Syria has offered an opportunity for a diplomatic initiative that Russian President Vladimir Putin has grasped with both hands. The result, writes Thomas Graham, senior fellow with Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and former director on Russia for the US National Security Council, has been to bring Russia center stage in Middle...

Can Iran, Victim of Chemical Weapons, Help Fix the Syria Crisis?

Karl Vick September 13, 2013
Iran is one of Syria’s few allies, yet its people were also victims of horrific chemical weapons attacks during the 1980-88 war with Iraq. Some analysts suggest that Iran – because of its own history as a victim of chemical attacks – may be key to instigating diplomacy among the warring factions. “Saddam Hussein’s unchecked use of mustard gas, cyanide and other chemical weapons against Iranian...

A Syrian Lesson for India

Nayan Chanda September 11, 2013
The United Nations monitors global weather conditions, population growth, security and refugee populations, and the trends are interconnected in many complex ways. In Syria, severe drought between 2006 and 2010 turned more than half the land into desert, contributing to a vicious civil war: Drought and water shortages led to unemployment, forcing hundreds of thousands into Syria’s cities – many...

Dignity Deficit Fuels Uprisings in the Middle East

Nayef Al-Rodhan September 10, 2013
The Arab Spring has pummeled a region with waves of hope for recovering lost dignity, short-lived success and then despair and more despair. Unending conflict has killed many and left millions more refugees. The international community has long empowered brutal dictators, in pursuit of oil or short-term stability, and then pointedly ignored dire conditions, overlooking blatant violations of human...

People Will Pay if Army Fails Challenge of Political Islam

Amin Saikal September 9, 2013
Political Islam in Egypt – with the democratic election of Mohamed Morsi and one chaotic year in office – took an ideological approach to government, failing to compromise with other forces in society that led the revolution against Mubarak’s dictatorship. After deposing Morsi, the Egyptian military has cracked down on his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other supporters. Conservative...

Syria Strike Would Put Peace Further Out of Reach

Patrick M. Regan September 6, 2013
Research suggests that foreign intervention makes conflicts last longer: “A significant amount of research, including my own, demonstrates that military interventions from outside states lengthen and make bloodier civil wars,” writes Patrick Regan, political scientist and peace advocate. “The data include roughly 1,000 interventions into 100 civil wars over the last 60 years, with research...

Buying Iran Oil Is Good Economics and Politics

September 4, 2013
All economies depend on a steady energy supply, but the world’s second largest oil producer, the United States, has imposed sanctions on Iran, sixth largest producer. India, ranking 23rd, plans on buying more Iranian crude oil: “Realism dictates India to turn increasingly to Tehran as it faces a major current account deficit problem on account of the burgeoning oil import bill,” suggests the New...