In The News

Will US Patience Bring Success in Afghanistan and Iran?

David Ignatius August 23, 2010
Some foreign policy knots untangle on their own over time while others require immediate tugging. Discerning which is which has been a problem for the US, suggests David Ignatius in an opinion essay for the Daily Star. “Patience plus” in the globe’s trouble spots, he explains, requires immediate, widespread, active diplomacy. Direct talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, scheduled for...

China Discovers World Expo Is No Olympics

Maura Elizabeth Cunningham, Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom August 17, 2010
After the dazzling 2008 Olympics, China had hoped to draw attention once again with the World Expo, exceeding previous World’s Fair records with visiting nations, exhibitions and attendance. But even before the Expo, Shanghai and many other cities around the globe already carry significant international cachet, displaying futuristic trends, or what Maura Elizabeth Cunningham and Jeffrey N....

Power Game in Asia Trips Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Harsh V. Pant August 12, 2010
The aim of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in force since 1970, was to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually eliminate them altogether – even among the original five nuclear nations. The goal has been elusive as other nations seek and succeed in acquiring the technology. While the treaty allows for civilian use of nuclear technology, special deals signed for national...

As Some Young Muslims Turn to Radicalism, Concern Grows

Souad Mekhennet August 10, 2010
Muslim parents in Germany are increasingly alarmed over online recruitment efforts by extremists with German-language videos. German security officials estimate that, since the 1990s, fewer than 200 young Germans have traveled to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region to join groups affiliated with Al Qaeda or the Taliban, according to a report by Souad Mekhennet for the New York Times. With...

Gaza: The Silver Lining?

Gustav Ranis August 5, 2010
The Israeli-Palestinian divide is so deep and the world has so many pressing economic and security challenges, it’s no surprise that many foreign-policy experts put the Middle East low on any US priority list. But the longstanding plight of millions of Palestinians in the occupied zones reverberates and captures attention far beyond the region, explains Yale professor Gustav Ranis. Organizing aid...

Iranian Exiles Struggle to Stay Involved

Neil MacFarquhar July 30, 2010
The reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009 sparked some of the worst social unrest in Iran since the1979 Islamic Revolution. Using popular networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, protesters mobilized quickly on streets and university campuses. Swift government repression ensued causing some protesters to seek refuge abroad. Away from home, using internet...

In Afghanistan, a Threat of Plunder

Paul Collier July 21, 2010
Afghanistan’s poor security situation, combined with reports of enormous untapped mineral wealth, could unleash a tragic rush to exploitation, environmental destruction and civil conflict. Without good governance, Afghanistan’s lithium and gold may do little to improve Afghani daily life – as was the case with gold in the Congo, oil in Nigeria, or diamonds in Sierra Leone. In contrast, Botswana...