In The News

How the Georgia Conflict Impacts US-Russian Relations

Thomas R. Pickering September 2, 2008
Two provinces hoping to break away from Georgia and Russia’s subsequent attack and occupation has raised concerns in the US about Russian motivations for expansion. For US-Russian relations, the conflict will distract from all other issues, including joint efforts to stem nuclear proliferation, cooperation on Iran and trade. As with most other issues, the US is divided on how to best handle the...

America and the World Into a New Era – Part I

Bruce Stokes September 2, 2008
The US and Europe – firm allies throughout the 20th century – now differ on many issues, global security in particular. This YaleGlobal series analyzes the European-American relationship and points to areas of fracture. In the first article, journalist and author Bruce Stokes describes the world’s expectations for the next US president and cautions that regardless of who wins the post-Bush...

The Hypocrisy Audit

Moisés Naím September 2, 2008
In a fast-changing and complicated world with countless connections, double standards are inevitable. But the countries on the losing side of such standards take quick note and protest loudly. The excuse that the world is messy and different situations call for different reactions is quickly adopted by other nations, while orderly international standards fall by the wayside. “Not all double...

Ending Lapse into Lawlessness

Kenneth Roth August 29, 2008
The US president has denied that the country relies on torture, but human-rights advocates do not agree with the country’s definitions of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or a process that limits harsh treatment to those who are not US citizens. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, urges candidates for US president to close detention facilities at Guantánamo Bay and end...

A Door Opens for Reform in Pakistan – Part II

Ziad Haider August 25, 2008
Pakistan has long failed to meet the needs of its own citizens, and this two-part YaleGlobal series explores how weak governance and over-reliance on military solutions have contributed to political turmoil and a build-up of extremism. In the rugged federally administered tribal areas, the 1901 Frontier Crimes Regulations, an outmoded legal system inherited from British colonial administration,...

A Door Opens for Reform in Pakistan – Part I

Paula R. Newberg August 21, 2008
With President Pervez Musharraf finally gone, Pakistan has been celebrating amidst political chaos not unusual for a reborn democracy. Major powers and neighbors who have an interest in Pakistan’s success cannot afford a “wait and see” attitude, suggests Paula Newberg in the first article of a two-part series. The current government must work to restore citizens’ faith in institutions that are...

The Real China Threat

Robert J. Samuelson August 21, 2008
Raw numbers and rankings often don’t reflect momentum, motivation or method. The US frets about a rising China, but such worry is misplaced, urges Robert Samuleson in his Washington Post column. The real concern is an unstable China, along with distorted trade and ruthless competition over natural resources. “The United States has seen a prosperous global economy as a means to expanding its power...