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February 23, 2012 | From Escalation to Engagement: How to Avoid War

Memo 37: The United States and Europe should strive to de-escalate the growing tensions between Iran and the West. The transatlantic partners could do this by reframing their Middle East policy, promoting a more coherent nuclear proliferation stance, and allowing Europe to act as a bridge between Iran and the US.

August 12, 2011 | Global Security Needs a Regional Focus

Greg Randolph Lawson: The world does not need relics of a bygone era. It needs a robust security architecture capable of confronting the unique circumstances of different regions in ways most suitable to each. It is time to embrace a security architecture based on regionalism, not pretensions to universalism.

October 1, 2010 | Taking the War Home on Both Sides of the Atlantic

Editorial Team: Given the legacy of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the transatlantic community faces a new and largely silent threat: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). On both sides of the Atlantic, societies need to face this new challenge in order to prevent additional tragedy on the home front.

February 23, 2010 | Is Obama Reading the Soviet Guidebook?

Osama Bin Javaid: The current Western involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan is only embedding deeper extremism. Let real democracy develop, as opposed to Karzai’s version, allow the Taliban to run and win elections. Empowering and educating the Afghan masses are the only ways out of NATO’s disarray.

February 3, 2010 | International Politics and Feminism

Makeda Hannah Peter: IR feminists offer alternative conceptions of power. In doing so, feminists attempt to de-construct the power-politics of positivist realism, and focus on individuals and communities. Empirical research conveys gender related issues as central to studies within IR.

February 19, 2009 | NATO-Russia War: A Possible Scenario

Andreas Umland: In Russia, a virulent form of anti-Americanism is becoming a constituent part of public opinion and foreign policy thinking. Should the current dominant trend in political discourse continue, in the future the world may witness more than a new cold war.

February 18, 2009 | The Balkan Countries Need Regional Integration

Pawel Jan Olszewski: The so called multinational Balkan region can be seen as the mirror of the EU - but why is this mirror still broken? Are seven years of bad luck for the region to be expected in view of creating a more lasting peace, or just more decades of instability, threats and the power of domination?

May 3, 2012 | The Return of the 22-Year Civil War

Sudan has been at war with itself since gaining independence. ++ The positive impacts of Southern Sudan post-secession, when the region’s voters supported a split in an internationally backed referendum last year, have been slow to mature. ++ For starters, it is still unclear how the north will be compensated for the loss of its oil wells amounting to $7 billion, nor has the demarcation line

August 5, 2011 | Iran Racing to Build the Bomb

Years of economic sanctions and diplomacy have failed to slow the progress of Iran’s nuclear program. ++ In fact, Iran’s “pariah status has ironically engendered an esprit de corps within its scientific community” that has led to significant advances in its nuclear infrastructure in the past two decades. ++ Despite having its nuclear program isolated, ostracized and

August 4, 2011 | China and US Must Cooperate in Afghanistan

Chinese and US interests in Afghanistan are unlikely to ever align perfectly, but both states have a stake in the stability of the region. ++ Beijing has long been wary of American troop presence near Chinese borders, and disagreements on topics ranging from Taiwan to human rights have led to a “structural ambivalence” between the two powers. ++ But cooperation, especially in the

July 25, 2011 | US Must Solve Domestic Issues First

In a world of diverse threats and diffuse power, the US must turn to a policy of “restoration” to “rebalance the resources devoted to domestic challenges, as opposed to international ones, in favor of the former.” ++ While an active foreign policy should continue to invigorate alliances, the US must be more discriminating in its military interventions abroad. ++ America

July 8, 2011 | New Nation Laden with Old Conflicts

South Sudan will celebrate its independence as the world’s newest nation Saturday. ++ But after the confetti drops, it will immediately become one of its most underdeveloped countries. A fifty-year civil war with the north has killed millions, and ongoing skirmishes in border regions threaten to weaken the new state. ++ Despite deep hatreds between south and north, though, there are also

July 6, 2011 | What is Wrong with Germany?

Germany’s economy is humming, its exports are at an all time high, and its corporations are among the most dynamic in the world. ++ And yet, Germany finds itself isolated from the global community. It sits on the sidelines while its closest allies intervene in Libya, it balks at helping Greece and it rejects Turkey’s bid to enter the EU. In other words, Germany is afraid of changing

June 14, 2010 | Positive Military Side Effects: More Energy for Developing Countries

A rather unexpected side effect of the military’s efforts to rely to a greater extent on green technologies is evident in the context of developing countries: It can lead to significant improvements in the energy situation on the ground. By contributing to energy security locally, the military is in a unique position to improve the image of the United States and the West in its host

June 30, 2009 | Afghan Balance Sheets Will Show Western Mistakes

The international community is taking inventory of their expenditure in Afghanistan. ++ The results will reveal a wide range of shortfalls, especially on behalf of the EU. ++ In spite of the existing realization that the Afghan war will not be won with weapons, inadequacies such as “deficits in international coordination, unkept promises and rivalry among governments” must be addressed. ++ “There

June 25, 2009 | Will There be a Second Russian-Georgian War?

In the face of retreating OSCE peacekeepers, a second war in Georgia becomes possible. ++ Russia’s demand that the OSCE leave Georgia comes at the same time as it states Georgia is preparing for war. ++ Since last year, Moscow has claimed the last conflict was triggered by Georgian attacks. ++ “Russia would be crazy to start a new war.” ++ “Unfortunately, it was just such madness that prompted

June 23, 2009 | Israeli-Iranian War Becomes Very Possible

The current demeanor of both, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lead to war in 2010. ++ Although the leaders aim at different goals, “they are united in their apocalyptic religious visions.” ++ The probable failure of US-Iranian nuclear negotiations must result in more sanctions against Iran. ++ The international community should prepare for

February 5, 2009 | Robots on the Battlefield: Warfare from a Safe Distance

The exponentially increasing use of robotics on the modern battlefield challenges our current understanding of technology and war in much the same way that technological advances revolutionized warfare during World War I. By the end of 2008 the estimated number of US unmanned operating systems (robots) taking part in the Iraq War could be as high as 12,000 units.  
 Military

January 5, 2009 | Evaluating India's Options

A few months after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and in a climate of growing suspicion that Pakistani groups are responsible, India is still uncertain of how to respond. ++ The ramifications of the military option could stretch from a negative shift in the balance of power between the Pakistani secular community and the military elite, to a large scale war between two nuclear powers. ++ While

August 29, 2008 | China Refuses to Back Russia

President Medvedev was unable to achieve the explicit support of the Chinese president for Russia’s intervention in the Caucasus at the latest Central Asian summit. ++ China has not only avoided any anti-western statements so far, it is also concerned about an upcoming trend of separation which may spill over to its own ethnically diverse provinces. ++ Beijing has kept a low-profile in the

August 14, 2008 | The West Must Stop Power-Hungry Russia

If the world allows Russia to crush Georgia’s democracy and independence, it will give a green light to all authoritarian governments. ++ The historical echoes of Finland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia are deafening and only Western peacekeepers can end the war. ++ A modern version of the Berlin Airlift is needed to save the Georgian economy. ++ Georgia is only a threat to Russia because it

November 8, 2007 | Survey Shows 52% of Americans Support an Attack Against Iran

Zogby International publishes results of the latest telephone poll conducted on key current issues. After tensions have risen to an all-time-high between the United States and Iran, the poll shows 52% of those surveyed support a military strike against the Persian country to prevent the success of their nuclear program.
Among presidential candidates, Senator Hillary Clinton was considered by 21

September 26, 2007 | France Backtracks on War Talk Surrounding Iran's Nuclear Program

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner toned down the pitch of remarks he made earlier this week on the possibility of war with Iran, this time emphasizing negotiations over the use of military measures, report Katrin Bennhold and Elaine Sciolino for the New York Times. French Intelligence fears that Iran may produce a nuclear weapon before the projected 2010-2015 window.

Kouchner

April 19, 2007 | Aon Corporation Measures Effects of Political Instability on the Global Market

The Aon Corporation’s Political and Economic Risk Map provides a concise visual guide to risk management for international business ventures in 214 countries. Political volatility in individual states is measured by looking at specific threats to business practice, including potential political interference, terrorism, and supply chain vulnerability. Countries are color-coded according to the