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Top Story - News/Analysis
Long Odds for South Korea's 'Swap Regime' Proposal
By Daniel McDowell 10 Mar 2010World Politics Review
As current president of the G-20, South Korea has been busy promoting an apparently novel solution to the global trade imbalances that helped pave the way for the recent international financial crisis: an international currency swap regime. But how would such an arrangement work, and could it actually help correct current imbalances? As important, is there any chance this idea will get off the ground?
Choosing Stability Over Democracy in Ethiopia
By Lauren Gelfand 09 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review On the surface, Ethiopia is a stable, prospering nation, cultivating strong relationships with the international donors who have for more than a generation funded food, health and infrastructure projects for the country's 85 million people. But according to some groups, beneath the surface is a regime that wields power with impunity, repressing dissent, opposition and difference of opinion.Iraq's Elections Show Democracy's Growing Strength
By Ambassador Hamid Al-Bayati 09 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review The run up to this weekend's Iraqi election -- the second general election held since the fall of Saddam's regime -- was marked by speculation, anticipation and no shortage of controversy. Although the elections saw some violence, there is little doubt that they were a marked improvement from 2005 and a testament that democracy is taking root in Iraq.'Win-Win' Not Enough for China and Indonesia
By Prashanth Parameswaran 08 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review China has designated 2010 "The Year of China-Indonesia Friendship" to mark the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with the world's fourth-largest country. But while both countries are poised to reap major benefits from their improved bilateral ties, Beijing and Jakarta must manage their asymmetric relationship skillfully to mitigate potential tensions in the future.Likely Scenarios for Iraq's Elections
By Kirk Sowell 05 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review Iraq's parliamentary elections this Sunday, March 7, will close the first full chapter in the country's transformation to a democratically elected, majority-rule system of government. The nation's corruption, fragile peace and lack of national reconciliation have left many -- including American officials -- looking for change, in either Iraq's leadership or its government. They will likely be disappointed.Bailout Talks Raise Tensions between Greece and Germany
By Nicolas Nagle 04 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review Public opposition to an EU bailout of debt-strapped Greece is mounting, particularly in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel is already politically vulnerable. As a result, despite the dangers a Greek meltdown would pose to the eurozone, Germany has adopted a hard-line position on how the EU should respond to the crisis, causing relations between the two countries to become increasingly strained.
Wrong Time for Armenian Genocide Bill
By Matt Stone
03 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
Demonstrating a predictable lack of strategic foresight, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold its
mark-up session for the Armenian Genocide resolution tomorrow. While there is little doubt outside of Turkey that genocide was
perpetrated against the Armenians in the 1910s, the resolution threatens
to undermine U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and South Caucasus
at exactly the wrong time.
Bombs Away: Removing Tactical Nukes from Europe
By Johan Bergenäs
02 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
With the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference around
the corner, President Barack Obama is in dire need of a credible arms
control and disarmament achievement worthy of the lofty agenda he
articulated almost a year ago in Prague. Ridding Europe of U.S. nuclear weapons is one possible goal. But to do so, he will have to
reject flawed and outdated arguments that stand in the way.
Death and Taxes in Marjah, Afghanistan
By Joshua Foust
01 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
The success of Operation Moshtarak, NATO's military offensive to seize
the Taliban-controlled town of Marjah in Afghanistan's Helmand province,
will be determined by how well coalition forces establish a functioning
government now that the bulk of the actual fighting is over. NATO's plan, which it calls "government-in-a-box," should include a stable tax regime as an essential foundation for governance.
Al-Qaida is Defeated, but Our Work Has Just Begun
By Jon B. Alterman
26 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
As much as a military effort, the war against al-Qaida has been a battle
for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world. Immediately after
the events of Sept. 11, 2001, it was not always clear how that battle
for Muslim hearts and minds would end up. But with the passage
of time, we now have a good idea. Al-Qaida has lost. And as a result, in
an important way, al-Qaida itself has been defeated.
For Pentagon, Tech Education Means National Security
By Katie Drummond
25 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
With the United States currently fighting two wars abroad and
facing a health care crisis and an economy on life-support at home,
Pentagon officials are hoping to meet a looming threat to America's
future global dominance -- not to mention national security -- by
boosting capacity in elementary school classrooms across the nation.
NATO's Rasmussen Stresses Allied Support for Afghan Mission
By Richard Weitz
24 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is playing a crucial role
in sustaining the alliance's Afghan mission, encouraging allied
governments and publics alike to
appreciate their partners' perspectives, as well as the value of
NATO as an institution. He was in Washington this week, in part to remind Americans of other NATO allies'
contributions to the Afghanistan War.
Falklands Drilling Reignites U.K.-Argentina Dispute
By Eliot Brockner
24 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Drilling got underway this week off the still-disputed Falkland Islands, as an oil
platform belonging to a British company began operations on Feb. 22. The drilling marks the culmination of weeks of intense
sparring between Argentina and Britain over oil rights
and shipping lanes in the South Atlantic, and reignited historic tensions over the islands.
Uneven Tracks for Iraq's Regional Reintegration
By Michael Wahid Hanna
23 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
In many ways, Turkey's rise as a major diplomatic player on the Iraqi
stage serves as a counterpoint to Iran's magnified role, with both
pro-actively promoting their interests by attempting to reintegrate Iraq
into the region on their own terms. That stands in stark contrast to
Iraq's Arab neighbors, who have utterly
failed to
seriously prepare for the United States' impending
withdrawal.
Niger Coup is West Africa's Latest Democracy Deficit
By Lauren Gelfand
23 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Following a trend that has become depressingly familiar in West Africa
over the past 18 months, army officers seized power in Niger on Feb. 18,
removing President Mamadou Tandja from office. The coup ends a
political crisis that began last year, when Tandja used a popular
referendum to try to indefinitely prolong his term beyond its December
2009 limit.
Sri Lanka: Last Chance for Lasting Peace
By Iranga Kahangama
22 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
The
recent election loss of Sri Lankan opposition candidate Gen. Sarath
Fonseka underlines the island's failure to build on its recently
achieved peace, while his subsequent detention brought to light a threat
to its democracy. Now, upcoming parliamentary elections represent the country's last chance to build an opposition that
can address unresolved ethnic grievances while maintaining a stable multiparty
democracy.
Early Returns on Uganda's 2011 Election
By Lauren Gelfand
19 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
KAMPALA, Uganda -- Kampala is arguably one of the more beautiful capitals in
Africa. But the city's beauty not only belies the numbing poverty in
which most of Uganda's residents find themselves, it also masks the
country's ugly politics. Case in point: The outcome of Uganda's 2011 presidential
election is a foregone conclusion, and no one is likely to do anything
about it.
As NAFTA Growth Slows, Mexico Should Look South
By Sean Goforth
19 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Latin America's major economies avoided the brunt of the global
financial crisis, except for Mexico, whose 7 percent contraction in 2009
represented the region's worst decline. The drop-off was primarily
traceable to America's recession. This
year, as the panic subsides, Mexico's economy is expected to return to
positive growth of around 3 percent. But Mexico's path to sustainable
development remains problematic.
Greece and Europe Play Financial 'Chicken'
By Daniel McDowell
18 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Greece's massive debt has shaken
market confidence in the euro and led to a volatile month in
the common currency's exchange rate. Feeling increasing pressure to intervene, European
policymakers have been forced to weigh what is best for the euro against
what public opinion will tolerate. For now, none of the choices are
appealing, which leaves both sides playing a game of financial "chicken."
India-Pakistan Talks Are Better than Nothing
By Neeta Lal
17 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
NEW DELHI -- After a freeze on bilateral dialogue of more than a year,
New Delhi's proposed talks with Islamabad have invited diverse reactions.
India's previous refusal to engage with its neighbor in the aftermath of
the Mumbai terror attack was meant to pressure
Islamabad to crack down on terrorism. But India has softened it stance in recognition of the policy's diminishing returns.
Turkey's Neo-Ottoman Problem
By Yigal Schleifer
16 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
The term "zero
problems with neighbors" has
become closely associated with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu's ambitious
and proactive new foreign policy. But there's another term that has frequently been attached to Ankara's
newfound diplomatic activism, one that Turkish policymakers are much
less fond of: "neo-Ottomanism."
