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Egypt's House of the Rising Son
By Jon B. Alterman 20 Nov 2009World Politics Review
It is a strange kind of republic in which presidents serve for life. It is an even stranger one in which rulers inherit power from their fathers. Yet, that is the direction in which the Arab Republic of Egypt is headed. For more than a decade, President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, has been the only Egyptian for whom it was safe to harbor high political ambitions.
Rio Violence Reveals Brazil's Image Gap
By Eliot Brockner
03 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
Brazil has had a lot to celebrate recently. The
nation has taken on an increasingly important role in matters of
regional diplomacy and has emerged as the de facto political and
economic leader of Latin America. And earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee awarded Rio de Janeiro the 2016 Olympic Games. But ever since Oct. 17, the spotlight has been on Brazil for all the wrong reasons.
How to Ratify the Test Ban Treaty
By Kingston Reif
02 Nov 2009 |
World Politics Review
Ten years ago last month, the U.S. Senate failed to approve the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. A decade later, the dangers posed by the potential spread of nuclear weapons and materials to additional states and terrorists have increased dramatically. Stopping proliferation will require a global effort -- and an early, essential step in that effort must be U.S. ratification of the test ban.
UAE Nuclear Ambitions Have Washington's Blessings
By Saurav Jha
30 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The U.S.-UAE 123 Agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, set to come
into force, has the firm backing of the Obama administration,
which sees it as a model for countries looking to introduce nuclear
energy to their territories. For the UAE, the deal
reaffirms its close ties to the West, and represents a gateway to developing a source of energy that, for a number of reasons, makes sense for the Emirates.
In Sudan, the Pitfalls of Advocacy-Led Foreign Policy
By Alan Boswell
30 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
Sudan has become an unlikely foreign policy priority for the Obama administration. For this, the Sudanese can thank the Darfur advocacy movement, which effectively put the nation on the map for the American public over the past six years. But the internal tension hidden within President Barack Obama's newly
formulated Sudan policy is that Darfur is no longer the main
attraction. Not even close.
Help Wanted: European President
By Nicolas Nagle
29 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- If all goes as expected and the Lisbon Treaty finally enters
into effect in the coming months, the European Union will soon face
another major challenge: electing a permanent president for the
European Council. The debate has already begun in Brussels over
not only who would be the most suitable candidate for the job, but also
over the functions the post should include.
Inside Obama's Iran Policy Shop
By Jordan Michael Smith
28 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
In breaking off relations with Iran almost 30 years ago to the day, the U.S. lost its most valuable source of information about the Islamic regime. To fill the void, the Obama administration has turned to scholars and experts for insight. Indeed, President Barack Obama's policy of outreach toward Tehran has been decisively shaped by the wide array of Iran experts from whom he has taken advice.
China's Climate Change Policy: The Dragon's Green Streak
By Prashanth Parameswaran
28 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
Chinese President Hu Jintao's landmark address to the U.N. Climate Change Conference last month captured the essence of China's Janus-faced climate change policy -- which, despite remarkable progress, continues to be bogged down with implementation problems and overshadowed by China's concerns with economic growth.
New Coalition Pulls Germany's Merkel to the Right
By David Francis
27 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
BERLIN -- For
weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democratic Party have been locked in tough
negotiations with the Free Democrats over both cabinet appointments and tax policy. In the end, Merkel was the one to compromise, suggesting that she might increasingly find her centrist roots at odds with her preferred coalition partner on the right.
Pakistan's Civil Society Still Needs U.S. Support
By Jamsheed K. Choksy
26 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
A major reorientation in U.S. policy toward Pakistan is underway,
with the planning, administration, and staffing of reconstruction
projects being handed over to the government of Pakistan and to private
Pakistani organizations. What remains uncertain is whether local Pakistani organizations have the expertise and capacity to implement development efficiently.
In Guinea, China's Africa Policy Still Off-Key
By Lauren Gelfand
23 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The United States and France have joined a chorus of disapproving African states to condemn recent events in Guinea, which have dimmed hopes that the resource-rich West African nation might finally achieve democratic
civilian. One voice that has opted against singing from the international hymn
book, however, is arguably Guinea's most important interlocutor: China.
Balance of Power Key to U.S.-China Relations
By Ali Wyne
22 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
As the People's Republic of China celebrated its 60th anniversary, observers used the occasion to advocate strengthened cooperation between China and the United States. However, the substance of bilateral cooperation depends on the balance of power between the two countries.
India Wary of U.S. South Asia Policy
By Neeta Lal
21 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
NEW DELHI -- The controversy caused in Islamabad by the Kerry-Lugar
Bill, which authorizes an annual grant of $1.5 billion to Pakistan for
military and non-military purposes over the next five years, is by now
well-known. But because of its implications for the entire South Asian
region, the bill has also been greeted with alarm in India.
India Finds the Going Tough in Afghanistan
By Siddharth Srivastava
21 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
NEW DELHI -- India has long seen a reconstruction role for itself in
Afghanistan, despite its lack of direct military involvement in the
country. Its interests there are obvious: A strong Kabul ensures that
jihadi forces in Pakistan do not use Afghanistan as a backyard assembly
line for militants who can then be turned against India. But New Delhi is not finding its Afghan sojourn easy.
Zimbabwe Unity Government Once Again on the Brink
By Mxolisi Ncube
20 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Zimbabwe's national unity government,
limping since its formation, is now threatened with an
ultimate collapse, after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement
for Democratic Change party announced that it was temporarily
pulling out of the coalition.
LNG and Russia's Shifting Gas Strategy
By Matt Stone
19 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
When Russia invited Western energy
companies to help develop Siberian natural gas fields in late September, many observers viewed it as proof that low
oil prices had forced Moscow to reconsider its adversarial relations with
private investors. That interpretation ignores a more important narrative
that emerged from the meeting about Russia's shifting attention toward liquefied natural
gas.
Steps Toward Crafting a Nuclear Deal With Iran
By Kaveh Afrasiabi
16 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
An agreement on the delivery of nuclear fuel for Iran's medical reactor in all likelihood will have positive ripple effects on the broader,
macro issues of concern regarding Iran's nuclear program. It
will boost Tehran's flexibility, enhance its mood for cooperation with
the IAEA, and even increase the IAEA's chance of persuading Tehran to
re-adopt the intrusive Additional Protocol.
The EU Lisbon Treaty and Transatlantic Relations
By Soeren Kern
16 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The
Lisbon Treaty is designed, in part, to significantly boost the EU's global clout. A more powerful EU will, in turn, affect changes in the world's
geopolitical landscape in ways that are still unknown. Among the big
unanswered questions is what impact the Lisbon Treaty will have on
transatlantic relations in general, and on the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization in particular.
Ending uGov a Step Back for U.S. Intel Community
By Chris Bronk
15 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
If there is one lesson we should have learned from 9/11 regarding
intelligence collection, it is that the national
intelligence bureaucracy's "need to know" bias should be replaced with
an emphasis on the "need to share." That's why the U.S. Intelligence Community's decision to shut down uGov, a webmail system for the IC and those who need to work with it on a regular basis, is alarming.
China's Hard Choices on Iran
By Jon B. Alterman
14 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
China increasingly seems to be the odd man out in international efforts to
regulate the Iranian nuclear program. The French have taken a surprisingly hard line, and there are signs that Russia
may be stiffening its resolve as well. China, by contrast, seems
invariably to caution patience. Ironically, China's policy does not match its interests in the Gulf, which align almost wholly with those of the U.S.
India Set to Emerge on Global Nuclear Stage
By Saurav Jha
13 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
Following the Nuclear Supplier Group's waiver in September 2008, India
seems ready to take its place in the world of nuclear trade -- not just
as a purchaser, but as a supplier, too. A proposed sale to Kazakhstan of India's indigenously developed 220 megawatt electric
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors serves to underline that India will not be content to remain
a mere recipient of nuclear technology.
