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By
Jon B. Alterman
20 Nov 2009
World 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
By Yigal Schleifer
12 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Yesterday's signing of protocols by Turkey and
Armenia that pave the way for restoring relations between the two
countries was a historic moment. The protocols spell out in the clearest terms to date what needs to
happen in order for diplomatic ties to be restored and for the two
countries' borders to be reopened. But significant hurdles still
stand in the way of that actually happening.
By Lauren Gelfand
09 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenya's "window of opportunity to deliver reform is
rapidly closing," former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan warned at the end of his latest visit to Nairobi. Though delivered in his characteristic velvet
tones, Annan's message was firm: Accelerate the reform agenda, or risk the potential of an irretrievable decline into
crisis, with economic as well as political consequences.
By Claude Rakisits
09 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The Kerry-Lugar bill, which President Barack Obama is expected to sign
off on soon, has deeply upset the top military leadership in Pakistan,
including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani. Given the stringent
conditions attached to the bill, Washington policymakers should perhaps
not be surprised by the strong reaction. But could
this have been avoided? And what will be its impact?
By Prashanth Parameswaran
08 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The killing last month by Indonesian authorities of Southeast Asia's most-wanted
terrorist, Noordin Mohammad Top, was a major blow to Islamic
militancy in Southeast Asia.
But even as Jakarta's "law and order approach" to eradicating terrorism
continues to net key terrorist operatives, it has come under increasing
scrutiny for eroding the fabric of Indonesia's democracy.
By Risto Karajkov
07 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
The doors to the European Union have reopened for Croatia after its new
Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor reached a historic deal with her
Slovenian counterpart, Borut Pahor, over the two countries' border
dispute, in Ljubljana on Sept. 11. But the Slovenian veto, though now lifted, heightened awareness that the future of the EU accession process in the Balkans is full of other potential vetoes.
