Q & A Archive

The recent formalization of a new regional cooperation bloc that includes every country in the Americas except Canada and the United States has been largely dismissed in the English-language media as little more than a new soap-box from which the region’s more flamboyant leftists, namely Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, will now spew anti-American rhetoric. To some extent, the potential for such an outcome exists. But it is also worth noting that the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC by its Spanish acronym, has now been given an official stamp of approval from not just left-leaning heads of […]

During a recent visit to Ottawa, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his Canadian counterpart, Defense Minister Peter MacKay, announced that military cooperation agreements between Israel and Canada would be forthcoming by end of the year. In an email interview, Rex Brynen, a professor of political science at McGill University, discussed Canada-Israel relations. WPR: What is the recent history of Canada-Israel diplomatic, economic and security relations? Rex Brynen: While Canadian-Israeli ties have long been very friendly, there has been a marked shift to even closer relations under Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and recent Conservative governments. This has been manifest […]

Israel reportedly test-fired a long-range missile in early November capable of hitting Iran. In an email interview, Dinshaw Mistry, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati and the author of “Containing Missile Proliferation,” discussed Israel’s missile capabilities. WPR: What is the current size of Israel’s ballistic missile arsenal (short- and mid-range missiles and ranges, and long-range ICBMs)? Dinshaw Mistry: Israel is believed to deploy at least several tens of Jericho ballistic missiles. In the 1970s, Israel developed and deployed the single-stage Jericho-1 missile, which had a range of 250-300 miles and could reach Israel’s immediate neighbors. In the 1980s […]

I had the pleasure of participating in France 24’s panel discussion program, The World This Week, last Friday. The other panelists were Time magazine’s Vivienne Walt, Newsweek and the Daily Beast’s Christopher Dickey and France 24’s Melissa Bell. Topics included Islamist electoral victories in Tunisia and Egypt, and the European debt crisis. Part one can be found here. Part two can be found here.

Will the Kyoto Protocol survive? Should climate change be a religious issue? Are wealthy nations delivering on financial promises to help the developing world promote positive environmental change? Such big questions dominated the collective mindset of thousands of delegates converging on Durban, South Africa, from across the globe this week for the U.N.’s 17th annual global climate change talks. But, according to Jon A. Weiss, a U.S.-based climate change policy analyst and founder of the soon to launch nonprofit Lake Climate Group, it’s unlikely many certain answers will emerge by the conference’s close on Dec. 9. Most likely, Weiss told […]

Australia recently sent two naval ships to participate in a joint naval exercise with Indonesia. In an email interview, Fergus Hanson, director of polling and a research fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, discussed Australia-Indonesia relations. WPR: What is the recent trajectory of Australia-Indonesia relations? Fergus Hanson: Australia-Indonesia relations remain caught in a deep rut. At a people-to-people level there is entrenched distrust. Polling in both countries reveals widespread negative perceptions and suspicions of the other country. Each year since 2006, the Lowy Institute Poll has asked Australians to rate their feelings towards Indonesia on a zero to […]