Strategic Regions
- Diplomacy
 The resurgence of the Taliban and other insurgents is threatening international reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. The fight against the Taliban requires cooperation with regional actors. But should the international community consider negotiating with the Taliban? Counterinsurgency demands international engagement.
(Photo: army.mil, cc license)
Mikel Kotonika: With the Eurozone at the center of the global financial crisis, EU leaders are desperately trying to find a workable solution to preserve it. But if they use the imposition of a two-tier system, or other drastic measures, they will save the Eurozone at the expense of the European project as a whole. …More
Greg Randolph Lawson: Between China’s growing military expenditures and its aggressive stands over certain territory in the South China Sea along with concerns over an inwardly focused United States, there is a sense that the balance of power in East Asia is shifting. …More
Olga Kolesnichenko: Russia and Canada should set up a new G2 forum in order to enhance Western influence on emerging BRICS powers and to diminish any chance that a Cold War-style confrontation between the G8 and BRICS occurs. …More
President Obama is in London to cement what is described as “an essential relationship”. ++ Obama’s European approval ratings lie at 70% and have not changed since he took office despite much of what Europeans disapproved of in the Bush-era …More
Karsten M. Jung: The goals Canada pursued at Suez in 1956 were not all too different from those it seeks to achieve in Afghanistan. Due to variations along the four dimensions of context, crisis, capabilities, and commitment, however, Canada was significantly more successful in their pursuit then than it is now. …More
Largely forgotten by the world community, the Kashmir conflict simmers on. However, as long as Pakistan and India do not reach an agreement on Kashmir, all efforts in Afghanistan will come to naught. ++ Pakistani access to water controlled by …More
Jorge Benitez: If NATO starts to lose the battle for the political will of its people, it will slowly fade into history. A major public diplomacy effort is needed to convince the democratic constituencies in NATO countries of the alliance’s salience. This is essential to the funding of military efforts in difficult economic times. …More
What has been lacking in the US’s Syrian strategy are tangible steps, such as economic sanctions, that put pressure on Dictator Bashar Al-Assad to end his collaboration with Iran and Hezbollah.++ Assad has reacted to special …More
Interview with Charles Kupchan: Obama is facing an American public tiring of the burdens of global leadership and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Consequently, there has been a growing polarization within the electorate on the US foreign policy agenda. …More
Hubertus Hoffman: President Karzai should be removed from the line of fire by going into exile in Europe. His inability to reconcile with the Taliban, 2009’s fraudulent election, and his poor reputation in Pakistan all indicate why he should be leave his position. Afghanistan needs a fresh start with a new government. …More
Greg Randolph Lawson: The balance of power between Sunni and Shia has shifted since the 2003 Iraq War. A bold, “Nixon goes to China ” moment with Iran could reset the balance in the region and allow the US to recalibrate its Middle East strategy. …More
Stefanie Babst: Although NATO and women are not two words that typically go together, the organization is taking a number of actions to increase the representation of women both in policy and on the ground. NATO is an active supporter of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. …More
Iran’s well known nuclear ambitions prove American diplomatic engagement wrong. ++ There is a clear need for reconciliation between both realist and idealist approaches. ++ A balance can be reached by supporting the Green Revolution to ensure …More
Timor Sharan: Seventeen out of twenty-four proposed Afghan cabinet ministers were rejected by parliament in a clear reaction to Karzai’s capitulation to international pressure. How will the President balance his commitments to local power-brokers as well as international demands to stem corruption? …More
Ulf Gartzke: The new leadership of the SPD is strengthening its pacifist position on the Afghan war. Party Chair Gabriel’s plans to solicit policy input from the party base is a thinly veiled attempt to gain convenient political cover to orchestrate a volte-face on Afghanistan. …More
Donatella Scatamacchia: Of the 7,000 NATO soldiers that will support the US surge in Afghanistan, the highest contingent will be sent by the Italian Government. With this decision Rome confirms its own support for the transatlantic alliance, and underscores Italy’s important role in international security.
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Jerome Grossman: Obama’s new strategy underscored the United States’ primary objectives, but failed to shed light on some rather dubious dealings between the US, the CIA, and key players in Afghanistan and China. If transparency is the name of the game, answers must be given on key issues of America’s international relationships. …More
The passing of a recent election law in Iraq is proof enough that democracy has taken root against all odds. ++ The law, which allows for greater transparency and voter responsibility, was hotly contested and in the end Parliament barely …More
The “moral capital” of the US remains high in Africa and yet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did little more than berate African leaders. ++ This visit was supposed to demonstrate the US aim to increase bilateral …More
President Obama’s engagement with US’ adversaries is failing. ++ North Korea and Iran responded to America’s politics of dialogue by testing nuclear weapons and commencing nuclear enrichment. ++ “Obama’s …More
Increasing political tensions in former Yugoslav republics make Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s diplomatic efforts indispensable. ++ “Bosnia has obtruded itself upon Turkish diplomacy,” which …More
Shakti Prasad Srichandan: The signing of a nuclear deal between India and the US comes as Delhi is emerging as a factor in the global balance of power with a new approach to foreign relations. The task of leading the region towards modernization falls on India and this will have a direct impact on global security. …More
Tyson Barker and Ting Xu: The true mettle of the Sino-European relationship lies in China’s bilateral relationships with the UK, Germany and France. If the European Union is to forge its own effective relationship with Beijing, it must move member-states beyond their own separate-track approaches to China. …More
The latest strategy to deal with the Taliban has drawn praise from NATO but the lack of infrastructure in Pakistan casts doubt on its chances of success. ++ Indians welcomed the announcement from Richard Holbrooke that India …More
President Ahmadinejad saying that Iran “welcomes a hand extended to it should it really and truly be based on honesty, justice and respect” is a significant response to recent US overtures. ++ Iran has announced that its …More
Threatening North Korea with military action will not work. ++ North Korea knows that it can ask for much in return for the abandonment of its nuclear program, such as food and economic assistance. ++ A treaty would be attractive “if it …More
As the US reaches out to Iran inch by inch, the concern exists whether this “incremental, seemingly ad hoc approach is best.” ++ Serious efforts are being made to find common ground and dispel the “Bush-era threat of regime change.” ++ …More
Rudi Guraziu: The debate between realists and liberals outlines the importance of public opinion in foreign policy making. However, its impact remains limited. …More
President Obama must decide whether to wait until after the upcoming elections before engaging in dialogue with Iran. ++ Further development of the Iranian nuclear program may speed up talks. ++ Constant and continual dialogue …More
While the world welcomes the end of the Bush presidency and places its hopes on the man who promised change, China stands aloof from the celebrations. ++ President Bush turned a blind eye to China’s human rights abuses and …More
Interview with Abdul Naeemi & Imtiaz Gul: Afghanistan and Pakistan have been close allies, but their current relationship is driven by mutual mistrust. The international community should help open diplomatic channels and promote Afghan-Pakistani negotiations to collectively succeed in fighting terrorism. …More
NATO Review: Ahmed Rashid, author of the seminal book ‘Taliban,’ talks to NATO Review’s Paul King about how terror, tribalism and the Taliban fit together in present-day Afghanistan. …More
Seven years after the advent of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Taliban, al- Qaeda and various insurgents have regained strength particularly on Afghan and Pakistani soil. The fight for
security in the Middle East has …More
The next administration might find itself entangled in a dispute over Kashmir as Obama wants Pakistan to cooperate in Afghanistan. ++ Obama strongly acknowledges the importance of a Indo-US partnership, but what “Indians fear is that …More
“The ‘Great Game’ is no fun anymore.” ++ A timeout is needed in Afghanistan so that the players, including Obama, can draught a new deal. ++ A global effort to secure Afghanistan’s stability should be above other …More
NATO countries disagree about the floundering mission in Afghanistan, but it is obvious the hardwearing Taliban cannot be crushed by military means alone. ++ More troops would not help keep control in rural areas, where the …More
The US and EU must use an unexpected exit strategy in Afghanistan: negotiate a truce with the Taliban. ++ Though the Bush administration is still vying for a better position, it has learned it is better to “take an enemy off the …More
Abbas Daiyar: The Afghan Foreign Minister’s statement opposing talks with insurgents emphasizes existing divisions within government circles in Afghanistan and abroad. The US and NATO must win the war in Afghanistan. Involving regional countries like Russia, China and India may prevent history from repeating itself. …More
The British commander admitted that winning in Afghanistan is unlikely - reducing the Taliban insurgency to a manageable level may be the only realizable goal. ++ Northern ethnic groups, which account for 60% of the population, are backed by the …More
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