Natan Sharansky, fmr. Israeli Dep. PM | January 6, 2009
Palestine’s exploitation of its refugees and use of children as human shields are among the most shameful practices in the Israel-Palestine conflict. ++ The international community has for years sustained these abuses: the UNRWA perpetuates the misery of Palestinian refugees, doing nothing to dismantle camps or help them rebuild their lives, acting as “facilitator for the terrorists’ goal of grinding an entire civilian population under their thumb.” ++ The West has a duty to condemn these tactics and recognize Palestinians’ human rights.
Marie de Vergès, Le Monde (in French) | January 6, 2009
Germany is getting ready for a year rich in elections at every level, concluding with the September legislative duel between Chancellor Merkel and FM Steinmeier. ++ A recent survey places Merkel in the lead; however, the financial crisis and its social repercussions make every prediction highly precarious. ++ The two candidates have therefore opted for officially starting the electoral campaign in the summer, an attempt to prove to the electorate that party competition does not prevail over governmental duty.
David Hale, Global Economics | January 6, 2009
 Originating in the US, the economic recession has gradually affected all economies. ++ International responses vary from smooth European behavior, where the Bundesbank still plays a key role in shaping the ECB policies, to an aggressive macroeconomic stimulus program in the US, making several ponder its potential inflationary repercussions. ++ There is, however, no current currency alternative to the dollar to avoid the risk of inflation. ++ Could the reemergence of the gold standard be an option?
Bob Herbert, The New York Times | January 5, 2009
Analysts and scholars warn that the problems that the US faces in Afghanistan - continued insurgencies, opium production, a US army demoralized and drained of resources given the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan - will compromise the success of any new deployments in the region. ++ In the midst of the financial crisis and with firm evidence that the US commitment in Afghanistan contributes to the destabilization of nuclear Pakistan, President Obama should reconsider his ambitions to commit more troops in Afghanistan.
Kent Ewing, Asia Times Online | January 6, 2009
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 failed to provide criticism of Chinese military expansion, leaving it undisturbed to pursue its goal of becoming a world power. ++ Currently, global recession and a new democratic leadership combine to create uncertainty as to the future of the bilateral relation which was strengthened under the Bush administration.
The Asia Foundation | December 2008
The 2008 Global Cities Index | Foreign Policy | December 2008
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Leonardo Matinez-Diaz | The Brookings Institution | December 2008
Joshua Kurlantzick | Carnegie Endowment | December 2008
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Ambassador Maliha Zulfacar taught sociology as a professor at California Polytechnic State University before her current position representing …
Jonathan Laurence is a Transatlantic Academy fellow at the German Marshall Fund, non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an …
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Andreas Eckert |
December 1, 2008
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The internationalization of surveillance is susceptible to abuse and cyberterrorism. A means of assessing the possible side effects of transatlantic data exchange is urgently needed.
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Richard N. Rosencrance & Ehud Eiran |
December 24, 2008 | 7 comments
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Van Jones |
December 23, 2008 | 2 comments
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