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Roger Cohen, The New York Times | March 10, 2010 The Obama presidency has left many in Europe disappointed. ++ The post-Bush euphoria has slowly given way to the sobering reality that Europe is not high on Obama’s list of priorities. ++ “The great struggles of the Cold War, which bound Europe and the United States, did not mark Obama, whose intellect and priorities were shaped by ...More

Helen Clark, The Hindu | March 10, 2010 Empowering women in Asia is not only a requirement for basic human rights but also an economic asset in recovery form the global recession. ++ It remains the best way to lower the illiteracy, malnutrition and child mortality rates in the long term. ++ A first report reveals that failing to do so costs Asia "roughly the equivalent to the GDP of Viet Nam" per ...More

V. Rühe, K. Naumann, F. Elbe & U. Weisser | March 9, 2010 The time has finally come to invite Russia to join NATO. ++ “Trans-Atlantic security needs have changed fundamentally in the last two decades. The East-West confrontation has ended, and Moscow now shares many interests with NATO.” ++ In this context, the inclusion of Russia in the organization would mark the “logical consummation” of a ...More

David Ignatius, The Australian | March 9, 2010 The Obama administration is currently working on new UN sanctions designed to cut off funding to Iranian nuclear and missile activities, as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s vast network of companies. ++ Chinese participation is a crucial component to any sanctions regime, yet so far, US overtures to Beijing to sign onto its sanctions campaign ...More

Jackson Diehl, Washington Post | March 8, 2010 Obama has been unable to form a personal bond with a foreign leader since assuming the Presidency. ++ A series of snubs have cooled Obama’s relationship with Pres. Sarkozy, Chancellor Merkel, and PM Brown. ++ “In this he is the opposite of George W. Bush, who was reviled among the foreign masses but who forged close ties with a host of ...More

Sharif Ahmed, President of Somalia | March 8, 2010 Somalia is typically associated with war, displacement, terrorism, and piracy, but the country is not the failed state it’s portrayed as. ++ "Somalis are resilient and committed to peace, and sickened by the nihilistic violence of the extremists" ++ The international community needs to get rid of the notions that Somalia’s problems are ...More

Frank McDonald, The Irish Times | March 5, 2010 The EU, despite its historical role as the leader on climate negotiations, lacked any concrete influence at the failed Copenhagen conference. ++ "If the US and China don’t play ball, where does that leave Europe?" ++ A frigid winter in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the flagging global economy, and newly revealed errors in climate research have ...More

Judy Dempsey, New York Times | March 5, 2010 The pacification of Europe, the great geo-political feat of the 20th century, has left the continent neutered and incapable of projecting sufficient hard power. ++ A risk-averse Europe that relies too heavily on soft power as a means of influence will find it difficult to carve out a niche for itself on the global stage. ++ China, India, and Brazil ''do not ...More

Vaiju Naravane, The Hindu | March 4, 2010 Last Monday, Head of State Sarkozy hosted Russian President Medvedev in order to seal the biggest arms sale ever from a NATO country to Russia. ++ In return, France increases its dependence on Gazprom pipelines, undermining all prior American and European efforts to free themselves from the rule of Russian Gas. ++ Washington is targeted as well: "Paris is a ...More

Editorial, Le Monde | March 4, 2010 The Greek deficit revealed two major flaws in the European integration machine: firstly the sheer absence of a budget deficit watchdog and secondly the lack of either support or sanction if one member state eventually goes bankrupt. ++ Germany, having sacrificed much to the Euro's implementation, is right to be angry. ++ But rationality should overcome wrath, ...More