The abduction of 11 Lebanese Shiites in Syria on Tuesday is the latest in a series of incidents that have threatened to ignite sectarian tensions in Lebanon, leading many observers to worry that the conflict in neighboring Syria might spill over across the border. more
When I speak to U.S. military officers and other Americans about why we have failed in Afghanistan, among the various explanations that are advanced, I often hear the argument that we have lacked a “credible Afghan partner.” We Americans, though, should take a long hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves whether or not we ourselves have been a credible partner for Afghanistan. more
Despite the emphasis put on Pakistan’s role in stabilizing Afghanistan, its support is not the only regional element needed to ensure stability there. Several other states in the region have significant interests in Afghanistan and will also directly impact the outcome. Establishing a sustainable peace in Afghanistan will require maneuvering carefully within this minefield of divergent foreign interests. more
The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan planned for 2014 means that some kind of a settlement with the Taliban is all but inevitable. However, the process of negotiating peace in Afghanistan faces several domestic challenges. Overcoming them will require a robust national reconciliation process that is far more extensive than the currently stalled negotiations toward a power-sharing agreement. more
The U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership agreement that President Barack Obama recently signed in Kabul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai is noteworthy for the lessons it draws from similar agreements with Iraq and other countries, as well as for the pitfalls it avoids repeating. In particular, the Obama administration was successful because it identified and applied the lessons of history in three key ways. more
This week’s NATO Summit was less ambitious than some recent summits. With regard to the alliance, the summit announced no new members, or even a timetable for the four aspirant countries, and raised no funds for collective missions. But if the alliance made no policy changes in Chicago, the gathering did allow the allies to renew their mutual solidarity amid recent talk of the U.S. pivot to Asia.
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As a regional body, the Arab League has more often than not been the focus of ridicule in light of the ineffectiveness that has characterized its history. In addition to its failure to encourage economic, political and security cooperation, the Arab League has underperformed in its mission to curb the use of force or mediate political disputes. However, the Arab League's response to the Arab uprisings, and notably in Libya and Syria, mark an important historical departure. more
The Organization of American States has never been a diplomatic powerhouse, having helped to resolve only a small fraction of the region's armed conflicts or crises that threatened to deteriorate into conflicts. Instead, the OAS has functioned as a multilateral sounding board, a place to build consensus around broad policies. But the OAS has been hampered by its design, which keeps it deliberately weak.
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In the ten years since it was formed, the African Union has worked closely with Africa's multiple subregional organizations to develop conflict-resolution mechanisms to meet regional security challenges. Since African leaders have invoked the notion of local solutions to African problems, it is important to grasp the opportunities and obstacles facing efforts toward the realization of this objective. more
As is customary for a NATO summit, reports of the alliance's imminent demise will be greatly exaggerated. Nonetheless, the fundamental and persistent questions that continue to dog the alliance cannot be easily dismissed -- not only because of their implications for the future of trans-Atlantic security ties, but also because of what they suggest about Europe's future role as a global power. more
A series of recent crises in Mali and Guinea Bissau have put the Economic Community of West African States in the spotlight, demonstrating the organization’s potential to shape West African politics, but also the limitations on its ability to do so. Through political pressure and threats of military efforts, ECOWAS is attempting to push West African coups beyond the boundaries of political acceptability. more
The United States is training a growing force of African troops as part of a wider strategy to fight al-Qaida-affiliated militants in Somalia. more
Over the past week, we have seen the first real case of sectarian violence spilling over from Syria into Lebanon. This may seem like an odd time, then, to pour cold water on the risks of Syria’s sectarian conflict reigniting dormant civil conflicts in Lebanon and also Iraq. To be sure, there is a danger the violence in Syria will spill over into those countries, just not in the way that most suppose. more
On May 2, the U.S. and Afghanistan signed a new Strategic Partnership Agreement that, although not legally binding, yields advantages to both parties. Nonetheless, the accord left several questions unresolved, including how many U.S. troops would remain in Afghanistan after 2014. Its ultimate value will also depend on future U.S. commitments to support Afghanistan's security forces and economic development.
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The entry of the centrist Kadima party into the Israeli government has made Benjamin Netanyahu one of the country's most powerful prime ministers ever. That's not just a footnote for the history books. It is a reality with enormous implications for all the pressing issues facing the country and for many that concern the region and the world. more
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has wrapped up her latest trip to Asia, which included stops in China, Bangladesh and India, where she met with government officials to review the strategic partnership between India and the United States. more
In April, after capturing the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, a Tuareg rebel group announced the independence of the state of Azawad. The bold declaration is of course mostly wishful thinking. No state is likely to recognize Azawad, as the Tuareg refer to the border-spanning region they inhabit. But the Tuareg bid for independence does not come from out of thin air, nor does it come at a normal time for the countries of the Sahel region and North Africa. more
The Camp David peace accords that brought an end to the wars between Israel and Egypt are a triumph of American diplomacy. The U.S. can take credit for shepherding the deal and then enabling its implementation through the years. Today, though, Americans do not fully appreciate the absence of war between Israeli and Egypt or the effort required to protect what is often described as a “cold peace.” more
A quick look at French President-elect François Hollande’s agenda in the coming weeks underscores the degree to which foreign policy concerns will weigh upon the early days of his presidency, as well as the questions that remain about his foreign policy orientation. One aspect of Nicolas Sarkozy’s activist legacy is worth noting in this regard: that of national security and defense. more
The events of the past year have demonstrated the disregard the Syrian government has for its people, which explains why military options to force Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down have been weighed. Given the increasing pressure U.S. policymakers are under to influence events in Syria, it is important to understand the difficulties they face in trying to ascertain the nature of the confiict there. more
When the U.N. sends peacekeepers to war zones, there are often excessive expectations about what they can achieve. By contrast, pessimism surrounds the U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria. It’s rare for U.N. officials to emphasize that a new operation is likely to fail. Why are they doing so in the Syrian case? The answer may be that UNSMIS marks a deeply troubling turning point in U.N. peacekeeping.
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