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.-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
In an email interview, Oliver Stuenkel, an assistant professor of international relations at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo, discussed the military relationship between Brazil and Turkey. 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 narrative that U.S.-Russian relations are set on a downward path with the return of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin has received a major shot in the arm with this week’s “summit-gate” saga. Before jumping to conclusions, however, both sides should reassess the importance of domestic politics as driving factors for why Putin and Obama choose to do certain things. more
Senior leaders from China, Japan and South Korea met in Beijing last weekend, where they agreed to work toward establishing a free-trade zone, the latest in a flurry of trilateral economic deals in recent months. But despite these developments, the geopolitical situation in Northeast Asia remains fragmented, and a multilateral architecture capable of containing latent regional threats is some way off. more
It seems like Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez increasingly has the world lined up against her, but there’s no reason to feel sorry for her. Fernandez is carrying out an international populist performance worthy of her famed predecessor, Evita Perón, updated for the anti-globalization, Occupy generation. In the process, the Argentinean leader is moving Argentina down a perilous road. more
The importance attached to tomorrow’s G-8 summit vindicates those who defended the G-8 against charges of irrelevance over the past few years. The G-8 was unfairly and prematurely dismissed as a relic from a bygone era. Unfairly, because it continued to address issues that remain outside the G-20’s mandate; prematurely because it remains the most effective trans-Atlantic forum for economic issues. more
In an email interview, Roehlano M. Briones, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and research fellow of the Asia Pacific Policy Center, discussed East Asian cooperation on food security. more
An important challenge for U.S. diplomacy during the upcoming NATO summit is to ensure that the lack of a decision to enlarge NATO does not become a defining outcome of the gathering. NATO leaders have always emphasized that the alliance maintains an “open door” to new members, and the Chicago summit should be no exception. Perhaps nowhere is this more relevant than in the case of Georgia. more
In the run-up to Algeria's May 10 parliamentary elections, U.S. officials lauded President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s acceptance of international election observers, as well as recently passed “reforms,” as progress toward democracy. But Algeria’s ability to avoid the upheaval of the Arab Spring has less to do with a proactive leadership and more to do with its wary, apathetic citizenry. 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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While the prospect of a country withdrawing from the eurozone was once considered unthinkable, the possibility of a Greek exit from the economic monetary union has now become a focus of the European Union debt crisis. more
Amid the turmoil that has engulfed the wider Middle East over the course of the past year, Iran has been confronted with numerous challenges and some opportunities. Not surprisingly, the top priority for the Iranian regime remains its own survival. As such, Iran continues to invest in asymmetric, niche capabilities that play to Iran’s strengths while exploiting the vulnerabilities of its high-tech adversaries.
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The no. 2 nuclear negotiators for the P5+1 and Iran met quietly this past week to begin preparing the agenda for the next round of talks in Baghdad on May 23. Western negotiators have made clear that when it comes to the negotiations process, they believe more can be accomplished in such quiet meetings. But notable as well is the fact that no scuttlebutt from the meetings has leaked from the Iranian side. more