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By Daniel Large
03 Feb 2012
Briefing
In December, with a dispute over oil-transit fees between Sudan and South Sudan exacerbating already tense post-independence relations, China sent Special Envoy Liu Guijin for negotiations in Addis Ababa. A month later, the crisis between and within the two Sudans continues. But the episode raises the question of whether China’s Sudan policy reflects a broader evolution in its approach to diplomacy.
By Shehzad H. Qazi
02 Feb 2012 |
Briefing
On Nov. 26, NATO helicopters mistakenly killed 26 Pakistani soldiers at the Salala checkpoint. In the aftermath of the incident, Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee on National Security began a comprehensive review of relations with the U.S. After nearly two months of deliberations, the PCNS is set to release its recommendations, with both positive and negative implications for the scope of future ties.
By Iain Mills
01 Feb 2012 |
Briefing
With Western investors on the back foot in the past year, Chinese sovereign wealth funds have expanded their ownership of strategic overseas assets. While Chinese foreign investment is seen by many as a cause for geopolitical concern, these entities are becoming increasingly sophisticated and credible, representing one of the most viable mechanisms for restoring balance to global trade and investment flows.
By Richard Gowan
31 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
Russia is trying to look tough at the U.N. Security Council this week, promising to veto a resolution that calls for a political transition in Syria to end the violence there. This is a new phase in Moscow’s efforts to defend Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Yet while Russia can use its veto power to paralyze the council, the diplomatic battle over Syria has highlighted its weakness in global affairs.
By Erik Brattberg
27 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
New figures from the European Defense Agency confirm what is already well-known: The gap between what Europe and America spend on defense is only growing wider. These figures point to some uncomfortable truths about the future of European security. First, there is still a gross lack of integration in the European defense market. Second, Europe needs to invest more in key defense capabilities to fill current gaps.
By Yogesh Joshi
26 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna’s visit to Israel earlier this month produced a number of significant outcomes, notably a proposal for a free trade agreement and Israeli support for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat for India. The trip highlighted the degree to which solidifying relations with Israel, in particular defense ties, has become a bipartisan foreign policy consensus in India.
By Brian Dabbs
25 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
The International Criminal Court decided Monday to bring four prominent Kenyan political figures to trial for war crimes allegedly committed during the 2007-2008 post-election violence that engulfed the country. The ruling is widely expected to fundamentally alter the culture of impunity that surrounds electoral violence in Kenya, with ramifications for politically orchestrated conflict throughout Africa.
By Anastasia Moloney
24 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
The Colombian government is under increasing pressure to crack down on drug gangs and bolster an inefficient judicial system following a recent forced curfew across parts of northern Colombia by one of the country’s main drug gangs. But while the government has vowed to step up its fight, most analysts say it has underestimated the groups' power, reach and ability to instill fear among local communities.
By Rex Brynen
23 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
When Amir Mirzaei Hekmati was sentenced to death as a U.S. spy by an Iranian court earlier this month, he was accused, among other things, of helping to make video games funded by the CIA. Neither Hekmati’s alleged confession nor his conviction means the charges are true. Still, the incident highlights the extent to which video games and international politics have increasingly intersected in recent years.
By Andrew MacDowall
20 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
With anti-government protests in Romania moving into their second week, demonstrators are showing a persistence unusual for this part of the world, underscoring the importance they have placed in calling attention to their grievances. The woes that have brought Romanians to the streets are familiar to many in Eastern Europe, leading some to suggest that this is the European incarnation of the Arab Spring.
By Robbie Corey-Boulet
19 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to West Africa this week to highlight the Obama administration’s efforts to promote democratic institutions and credible elections. But in Liberia, a staunch ally that receives more than $200 million annually in American foreign assistance, the conversation prior to the visit concerned the U.S. effort to combat the criminalization of homosexuality overseas.