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Egyptians Take One Step Toward Change, One Step Back

By Matthew Stein 13 May 2008
World Politics Review Exclusive

CAIRO, Egypt -- On Sunday, May 4, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak celebrated his 80th birthday, and the front pages of government-run newspapers cited his accomplishments since acquiring power in 1981. Nevertheless, on that same morning, the presence of five olive-green riot patrol vehicles parked just a few feet from one of Cairo's busiest squares attested that all is not well in Mubarak's domain. But what had been planned as a follow up to an April strike that shook Cairo for several days never materialized.

Rights & Wrongs: China, Somalia, Google and More

By Juliette Terzieff 12 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive In this week's Rights & Wrongs: A Chinese human rights group reveals that it privately appealed to Beijing to release political dissidents from prison ahead of the Olympics; a report says combatants on both sides of Somalia's civil war are responsible for rights abuses; Google shareholders vote down two new proposals concerning censorship policies; and a new report says certain countries should not be members of the U.N. Human Rights Council. Rights & Wrongs appears in World Politics Review weekly.

D.R. Congo Reviews Mining Contracts Signed During Resource-Fueled War

By Aaron Ernst 08 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced last year that 63 mining contracts, many of them signed during the civil war of the late '90s, would be reviewed by a special ministerial committee. While certain observers see the review as the beginning of a much-needed process to shed light on and bring accountability to an industry that has fueled much of the conflict in the country, other NGOs and members of the mining community have been more skeptical of the government's intentions.

After First Year, Aceh Governor Struggles to Sustain Peace, Fight Poverty

By Fabio Scarpello 08 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive DENPASAR, Indonesia ---When he took office one year ago, Irwandi Yusuf knew his job was going to be tough. And a little more than one year later, he acknowledges that it is not getting any easier. Irwandi is the first directly elected governor of Aceh, the once war-torn province of Indonesia, and the area worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami. His support base consists mostly of members of the Free Aceh Movement, the former rebel group that laid down its arms in a 2005 peace deal spurred by the tsunami.

Globalization's New Logic: the Rise of Developing-World Multinationals

By Simon Roughneen 07 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive In the past, globalization's critics have alleged that the opening up of economic borders is little more than a license for giant Western companies to colonize emerging economies. But recent trends suggest otherwise. More and more companies based in developing economies are beating their Western rivals at home, challenge them abroad, and even acquiring Western companies and brands outright. From India's Tata to China's Lenovo, the era of the emerging-market multinational is upon us.

Internet Connects Future Army Leaders with Virtual 'Front Porch'

By David Axe 06 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive WEST POINT, New York -- Ten years after they founded a rudimentary Internet forum for their fellow young officers, two Army lieutenant colonels oversee a family of password-protected, Army-sanctioned, forums that connect officers all over the world -- including many in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their so-called "Center for Company-Level Leaders," nestled in an airy office at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has become the high-tech chow hall/o-club/front porch for a generation of wartime leaders.

Rights & Wrongs: Mozambique, Serbia Trials, Web Activism and More

By Juliette Terzieff 05 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive In this week's Rights & Wrongs: An Amnesty International report says Mozambique's police commit human rights abuses with impunity; the trial of former Serbian secret police officials gets under way in The Hague; online political speech continues to increase from Havana to Cairo; and a British rock group lends a song to an MTV campaign against human trafficking. Rights & Wrongs covers the world's major human rights-related news and appears in World Politics Review every week.

Olympic Torch Back in China as Darfur Haunts Relay

By Luke Hunt 02 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive HONG KONG -- The Olympic torch was paraded through the wet and windy streets of Hong Kong on Friday amid small but rowdy protests and accusations that Beijing is underwriting the atrocities in Darfur with billions of petrodollars. American actress and activist Mia Farrow lent an air of glamour as thousands thronged the streets with the relay, taking in the city's spectacular harbor and venues for this summer's equestrian events, which will be held here.

U.N. Mission to Western Sahara Renewed in Disputed Resolution

By Adam Wolfe 01 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive NEW YORK -- The U.N. Security Council voted to renew the peacekeeping mission to Western Sahara late last night, barely making the deadline to extend the mission to the disputed North African territory after sharp disagreements over the final text. A rift in the council hardened after a U.N. mediator in talks between the Moroccan government and the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi rebel group, said last week that independence for the territory was no longer realistically possible.

Despite Strong Rhetoric, Thailand's Latest Drug War a Restrained Campaign

By Brian McCartan 01 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Promises of a war on drugs by Thailand's new government had many Thais fearing a replay of the heavy-handed 2003 anti-drug campaign that saw the deaths of almost 3,000 people. So far, however, the new war has been a restrained affair, revealing much about the political strength of Thailand's People's Power Party-led government. The push for the latest campaign against illicit drugs came from Thailand's interior minister, who announced its official start April 2.

Corridors of Power: Reporting from Spain

By Roland Flamini 01 May 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive In this week's Corridors of Power: Madrid commemorates the 200th anniversary of the city's uprising against Napoleon's occupation forces; Spanish bookstore shelves are packed with tomes about the Spanish Civil War, indicating the country is finally coming to terms with its recent past; and Spain is at the forefront of Europe's so-called political "genderquake." Corridors of Power is written by World Politics Review Editor-at-Large Roland Flamini and appears every week.

Rising Nationalism Threatens U.S. Anti-Drug Base in Ecuador

By Mike Ceaser 30 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive MANTA, Ecuador -- A decade ago, this was just another obscure, humid, Pacific coast fishing town, with a third-rate airport and a problem with narcotrafficking. Today, the city is a regular stop for cruise ships, boasts a first-rate airport and is a key outpost in the United States' war on drugs. But the eight-year-old U.S. anti-drug presence here has both put Manta on the map and made the city a center of controversy. The 10-year U.S. lease on the facility may not be renewed in 2009.

Former NBA Star Tackles Europe's Forgotten Refugee Crisis

By Tina Wolfe 30 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive BELGRADE, Serbia -- Vlade Divac, the retired NBA basketball player, is up against his toughest opponent ever in his quest to end the refugee problem in Serbia, home to the largest number of refugees in Europe, while distancing himself from the political stalemate that has gripped his native nation. More than 300,000 refugees and displaced persons from Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo remain in Serbia, of which 6,700 still live in deplorable conditions in various forms of temporary housing.

Nepal's Maoists Embrace Democracy as Step to Socialist Vision

By Liam Cochrane 29 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive KATMANDU, Nepal -- After two weeks of counting, Nepal's election results are official: a solid win for the former rebel Maoists and a humiliating slap in the face for the country's traditional political parties. Almost nobody predicted the landslide victory, and now Nepal's political elite and the international community are scrambling to deal with the world's first elected Maoist government. The Maoists, for their part, say they will use capitalism and multiparty democracy as stepping stones to their socialist vision.

Rights & Wrongs: Slovakia, Trafficking, Uganda, and More

By Juliette Terzieff 28 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive In this week's Rights & Wrongs: A new "right-of-reply" law in Slovakia concerns press freedom advocates; a conference in South Africa is aimed at tackling human trafficking across the southern part of the continent; Ugandan rebels appear to be resuming a campaign of child abductions; and Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe expands its crackdown on opposition supporters. Rights & Wrongs is written by World Politics Review contributor Juliette Terzieff and usually appears on Monday.

Arrest of Colombian President's Cousin Widens 'Para-Politics' Scandal

By Anastasia Moloney 28 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- The arrest of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe's cousin and political ally, Mario Uribe, on charges of conspiring with the country's paramilitary groups, brings the country's so-called "para-politics" scandal closer to the president's inner circle. Mario Uribe's arrest on April 22 and the ever-growing domestic scandal that links politicians with outlawed right-wing paramilitary groups is being seen as the most serious crisis facing President Uribe since he first came to power in 2002.

Andean Conflict Reaps Domestic Political Rewards for Uribe, Correa, Chávez

By Myrna Domit 24 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive When Colombia bombed a guerrilla camp in Ecuador last month, igniting one of Latin America's worst diplomatic spats in recent history and nearly sparking a regional war, the leaders at the center of the dispute each emerged with a most unexpected political reward: a boost in their domestic support. Recent opinion polls in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela illustrate that the nationalist stands taken by leaders of the three countries paid off for each of them politically.

U.S. Navy Ship Pioneers New 'Partnership Station' Security Strategy

By David Axe 23 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive Last week the U.S. Navy amphibious ship Fort McHenry quietly slipped into the harbor at U.S. Naval Station Rota, Spain, near the Strait of Gibraltar, ending a six-month deployment to the West African coast. The 16,000-ton vessel's mission, though largely unheralded, signaled a sea change in the Navy's strategy. During its October-to-April cruise, Fort McHenry visited 19 ports in 10 countries, from Liberia to Senegal, supporting scientists, aid workers and military trainers from the U.S. and allied militaries.

Rights & Wrongs: Angola, Turkey, China and More

By Juliette Terzieff 21 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive In this week's Rights & Wrongs: Angola tells the United Nations to leave the country, breaking off negotiations on a human rights promotion agreement; a British group says international cooperation could end the online trade in child pornography; an Amnesty International report says China leads the world in executions; and Turkey proposes to reform a controversial law that hinders free speech, but activists say the change doesn't go far enough. Rights & Wrongs appears every week in World Politics Review.

N. Korea Policy, Trade on Table as S. Korean President Visits Washington

By Jason Strother 18 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive SEOUL, South Korea -- Washington this weekend will roll out the red carpet for the newly inaugurated president of South Korea. On Saturday (April 19), Lee Myung-bak will hold his first overseas summit with President Bush. The two will meet at Camp David, about 60 miles outside of the capital in Maryland. A Korean leader has not visited the presidential retreat since 1942. And in the eyes of many figures inside the Bush administration, none is more deserving than Lee.

Former Iraqi Police Chief Fears for His Life Upon Return to Iraq

By Aaron Ernst 16 Apr 2008 | World Politics Review Exclusive NEW YORK -- The evidence of Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim's service to the United States is scattered throughout his apartment, which overlooks the East River in Manhattan near his office at the United Nations. Certificates attesting to his counterterrorism training adorn the walls. Pictures of him shaking hands with Donald Rumsfeld, and chatting with Bernard Kerrick and Paul Bremer are clear reminders of his close relationship to the United States -- a relationship he believes soon will lead to his death.

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Another North Korean Famine?
North Korea may be in danger of falling into famine once again. An interview with Erica Kang of the Seoul-based NGO Good Friends about the situation.

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