A man watches a TV news program showing footage of a North Korean missile launch, Seoul, South Korea, March 3, 2016 (AP photo by Ahn Young-joon).

North Korea’s recent provocations—a nuclear test in January and a missile test, under the guise of a peaceful satellite launch, a month later—have pressed the United States, along with its key regional allies, South Korea and Japan, into recalibrating Washington’s failed policy of so-called strategic patience with Pyongyang. Concerns about North Korea’s aggressive behavior coupled with ineffective responses thus far have prompted Washington, Seoul and Tokyo to stress that there can be no more maintenance of the status-quo when it comes to deterrence. In addition to seeking new and more-robust sanctions at the United Nations Security Council, one of the […]

President Barack Obama at a meeting in the White House, Washington, March 4, 2016 (AP photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais).

Seven years ago, as he prepared to take office, Barack Obama made it clear that when it came to the issue of torture, his inclination was “to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.” Obama clearly believed that torture had taken place under the Bush administration; he declared unequivocally in January 2009 that “waterboarding is torture.” But Obama decided that opening up questions about the practices the Bush administration had authorized could do more harm than good, and would be a distraction from his larger political agenda. To a large degree, he was right. It’s highly unlikely that prosecuting Bush […]

U. S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses U.S. troops as he stands in front of a drone, Incirlik Air Base, Adana, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2015 (AP photo).

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for lethal purposes has generated passionate debates about how this not-so-new technology has changed the rules of war, creating a demand for new global norms. On the domestic front, drone technology raises difficult public policy issues related to commerce, ethics, air safety and good government. The Obama administration’s recent decision to release its policy guidance for drone use will help temper public misgivings, but the debate will continue. Last week, the Obama administration indicated that it will release the policy guidance used by U.S. national security agencies for use of unmanned aerial vehicles in […]

Peacekeepers clear the area in the aftermath of a terror attack that killed six peacekeepers, Kidal, Mali, Feb. 12, 2016 (U.N. photo by Marco Dormino).

In this week’s Trend Lines Podcast, Richard Gowan, a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and WPR columnist, joins host Peter Dörrie to discuss the changing nature of peacekeeping, including the rise of regional peacekeepers, the role of the United Nations and the politics behind peacekeeping. Listen:Download: MP3Subscribe: iTunes | RSS Relevant articles on WPR: Less Talk, More Action for International Peacekeepers in 2016? ‘Carnivores’ Battle ‘Herbivores’ for Future of U.N.’s Peacemaking Soul Technical Fixes Not Enough to Shore Up U.N. Peacekeeping CAR Scandal Reflects U.N. Peacekeeping’s Loss of Strategic Direction Richard Gowan is an associate fellow at […]

President Barack Obama hosts a meeting of his National Security Council (NSC) at the State Department, Washington, Feb. 25, 2016 (AP photo by Carolyn Kaster).

America’s role in the global security system, first forged in World War II and solidified during the Cold War, is changing. After decades in which the United States was relied upon to manage regional security, other nations are now concluding that they can get by without deferring to Washington. At the same time, America’s adversaries, whether Russia and China or nonstate enemies like al-Qaida and the self-declared Islamic State, have found ways to avoid American strengths and capitalize on American weaknesses. Internally, Americans are less willing to defend far away places at the expense of domestic needs. They increasingly ask […]

A Libyan in front of damaged buildings, Benghazi, Feb. 23, 2016 (AP photo by Mohammed el-Shaiky).

Last week, U.S. warplanes bombed the Libyan town of Sabratha, targeting militants of the self-declared Islamic State. The move is the most recent illustration of the dilemma presented by Libya’s political and security stalemate, characterized by political infighting and militia violence. The Islamic State’s emergence in the country in early 2015 has given the situation regional implications. The United States is weighing its next steps, amid ongoing questions about its role in the 2011 NATO intervention that some see as the source of today’s chaos. The following articles are free for nonsubscribers until March 17. Stabilizing a Chaotic Libya Libya’s […]

Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, at a ceremony marking the changing of the armed forces chiefs, Quito, Feb. 26, 2016 (AP photo by Dolores Ochoa).

On Feb. 5, Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, removed the entire high command of the country’s armed forces. The move followed a public dispute about the amount paid by the Ministry of the Environment in 2010 to acquire a military-owned plot of land in the city of Guayaquil, which was incorporated into a natural reserve. After an investigation, the government claimed that it had overpaid by $41 million and would therefore reduce its obligations to the Social Security Institute of the Armed Forces (ISSFA), the original owner of the land. The military publicly rejected the accusations and resisted the reimbursement of […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, outside Moscow, Sept. 7, 2015 (AP photo by Vasily Maximov).

Last month, Russia announced a $200 million credit for Armenia to buy weapons systems, days after adding four warplanes to its contingent in the country. In an email interview, Michael Cecire, an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, discussed security ties between Russia and Armenia. WPR: What is driving Russia and Armenia’s recent moves to boost bilateral security ties? Michael Cecire: The escalation of the Turkey-Russia crisis is an inescapable factor. The Russian garrison in Gyumri and its airbase outside Yerevan are both close to the Turkey-Armenia border, across from which Turkey has reportedly deployed some units of […]

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Benghazi Committee, Washington, Oct. 22, 2015 (AP photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta).

Over the weekend, The New York Times ran two major articles looking at Hillary Clinton’s role in the Obama administration’s deliberations over whether or not to intervene in the Libyan civil war in 2011. They offer what is, at times, a damning critique that portrays Clinton, then the U.S. secretary of state, as eager to get involved in Libya, but less interested in what might come after the U.S. intervention. A deeper look at the articles, however, suggests a greater indictment of President Barack Obama for his willingness to get involved in Libya but not to see the mission through. […]

Chinese Navy Yiyang 548 frigate and Qiandaohu 886 supply vessel are moored in the navy port, Gdynia, Poland, Oct. 7, 2015 (AP photo by Andrzej J. Gojke).

Last week, Chinese engineers broke ground on what press accounts styled “China’s first overseas naval base” in Djibouti. That is a big deal. Djibouti lies in East Africa along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the waterway that connects the western Indian Ocean with the Red Sea. It also adjoins the patrol grounds for the Gulf of Aden counterpiracy mission, in which China’s navy has taken part since 2009. In short, it occupies strategic real estate. China, however, will not be the lone occupant of the seaport. Djibouti is also home to other foreign logistics hubs: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force operates […]

Showing 18 - 27 of 27First 1 2