Combat operations in Iraq have figured prominently in World Politics Review’s coverage since the publication’s founding in 2006. In that time, Iraq has seen an uptick in violence, followed by the implementation of a new counterinsurgency strategy and troop “surge,” a subsequent reduction in violence, and finally a national parliamentary election in 2010. As the United States declares the official end to combat operations in Iraq, and Iraqis continue to wrangle over forming a government, the strategic landscape is again evolving. This provides an opportunity to look back at four pivotal years in the life of Iraq through the lens […]

The Iraqi insurgents moved fast. Piling into the back of a civilian pick-up truck, they weaved through the western Iraqi city of Ramadi until they were within a few miles of the local American base. The truck halted, and the insurgents spilled out. In just seconds, they set up a mortar and fired at least one shell toward the base. Seconds later they were speeding to safety, their vehicle hidden in the city’s traffic. The round arced over the earthen wall surrounding the U.S. base and struck Capt. Eric Allton, a 34-year-old from Idaho. Allton died instantly. Hundreds of Americans […]

WPR on France 24: The World Last Week

I had the pleasure of participating in France 24’s week-in-review panel discussion program, The World This Week, last Friday. The other guests were the IHT’s Matthew Saltmarsh, Newsweek’s Chrostopher Dickey and France 24’s Annette Young. We discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the “end of combat operations” in Iraq, Tony Blair’s autobiography, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign to expel illegal Roma immigrants from France. Part one can be found here. Part two can be found here. I managed to leave the studio and make it home without having compiled a long “I should have said . . . ” list, […]

America has entered a new phase in its Iraq operations, one that represents the end of the “lost war” to many, the non-combat continuation of nation-building to others, and a vague sense of a never-ending global security commitment to just about everyone. Americans, who crave clear definitions of success or failure, aren’t sure what to make of this turning point, especially since for many, their attention has already shifted to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Meanwhile, some pundits sound the alarm with cries of “permanent war,” even though we haven’t officially declared war on anybody since 1943. As for the rest of […]

Turkey’s Military Spending Hedge

There’s an easy punchline in the fact that despite its “zero problems with neighbors” policy increasingly bearing fruit, Turkey’s defense spending continues to climb. But the truth is, if the U.S. is able to live with the instability that could result from “turning the page” on Iraq, that’s because it will remain distant. Turkey and Iraq’s other neighbors, however, once again have a very unpredictable near- and medium-term forecast on their borders. Add to that the inherent volatility of the current standoff over Iran’s nuclear program and the nature of the Middle East, and the fact that Turkey is hedging […]

A New Beginning in Middle East Peace Talks

President Obama, President Mubarak of Egypt, King Abdullah of Jordan, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Isreal, and Palestinian Authority President Abbas speak about achieving peace in the Middle East in Washington DC.

Biden Speaks on Iraq Troop Withdrawal

NewsHour’s Margaret Warner talks to United States Vice President Joe Biden about the U.S. troop drawdown in Iraq and what’s next for Iraqis. Biden talks about what the remaining 50,000 troops in Iraq will actually be doing as well as the evolving role of Iraqi security forces.

Turkey as a Global Middle Power?

In the midst of a post on Turkey-India relations, and how they are limited by each seeing the other through the prism of Cyprus and Pakistan respectively, Mehmet Ozkan makes a good point about Turkey’s lack of membership in any of the emerging power forums, like BRIC or IBSA. He argues that such an involvement would help India and Turkey develop institutional ties that they currently lack. But it occurred to me that it would also be a solid credential ratifying Turkey’s status as not just just a regional power, but as a global middle power. I’m surprised that hasn’t […]

European Military Reform and American Power Projection

This is a good point by Galrahn at Information Dissemination, on the disconnect between trends in European military reform and trends in U.S. strategic thinking: We will have to wait and see what Germany ultimately decides to do, but in reading military reform arguments from various nations across Europe, including Russia, the 21st century army models of expeditionary forces most often include discussions regarding amphibious lift capacity and numbers of medium and heavy lift helicopters. In other words, the capabilities that most mimic the U.S. Marines are more desired by the rest of the world than the capabilities of a […]

Obama Speaks on Ending Combat Mission in Iraq

President Barack Obama announces the end of the combat mission in Iraq, discusses the future of the United States’ commitment in the country, and further discusses U.S. engagement and ways forward in Afghanistan.

A covert Israeli-Lebanese intelligence war, combined with tension along the two countries’ border and fears of renewed Lebanese civil strife, has created policy dilemmas for the United States and France as they seek to strengthen the Lebanese government while isolating Hezbollah. The Shiite militia-cum-political party, which the U.S. and France have both designated as a terrorist organization, occupies two cabinet posts in Lebanon’s constitutionally mandated power-sharing arrangement. The intelligence war as well as a recent Lebanese-Israeli border clash in which five people were killed have persuaded Lebanese President Michael Sulaiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri to increase coordination between Lebanon’s […]

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