Briefing Archive

Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn recently caused a stir in official Washington by publicly confirming that the Pentagon had suffered a massive computer breach in 2008. A foreign intelligence service successfully slipped an infected flash drive into a Central Command computer. The drive contained software that surreptitiously spread through both classified and unclassified government networks, establishing a “digital beachhead, from which data could be transferred to servers under foreign control.” According to Lynn, “it was a network administrator’s worst fear.” In addition to confirming the breach, Lynn previewed the Defense Department’s cyber strategy, expected to be finalized by the […]

The recent rocket attack on a convoy carrying British embassy staff in the Yemeni capital of San’a raises important questions about security and terrorism in that Gulf country. The United States is currently proposing to allocate $1.2 billion of military equipment and training over the next six years to combat al-Qaida in Yemen. In response, critics both within and beyond government circles are calling for a more holistic approach that focuses on long-term economic development and stability there and in the wider Middle East region. Presently lacking in this debate is the understanding that security and development are not mutually […]

The United States and Europe are pressuring oil-rich members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC) to forge closer ties with Yemen in a bid to link the fight against al-Qaida to tangible economic benefits for the Arab world’s poorest nation. U.S. officials say the Obama administration recently conveyed to GCC leaders Yemen’s reiteration of its 10-year-old request for GCC membership. The officials believe that U.S. and European endorsement of the request will prompt GCC leaders to respond more favorably when they meet in Abu Dhabi in December. The U.S. and Europe are exerting pressure against the backdrop of an increasing […]

An agreement reached between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Moqtada al-Sadr on Oct. 1 broke the logjam that had held up the formation of an Iraqi government since the March 7 parliamentary elections. Two Shiite Islamist parties boycotted the joint press conference Maliki and Sadr held to announce the deal, but both have emphasized that they remain part of the Shiite-dominated National Alliance (NA) of which Maliki is now formally the candidate for prime minister. Yet while the prospect of another Shiite-dominated government has raised concerns of renewed sectarian conflict, the arrival of senior Kurdish leaders for negotiations in […]

Relations between Iran and Egypt have been strained — if not outright hostile — since the Islamic revolution of 1979. In addition to ideological hostility entrenched by the Islamic revolution, Egypt is the traditional regional power and does not welcome Iranian interference in issues Cairo considers to be Arab concerns. The growth of Iranian proxies in Arab states has raised the stakes in a rivalry that began in 1979 as a war of words and propaganda, but has now become a reflection of the broader struggle for regional leadership. While both sides have made efforts to improve ties, recent developments […]

MEXICO CITY — Top diplomats from 14 Latin American countries and the United States will gather in Mexico City today for a conference on transnational crime and migration issues. The conference’s host will be the Mexican secretary of internal affairs, José Blake Mora, whose Interior Ministry coordinates the Mexican National Institute of Migration (INM). The problem of organized crime and migration has become increasingly urgent this year after a series of incidents in which undocumented migrants fell victim to violence in Mexico. The incidents have become a source of international embarrassment for Mexico. While loudly protesting Arizona’s immigration law SB […]

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — Bosnia’s elections on Sunday offered little reason to expect any normalization for the divided country in the near future. The country’s ethnic Serb entity re-elected leaders who have called for independence and denied genocide, while many Croats backed parties supporting further division along national lines. Despite a rise in support for moderate parties, these recalcitrant nationalists may impede the reforms envisaged by the international community to reverse several years of backsliding. The electoral arrangements themselves offer insight into Bosnia’s complex political arrangements, established by the 1995 Dayton Accords that ended the country’s civil war. The […]

When Ecuador’s police seized their station houses, shut down airports and took to the streets last week in protest against austerity measures that would eliminate their Christmas bonuses and restructure their promotion policies, it looked as though the administration of Rafael Correa might come to an untimely end. South American leaders quickly responded by sending their representatives to the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to Buenos Aires, where they “energetically condemned the coup attempt” against Correa. The UNASUR representatives also promised to introduce a new “Democratic Clause” at the group’s next meeting in Guyana on Nov. 26, specifying measures […]

BOGOTÁ — Colombia hailed the death last month of a top rebel commander as the most significant blow against the guerilla insurgency in its 46-year history. Jorge Briceno Suarez, known as Mono Jojoy, was the No. 2 leader of Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). “The symbol of terrorism in Colombia has fallen,” said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who ordered the air strike on the jungle guerrilla camp. Mono Jojoy was a veteran leader who was considered invincible. He masterminded a series of fatal attacks on southern towns and military bases during the 1990s […]

JOHANNESBURG — Public meetings held throughout Zimbabwe, intended to seek input for the drafting of a new constitution, have been suspended due to violence, evoking memories of the country’s bloody 2008 presidential election and boding ill for the prospects of free and fair elections scheduled for next year. In the latest twist in Zimbabwe’s ongoing political crisis, the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee suspended the outreach exercise late last month, following violence in most parts of the country, particularly the capital, Harare, and the second-largest city, Bulawayo. Two deaths and dozens of injuries were reported. The army and supporters of President Robert […]

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series. Part one focused on assistance to rape victims and educational efforts for everyday Congolese. Part two looks at efforts to reform the groups responsible for rape in Congo. KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — A team of U.S. Army medical personnel arrived in this crowded capital city the first week of September. For two weeks, the Americans trained alongside 300 members of the Congolese army. The goal of the exercise? “To increase interoperability with Congolese forces . . . and give them the opportunity to learn from us,” Lt. […]

Recent rumors that China had effectively banned rare metal exports to Japan over a thorny territorial dispute have thrust the issue of rare earth elements to the fore. With demand rising and Beijing continuing to tighten its stranglehold over the dwindling supply of rare earths, other countries are now scrambling to secure their own access to the key strategic resource. The 17 varieties of rare earth elements, which are scattered across the Earth’s crust, are essential components in important technology products ranging from televisions and cell phones, to precision-guided missiles and hybrid cars. Approximately 130,000 tons of rare earths are […]

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a two-part series. Part I focuses on assistance to rape victims and educational efforts for everyday Congolese. Part II, which will appear tomorrow, looks at efforts to reform the groups responsible for rape in Congo. DUNGU, Democratic Republic of Congo — Two years ago in this remote territory, a young woman named Dina and three others — another woman and two men — fled a camp belonging to the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel group. The LRA had kidnapped the four months earlier: the men as laborers or fighters, the women as sex […]

BEIJING — The news that China has overtaken Japan as the world’s second-largest economy was seen by many as further evidence of the Sleeping Dragon’s unstoppable geopolitical re-awakening. Equally significant, however, is the recent standoff between the two countries over the disputed Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands, which serves as a stark reminder of the regional difficulties China faces. The incident demonstrates the volatility that characterizes international relations in Asia as it experiences rapid and fundamental changes to its constellations of power and influence. To achieve global superpower status, China will first have to become not only a dominant, but also a […]

I had the pleasure of participating on France 24’s panel discussion program, The World This Week, last Friday, along with Philip Turle, Laura Dagg and Dave Clark. Topics included the Israeli-Palestinian direct talks, the Irish bank bailout and EU immigration politics. Part one can be seen here. Part two can be seen here.

Reports last week suggested that China is considering investing in a large, 1,000-megawatt reactor in Pakistan, in addition to the two small reactors recently agreed upon by the two countries. If validated, the reports indicate that Chinese policymakers have given the go-ahead to a nuclear development plan prioritizing early export of indigenous large reactors, while simultaneously underlining Beijing’s willingness and ability to pursue a policy of nuclear exceptionalism in the subcontinent. The backstory on the reported deal dates back to 2004, when the smaller State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) won a momentous decision from Chinese planners to proceed with […]

For almost 20 years, Indian development has been guided by the “Look East” policy, based on the premise that Asia holds the key to India’s economic and strategic future. The recent state visits by Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to Laos and Cambodia, which yielded Indian offers of trade initiatives and cash loans, have demonstrated that, for New Delhi, an eastern orientation is still promising. Shifting its gaze northward, however, tends to leave India blinking uncomfortably in China’s reflected light. Admired but also feared, emulated but also repudiated, China can spoil the appeal of Asia’s opportunities for India. Economic ties […]