Q & A Archive

The United Nations reported last week that the number of refugees from Syria has now surpassed 2 million, even while more than twice that many people are internally displaced. Combined, the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) mean that the intensifying conflict has forced one-third of the Syrian population from their homes. Those who have managed to escape Syria altogether have largely fled to Lebanon and Jordan, and in such large numbers that they now amount to nearly 20 percent of the population in those countries, according to Bessma Momani, an associate professor at University of Waterloo and […]

Last month, a Turkish parliamentary committee charged with drafting a new Turkish constitution agreed to articles to expand opportunities for women and protect homosexuals from discrimination. In an email interview, Dr. Aslan Amani, a political scientist specializing in democratic theory, explained the recent trajectory of and future priorities for Turkey’s constitution writing process.* WPR: What is the current state of Turkey’s efforts to replace the constitution written under military rule in 1980? Aslan Amani: So far, the Constitution Consensus Committee has made the most progress on the sections dealing with fundamental rights and freedoms. However, the commission members remain polarized […]

Last month, Tanzania imported 591 military transport vehicles from India in an effort to improve the transport capabilities of the Tanzania People’s Defense Force. In an email interview, Laxman Kumar Behera, a research fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses in New Delhi specializing in the Indian defense industry, explained the dynamics of India’s defense exports. The views expressed are the author’s own. WPR: What are the main countries to which India exports defense products, and what does it sell them? Laxman Kumar Behera: The Indian defense industry mainly exports to Asian and African countries, though it also […]

Over the weekend, President Barack Obama called for a vote on a proposed United States military strike against Syria, with the administration releasing a draft authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) that served as a starting point for congressional discussion this week. Lawmakers are working to amend the broad language of that draft, with new draft language proposed by the Senate that uses narrower language than in the administration’s draft and places some limits on the authorization to use force. Speaking with Trend Lines on Tuesday, John Bellinger III, an expert in national security law, said the president […]

Last month, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Marcelino Medina Gonzalez held talks in Havana with Bahamas Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell. In an email interview, Gerardo González Núñez, professor of economic and administrative sciences at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, explained Cuba’s economic relations with other Caribbean nations. WPR: What are Cuba’s economic priorities in the Caribbean in terms of countries and sectors? Gerardo González Núñez: Economic relations between Cuba and the Caribbean have not been very stable or large-scale. Trade between Cuba and the Caribbean has been dominated by the exchange of petroleum products and manufactures in the area of […]