WPR Blog Archive

Der Spiegel reports on an internal split within Germany’s governing coalition regarding how to engage with President Obama, with Chancellor Angela Merkel adopting a wait-and-see attitude and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier more eager to please. Apparently, for their part, Obama and Sec. of State Hillary Clinton set a new tone in their respective introductory conversations with their German counterparts, with the most marked difference from the Bush administration being that Obama and Clinton actually paused after speaking to hear what their interlocuters had to say. According to the Spiegel article, Steinmeier has already drawn up a list of Iranian banks […]

Prosecutors seeking justice for the 1.7 million people who died under the rule of the Khmer Rouge have submitted rare video footage obtained from the Vietnamese government to be used as evidence against surviving leaders about to go on trial for crimes against humanity. The evidence will throw the spotlight on Hanoi, which invaded Cambodia and ended Pol Pot’s devastating reign in January 1979. Shortly after the Khmer Rouge fled to the countryside, where the wars continued for another 30 years, Vietnam also staged its own trial of Pol Pot and his chief lieutenant Ieng Sary. Both were found guilty […]

I don’t have a whole lot to say about the Iraqi elections. From a cursory read of a wide range of coverage, there seems to be some reason for encouragement and some for concern. I don’t get the feeling the peaceful voting and projected victory for proponents of secular, central government is as triumphant an event as some are making out. The true test of a democracy is not so much the voting, but whether or not all the parties respect the outcome of the voting, especially when it comes to a peaceful transfer of power. On the other hand, […]

One of the reasons a significant number of American and British roadblocks to EU defense have been cleared in recent years is that, quite simply, there are more crisis zones than troops to go around. And since an EU defense force is more palatable, politically speaking, than a French force in both Africa and Lebanon, the peacekeeping missions deployed to Chad and Lebanon came under the EU flag. But the story behind those deployments wasn’t only about who didn’t oppose them. It had a lot to do with who supported them as well. Ireland’s participation in Chad was notable because […]

World Politics Review managing editor, Judah Grunstein, appeared on two France 24 short-format programs, Face Off and Face à Face, this morning to discuss George Mitchell’s chances for success in brokering a stable ceasefire and longterm peace accord. English-language program here, French-language program here.