WPR Articles Sept. 1, 2014 - Sept. 5, 2014

Managing Partnerships, not Enlargement, Is NATO’s Real Challenge

By: Richard Weitz | Column

Despite the recent prominence given to the issue of NATO’s membership enlargement, the alliance seems destined for at least the next few years to focus on broadening and deepening its partnerships with nonmember countries and other international institutions. Partners contribute capabilities, money and legitimacy to alliance activities. But managing NATO’s diverse portfolio of partners also presents challenges.

To Ease Tensions, U.S. Must Back Up South China Sea ‘Freeze’ With Enforcement

By: Prashanth Parameswaran | Briefing

Last month, the United States called for a freeze in provocative acts in disputed areas in the South China Sea. But U.S. policy faces several structural challenges that could undermine the freeze’s effectiveness. The Obama administration needs to back it up with enforcement.

U.S. Policy in Syria Complicates Jordan’s Response to Islamic State Threat

By: Frederick Deknatel | Trend Lines

President Barack Obama has called for a regional coalition to fight against the Islamic State. In any such coalition, the U.S. would rely on Jordan for intelligence help. Jordan is treading lightly, balancing its support of U.S. security policy with the threat of homegrown Islamist militancy.

His Popularity Waning, Embattled Aquino Overreaches in the Philippines

By: Richard Javad Heydarian | Briefing

Last month, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III entertained the possibility of a second term in office. As his trial balloon for seeking a second term reveals, Aquino seems more worried about his legacy and the prospects of political persecution once he steps down from power.

Security Diplomacy Centerpiece of Colombia’s Foreign Policy

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Last month, Colombia signed a deal with the European Union on crisis management and counterinsurgency cooperation. In an email interview, Arlene Beth Tickner, professor at the University of the Andes in Colombia, discussed Colombia’s military cooperation.

More After the Gold Rush: Peru's Crackdown on Illegal Mining By: David Dudenhoefer | Feature Peru has overseen a comprehensive effort to halt illegal gold mining. But while the environmental risks of illegal mining are serious, some in Peru have raised concerns about the livelihoods of the miners, the struggling communities they support and the political ramifications of the crackdown. Gains by Assad and Islamic State Leave Syrian Rebels Down, but Not Out By: Balint Szlanko | Briefing Syria’s moderate rebels are in trouble. Nearly encircled in their main bastion of Aleppo by the forces of Bashar al-Assad’s government and under pressure by Islamic State fighters, they are also weakened by internal rifts and little external support. Yet they are fighting back, and the strength of their enemies may be exaggerated. With more Western aid, the rebels could still come back. Malawi-Tanzania Border Dispute Flares Up Over Potential Oil Discovery By: The Editors | Trend Lines In an email interview, Aditi Lalbahadur, researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, discusses Malawi and Tanzania’s long and unresolved territorial dispute over Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa. Jokowi’s Big Maritime Plans for Indonesia Need International Support By: Brian Harding | Briefing A pillar of President-elect Joko Widodo’s campaign was turning Indonesia into what he called a “global maritime nexus.” But Jokowi has much to do to achieve that, given Indonesia’s inefficient ports and small, under-equipped navy. The real thrust of Jokowi’s plan is economic. On Iraq and Ukraine, Obama Must Balance Caution and Decisiveness By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column One theme may be gaining prominence in President Barack Obama’s internal deliberations over Iraq and Ukraine: Throughout his presidency, whenever his decision-making has departed from his preferred caution, the results have not been particularly favorable. As Ukraine Sanctions Bite, Putin’s Oligarchs Hold Key to Russia-West Standoff By: Frida Ghitis | Column As Russia’s intervention in Ukraine increasingly takes the form of an invasion, the question becomes whether economic sanctions are enough to change Vladimir Putin’s approach. So far there is little evidence that they have done so, but sanctions are a slow-acting weapon. New EU Leadership Aims to Strike a Balance By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines The appointment of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as president of the European Council and Italian Foreign Minister Frederica Mogherini as EU high representative for foreign policy shows the steps the EU is taking to balance divisions among its members. China Buys Up European Assets to Push Back Against U.S. Free Trade Deals By: Emanuele Scimia | Briefing China is buying up assets throughout Europe, mostly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. The underlying force driving these investments is geopolitics: namely, Beijing’s desire to push back against two U.S. trade deals on the table with the EU and the Asia-Pacific region. The Price of Defeating the Islamic State By: Steven Metz | Column Destroying the Islamic State would be a very good thing. The danger is that American political leaders and strategic thinkers will reprise their tradition of overestimating U.S. power and underestimating the costs of destroying a fanatical transnational terrorist organization.