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Friday, July 17, 2015

World Politics Review Monday, July 13, 2015 - Friday, July 17, 2015

 

Monday, July 13, 2015 - Friday, July 17, 2015

Egypt’s Heavy-Handed Tactics Offer IS a Foothold in Sinai

By: MIchael Horton | Briefing
Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is an insurgent’s dream, with its rugged terrain, smuggling networks and restive population. Militants there, now affiliated with the Islamic State, have found an optimal environment for an insurgency even more appealing, thanks to the Egyptian military’s scorched-earth tactics.

Iran Nuclear Deal: Diplomacy Strikes Back

By: Michael A. Cohen | Column
Yesterday’s announcement of a comprehensive agreement with Iran to limit its nuclear ambitions fundamentally strengthens the international system and suggests a major shift in global affairs. Above all, the deal was achieved without a single shot being fired. Diplomacy won out over war.

‘Electric Yerevan’ Protests Put Spotlight on Armenia’s Corruption

By: Michael Cecire | Briefing
Electric Yerevan, the name given to recent protests in Armenia, has mostly ended. But the grievances that catapulted anger over a utility rate hike into weeks of protests in Yerevan and across the country remain all too relevant: the hold that corruption has over broad swaths of governance and everyday life.

Hungary’s Orban Plays Legal Games to Avoid EU Migration Rules

By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines
Leading the opposition of some EU member states to a mandatory migrant quota system was one of the most vocal critics of European asylum policy: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Last month Orban defiantly suspended EU asylum rules, in a legal game to build support for his party at home and divide Europe.

Could the United States Still Fight a Big War?

By: Steven Metz | Column
Nations going to war often believe the fighting will end quickly. For most of its history, the U.S. was the same, entering wars with the expectation they would be short. Unfortunately, the past may not portent the future, which should lead Americans to consider whether they can still fight a big war.
By: Richard Gowan | Column
Western policymakers comfort themselves that Russia has not been able to offer a positive vision of a new international system that can compete with what the West offers. Yet over the past week, Vladimir Putin has done a good job of outlining the principles of the world he would like to live in.

U.S. Follows Europe’s Lead to Make Arctic Energy Green

By: Victoria Herrmann | Briefing
There is another story to Arctic energy beyond oil and gas. As the chair of the Arctic Council for the next two years, the United States has announced a campaign to focus on increasing access to renewable energy in remote Arctic communities, following the lead of Iceland, Finland and Norway.

Afghanistan, Not New Members, Will Determine SCO’s Relevance

By: Richard Weitz | Column
Despite its potential, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has yet to have a major impact on world affairs. Admitting India and Pakistan as members should breathe new life into it, but the group’s relevance will be determined by its ability to address the challenges posed by Afghanistan.

Blurring the Lines: Diaspora Politics and Globalized Constituencies

By: Fiona B. Adamson | Feature
Diaspora politics are not entirely new. However, various aspects of globalization have combined to make diaspora politics a growing force in the world, with an impact on everything from trade, economic development and foreign policy, to political participation and the formulation of national identity.

Colombia’s Santos Shuffles Military Command to Steady FARC Talks

By: Adam Isacson | Briefing
At a critical moment in one of the world’s oldest armed conflicts, amid a spike in FARC attacks and a damning report on human rights abuses by the army, Colombia just changed its defense leadership. Colombia’s media billed the changes as the arrival of a high command more in line with FARC peace talks.

Done Deal: The Implications of the Iran Nuclear Agreement

By: The Editors | Trend Lines
With Tuesday’s landmark agreement between Iran and six world powers to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy, World Politics Review is making available essential background reading from recent months, free for non-subscribers.

For 21st-Century Problems, States Seek Partnerships, not Alliances

By: Ellen Laipson | Trend Lines
Today’s international system is a hybrid mix of concepts about how states manage their relations. The absolute and relative importance of alliances is being questioned, and new forms of ad hoc cooperation have emerged. Above all, there’s no longer one rule book to govern interstate relations.

For Santos, and Colombia, Time Running Out on FARC Talks

By: Frida Ghitis | Column
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has made peace talks with the FARC insurgency the centerpiece of his administration. But to put it bluntly, it’s not going well. Pessimism among Colombians has reached new heights. And not surprisingly, the president’s approval rating is scraping bottom.

In Central Asia, Modi Jump-Starts India’s ‘Look North’ Strategy

By: Saurav Jha | Briefing
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tour this month of the five Central Asian republics signaled his renewed seriousness about an Indian foreign policy that looks north. India wants to emerge as an alternative market for Central Asia, even as China looks to cement its economic primacy in the region.

Nigeria’s Buhari Faces Dual Challenge of Corruption, Boko Haram

By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines On Tuesday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari fired all of Nigeria’s military chiefs in preparation for a fresh offensive against Boko Haram. Less than three months into his term, Buhari is working to consolidate security gains, while also tackling Nigeria’s endemic corruptio

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