WPR Articles Monday, Sept. 28, 2015 - Friday, Oct. 2, 2015

A Year After Students Disappeared, Mexico’s Judiciary Still Weak as Ever

By: Paul Imison | Briefing

A long-awaited report cast doubts on the official version of the disappearance of 43 Mexican students last year, pointing to extraordinary deficiencies in the investigation carried out by the federal government. The case’s failings underscore the challenges facing Mexico’s justice system today.

Azerbaijan, Armenia Show No Signs of Backing Down in Nagorno-Karabakh

By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines

Violence has been on the rise in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, as sniper attacks have turned into mortar shellings and heavy artillery attacks. As violence continues and Azerbaijan and Armenia stoke nationalist tendencies, tensions haven’t been this high since the 1994 cease-fire.

Honduras Faces Uphill Battle Against Endemic Corruption

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

This week, the Organization of American States announced that it would establish a Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras. In an email interview, Eric Olson, associate director of the Wilson Center’s Latin America program, discussed Honduras’ fight against corruption.

Afghan Women See Clouds Gather With Taliban Resurgence

By: Frida Ghitis | Column

The fall of Kunduz in Afghanistan brought the country one step closer to the worst-case fears of Afghans who worry about what the future might hold after American forces leave. But it was most alarming for Afghan women, concerned about their nightmare scenario: the return of the Taliban.

Power and the Presidency: Jokowi’s Rocky First Year in Indonesia

By: Andrew Thornley | Briefing

Over his first year in office as president of Indonesia, the limits to Jokowi’s power and political agenda have been repeatedly exposed by formidable oligarchs, an entrenched and entitled bureaucracy, an army eager to reinvigorate its relevance and a corruption-riddled justice sector.

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Europe’s Grudging, but Welcome Return to U.N. Peacekeeping

By: Richard Gowan | Column

A special summit on U.N. peacekeeping, to be hosted by President Barack Obama on Monday afternoon, will get less attention than other issues, like Syria and the Sustainable Development Goals, at the opening of the General Assembly. But for a small group of security specialists, it is a rather exciting event.

Widespread Corruption in West Africa Helps Illicit Drug Trade Grow

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

This summer, Reuters reported on the rise in illegal drug trafficking and production in West Africa. In an email interview, Joanne Csete, an expert on health and human rights issues, discussed West Africa’s growing role in the global drug market.

After the Flood: Migration Is Pakistan’s True Climate Change Challenge

By: Elana Sulakshana | Briefing

While flooding in Pakistan this summer grabbed headlines, extreme heat actually has a greater impact on long-term population dynamics in a country highly vulnerable to climate change. The links between climate change and migration are a major long-term challenge, with Pakistan just the latest test case.

Not Even Past: Historical Revisionism and Global Politics

By: Ronald Suny | Feature

From Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide to Shinzo Abe’s refusal to apologize for Japan’s WWII-era past, governments often try to gloss over or suppress the darkest practices of the past. But in the long run, everyone benefits from knowing as accurately as possible how the present was produced.

U.N. at 70: Caught Between Accomplishments and Shortcomings

By: Ellen Laipson | Column

As world leaders begin the annual marathon that is the U.N. General Assembly opening session, expect the rhetoric to be both sober and soaring. The U.N. is caught between honest assessments of its shortcomings and grandiose pronouncements of its goals that will inspire some and irritate others.

Russia’s Syria Intervention a Blessing in Disguise for U.S.

By: Michael A. Cohen | Column

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military intervention in Syria has been met with a predictable response in Washington: Putin is strong, and Barack Obama is weak. This is neither surprising nor correct: Washington fetishizes the mere exercise of power, even if it is dangerous and counterproductive.

Surface Calm Masks Deep Divides Ahead of Cote d’Ivoire’s Election

By: Ben Shepherd | Briefing

A presidential election on Oct. 25 is likely to bring a second term for Cote d’Ivoire’s president, Alassane Ouattara, who has overseen a political and economic recovery from the dark days of post-election violence in 2010 and 2011. The future seems bright, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Behind Drugs’ Glare, Paraguay’s Illegal Cigarette Trade Flourishes

By: Benoît Gomis, Natalia Carrillo Botero | Briefing

A marijuana seizure in Paraguay this month was notable because it shed light on a neglected yet pervasive problem in Latin America: cigarette smuggling. Up to 90 percent of cigarettes produced in Paraguay are smuggled out of the country, which accounts for 11 percent of the world’s illicit cigarette trade.

Despite Pitfalls, France Ramps Up Its Role in Syria

By: Karina Piser | Trend Lines

After previously refusing to engage militarily in Syria, France launched air strikes against Islamic State targets there this week, while opening a judicial inquiry against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Some say the intervention lacks legal basis, but the French public says more should be done.

Opposition to Austerity Not an Obstacle for Portugal PM

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Portugal goes to the polls Sunday, but with high voter apathy, turnout is expected to be at its lowest since the country transitioned back to democracy in the 1970s . In an email interview, Thomas Bruneau, the vice president of Global Academic Professionals, discussed Portuguese politics and what is at stake in Sunday’s election.

U.S. Must Revamp Its Approach to the ‘Battlefield of Perception’

By: Steven Metz | Column

Most security experts believe that the top three challenges to U.S. security are violent Islamic extremism, Russia and China. These three have different capabilities and goals, but share one characteristic: All seem to be beating the United States on what can be called “the battlefield of perception.”