WPR Articles July 1 — July 8
Geo-Economics Moves Front and Center as Connectivity Reshuffles Global Politics
By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Briefing
Globalization has created
new connections between states while simultaneously opening up divides
within them. Forging, or forcing, economic connectivity is the driving
force for international politics in the 21st century, and geo-economics
is the framework through which it can be best understood.
Germany Remains a Key Partner for China, But Its Influence Is Waning
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel was in China earlier this month, her ninth trip there since
taking office, to discuss trade, the rule of law and the South China Sea
disputes. In an email interview, Klaus Larres, a professor at the
University of North Carolina, discussed Germany’s ties with China.
Instability the Norm in Central African Republic as Rebel Violence Surges
By: Karina Piser | Trend Lines
There has been a
resurgence of violence in the chronically unstable and impoverished
Central African Republic, as regional and international efforts to push
back against the Lord’s Resistance Army continue to fall short, and
ongoing tensions between Muslim and Christian militia groups rage.
Despite Long Odds, Syria’s Kurds Push Forward With Their State-Building Project
By: Frida Ghitis | Column
World powers and Middle
East regional players continue to strain without success in efforts to
wind down the war in Syria and contain its expanding terrorist
spillover. But Syrian Kurdish political leaders are moving ahead with
state-building plans of their own, undeterred by their critics.
Iran’s Conservatives Stifle Moves to Expand Women’s Rights
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Women’s groups in Iran
recently reported that women were barred from attending a major
volleyball tournament featuring the men’s Olympic team. In an email
interview, Val Moghadam, a professor of international affairs at
Northeastern University, discusses the state of women’s rights in Iran.
Can Nairobi’s Citizens Tackle Their City’s Rapid Urbanization?
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
In this week’s Trend
Lines podcast, WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein, and host Peter
Dörrie discuss the backlash against liberalized trade in the context of
the Brexit vote. For the Report, Abigail Higgins talks about the
challenges of Nairobi’s rapid urbanization.
Why the U.S. Military Must Get Creative About War Games—and How It Can
By: Steven Metz | Column
Exploring ways to
identify possible futures demands creativity, but that is often rare in
large, bureaucratic organizations like the military. To get around this,
the U.S. military relies on collective creativity. One of the most
important methods for this is the use of analytical war games.
Drone Casualty Data Highlights the Limits, and Downsides, of Transparency
By: Ellen Laipson | Column
The Obama administration
recently released data on civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes.
While the administration deserves credit for finally acting on its own
pledge, total transparency on this and other security issues is not
easy, may not resolve disputes, and in some cases is undesirable.
New Ways of Defining Success in Post-Disaster Recovery
By: Ilan Noy | Feature
Hurricanes, storms and
tsunamis aren’t necessarily devastating, but when they are,
repercussions are dire. The better off a society, the less severe the
impact, but the economic consequences can be far-reaching. Worse,
reconstruction efforts can replicate the vulnerabilities that led to
disaster.
With Strategic Spillover Rising, Now Is the Time for an Arctic Security Forum
By: Seth Andre Myers | Briefing
Pundits and foreign
ministries have latched onto the notion that the Arctic is an entirely
peaceful region, ruled by laws and immune to geopolitical shocks. But
the reality on the ground is that security issues are already
increasingly affecting the region, which lacks a forum to discuss them.
A Year After Algiers Accord, Flexibility Is the Key to Durable Peace in Mali
By: Kamissa Camara | Briefing
June 20 marked the
one-year anniversary of the peace deal between the government of Mali
and separatist Tuareg fighters that sought to bring sustainable peace to
the country’s north. But a year later, Mali’s security and political
context have dramatically evolved, creating challenges for the peace
process.
The Biggest Casualty of the U.S. Presidential Campaign? Free Trade
By: Michael A. Cohen | Column
So far free trade has
been the biggest loser in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. But much
of the criticism of liberalized trade is not only simplistic and often
factually wrong, it fails to present a full picture of how trade impacts
the American economy—and in particular American workers.
Why This Time’s Different for the Border Clashes Between Ethiopia and Eritrea
By: Samuel Ramani | Briefing
Recent border clashes
between Ethiopia and Eritrea brought an uneasy peace that had lasted 16
years to a dramatic end. While both countries blamed each other for the
hostilities, the causes of current tensions differ markedly from those
in the past, with implications for efforts to calm them.
Election Deadlock Caps the Steady Decline of Australia’s Two Main Parties
By: Sam Roggeveen | Briefing
Australia’s recent
national elections have still yet to be decided. But the fact that
Australia might have its second minority government in a decade hints at
an underlying trend that is reshaping politics in ways that are less
obvious than Donald Trump or Brexit, but potentially just as profound.
Political Realities Leave Iran’s Kurds Divided, Weak and Ineffective
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Iran’s Revolutionary
Guards Corps and Kurdish rebels from the Kurdish Democratic Party of
Iran clashed late last month along Iran’s mountainous border with Iraq.
In an email interview, Denise Natali discusses the relationship between
the Iranian government and the Iranian Kurdish minority.
Australia Takes Steps to Prioritize and Expand Ties With Indonesia
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Last month, officials
from Indonesia and Australia agreed to increase counterterrorism
cooperation and information-sharing in response to the growing threat
from the so-called Islamic State. In an email interview, Greta
Nabbs-Keller discusses the current state of Australia-Indonesia
relations.
Can Mogherini Turn the EU’s Diplomatic Service Around?
By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines
Recent high-level
resignations in the European External Action Service prompted rumors
that all is not well at the EU’s diplomatic service. But a closer look
shows that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is gaining
confidence in her role and finally taking charge of the foreign service.
Human Rights Should Be at the Top of NATO’s Summit Agenda in Warsaw
By: Anna Neistat | Briefing
NATO leaders meet for
their summit in Warsaw buffeted by crises and conflicts on all sides.
Many of them could have been averted. Much of the current instability
stems from the failure to adequately respond to human rights violations,
especially if other political or economic interests are at stake.
New Approaches to Preparing for and Recovering From Natural Disasters
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
In this week’s Trend
Lines podcast, WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein, and host Peter
Dörrie discuss the challenges of building sustainable peace in former
conflict zones. For the Report, Ilan Noy joins us to talk about new
approaches to preparing for and recovering from natural disasters.
To Defeat an Evolving ISIS, the U.S. and Its Allies Must Adapt
By: Steven Metz | Column
However sound the
U.S.-led coalition’s strategy has been in rolling back the Islamic
State’s expansion, the past few months have shown that the group is
adapting rather than collapsing. To defeat it, the U.S. and its partners
must in turn adapt their approach, by anticipating how the group will
evolve.
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