WPR Articles 30 Dec 2013 - 03 Jan 2014 The Myth of Rising Radical Islamism in Post-2014 Central Asia By: Bayram Balci | Briefing Central Asian leaders, and many analysts, predict that the U.S. withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan may encourage Central Asian jihadists to return to their home countries and destabilize local regimes. But the current role of Islam in Central Asia, and the evolution of Central Asian jihadist groups themselves, mean it is likely the threat has been exaggerated for domestic and foreign political purposes. Flap Over Diplomat Complicates U.S.-India Relations By: Eric Auner | Trend Lines Earlier this month, U.S. Marshals arrested Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was serving as the deputy consul general at the Indian Consulate in New York City. She was accused of committing visa fraud to bring a domestic worker into the United States and of paying her less than the minimum wage. Global Insights: Russian Bombings Show Limits of Security Crackdowns By: Richard Weitz | Column After a period of relative calm, two recent terrorist attacks in Russia serve as a reminder that, despite the government’s pre-Olympic crackdown, Russia’s heartland remains vulnerable to militants from the Muslim-majority North Caucasus region. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the bombings, Volgograd has suffered from years of attacks, typically by Islamist terrorists from the North Caucasus. Time for Obama to Make a Play in Africa By: Alexander Benard | Briefing During his campaign for president in 2008, Barack Obama promised that he would restore America’s standing in the world—in part by using his unique multicultural background to better communicate with U.S. friends and foes alike. While Obama has certainly enjoyed some foreign policy successes, there is one region in which he has so far glaringly and disappointingly fallen well short of that promise: Africa. The Realist Prism: After a ‘Lost Year,’ Can Obama Regain Momentum? By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column Many commentators have described 2013 as a “lost year” for the Obama administration. No major pieces of legislation were passed, nor did the United States spearhead new international initiatives. Spring 2014, then, could be a time of repair and renewal for U.S. foreign policy. But the optimistic scenario for U.S. foreign policy rests on the very shaky assumption that congressional compromise can be reached.

More

Diplomatic Fallout: Can the U.N. Rebuild its Force in South Sudan?

By: Richard Gowan | Column

After two weeks of slaughter in South Sudan, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country faces three possible scenarios: fragile success, prolonged agony and decisive failure. The best of these could see UNMISS hold together through successful peace talks, while the worst could see it routed. However it unfolds, the mission’s fate could reshape debates about the U.N.’s capabilities and limits.

Global Insider: Russia Cultivates All Sides of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

In an email interview, Robert O. Freedman, Peggy Meyerhoff Pearlstone professor of political science emeritus at Baltimore Hebrew University and visiting professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, who has written on Russian policy in the Middle East, explained the state of Russia’s ties with Palestine.

Assassination Campaign Leaves Lebanon’s Anti-Syrian Coalition in Pieces

By: Stephen Dockery | Briefing

The assassination in Lebanon of Mohammed Chatah, a moderate former minister, is not simply spillover from the Syrian war but also another episode in a long campaign of political violence that has broken Lebanon’s coalition of anti-Syrian politicians. The remnants of March 14 are often feckless and disorganized, while Lebanon’s violence helps stop a serious front against Damascus from forming next door.

Global Insider: Southern Philippines Stands to See Peace Dividend

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

In an email interview, Steven Rood, the Asia Foundation’s country representative for the Philippines and Pacific Island nations, explained what the government's power-sharing agreement with Muslim separatists in Mindanao implies for the economic development of the southern Philippines.

World Citizen: Long Delayed, Mexico’s Revolution Begins at Last

By: Frida Ghitis | Column

Few countries have claimed for themselves the mantle of revolution as frequently and as fervently as Mexico. Previous efforts brought change, even revolutionary change, but failed to lift large parts of the population out of chronic poverty. That is about to change. Over the past year, Mexico has launched a series of urgently needed but long-delayed fundamental reforms, putting it on the cusp of enormous change.

Mexico’s Energy Reform: A Major First Step on a Very Long Journey

By: Jed Bailey | Briefing

Mexico’s recently enacted energy reform bill marks an important first step on the long path of transforming the country’s energy sector. But the real work of implementing the reforms, which begins now, will take time, and there will be much to debate along the way. The reform’s ultimate success will depend on maintaining political support while managing public expectations during the long slog of implementation.