WPR Articles April 29, 2014 - May 2, 2014

NATO’s Missile Defense Counteroffensive to Ukraine

By: Richard Weitz | Column

As part of their response to perceived Russian meddling in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. and its NATO allies are considering increasing U.S. missile defenses based in NATO’s European member states. While Moscow clearly hates these U.S. systems, and placing them near Russia is sure to capture Moscow’s attention, the U.S. missile defense response needs to be nuanced to yield net benefits to Western security.

Seizure of OSCE Monitors Raises Questions About Ukraine Mission

By: Richard Gowan | Briefing

It was no surprise when pro-Russian forces seized eight European military monitors in eastern Ukraine last week. A growing number of international observers have deployed to Ukraine over the past two months, and it was inevitable that some would be snatched. But the episode also raises strategic questions about the goals of international monitors in Ukraine. Does their presence calm or complicate the conflict?

How to Tell If America Will Remain a Global Superpower

By: Steven Metz | Column

Following World War II, the United States reluctantly became a global superpower. By the end of the Cold War, Americans had so taken to the exercise of power that they found it unthinkable to be anything but a superpower. But now what was once unthinkable is back on the table. For the first time in decades, many Americans are questioning whether the United States wants to or even can remain a global superpower.

Argentina’s General Strike Reflects Labor’s Changing Political Role

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

In mid-April, unions across Argentina called a general strike in protest of high inflation and taxes, bringing the country to a standstill for 24 hours. In an email interview, Maria Victoria Murillo, a political science professor at Columbia University who has researched labor politics in Latin America, explained the role of labor unions in Argentine politics.

To Save the Pivot, Obama Must Disown It

By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column

President Barack Obama’s trip to East Asia was supposed to highlight America’s seriousness about rebalancing its foreign policy attention to the Asia-Pacific region, but it failed to do much to burnish U.S. global leadership. Obama can still lay the foundations for the rebalancing strategy, but to do so he must first recognize that the pivot to Asia cannot be completed in his administration’s political lifetime.

More Deadline for Israel-Palestine Peace Deal Passes in New Round of Acrimony By: Eric Auner | Trend Lines Launching a new round of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians last July, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry set a deadline for the two sides to reach a peace deal within nine months. Today, that deadline is passing with the sides seemingly no closer to resolving their long-running dispute. Despite Strategic Convergence, Israel-Egypt Ties Face Tactical Strains By: Thanassis Cambanis | Briefing Egypt’s uprising in 2011 sent waves of anxiety coursing through the Israeli establishment; a close partner had been deposed in Cairo, and popular Egyptian sentiment demanded a tough line against Israel. Today, the Israel-Egypt strategic relationship appears to be back on the same consistent if bumpy track of the Mubarak era. But beneath the surface, significant factors are tugging at the relationship. Israel’s Navy Transforms Itself for 21st Century Power Projection By: Ehud Eiran | Briefing Last month, the Israeli navy took control of a ship off the coast of Sudan that was carrying munitions to Gaza. The Red Sea operation underscored the growth of the navy’s role in Israel’s power projection, which has accelerated in the 21st century after many decades in which maritime strategy was something of an afterthought for Israel’s military. Israel’s navy is now in the process of transforming itself. Polls Predict Tight Race in Panama Presidential Elections By: The Editors | Trend Lines Panama’s seven presidential candidates are wrapping up their campaigns ahead of the country’s election on Sunday. In an email interview, Orlando J. Pérez, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Central Michigan University who has done field research in Panama, explained the country’s electoral landscape. China, Russia Resume Push for Content Restrictions in Cyberspace By: Eric Sterner | Briefing China and Russia have launched a global campaign to regulate content on the Internet that, if successful, would slowly destroy cyberspace as a means of self-expression and unregulated speech. The Russian and Chinese governments already heavily regulate the Internet at home, but they increasingly seek to use international forums, organizations and rules to apply their domestic censorship practices globally. Egypt’s Justice System Goes off the Rails By: Frida Ghitis | Column Over decades of authoritarian rule in Egypt, and into the recent years of upheaval, one segment of the state enjoyed a reputation for maintaining a considerable degree of independence. In contrast to much of the governing structure, the Egyptian judiciary was willing to challenge the powerful. Its decisions were guided to a large extent by the concept of rule of law. All that is now a thing of the past. Budgetary Constraints Could Derail Efforts to Realign Britain’s Defense Strategy By: Matt Ince | Briefing As its troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the U.K. faces hard choices ahead of its forthcoming Strategic Defense and Security Review. Yet efforts to realign Britain’s defense strategy as part of this process face several constraints. The U.K. must exercise sound judgment or be left with a strategically incoherent defense posture insufficient to meet the demands of the post-Afghanistan operating environment. Distrust of U.S. Grows in Germany, but Western Alliance Takes Precedence By: The Editors | Trend Lines German Chancellor Angela Merkel is meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama today amid escalating tensions in Ukraine and lingering mistrust over NSA spying revelations. In an email interview, Sudha David-Wilp, senior trans-Atlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, explained where the two countries’ interests overlap, and where they diverge.