WPR Articles Sept. 22, 2014 - Sept. 26, 2014

Algeria’s Slow March Toward Nuclear Energy

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Earlier this month, Algeria and Russia signed a nuclear energy cooperation deal. In an email interview, Bruno Tertrais, senior research fellow at the Paris-based Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique, discussed Algeria’s nuclear program.

Ebola Crisis Offers Ban Ki-moon a Last Chance to Lead

By: Richard Gowan | Column

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon revealed a new side to his character over the past week: Action Ban. A self-confessed fan of action movies, Ban must daydream of tackling threats with the speed and stern decisiveness of on-screen world leaders. Yet to date, he generally hasn’t done so.

High-Profile Naval Visit Belies China’s Low-Profile Approach to Iran

By: Richard Weitz | Column

Two Chinese warships paid a port call to Iran over the weekend ahead of a four-day joint naval exercise with the Iranian navy this week. The visit highlights China’s ties with Iran, at a time when the outcome of international negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program remains uncertain.

Energy, Defense Deals Highlight Vietnam’s Role in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy

By: Saurav Jha | Briefing

Energy and defense deals signed during Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s recent visit to Vietnam are likely to get China’s attention. They come as China and Vietnam renew negotiations over South China Sea disputes and India pushes back against Chinese maritime expansion.

Yemen’s Hawthis Redraw Political Map, Upend Transition

By: Peter Salisbury | Briefing

It is still too soon to know what the recent takeover of Yemen’s capital by a group known as the Hawthis will mean for the country’s future and political transition. But in a matter of days, the Hawthis have redrawn Yemen’s political map far more radically than the 2011 uprising.

More Middle East’s Sectarian Tensions Play Out in Sudan-Iran Relations By: Harry Verhoeven | Briefing The Middle East’s shifting geopolitics are making their impact felt in other parts of the world. The Horn of Africa is a case in point, as illustrated earlier this month when Sudan closed Iranian Shiite cultural centers operating in the country and expelled a diplomat responsible for them. China's Naval Modernization: The Implications of Seapower By: Andrew S. Erickson | Feature As China pushes maritime territorial claims against its neighbors, Asia’s future may hinge on the capabilities of the Chinese navy. This article explores Beijing’s plans for modernizing its naval forces, as well as the rising costs of seapower and the implications for regional stability. Despite Poor Optics, China-Argentina Deals Reflect Both Sides' Pragmatism By: Sean Goforth | Briefing Despite the poor optics of an $11 billion currency deal and satellite lease, the agreements between China and Argentina are the next steps in a bilateral relationship that has warmed in recent years, if at Beijing’s pace. They mark the latest in a series of pragmatic moves by both sides. Zimbabwe Opposition Poses Little Threat to Mugabe By: The Editors | Trend Lines The main opposition party in Zimbabwe is facing serious infighting in the lead-up to its party congress next month. In an email interview, Stephen Chan, professor of international relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies, discussed the state of Zimbabwe’s opposition. Chile Bombings Threaten Nonviolent Anarchist Movement’s Gains By: Frida Ghitis | Column An explosion in a Santiago shopping mall, Chile’s worst bombing in more than two decades, appears to have been carried out by a radical anarchist group. The publicity afforded such groups threatens the country’s hard-earned image as a peaceful, stable and business-friendly environment. Military Purges in Rwanda Expose Cracks in Kagame Regime By: Filip Reyntjens | Briefing Last month, three high-ranking Rwandan military figures close to President Paul Kagame were arrested and charged with so-called crimes against state security. The purges have exposed more cracks in a regime that has appeared solid and coherent, at least from the outside. U.S. Ally Status Without Treaty a Hollow Gesture for Ukraine By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is considering extending non-NATO ally status to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, each of which has a protracted conflict with Russia. But there has been remarkably little debate or discussion of the ramifications of such a measure. Will Qatar’s Muslim Brotherhood Expulsions Reshape Middle East Rivalries? By: Frederick Deknatel | Trend Lines Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Doha last week was meant to signal Turkey and Qatar's close ties, including the course they’ve charted as the chief sponsors of Islamist political movements in the region. But both countries’ calculations could be changing. Iran’s President Offers Little Candor at New York Event By: David Klion | Trend Lines Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke yesterday at an event sponsored by the New America Foundation at the New York Hilton. The event was well attended and the audience included many journalists, although only New America board member Fareed Zakaria had the opportunity to ask Rouhani questions. Can U.S. Build a Better Iraqi Army the Second Time Around? By: Steven Metz | Column For the U.S., getting out of Iraq required rebuilding the Iraqi army. But the raw material that U.S. military advisers and trainers had to work with was not optimal. To defeat the Islamic State group, the Iraqi army will have to be organized on professional and not sectarian grounds. International and Domestic Opinion Turning Against Japanese Whaling By: The Editors | Trend Lines At a conference in Slovenia last week, the International Whaling Commission voted against allowing Japan to hunt whales in the Antarctic. In an email interview, Atsushi Ishii, associate professor at Tohoku University, discussed Japan’s whaling program.