WPR Articles Jan. 20, 2015 - Jan. 23, 2015

In State of the Union, Obama Should Not Forget Asia

By: Richard Weitz | Column

What little time U.S. President Barack Obama devotes to foreign policy issues in tonight’s State of the Union speech will probably focus on the Middle East, Russia and Cuba. While these are important, Obama’s ability to leave behind a major foreign policy legacy is probably greatest in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. and Cuba Face a Long Road Ahead to Normalization

By: Christopher Sabatini | Briefing

Implementing U.S. President Barack Obama’s changes to the embargo on Cuba will not be smooth. Beyond dealing with hardline, pro-embargo Cuban-Americans and the Cuban government itself, breaking Cubans’ isolation through greater contact with U.S. citizens and the private sector is the real challenge.

How the Paris Attacks Are Driving EU Counterterrorism Cooperation

By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines

After the Paris attacks earlier this month, European leaders have called for more sharing of data and intelligence on national security and counterterrorism among European Union member states. It’s an important step, as the quality of counterterrorism programs varies across the EU.

Prosecutor’s Death Raises Suspicions From Argentina to Iran

By: Frida Ghitis | Column

Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman always knew his life was at risk, but the drama that marked his final days ensures that his death will remain the subject of intrigue. It has rekindled interest in the 1994 Jewish community center bombing that shook Buenos Aires and likely involved Iran.

Syriza’s Rise Will Test Greece and EU, but the Euro Is Safe

By: Dimitri A. Sotiropoulos | Briefing

This Sunday, Greeks will go to the polls for a snap election, with the radical left party Syriza, running on an anti-austerity platform, ahead. But rather than signal the start of economic turbulence in Europe, a Syriza victory may be a test for the limits of tolerance of the European Union as a political system.

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How New Metrics Can Reset Global Drug Policy

By: Robert Muggah, Ilona Szabo de Carvalho | Briefing

For decades the war on drugs disproportionately focused on reducing the supply of illicit drugs in producing and transit countries. There was just one problem: It didn’t work. New goals, targets and indicators are urgently needed to help craft more effective and efficient international drug policies.

Prisoners of Oslo: Palestine After the Peace Process

By: George Hale | Feature

Two decades after the Oslo Accords, nationhood seems more distant than ever for the Palestinians who returned to the West Bank hoping to build a new state. Reporting from Bethlehem, George Hale assesses the bleak mood of post-Oslo Palestine, where no peace with Israel is in sight.

Turkey Takes Pragmatic Approach to International Peacekeeping

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

In November 2014, Turkey announced plans to send peacekeepers to participate in U.N.-backed missions in the Central African Republic and Mali. In an email interview, Nil S. Satana, assistant professor at Bilkent University in Ankara discussed Turkey’s contributions to international peacekeeping missions.

Japan-Pakistan Ties Hold Steady as China Rises

By: The Editors | Trend Lines

Pakistani Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar was in Japan last week for talks with his Japanese counterpart, Taro Aso, on trade and economic cooperation. In an email interview, Ahmad Rashid Malik, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, discussed Pakistan-Japan relations.

Shake-Ups Won’t Address U.S. Foreign Policy’s Real Problems

By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column

Last week’s dramatic recommendation for U.S. President Barack Obama to fire his entire national security team, delivered by Les Gelb, was eagerly disseminated among the foreign policy denizens of Washington. But personnel changes alone would not address all of the concerns Gelb raised.

The Logic Behind Boko Haram’s Brutal Attacks in Nigeria

By: Alex Thurston | Briefing

There is a logic behind Boko Haram’s series of repeated, shocking attacks in and around Nigeria. The militant group nurses ambitions of destroying the Nigerian state, especially in the northeast, its home turf. Its extreme violence there will likely continue after the elections, no matter who wins.

U.S. Must Be Prepared for Life After Putin, Even if Russia Isn’t

By: Steven Metz | Column

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s exit may not come for years. But when it does, the repercussions will be great. Putin gives no indication that he has given any thought to what will follow him. Thus, it is important for the U.S. and its allies to plan their response to his eventual exit.