WPR Articles April 29 — May 6
Despite Old Obstacles, India’s Modi Still Seeks Progress With Pakistan
By: Aryaman Bhatnagar | Briefing
Last week’s meeting between India and
Pakistan’s foreign secretaries may not have led to any breakthroughs,
but it still reflected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
perseverance to engage with Pakistan. To his credit, Modi has shown
resolve by resisting familiar challenges to talks with Islamabad.
U.S.-Senegal Deal Reflects Changing Threat Landscape in West Africa
By: Karina Piser | Trend Lines
On Monday,
the U.S. and Senegal signed a deal to facilitate U.S. troop access to
the West African country, in the latest example of the American
military’s expanding presence in Africa. With threats from the Islamic
State, Boko Haram and Al-Qaida in the Maghreb, U.S. involvement will
only deepen.
Industrial Innovation Needed to Curb Chile’s Dependence on Copper
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Last week, Chilean President Michelle
Bachelet gave a speech on the need for Chile to create a “post-copper
economy.” In an email interview, Leonardo Letelier, the director of the
Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Chile, discussed the
impact of the commodities bust on Chile’s economy.
The British Labour Party’s Anti-Semitism Scandal Is a Problem for the Left
By: Michael A. Cohen | Column
Opposition to Israel’s policies is
increasingly taking on the ugly tenor not just of anti-Zionism, but also
of anti-Semitism, creating a divide between the anti-Israel left and
the Zionist left. Rarely has this problem been clearer than during the
U.K.’s Labour Party recent anti-Semitism scandal.
The Limits to Saudi Arabia’s Diplomatic Offensive Against Iran
By: Iyad Dakka | Briefing
The 13th Summit of the Organization for
Islamic Cooperation captured media attention around the world recently
for its anti-Iranian rhetoric, which was likely pushed by Saudi Arabia.
It was the latest move in Riyadh’s aggressive diplomacy against Tehran,
but will it yield concrete returns?
Don’t Kill the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review—Fix It
By: Steven Metz | Column
A bill recently introduced in Congress
proposes getting rid of the Defense Department’s much-criticized
Quadrennial Defense Review and replacing it with two other classified
strategy documents. To an extent, criticisms of the QDR are warranted,
but simply throwing it out may not be the best option.
Old Guard Victorious in Vietnam’s Power Struggle
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s
Judah Grunstein and host Peter Dörrie discuss violence in
Nagorno-Karabakh, U.N. cease-fire monitoring, and West Africa’s regional
anti-Boko Haram force. For the Report, David Brown discusses Vietnam’s
leadership battles and prospects for economic growth.
Scottish Independence Back on the Table as Brexit Gains Momentum
By: Maria Savel | Trend Lines
Recent polls show 45 percent of Britons in
favor of staying in the EU. In Scotland that figure is higher, with
some polls putting it at up to 70 percent. Not surprisingly, the specter
of a new Scottish independence referendum has been raised as another
potential risk of the U.K. voting for a Brexit.
Technology Transfer Is a Weak Link in the Global Health System
By: Jeremy Youde | Briefing
In mid-April, the Ugandan government
admitted that the country’s only functioning cancer treatment machine
had broken earlier that month. The episode illustrated the larger
problems in global health around issues of technology transfers and
long-term commitments to keep that technology working.
The U.N. Is Caught in a Trap as Kabila Angles for Third Term in DRC
By: Richard Gowan | Column
Most observers of the DRC believe
President Joseph Kabila intends to disregard a constitutional term limit
and cling onto power past November, potentially unleashing serious
violence. This means there will be a major crisis in the country before
the end of 2016, and nobody knows what to do about it.
U.S. Program Makes First Steps in Expanding Africa’s Power Generation
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Earlier this year, the U.S. Congress
passed the Electrify Africa Act, which continues funding for “Power
Africa,” an initiative aiming to expand power-generation capabilities
across the continent. In an email interview, Ilmi Granoff discussed the
state of Power Africa and power generation in Africa.
Can Hamas Afford the Cost of Ending Gaza’s Isolation?
By: Khaled Hroub | Feature
Gaza will become “uninhabitable” by 2020,
according to U.N. reports, and a political stalemate between ruling
Hamas and rival Fatah seems as intractable as the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict itself. Hamas has three main options to break the deadlock, but
none are desirable for the Islamist party.
Playing the Long Game: Getting Past Near-Term Thinking on Terrorism
By: Ellen Laipson | Column
Five years after the killing of Osama bin
Laden, the U.S. public seems to understand that the fight against
terrorism is here to stay. The challenge for governments is to manage
the threat without exacerbating it, or allowing terrorism to monopolize
time and resources at the expense of other needs.
Gbagbo’s Trial Is the Latest Sign of Victor’s Justice in Cote d’Ivoire
By: Robbie Corey-Boulet | Briefing
Five years after Cote d’Ivoire’s 2011
post-election crisis came to a bloody end, the trial of former First
Lady Simone Gbagbo for crimes against humanity is set to open this month
in Abidjan—a first for an Ivoirian court. Yet justice and human rights
advocates are hardly rejoicing.
Israel Maintains Low-Key but Robust Ties With Singapore
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Last month, during a visit to Jerusalem,
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to expand cyberdefense cooperation. In an
email interview, Emanuel Shahaf, CEO of Technology Asia Consulting,
discussed Israel’s ties with Singapore.
Latest Government Turnover Reflects Madagascar’s Political Volatility
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
Last month, Solonandrasana Olivier
Mahafaly became prime minister of Madagascar after Jean Ravelonarivo
resigned due to disagreements with President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
In an email interview, Richard R. Marcus discussed politics and
political reconciliation in Madagascar.
Police Scandal in Honduras Could Lead to Even More Militarized Policing
By: Christine Wade | Briefing
The recent revelation of a hit squad
within Honduras’ police, tasked with carrying out assassinations of law
enforcement officials, confirmed widely held suspicions of police abuse.
Yet the likely consequence of these revelations is not a police
overhaul, but a bigger role for Honduras’ military police.
Recall Referendum Raises the Stakes Between Venezuela’s Maduro and Opposition
By: Frida Ghitis | Column
Venezuela’s unraveling is gathering speed.
The country is now on course for an extended period of uncertainty,
with a possibly dangerous outcome lying in wait. This does not come as a
surprise. Anyone watching the country’s trajectory could see disaster
coming. The question now is, How will this end?
Hamas’ Costly Options for Ending the Gaza Blockade
By: The Editors | Trend Lines
In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s
Judah Grunstein and Frederick Deknatel discuss Honduras’ police scandal,
transitional justice in Cote d’Ivoire, and Turkey, Syria and Iraq’s
Kurds. For the Report, Khaled Hroub joins us to talk about Hamas’
options for ending Gaza’s isolation.
Kurds in Iraq, Turkey and Syria Vacillate Between Hope and Despair
By: Müjge Küçükkeles | Briefing
Growing disorder has created the
possibility for major changes to the status of Kurdish minorities in
Iraq, Turkey and Syria, with Kurds emerging as critical actors in
providing security and stability. However, with internal challenges and
unending battles, recent self-confidence has also been punctured.
With ISIS on Its Heels, the U.S. Should Prepare for Long-Term Deterrence
By: Steven Metz | Column
Recent developments in Iraq and Syria
suggest the tide has slowly turned in the fight against the so-called
Islamic State. But rather than standing pat on its current approach, the
United States should take a hard look at its strategy and think about
how the conflict might unfold in the coming years.
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