Columns
Top Story - Column
War is Boring: The Downside of the Afghan Surge
By David Axe 10 Mar 2010World Politics Review
BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- Forces making up the "Afghan Surge" are now arriving in Afghanistan, with many feeding ongoing NATO offensives in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. But there's a downside to the Afghan surge. As "clear and hold" becomes NATO's new mantra, the "clear" part is receiving the bulk of the resources, while in provinces like Parwan, soldiers doing the "holding" are stretched thin.
Global Insights: Iraq's Unanswered Questions
By Richard Weitz 09 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review It could take over a month before the Iraqi Supreme Court confirms the results of Sunday's legislative elections, but the process itself has already shown significant successes in several dimensions. Although important questions regarding Iraq's future, and America's role in it, remain unresolved, this latest election confirms Iraq's status as a functioning democracy, a rarity in the Middle East.The New Rules: 'Senator's Son' a Good Window into COIN
By Thomas P.M. Barnett 08 Mar 2010 | World Politics Review Congress' most prominent military vets hail from the Vietnam era, which has led many to instinctively reject the necessity and utility of nation-building and counterinsurgency. Clearly, our lengthy interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan will alter this generational equation, but how will the experiences of today's veterans impact their votes in tomorrow's Congress? An Iraq war novel attempts to answer that question.
The Realist Prism: Shaping the Multipolar World
By Nikolas Gvosdev
05 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
The
National Intelligence Council's report, "Global Trends 2025: A World Transformed," states as a "relative certainty" that the rise of China, India and other regional powers will result in the emergence of a multipolar global order. This is the future everyone expects, but in order to determine how to shape that future, we need to answer a fundamental question: What
sort of multipolar world do we want?
World Citizen: When Natural Disasters Transform Political Landscapes
By Frida Ghitis
04 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
In the wake of a major natural disaster, the narrative arc that subsequently unfolds has the potential to reshape the political landscape of the affected country. After this weekend's massive earthquake in Chile, keep an eye on the response from the governments -- both the outgoing and incoming one -- to see how the quake ends up altering that country's long-term political picture.
War is Boring: DRC Death Toll Debate Raises Questions
By David Axe
03 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
Proponents of aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo often cite a 2008 report
from the International Rescue Committee that put the death toll from that country's wars at over 5 million. But one university group has challenged the
IRC's report, casting into doubt widely used methods for calculating
war deaths and highlighting how death toll estimates can themselves become controversial political tools.
Global Insights: What Lies Behind Iran's Spy Claims
By Richard Weitz
02 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
Iranian officials have recently accused the United States of plotting to
use a Sunni terrorist group, Jundallah, to overthrow the Islamic
Republic of Iran. Though Tehran has made such charges before, this is
the first time the Iranian government has explicitly tied the alleged
efforts to President Barack Obama. Several reasons explain both the
motivations behind Tehran's accusations as well as their timing.
The New Rules: Winners and Losers in Iraq's Upcoming Election
By Thomas P.M. Barnett
01 Mar 2010 |
World Politics Review
The upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections loom large in the political
fortunes of so many players, both internal and external, that it
constitutes a historical referendum of sorts -- not just for Iraq, but
beyond as well. The election's outcome
will leave winners on some fronts, losers on others,
and will trigger plenty of bandwagoning by those worried about being
left out or left behind.
The Realist Prism: No Magic Bullet on Iran
By Nikolas Gvosdev
26 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Hopes of bringing about a new round of punitive sanctions on
Iran received a serious setback on Thursday, when Russia appeared to throw
cold water on the Obama administration's efforts to that effect. Unless the administration is willing to treat a nuclear Iran as an existential threat to American
security, it must now prepare to expend the political and diplomatic capital necessary to confront and contain it.
World Citizen: Watch Syria for Signs of Obama's Mideast Chances
By Frida Ghitis
25 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
If you want to get an early read on the ultimate success or failure of President Barack Obama's policies for the Middle East, keep an eye on
Syria. His administration's strategy for addressing a number of
conflicts in the region has hinged on changing Syria's behavior. Now, as engagement with Damascus gathers momentum, we will begin to see if Obama gets anything in return.
War is Boring: U.S. Navy Awakens to Irregular Warfare
By David Axe
24 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Over the past nine years, the Army and Marines have evolved from the
industrial-style forces that fought the Cold War and 1991's Operation
Desert Storm, to become outfits more tailored to wage protracted
counterinsurgencies involving significant humanitarian
initiatives. But while the Army and Marines
transformed, the Navy hardly changed at all. Until now.
Global Insights: Moscow Goes Ballistic Again over U.S. Missile Defense
By Richard Weitz
23 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Just when it looked like Russia and the United States were about to
finalize the terms of a nuclear arms reduction agreement to
replace the START I Treaty, their
longstanding bilateral missile defense dispute has exploded again. The latest crisis arose after Bulgaria and Romania's announced their willingness to deploy ground-based interceptor
missiles on their territories.
The New Rules: America's Place in the World
By Thomas P.M. Barnett
22 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
The list of problems caused by globalization goes on and on. And yet, this is
humankind's best set of problems yet, because within them lie the seeds
of future successes -- but only if we maximize our definitions of "us"
and narrow our definitions of "them." For starters, that means
getting past our current fear-driven agenda and accepting that many of the solutions will be locally derived and not
globally mandated.
The Realist Prism: Testing Our Iran Policy Assumptions
By Nikolas Gvosdev
19 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Pundits and politicians alike have been making a number of predictions
of late about Iran's future trajectory. To the extent that the scenarios
they are outlining serve to justify the policy options they propose and
endorse, it may be useful to step back and examine the logic that
guides them. Because no policy can be successful if the assumptions that drive it are based on intellectual quicksand.
World Citizen: A Week of Shock and Awe on Iran
By Frida Ghitis
18 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
There were no bright explosions lighting up the horizon, but this week's
coordinated deployment of U.S. diplomats as well as military,
intelligence and political leaders -- all warning of dire consequences
for a defiant Iranian regime -- amounted to an Obama-style re-enactment
of the Shock and Awe tactics made famous during the opening salvo of the
war in Iraq.
War is Boring: Mixed Signals from China Point to Security Dilemma
By David Axe
17 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
The last two weeks have seen a mixed message from Beijing
regarding U.S.-Chinese military ties,
indicative of China's internal confusion regarding its place in the world. Although Taiwan continues to be Beijing's overwhelming strategic priority, China's continued fixation on the island is complicated by its parallel efforts to become an
otherwise responsible member of the regional security framework for
Asia.
Global Insights: Competing Security Visions for Europe
By Richard Weitz
16 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
The Group of Experts assisting with the drafting of NATO's new Strategic
Concept traveled to Moscow last week, in an effort to reassure Russia
about NATO and its activities. But the visit, which followed the release of Russia's
new military doctrine characterizing the alliance's activities as
a threat, did little to narrow the divide between NATO and Russia on core European security
issues.
The New Rules: A Bad Time to Wreck Our Relationship with China
By Thomas P.M. Barnett
15 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Many of the course corrections President Barack Obama has made in U.S. foreign policy merely extended or expanded upon those made
during the last two years of the Bush administration. But now, in responding to growing populist anger, Obama seems dangerously intent on
re-vectoring what was arguably George W. Bush's smartest and most
sophisticated endeavor: U.S.-China bilateral relations.
The Realist Prism: Bribery as a Diplomatic Tool
By Nikolas Gvosdev
12 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
We have no line item for "bribery" in the foreign operations budget bill, and increasingly, the best card we had in the past -- the promise of
free trade agreements -- now faces the reality of a hostile Congress. Certainly payments to secure support for U.S. policy are not a long-term solution, but they are a
necessary tool of statecraft -- especially in getting solutions in the
short term.
World Citizen: After Iran Failure, Obama Moves on to Plan B
By Frida Ghitis
11 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
When Iran
announced
this week that it would start enriching its uranium stockpiles to 20
percent it closed the first chapter in the history of the Obama
administration's foreign policy. That chapter has ended in
failure. The administration's push to get started on Chapter Two is already
visible, presumably adopting a more muscular American posture to
confront international challenges
War is Boring: Somali Forces Prepare Counter-Islamist Offensive
By David Axe
10 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
Forces belonging to the U.S.- and U.N.-backed Transitional Federal
Government in Somalia have mobilized for a major offensive against
Islamic militants who control much of southern and central Somalia. The preparations for major combat come just days after Kenyan Vice
President Steven Musyoka made the rounds in Washington, warning of the
growing threat from Somali Islamists.
