Tag: Politician

Justice and Hope for Afghanistan?

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Post date 12/11/2009
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Lone girl in Afghanistan, photo: Papyrrari/flickr

As the world anticipates Obama’s long-awaited strategy review for Afghanistan, the debate around the war intensifies with politicians, experts and laymen weighing in on the desired course of Afghan policy.

A war that has lasted eight years, and that costs the US $3.6 billion a month, has become a source of intense historical and strategic debates about the nature of conflict in South Asia, the region’s geopolitical significance, and the role of US power in the modern era. With America’s Vietnam legacy in mind the pressure to deliver something positive is immense.

But in these debates about strategy- how to quell the Taliban insurgency; how to address the region as a whole, particularly with Pakistan’s shortcomings in mind, and how to strengthen the Afghan government without giving Karzai carte blanche, etc – the humanitarian focus is exactly what seems to be missing.

Tags Politician, Afghanistan, Security, United States of America, Foreign policy, Military strategy

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ISN Weekly Theme: US-China Relations

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Post date 11/11/2009
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Obama and Mao T-shirts, photo: Shea Hazarian/flickr

Obama’s three day visit to China is expected to breathe new life into the US-China partnership. With deep economic and financial links, as well as responsibility for 40 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, the US and China are under immense pressure to deliver on the promise of great power cooperation and progress on a daunting set of challenges.

This week’s Special Report features an article by Graham Ong-Webb, from King’s College London, on the need for Obama to set a tone of mutual understanding on his visit, and a podcast with Elizabeth C Economy of the Council on Foreign Relations discussing the trip, related expectations and China’s problematic and conflicted view of itself as a emerging global power with strong roots in the developing world.

In Policy Briefs we feature a German Development Institute brief on the impact of the financial crisis on China and the country’s main economic policies in response to it.

In our Publications section, a Hudson Institute Paper on America’s strategic advantage in Asia and a Crisis Group Report examining China’s expanding role in UN peacekeeping.

A piece of history, from Primary Resources, in the form of the 1972 Shanghai Communique signalling the opening of relations between the US and China.

And finally, in Links, the Future of US-China relations website that focuses on the result of a conference about the future of US-China relations and on the relationship from a multidimensional perspective.

Tags China, Bilateral relations, United States of America, East Asia, Politician

Resetting the Nuclear Disarmament Agenda

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Post date 05/10/2009
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Mikhail Gorbachev / Flickr - European Parliament

I’m on my way to the 3rd Geneva Lecture Series, which is hosting Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union.

The Series gathers high-level panelists to discuss contemporary topics. This afternoon, Gorbachev will talk about nuclear disarmament. His venue is highly symbolic. At a time when the world is deeply concerned about Iran’s motives and North Korea’s arsenal, they could not have chosen a better speaker.

Tags International Relations, Security, Nuclear proliferation, Politician

Where Is Tony?

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Post date 18/09/2009
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photo: Emanuele / real desert storm / fotosensibile 2.0

I don’t see any reason to be optimistic about a possible revival of serious peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell is busy trying to arrange a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week. But, what happened to the ‘Quartet’ – made up of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN – which was supposed to be an active peace broker?

Tags International Relations, Middle East, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Politician, Negotiations

At 40, Gaddafi’s Libya Has Much to Celebrate

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Post date 01/09/2009
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He has called himself ‘an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa and the imam of Muslims.’ And today, the self-proclaimed ‘king of kings of Africa‘ has a lot to celebrate.

I am talking of course of Muammar Al-Gaddafi, the ‘Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution,’ who today celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Libyan Revolution, which brought him to power.

‘Celebrate Libya’, as today’s event is called, will be one of the biggest events the African continent has seen in modern times. Tonight’s ceremony is said to be comparable in magnitude to an Olympic opening ceremony. Hundreds of thousands of spectators, 800 performers, sound and light shows, 1000 camels, military bands, acrobatic planes, flame ballet and spectacular fireworks will mark the occasion.

The celebrations can be monitored on the official Celebrate Libya website.

Tags Politician, Switzerland, Foreign policy, Non-proliferation, Libya