Pakistan Stands at a Critical Juncture after Contested Election
Pakistan’s general election was supposed to be a pivot back to ‘business as usual.’ Instead, it has raised thorny questions that strike at the heart of the state’s institutions.
Obstacles and Opportunities on the Long Road to Peace in Afghanistan
Peace talks represent a significant achievement. Nevertheless, there are a number of political roadblocks to overcome—as well as fresh opportunities for Afghans and external actors.
Cameroon Crisis Imperils Bilateral Relations, Cocoa Crop
A long-running linguistic dispute in Cameroon has now spawned a secessionist movement that’s imperiling both the country’s bilateral relations with Nigeria and its cocoa-growing heartland in the southwest.
Russia’s Military Diplomacy in Africa: High Risk, Low Reward, Limited Impact
Russia has re-engaged with Africa as an important plank in its anti-Western diplomacy. However, the situation has evolved since the Cold War.
Journalism and the Threat of Neo-Populism
Populist disdain for the journalist profession is the rule, not the exception; and if it continues unchecked it represents an existential threat to democracy.
No Human Rights without the Right to Know
How do European governments strike a balance between privacy rights and the right for citizens to know what their leaders are doing?
Who is Really behind Giulio Regeni’s Murder in Egypt?
The best way to unearth the truth in a tragedy like Giulio Regeni’s murder is to ask: Who stands to gain from it?
China: Friend or Foe?
Peaceful Rise, containment, encirclement, the ‘China Threat’ theory- though the times change the language stays the same.
Afghanistan: America’s Major Nonexistent Ally
Back in July, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it official: Afghanistan is now a Major non-NATO Ally (MNNA), a classification that all but ensures that defense and development aid will continue to flow through 2014 and beyond.
Medvedev Dreams of Economic Reform
While the Kremlin might have temporarily stopped the bleed of Russian economic contraction, President Medvedev presides over an exceedingly bleak economic outlook.