World Politics Review: Articles

Under the Influence: Measuring Robert McNamara

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:15:00 GMT

Reading the reflections about Robert McNamara's life, it's striking how unforgiving they are. But to dismiss McNamara out of hand as a war criminal or a monster leaves us little with which to understand the decisions we face today. Empathy, of the kind Errol Morris delivered in his film "The Fog of War," makes the lessons of Vietnam more compelling.

Power Struggle or War of Ideology in Iran?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:22:00 GMT

The Iranian opposition movement that returned to the streets yesterday is no longer driven by electoral loyalties, but by a rejection of the "election coup" that concentrated power in a small and radical faction of the Iranian political elite. Behind that faction is the ideology of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's spiritual guide, hard-line cleric Ayatollah Mohamed Yazdi, who seeks to install a pure theocracy.

Honduras: When is a Coup not a Coup?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:17:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- The State Department's reluctance to define the military ouster of Honduras President Manuel Zelaya as a "coup" is fueling a political and legal debate over the definition of "coup," and whether the de facto Honduran government is legal. It is also testing President Barack Obama's desire to improve relations with Latin America and its leaders.

Yudhoyono Wins in Indonesia with Moderate, Pro-Democracy Line

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:41:00 GMT

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has won another five-year term in office, signaling voters' rejection of opposition campaigns that promised tough government and promoted nationalism and big business interests. The election, widely viewed as free and fair, was also considered a major step forward for the democratic process in the world's largest Muslim country.

World Citizen: Reading Biden's Iran Message (and Obama's 'Correction')

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:21:00 GMT

Vice President Joe Biden lived up to his "talks before he thinks" reputation once again, when he told an interviewer that the United States would not stop Israel if it decided to attack Iran's nuclear installations. But despite a hasty "correction," the administration might be using Biden's reputation for accidentally revealing the truth in order to communicate subtle threats.

Xinjiang Unrest Tests China's Ties with Central Asia

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:18:00 GMT

The ethnic rioting between Uighurs and Han Chinese that has rocked China's Xinjiang province the past few days could complicate China's increasingly important ties with its neighbors in ex-Soviet Central Asia. At the governmental level, China has made strong inroads in Central Asia. But the Chinese influx has become increasingly unwelcome, and popular sentiment in the region is supportive of the Uighurs.

India Maintains Goal of China Deterrent

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:57:00 GMT

NEW DELHI -- While India's immediate military aim is to build a potent strike force against Pakistan, it also harbors long-term plans to field a credible deterrent against China. This reflects the fact that although military efforts to counter Pakistan, such as the deployment along India's western frontiers, are usually given precedence, the perceived threat from China remains very much on the radar.

War is Boring: Somali Extremists Willing to Kill to Cover Up Eritrea Connection

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:36:00 GMT

Somalis are famously nationalistic compared to their East African neighbors. But although neither side in the country's ongoing civil war likes to admit it, Somalia's combatants are, to varying degrees, proxies for foreign powers, each with their own agendas. For Somali extremists, the support Eritrea offers their cause is a secret worth killing for.

Bulgaria: Torn Between Europe and Russia

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:08:00 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- On July 5, Bulgarians voted in legislative elections that seated 240 members of Parliament for the next four years. Although the campaign generated little excitement, the election's outcome could have a significant impact on an energy tug of war between Europe and Russia, because of Bulgaria's key transit role connecting Caspian natural gas reserves to the European market.

The Resilience Doctrine

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:21:00 GMT

Our assumptions about the world were formed in another age and are ill-suited to contemporary challenges. Leaders need a new lens through which they can view the task of creating security in the 21st century. The projection of power, and attempts to balance the power of others, no longer provides a useful perspective. Instead, the concept of resilience should be at the heart of a new doctrine for managing transnational risk and global instability.