A positive official tone masks U.S.-China tensions “We have laid the foundation for a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship for the 21st century,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the conclusion of the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue this past July. But three months later, the Obama administration leveled a … Read more
Iran has backed down from a nuclear deal that would have significantly eased American tension with them. The deal was to send Iranian low-enriched uranium abroad to be enriched up to reactor-grade. While this first seems odd, the crucial point is that currently their uranium is in the form of uranium hexaflouride, a gas that … Read more
Sunni-Shia conflict and the logic of containment In 2003, for the first time in history, the Shia were poised to take control of a major Arab state. But the toppling of the Sunni-dominated regime in Iraq was followed by horrifying levels of ethnic violence, bringing the divide between Sunni and Shia to the forefront and … Read more
Ban Ki-moon’s first two years at the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has cultivated many nicknames over the course of his long and illustrious career as a diplomat. As the foreign minister of South Korea, he was called Ban-chusa, a moniker meaning both “bureaucrat” and “administrative-clerk.” His colleagues in … Read more
Russia’s campaign against missile defense in Europe Ballistic missile defense — once derided as “Star Wars” by critics — is finally coming into its own as a major component of the geopolitical landscape in Europe. The extreme difficulty of hitting an intercontinental ballistic missile traveling at Mach 25 with a counter-missile, which experts say is … Read more
Have the FARC finally met their match? A recent string of defeats for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Latin America’s oldest, largest, and most dangerous rebel group, signals perhaps the best chance Colombia has had for peace in 44 years of armed struggle. During much of the 1990s, a drug-fueled civil war between … Read more
Anticipating a new era of engagement with Cuba When President Obama signed the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill into law on March 11, he took a small step towards what many hope will be a new era in U.S.-Cuban relations. Embedded in the bill were three clauses that loosened sanctions on family travel and remittances, a … Read more
Can six-party stakeholders return the next volley? On Feb. 13, 2007, six-party talks with North Korea reached a breakthrough. In exchange for economic and energy aid, the regime would begin dismantling its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in a key step towards denuclearization. But a major setback occurred in December 2008, when the D.P.R.K. suddenly halted … Read more
Socialism, populism, and the future of Venezuelan democracy In February, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez celebrated victory in a constitutional referendum that abolished presidential term limits, winning him the right to seek reelection indefinitely. As leader of the United Socialist Party, Chávez has dominated Venezuelan politics since his first election in 1998. Armed with his unique … Read more
Russia’s reemergence in Latin America “This time, we are back [in Latin America] forever,” announced Alexei Sazanov, the deputy director of Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Sazanov, a prominent spokesman for Russian diplomacy, made this declaration just days after three Russian warships performed joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy. At that same time, Russian President Dmitry … Read more