What we see in Syria now illustrates the inability of global leaders to lead and offer strategic vision of engagement with each other that would enable a more constructive and pragmatic approach to problem-solving. Not only does this harm great power interests but with a look at the ever worsening humanitarian crisis in and around Syria it also makes a mockery of the values they purport to defend.
Civil War
Commons vote on Syria is a first step in the right direction
Military action, limited or otherwise, is not the answer to the much more fundamental problems that the region faces and poses. It is likely not even part of that answer. The quicker we move beyond the narrow debate over military responses to a more comprehensive strategy, the better for Syria, the Arab Spring, and ultimately for us.
Tears and terror as Egypt slides towards civil war
The key challenge for the rival factions in Egypt is to learn the right lessons from its so-far disastrous post-Mubarak transition and find the courage to right the wrongs committed by both sides.
What should we expect from the Afghanistan Conference in Bonn?
The 2011 Bonn Conference needs to make clear that the Afghan government and people and their partners in the international community are united in their efforts to make tangible and sustainable progress towards a more stable Afghanistan in an equally more stable region.
Three lessons from the Arab Spring
The international community must remain realistic about the speed and comprehensiveness of the success of the Arab Spring but should remain committed and determined in its support of the genuine democratic aspirations of the people who have started these revolutions.
Libya after Gadhafi: Challenges and Opportunities
In the same way in which toppling the old regime could only be accomplished with substantial international support, it is unlikely that Libya’s transition will succeed without continuing support from the country’s international partners.
A New Beginning for Libya
Libyans and their allies across the world are right to celebrate, but building a new and legitimate state in the country will be a difficult task.
Libya’s Draft Constitutional Charter for the Transitional Stage: Promise and Drawbacks
The Draft Constitutional Charter reflects, by its very existence and publication, a remarkable degree of forward-planning by the National Transitional Council. It is a bold break with the past, but there are also some drawbacks, both in what is included in the Draft Constitutional Charter and what is missing from it.
Negotiating with the Taliban: A promising exit strategy?
A political settlement will only be possible and sustainable if both the Afghan government and the Taliban commit to it credibly and if it has broad regional and international support during its negotiation and implementation.