MEND: The Nature of an Insurgency
The rebellion in the Niger Delta is an attempt to address social injustice (a strategy) as well as a mode of production and a way of make a living (a tactic).
Chinese Leadership Transition and Cross-Strait Relations: Continuity Amid Uncertainty
Although the upcoming Chinese leadership transition inevitably injects a degree of uncertainty into its relations vis-à-vis Taiwan, both history and the recent successes of Beijing’s cross-Strait policy make drastic changes unlikely.
The Western Sahara Peace Process: Tragedy or Farce?
The UN mandate to achieve a political solution that will afford Western Sahara its long denied right to self-determination is a farce and everyone knows it.
Can Any Realists do P.R. Anymore?
Steve Walt is right that the world would be better off if realists ran U.S. foreign policy. But they never will do so until they learn how to sell their policy prescriptions to the American people.
Getting Somalia Wrong
By presenting Somalia as the world’s worst country, elements of the media are not only doing Somalia a disservice, they are blinding the world to the opportunities the country has to offer.
Turkey’s Concerns on Syrian WMDs
Syria is different to all other countries hit by the Arab Spring. The international community’s main security concern should be the fate of Syrian WMDs.
(Mis)Stating Palestine
The Palestinian Authority’s reforms have appeared to make it into a fierce entity. In actuality, they conceal deeper weaknesses in the organization which need to be addressed.
Climate Change and Godwin’s Law
The Heartland Institute placed the above billboard along the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago this past week. For $200, they bought a lot of publicity for climate change skeptics.
International Relations and Time
The IR calling is a fast-paced, high-intensity, you-snooze-you-loose business. In the academic era of the “publish or perish” doctrine, it is useful to reflect upon time, as both an important variable in IR theory, and a relentless force in our own lives.
Start Making Sense: How Realism Explains Japan-ROK Relations
As the disparity between China and Japan’s material capabilities grows, the ROK is likely to place a greater emphasis on the threat of China’s coercive power.
