CFR.org - Must Reads

FP: Day of Reckoning in Sri Lanka

Robert Templer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:54:41 -0400

A mass slaughter of civilians will take place Tuesday at noon. And everyone knows it.

WSJ: The Cult of the Caudillo

David Luhnow, José de Córdoba and Nicholas Casey — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:30:14 -0400

The strongman may be Latin America's most important contribution to political science. The crisis in Honduras has many terrified that power-hungry leaders are making a comeback.

Der Spiegel: The G8 Is Dead

Dirk Kurbjuweit — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:08:37 -0400

The L'Aquila summit showed just how irrelevant the G-8 has become, as emerging economies demand more and more of a say at the negotiating table. But the new focus on common survival means that Western values such as human rights and democracy are being neglected.

Global Post: Confused About the Xinjiang Riots? Follow the Money

Josh Chin — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:37:20 -0400

Josh Chin argues that the unrest in China's Xinjiang province is less about Islam and more about economics.

FP: How China Wins and Loses Xinjiang

Christina Larson — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:18:49 -0400

Christina Larson writes that although China's crackdown in Xinjiang province was effective in quelling the restless Uigher population, the tactics "seem more likely to foster resistance and resentment than peace and passivity."

CQ Politics: Boxer Crosses Aisle For Help on Climate Bill

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:03:25 -0400

Senator Barbara Boxer needs to assemble a broad coalition to garner support for President Obama's climate change bill. This article details how she is attempting to do this, and what alliances she has forged in the process.

NYT: A Lesson on Warming

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:01:30 -0400

If President Barack Obama expected an obstacle-free path to reaching a global--or even a domestic--consensus on climate change then he was in for a surprise at the G8 meeting in Italy, argues a New York Times' editorial. Leaders from developing and industrialized countries differ on proposed reduction targets while a widespread skepticism about the United States' ability to implement substantive reform hangs over the president's negotiations.

Newsweek: Mixed Company: Why we should be grateful for the useless G8 meeting.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:59:53 -0400

Rana Foroohar writes that the G8, although a relic of a time past and in need of renovation, is still a worthwhile institution.

NYT: What Should China Do About the Uighurs?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:22:08 -0400

A panel of experts give their opinions on the situation in Xinjiang.

FP: China's Latest Tibet

John Lee — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:43:53 -0400

This article explains that it is the primacy of state unity that has motivated Beijing's crack down on the protests in Xinjiang.

Real Clear World: Seven Ways to Build a Cleaner Planet

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:32:29 -0400

In this opinion piece, former British prime minister Tony Blair lists seven environmental policies, already implented in some states, that if scaled up will have a significant impact combatting the planet's environmental problems.

ICG: Côte d'Ivoire: What's Needed to End the Crisis

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:11:59 -0400

This International Crisis Group report on the political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire provides an overview or recent developments in the peace process and recommendations on how to advance peace in 2009.

The Centre for International Governance Innovation: Afghanistan: Looking Forward

Ronald E. Neumann — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:20:31 -0400

Ronald E. Neumann, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, details the situation there with regards to a range of issues from the promotion of good governance to the development of Afghan national security forces.

WashPost: Iraq: Mission Not Yet Accomplished

Jawad Al Bolani — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:15:03 -0400

In this opinion piece Jawad Al Bolani, the interior minister of Iraq, writes that the June 30th withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq's major cities is the start of a highly uncertain period for Iraqi democracy rather than a historical endpoint to be celebrated.

FP: New Russians

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:57:47 -0400

Peter Savodnik writes that Russia, after years of unsuccessfully trying to reclaim superpower status, is rethinking the way it engages with the United States.

Guardian: France's Burka Barrier

Amel Boubekeur — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:37:22 -0400

Amel Boubekeur writes that the controversy surrounding Nicolas Sarkozy's comments on the full-face veil in France has excluded the people it most concerns - the women who wear it.

Politico: U.S. Must Deloy More Foreign Diplomacy Personnel

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:02:24 -0400

Eight former Secretaries of State jointly argue that national security requires more sufficient personnel in this article on funding for development and diplomacy.

UN Report of the Secretary General: The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:34:55 -0400

The UN Secretary General's report looks at the situation in Afghanistan in terms of security, development, governance, and human rights.

FP: 1979: The Great Backlash

Christian Caryl — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:10:26 -0400

This article and interactive timeline highlights the events that made 1979 a seminal year in world history with reverberations still felt, from Iran's Islamic revolution to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

LAT: Iran's election opens generational fissure

Ramin Jahanbegloo — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:56:41 -0400

In this opinion piece Ramin Jahanbegloo, an Iranian dissident living in exile, characterizes the post-election dissent in Iran as a turning point in its history that highlights the generation gap evident in its society.

Washington Times: Analysis: Iran regime likely shaken for good

Barbara Slavin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:10:19 -0400

Barbara Slavin writes that the aftermath of Iran's controversial elections will tarnish the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's reputation and stature at home.

NYT: Iran's Hidden Revolution

Danielle Pletka and Ali Alfoneh — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:04:02 -0400

In this Op-Ed piece, Danielle Pletka and Ali Alfoneh characterize Iran's latest elections as the final step in a military coup d'état.

Politico: Ahmadinejad won. Get over it

Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:24:26 -0400

Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett write that dismissing Ahmadinejad's reelection as fraud ignores several salient facts, and point out evidence supporting the assertion that the election results are legitimate.

WashPost: Up Close and Personal, Here's What I Learned

Victor D. Cha — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:22:59 -0400

The former deputy chief of the U.S. delegation to the six-party talks on North Korea during the Bush administration shares his observations on Kim Jong Il's true intentions and goals.

Center for a New American Security: After the Fire: Shaping the Future U.S. Relationship with Iraq

John A. Nagl and Brian M. Burton — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:16:32 -0400

This report outlines what steps the U.S. should take presently in order to secure a positive relationship with Iraq for the future.

FP: Why Iran '09 Could Be Like Florida '00

Karim Sadjadpour — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:21:16 -0400

Karim Sadjadpour offers an analysis of the 2009 Iran presidential election in the context of recent U.S. presidential elections, "however incongruous the comparison."

BBC: Power of Women in Iran's Election

Lyse Doucet — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:52:32 -0400

Bolstered by the active campaigning of Mir-Hossein Mousavi's wife, Zhara Rahnavard, "women's issues [in Iran] are on the agenda as they've never been before."

WashPost: Reining In Pyongyang

Henry A. Kissinger — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:29:51 -0400

In this opinion piece, Henry Kissinger suggests the international diplomatic effort to manage North Korea's nuclear arsenal needs to harden, and adopt the elimination of North Korean nuclear weapons as its goal.

NYT: Democracy's Price of Admission

Tzipi Livni — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:37:07 -0400

In this New York Times Op-Ed Tzipi Livni, a former vice prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Israel, writes about Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections and comments that voting alone does not constitute democracy, but rather the values of participating parties must also be taken into account.

FP: The Madrasa Myth

Tahir Andrabi, Jishnu Das, C. Christine Fair and Asim Ijaz Khwaja — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:56:03 -0400

Four authors argue that in the fight to save the country's next generation, more should be done towards building up mainstream and affordable private schools in Pakistan.