Analysis by leading think tanks
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AFRICA
The Chaos in Darfur (International Crisis Group), http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/horn-of-africa/sudan/b110-the-chaos-in-darfur.aspx
ASIA
Has India lost Afghanistan to Pakistan? (Aimal Faizi, Al Jazeera). Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is due to begin his first state visit to New Delhi this Monday. Almost seven months after becoming president, the three-day visit is a chance for Ghani to win hearts and minds in New Delhi. (…) http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/04/india-lost-afghanistan-pakistan-150426051958020.html
Nepal Quake: Governance Matters (Alyssa Ayres, The Diplomat), http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/nepal-quake-governance-matters/
The Japan Dilemma: Asia’s Next Geopolitical Nightmare? (Ted Galen Carpenter, The National Interest), http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-japan-dilemma-asias-next-geopolitical-nightmare-12727
China’s 3 Most Powerful Dynasties (Akhilesh Pillalamarri, The Diplomat). Chinese civilization is one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations. Indeed, unlike Western, Islamic, and Indian civilizations, China has managed to remain politically unified for much of its history. (…) http://nationalinterest.org/feature/chinas-3-most-powerful-dynasties-12726
EURASIA
The Estonia Model: Why a Free and Secure Internet Matters (Wilson Center), http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/the-estonia-model-why-free-and-secure-internet-matters
EUROPE
Your Guidebook to a Greek Financial Default (Samuel Rines, The National Interest). The Hellenic Republic has too much debt. So much, in fact, it is unlikely to be able to repay it all—even given more bailouts and more time. There are few viable choices, many views, and the typical convoluted European politics. The chances of something dramatic happening are rising. (…) http://nationalinterest.org/feature/your-guidebook-greek-financial-default-12728
GLOBAL
A Russian View on Landpower (Aleksandr V Rogovoy, Keir Giles, ISN Security Watch). This paper explains why Russia desires to maintain strong conventional land forces as the mainstay of its military power, despite having seen the United States live through a ‘counterinsurgency era’ over the last 20 years. (…) http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?lng=en&id=189980
MIDDLE EAST
Fratellanza musulmana. Se Re Salman congelasse la guerra intrasunnita (Azzurra Meringolo, AffarInternazionali). http://www.affarinternazionali.it/articolo.asp?ID=3041
Euphrates: River of hope or hate? (James Denselow, Al Jazeera). As we peer through the fog of war into the heart of the Middle East we see ISIL on the back foot in Iraq and on the front foot in Syria. This month, the loss of Tikrit and simultaneous gains in the heart of Damascus highlighted the different battlespaces that are in operation across the two countries. (…) http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/04/euphrates-river-hope-hate-150423132133154.html
How Iran desires to dominate the Middle East (Majid Rafizadeh, Al Arabiya). Recently, there has been a tactical shift in Iran’s foreign policy and a change in the stance of the Islamic Republic’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (…) http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2015/04/26/How-Iran-desires-to-dominate-the-Middle-East.html
Does the U.N.’s latest resolution on Yemen have ‘teeth’? (Raghida Dergham, Al Arabiya). http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2015/04/26/Does-the-U-N-s-latest-resolution-on-Yemen-have-teeth-.html
Israel’s twist on international law (Charlotte Silver, Al Jazeera), http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/04/israel-international-law-icc-war-crimes-150419044229850.html
Gulf of Secrets: The Evolution of Gulf State Intelligence Services (Austin Long, ISN Security Watch). Why have the Gulf States both professionalized their intelligence services and expanded their capabilities? As Austin Long sees it, three strategic shifts forced the states to act – the rising securitization of terrorism, the fear of US disengagement from the region, and the growing influence of Iran. (…) http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=190058
The Politics of Oil in Today’s Middle East (ISN Security Watch). http://isnblog.ethz.ch/international-relations/the-politics-of-oil
