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What Ukrainian election?
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Jeffrey Laurenti,
The Century Foundation,
2/8/2010
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There has been a deafening silence about Ukraine's presidential election from the Beltway cheerleaders for NATO expansion, ever since the first round in January catapulted their long-time bête noire, Viktor Yanukovych, into first place with 35 percent of the vote in a field of eighteen candidates. Voters ignominiously ousted incumbent president Viktor Yushchenko, one-time hero of the 2004 "Orange Revolution" and Ukraine's most vociferous champion of NATO membership, giving him barely five percent of their votes. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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An End to the De-Ba'athification Circus?
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Michael Wahid Hanna,
The Century Foundation,
2/3/2010
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Welcome news today out of Baghdad—Iraq’s Higher Judicial Council announced that the electoral disqualifications by the controversial Accountability and Justice Commission (AJC) had been overturned by an appellate panel. While details are sparse, it appears that this legal ruling did not reach evidentiary issues, but rather threw out the decisions based on the lack of due process afforded those caught up in the AJC’s decisions. The silver lining to this entire affair is that an Iraqi legal body appears to have stepped in to stem a political crisis and that its decision is being accorded respect by the contending actors within a highly contentious, chaotic and politicized environment.Continue Reading on the Taking Note blog.
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On Afghan Tribal Militias
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Michael Wahid Hanna,
The Century Foundation,
1/29/2010
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At the risk of engaging in a practice that I have come to abhor, I am going to draw a few parallels between Iraq and Afghanistan, knowing that the situations are not generally comparable. On the issue of tribal engagement, many knowledgeable regional experts have emphasized the fact that Afghan tribal structures have deteriorated in comparison with Iraq's tribal structures and that tribal authority is far from sacrosanct following decades of war. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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The State of Play in Baghdad and Biden's Bad Idea
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Michael Wahid Hanna,
The Century Foundation,
1/25/2010
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Iraq has receded from our headlines and our thoughts, largely due to the vastly improved security situation and the lack of U.S. combat deaths. So when it does make the headlines and op-ed pages, it means that something bad has happened: spectacular, synchronized bombings of high-profile government targets and, most recently, the extended political struggles surrounding the upcoming national parliamentary elections. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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More Drones in Afghanistan Not a Path to a Winning Strategy
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Neil Bhatiya,
The Century Foundation,
1/19/2010
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The news last week of a drone strike against militants in the restive Helmand Province raised questions about whether this tactic, long an unacknowledged mainstay of CIA operations in Pakistan, would become a major part of U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan. A ramp-up in drone strikes could prove contrary to the mandate issued by Commanding General Stanley McChrystal to minimize civilian casualties, and it would risk distracting from U.S. efforts to stabilize the country and build its capacity for economic and social development and self-defense, the stated goals of the U.S. military presence in the region.
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A Defensive Egypt and US Foreign Policy
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Michael Wahid Hanna,
The Century Foundation,
1/15/2010
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I wanted to draw attention to yesterday’s article by Hamza Hendawi of the Associated Press discussing the recent political moves of Mohamed el-Barade’i, the Egyptian former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (with the added bonus that I am quoted in the piece). el-Barade’i has pointedly challenged the Mubarak regime and flirted with the notion of competing to be Egypt’s president. It is hard to imagine a scenario whereby el-Barade’i could become Egypt’s next president, but his provocative comments and his interest in fundamental reform of Egypt’s political superstructure are an important development − particularly in light of the reactions his recent comments have provoked. Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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2009 in the Middle East
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Michael Wahid Hanna,
The Century Foundation,
1/4/2010
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As has been standard for far too many years, the year that was in the Middle East would have to be described as grim. While the outlines of a more constructive and realistic U.S. foreign policy vision were sketched out by President Obama during his historic June speech in Cairo, the region remains divided and doubts have begun to prevail about the ability of the United States to shape events and outcomes as opposed to simply setting the agenda. Continue to the blog
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Aid to Somalia: The Best and Only Option
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Natalie Parke,
Journal of International Peace Operations,
1/1/2010
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Read Publication.
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The Best and Worst of 2009: the World
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Jeffrey Laurenti,
The Century Foundation,
12/30/2009
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Another year, another set of hard choices: What developments of the past year hold the most promise of long-term positive impact, and which will be proved the biggest reverses? Continue Reading on the Taking Note Blog.
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Best and Worst from Iran
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Geneive Abdo,
The Century Foundation,
12/23/2009
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The turmoil in Iran this year – the most significant since the 1979 Islamic Revolution – was a major setback for the regime, but good news for some Iranians inside and outside the country. The disputed June 12 presidential election, which was presumed to be rigged, was the moment many Iranians had awaited; it was the spark that inspired millions to go out to the streets to protest a theocratic system that now resembles a military dictatorship. Continue to the blog.
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Taking Note
