An Opening in India

Last week, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, the 80-year-old stalwart of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), resigned ahead of a reshuffle in the cabinet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The reshuffle took place on Sunday morning, bringing in a younger face (at 59 years old) in the External Affairs post, as well as ushering in … Continue reading →

Trust in International Cooperation

Sorry, Brian Rathbun. How disappointed I was to discover that the creeping improvement in bilateral relations has threatened to stall as a result of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s speech to the UN General Assembly. Addressing the UN’s largest body, Zardari used the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir as an example of the failure of … Continue reading →

Reading the Debate

For some reason, in the past two elections, it seemed as though the presidential debates were further from election day than in this one. Perhaps that’s why everyone is up in arms about Obama’s shaky debate performance, Biden’s resolute one, and the character of the moderators. No, I know that isn’t true. The media is … Continue reading →

Turkey, Syria, and the Conflict Spiral That Isn’t

Given the recent increase in Turkey’s rhetoric and action, international observers have a right to be worried that the Syrian conflict, sometimes known as a civil war, could spiral out of control. However, Turkey will not be so bold as to incite a war with Syria. Not while the conditions are so uncertain. After months … Continue reading →