The New European Map: Strategic Implications

09/11/2012
2012-09-11 By Harald Malmgren and Robbin Laird The Euro crisis is defining the end of a period of history.  The period since 1991 has been defined by the expansion of Europe, the consolidation of NATO, and America as the hinge that held much of the strategic map together. At the…

An Australian Perspective on the Way Ahead for a Pacific Strategy

09/06/2012
2012-09-06 In a wide-ranging discussion with Air Vice-Marshal (Ret.) John Blackburn, now the Chairman of the influential Australian think tank, the Kokoda Foundation, the key challenges and contributions, which Australia can bring to an evolving Pacific challenge, were highlighted. John Blackburn Biography A key opportunity for getting it right is…

Iraq and the Syrian Civil War

09/05/2012
2012-09-05 By Richard Weitz Despite the widespread civil disorders that began in Syria in March 2011, the Iraqi government has pressed on with its policy of rapprochement with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Al-Maliki initially refrained from taking a position on the violence in Syria, saying only that Iraqis want…

Spain’s Capital Flight Is Now Bigger Than Asian Financial Crisis

09/05/2012
By D.K. Matai Spain is emerging as the center of the battlefield for the survival of the Eurozone as the probability for further fragmentation and exits increases dramatically. The flight of capital from Spain is now bigger than what Indonesia, one of the hardest hit countries during the Asian financial…

The Impact of Japan-Russian Tensions on a New Pacific Strategy

09/04/2012
2012-09-04 By Richard Weitz The United States should make a greater effort to help Japan and Russia reduce their territorial tensions. Whatever its causes, the dispute prevents these two countries from aligning together to advance their common security and economic interests, which are also shared by the United States. When Boris…

Syria-Iraq Relations Without Saddam

09/02/2012
2012-09-02 By Richard Weitz Since Saddam was ousted in 2003 until recently, two issues have dominated the Iraqi-Syrian relationship. Syria’s initial decision to host the remnants of the Iraqi Baath Party who fled Baghdad aroused fear and resentment with the new government in Baghdad. Iraqi authorities suspected that Syria was allowing…

The Impact of the Euro Crisis on European Space

09/02/2012
2012-09-02 by Robbin Laird and Harald Malmgren The Euro-Crisis European sovereign debt crisis is not simply a bump in historical progress; it is the end of a period of history and a critical point in European and global transition in the 21st century. The confluence of several trend lines: — the…

Japan and Russia: The Current Deadlock

09/02/2012
2012-09-02 By Richard Weitz Japan and Russia are on a collision course and can be resolved only if both sides have the wil to do so. History has a long reach in the Pacific and managing history is a constant of any Pacific strategy. Japanese and Russian historians can cite competing…