Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Follow Carnegie
- Search
- Global Resources
Global Centers
Languages
This week, President Bush will be hosting representatives in Annapolis, MA for an Israeli-Palestinian peace conference. Carnegie's Mohammed Herzallah argues that the Palestinian leadership will be in a position to haggle in Annapolis without being held accountable by their own constituency. There must be a democratic connection between the Palestinian negotiators and the people they represent.
A major shift is taking place in the way decision-makers in the U.S. and major European countries view the political role of Islamic movements in the Arab world and also in the way they regard the perils such movements pose for Western interests.
Mark Schneider, Senior Vice President at the International Crisis Group, says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency violates the constitution and moves the country further from democracy. Plus, he's not even that good of a partner in the war on terror. The US ought to impose some conditions on Musharraf and support Pakistan's civil society and democratic institutions.
Reform is a politically charged issue in the Middle East. Carnegie experts force us to recognize the reality of conflicting interests and the limitations of external actors to bring about political reform, while drawing lessons on how to make international democracy promotion more effective.
European, American and Russian diplomats continue to work against the December deadline for Kosovo’s pre-announced unilateral declaration of independence (UDI). However, few hope for an agreement. Belgrade and Pristina have not budged. Washington and its major allies are adamant that Kosovo can not be held indefinitely in the protectorate limbo and must be given independence.
Russia’s economic boom of recent years has placed it firmly back amongst the world’s most powerful nations and the nation goes to the polls on December 2 to elect the State Duma. The result appears almost inevitable-a landslide victory for the Putin-supported United Russia party and a continuation of the ‘Putin plan’. What does this mean for Russia and for the international community?
Clinton's recent missteps, amplified by John Edwards' strident attacks upon her, provided Obama with an opening--and in a stirring speech before the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Des Moines November 10, Obama took it. Based purely on opinion polls--and some scattered interviewing--I still see Clinton as the favorite for the nomination, but I can now envision a scenario in which Obama could surpass her.
In attempting to hold on to power at any cost, Pervez Musharraf has alienated Pakistanis and precipitated a political crisis that could reverberate throughout the region. But in this unseemly effort the Pakistani president has found an important ally—the Bush administration.
Gregory Kulacki and Jeffrey Lewis argued in a joint presentation that the common arguments about China’s anti-satellite test—that the test was a shot across the bow of American space superiority or an attempt to force the U.S. into negotiations to restrict the development of space weaponry—are based on limited information and unreliable sources.
While President Hugo Chavez has been molding Venezuela into his personal socialist vision, other transformations -- less visible but equally profound -- have taken hold in the country. Venezuela has become a major hub for international crime syndicates. What attracts them is not the local market; what they really love are the excellent conditions Venezuela offers to anyone in charge of managing a global criminal network.
Stay connected to the Global Think Tank with Carnegie's smartphone app for Android and iOS devices