World leaders perpetuate failed anti-terror policies (Rami G Khouri, Al Jazeera)

After decades of failed military action we still don't know what drives citizens to terror.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/world-leaders-perpetuate-failed-anti-terror-policies-160726135327587.html

Coups work only for autocracies, not democracies (Ahmed al-Burai, Al Jazeera)

The ongoing purge in Turkey needs to mobilise public opinion against the rogue army faction that attempted the coup.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/coups-work-autocracies-democracies-turkey-160726080237778.html

Obama DNC Speech Highlights Clash of Values with Trump (Robert W. Merry, The National Interest)

President Obama’s eloquent, moving, nicely delivered speech at the Democratic National Convention last night conveyed to the nation a central reality of the 2016 president election—namely, that it is fundamentally a contest between Obama and Republican candidate Donald Trump, with Hillary Clinton caught in the middle.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/obama-dnc-speech-defends-legacy-highlights-clash-values-17162

The Future of U.S. Primacy: Power to Lead, But No Longer to Command (Leslie H. Gelb, The National Interest)

U.S. policy makers have to adjust from the power to command to the power to lead—from mostly coercive power to mostly strategic planning and maneuvering. America simply lacks the relative military and economic power it enjoyed in the twentieth century. Equally critical to understand, most international conflicts and problems now occur within nations more than between nations. Terrorists and civil wars are much more elusive military targets than troops fighting in battalions. Dealing with internal economic and political situations is far more baffling than simply telling governments what to do.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/the-future-us-primacy-power-lead-no-longer-command-17149

Name and Shame Peacekeepers That Won't Act to Keep Peace (Aditi Gorur, Madeline Vellturo, The National Intetrest)

The latest outbreak of political violence in South Sudan has left an estimated forty-two thousand people homeless and claimed the lives of two UN peacekeepers. The violence between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar is a reminder of the important role UN peacekeepers play in protecting civilians in conflict—and how terrible the harm can be when peacekeepers don't live up to their responsibilities.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/name-shame-peacekeepers-wont-act-keep-peace-17163

Does China Think America Is Using a 'Wedge Strategy'? (Lyle J. Goldstein, The National Interest)

The permanent court of arbitration (PCA) ruling from The Hague earlier in July once again has directed the world’s attention to a set of rocks and reefs in the South China Sea. One of the valuable roles of this ruling is to reinforce the notion that these features are indeed “rocks” and not “islands” that would have been entitled to an exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In theory, the resulting negotiations should now be considerably simpler.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/does-china-think-america-using-wedge-strategy-17152

Exclusive: Inside Kurdistan's Anti-ISIS Training Camps (Seth J. Frantzman, The National Interest)

In December of 2015, the Iraqi Army retook Ramadi from Islamic State. Eighty percent of the city of five hundred thousand lay in ruins, and many of its buildings were laced with IEDs and booby traps. The first Iraqi teams sent in to demine the buildings suffered 80 percent casualties.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/exclusive-inside-kurdistans-anti-isis-training-camps-17155

Poland, Not Brexit, Is the Real Threat to Europe's Unity (Adam Twardowski, The National Interest)

What a difference a year makes. At this time in 2015, Poland enjoyed more influence in Europe than at any point in its history.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/poland-not-brexit-the-real-threat-europes-unity-17154

China's Huge 'One Belt, One Road' Initiative Is Sweeping Central Asia (William T. Wilson, The National Interest)

Having overbuilt in many domestic industries—such as coal, cement and even solar panels—the Chinese government is redirecting its capital abroad. The aim is to reduce excessive industrial capacity at home while increasing financial returns. U.S. policymakers ought to be watching this very closely.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/chinas-huge-one-belt-one-road-initiative-sweeping-central-17150

Trump’s Unsettling Response to Turkey’s Islamist Tyranny (The Clarion Project)

After years of a gradual erosion of the secular state, the Turkish government has been sprinting towards Islamist tyranny since the failed coup attempt.

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/trump%E2%80%99s-unsettling-response-turkey%E2%80%99s-islamist-tyranny

Exclusive: Sanders Delegate is Member of Fuqra Terror Cult (The Clarion Project)

A delegate for Sanders at the Democratic National Convention is a member of Muslims of the Americas, which is a rebranding of Jamaat ul-Fuqra.

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/exclusive-sanders-delegate-member-fuqra-terror-cult

Turkey: How Racism Has Become Part of the Judicial System (The Clarion Project)

2,745 judges have been laid off since the coup, but the case of a Kurdish judge now under investigation is unprecedented in the country's judicial history.

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/turkey-how-racism-has-become-part-judicial-system

Taken To Saudi Arabia And Locked in a Cage (The Clarion Project)

British-Saudi dual citizen Amina al-Jeffrey was taken to Saudi Arabia by her father after she kissed a boy at 16. She is desperate to return to the UK.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/taken-saudi-arabia-and-locked-cage

Iran Holding US Citizens As Chips For Prisoner Exchange (The Clarion Project)

Robin Reza Shahini disappeared while visiting his mother in Iran. He is reportedly being held on unspecified national security charges.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/iran-holding-us-citizens-chips-prisoner-exchange

Spain Arrests Two Moroccan Men for Financing ISIS (The Clarion Project)

The detention of two brothers in the northeastern city of Girona marks the first arrests of Islamic State financiers in Europe.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/spain-arrests-two-moroccan-men-financing-isis

The death sentence against Othman’s murderers (Turki Aldakhil, Al Arabiya)

As the Saudi specialized criminal court issued its initial ruling sentencing the murderers of Colonel Nasser al-Othman to death, a dangerous era of targeting “the near enemy” in Saudi society comes to an end.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/28/The-death-sentence-against-Othman-s-murderers.html

Never the diplomat? Britain’s new foreign policy chief Boris Johnson (Chris Doyle, Al Arabiya)

In his superb analysis of the evolution of diplomacy in his book "Naked Diplomacy", Tom Fletcher, the former British Ambassador to Lebanon, outlines four public stereotypes of the British diplomat: the Ferrero Rocher Ambassador, the aristocratic amateur, Perfidious Machiaval and the hopeless chump.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/world/2016/07/28/Never-the-diplomat-Britain-s-new-foreign-policy-chief-Boris-Johnson.html

Does Assad’s regime have a policy of killing journalists and civilians? (Mohamed Chebarro, Al Arabiya)

It is not an exaggeration to say that Syrian president, who has been battling a people’s uprising in his country since 2011, is a masterful journalist’s killer. This is the finding of a lawsuit in the US. Assad’s record is hard to defend, some even see his record as that of someone bent on masterful intrigue, deceit and blackmail.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/business/media/2016/07/28/Does-Assad-s-regime-have-a-policy-of-killing-journalists-and-civilians-.html

The hijab does not impede Muslim women from doing their job (Yara al-Wazir, Al Arabiya)

Earlier this week, Kevin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun questioned whether it was appropriate for a Muslim anchor that wears the hijab “to be on camera when there had been yet another shocking slaughter by a Muslim”. The woman he was referring to is Fatima Manji, an award-winning journalist who covered the attacks for the UK’s Channel 4.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/28/The-hijab-does-not-impede-Muslim-women-from-doing-their-job.html

Iranian and Brotherhood propaganda tactics (Mshari Al Thaydi, Al Arabiya)

The propaganda machines of Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood resort to the same techniques and methods of persuasion. They both rely on intimidation by presenting critics as insane or delusional.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/28/Iranian-and-Brotherhood-propaganda-tactics.html

Japanese Public Opinion on Constitutional Revision (Sheila A. Smith, CFR)

Last week, four Japanese legislators presented their thoughts on the prospects for revising Japan’s constitution. While the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has long advocated for the debate, its coalition partner, the Komeito, is cautious, and there is significant pushback from opposition parties, including the largest, the Democratic Party.

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2016/07/27/japanese-public-opinion-on-constitutional-revision/

Zimbabwe Update: #ThisFlag and War Veterans (John Campbell, CFR)

The Mugabe regime appears to be continuing to unravel. After the regime arrested Evan Mawarire, a Christian pastor who has emerged as a leader of the protest movement #ThisFlag, judges in an unusual show of independence, ordered his release.

http://blogs.cfr.org/campbell/2016/07/27/zimbabwe-update-thisflag-and-war-veterans/

Cuba and the American Bar Association (Elliott Abrams, CFR)

The motto of the American Bar Association (or ABA) is “Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice.”

http://blogs.cfr.org/abrams/2016/07/27/cuba-and-the-american-bar-association/

Do state subsidies for public universities favor the affluent? (Jason Delisle, Kim Dancy, Brookings)

Public universities typically charge students less than the full cost of education, using funds from state and local government and other sources to cover the difference. This indirect subsidy is one of the largest forms of aid in America’s higher education system but is less understood in the policy community than grants and loans, which are provided directly to students in visible amounts, making them easier to analyze. Researchers and journalists aim to understand these indirect subsidies through proxies such as per-student spending, or per-student state appropriations. These simple analyses have led many to conclude that indirect subsidies at public universities favor students from affluent families. However, neither of these measures provides accurate information about the subsidy a student receives because they do not account for the tuition that students pay.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2016/07/28-do-state-subsidies-for-public-universities-favor-affluent-delisle-dancy

Figure of the week: The African Union introduces a new funding structure (Mariama Sow, Brookings)

The 27th African Union summit, held early last week, adopted several resolutions, one of which was to change the African Union’s funding structure. This new proposal, drafted by the former head of the African Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, calls for a 0.2 percent levy on imports to member states with the aim of moving away from donor funding. The African Union heavily relies on foreign donors to fund its budget. In 2016, the African Union adopted a budget of $461,867,326, 41 percent of funds were provided by member states, while 59 percent were secured from international partners, notably the United States, Canada, China and the European Union.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2016/07/27-african-union-new-funding-structure-sow

After the emergency: What European migration policy will eventually look like (Matteo Garavoglia, Brookings)

For months, Europe has been dealing with the hectic, day-to-day struggles of managing a massive migrant crisis. While those challenges dominate in the short term, European leaders must also start thinking about medium- to long-term reforms to the European Union’s asylum and migration policies.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/07/27-european-migration-policy-garavoglia

Obama's exit calculus on the peace process (Sarah Yerkes, Brookings)

As the Republican and Democratic parties convene in Cleveland and Philadelphia, we expect to see numerous signs of the deepening polarization that has dominated this campaign season. One issue that has traditionally shared bipartisan support is how the United States should approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, this year both parties have shifted their positions farther from the center and from past Democratic and Republican platforms. This swing impacts whether the Obama administration, which has devoted significant time and resources to the negotiations, will issue a parting statement on the conflict.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/07/27-obama-exit-strategy-peace-process-yerkes

Poll shows American views on Muslims and the Middle East are deeply polarized (Elizabeth McElvein, Anna Newby, Brookings)

A recent public opinion survey conducted by Brookings non-resident senior fellow Shibley Telhamisparked headlines focused on its conclusion that American views of Muslims and Islam have become favorable. However, the survey offered another important finding that is particularly relevant in this political season: evidence that the cleavages between supporters of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively, on Muslims, Islam, and the Israeli-Palestinians peace process are much deeper than on most other issues.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/07/27-americans-polarized-middle-east-mcelvein-newby

In Buenos Aires, a city commits to a long-neglected neighborhood (Andy Altman, Alaina J. Harkness, Bruce Katz, Brookings)

Leadership changes in Argentina and its capital city of Buenos Aires in December 2015 marked the beginning of a significant political moment for urban governance and innovation. With the former mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, now Argentina’s president and his former chief of staff, Horacio Rodriguéz Larreta, now the current mayor, for the first time in modern history the leadership of the country and its capital are aligned and focused on maximizing the potential of this metro region of more than 12 million people.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/metropolitan-revolution/posts/2016/07/26-buenos-aires-harknessa

Profiling Jabhat al-Nusra (Charles Lister, Brookings)

Since mid-2014, the world’s attention has been transfixed on the aesthetically shocking actions of ISIS and the threat it poses to regional and international security. However, it is arguably Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria—and perhaps the al-Qaida movement more broadly—that looks more likely to survive over the long term and to threaten local, regional and international security interests. Since its emergence in Syria in late 2011, Jabhat al-Nusra has transformed itself from an unpopular outsider accused of Islamic State in Iraq (ISI)-like brutality towards one of the most powerful armed actors in the Syrian crisis. Moreover, its break away from the ISI in April 2013 set it further down a path of deep integration into the broader Syrian armed opposition in its fight against Bashar Assad’s regime.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2016/07/27-nusra-front-profile-lister

Why Najib’s prime ministership is over (James Chin, East Asia Forum)

Last week the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced that it was taking action to seek ‘the forfeiture and recovery of more than US$1 billion in assets’ related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). This action will likely start the process that will eventually lead to the removal of Najib Razak, Malaysia’s sixth prime minister.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/07/28/why-najibs-prime-ministership-is-over/

Abdul Sattar Edhi & Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan: Two icons of Pakistan (Nasim Yousaf, South Asia Monitor)

Pakistan recently lost another icon, Abdul Sattar Edhi, who died in Karachi at the age of eighty-eight. Edhi’s services for Pakistan shall be long remembered as he joins the ranks of other great South Asian icons, including late social scientist Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan. This piece highlights the contributions of Mr. Edhi and Dr. Khan who shared many similarities and were recognized around the world for their social service.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=cult&nid=18474

It is time to call Pakistan’s bluff on Kashmir (Jai Kumar Verma, South Asia Monitor)

The party in power in Islamabad,Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), won 31 out of the 49 seats(direct election is held for only 41 seats) in the assembly elections of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) held on July 21, 2016. A total of 26 political parties and 423 candidates participated in this farcical elections. The performance of other political parties was very dismal as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won 2 seats, while All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) and Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had to be content with 3 seats each.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=sl&nid=18475

Can Chinese government call itself progressive, while denying freedom to citizens ? (N.S.Venkataraman)

There are many people who admire China for the rapid industrial and economic growth that it has achieved over a period of two decades. Many think that China should be given it’s due , as it has emerged as one of the most important countries influencing the trend in the global economy. However, such admiration has to be limited to it’s economic and technological progress.

Given up communist philosophy:

Though China claims itself to be a communist country, founders of communist philosophy like Karl Marx would certainly not approve the Chinese government’s approach to governance today.

The state ownership of enterprises and prevention of concentration of wealth amongst individuals and equal distribution of national income to all people are the basic tenet of the communist philosophy. Today, large private sector projects operate in China based on profit motive, which is a negation of communist doctrine.

While countries like Russia , Hungary and others have admitted that the communist philosophy is impractical for achieving sustained economic growth and have moved away from communist form of government, China is following capitalist path but still claims that it is a communist country, which is not so anymore.

Freedom to business and not to people:

While China has diluted it’s communist philosophy to move towards capitalist form of economy, it is giving freedom to business houses but not to it’s citizens. In other words, it is keeping the worst aspects of communism in practice and giving up the laudable objectives and procedures of communist philosophy.

Democracy is non existent in China and a coterie of people, who organise themselves under an entity called politburo govern the country. Those in charge of the government are usurpers of power under the banner of communist party and they do not have the mandate from the people. In other words, the rulers of the country are a group of people who have organized themselves under a party and the people in the party struggle and compete amongst themselves to get on to the seats of power.

Recent example of suppression of freedom:

Journalists at privately operated Chinese news portals are only accredited to cover sports or entertainment events and are required to use only those reports that are released by state control media for news related to politics and society.

Chinese government has now shut down several online news operations after authorities accused the operators for independently reporting and publishing articles about potentially sensitive subjects.

As a consequence, major Chinese language portals including Sina, Sohu, Netease and iFeng have been forced to close some of their freewheeling political and social news sites and social network accounts after China’s internet control department disapproved their activities relating to news coverage , comments and discussions , which was termed by Chinese government as violating the law and regulations.

Can suppression of freedom take place in a progressive country ?

Ultimate criteria to judge that a country is progressive is the level of freedom enjoyed by the citizens to think on their own , discuss their view points and express their opinions irrespective of the stand and policy of the government on any particular issue. This is not happening in China.

Freedom of expression is certainly one of the significant contributors for the happiness index of the citizens. While different level of freedom are enjoyed by people in various countries, perhaps, China represents the worst case study for denial of liberty to the people. Today, one of the pre conditions to move freely in China is that the individual has to ensure that he would not be critical of any policy or programme of government of China.

The people in other countries who have tasted freedom are bound to have sympathies for Chinese citizens ,who are seeing more of economic prosperity and less of personal liberty. To this extent ,one should think that Chinese people are less privileged and the government of China is guilty of condemning it’s people to such conditions.

National security wrap (The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/national-security-wrap-31/

Reverse engineering Australia’s FMS requests (Andrew Davies, James Mugg, The Strategist)

On 31 May, yet another Australian FMS purchase approval was listed on the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) website. This new sale is for ‘up to eighty (80) Standard Missiles, SM-2 Block IIIB’, as well as associated engineering and support equipment, at an estimated value of US$301 million. It comes hot on the heels of two recent Australian FMS approvals, for ‘up to 2,950’ GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB-I – US$386m) and ‘up to 450’ AIM-120D air-to-air missiles (US$1.22b).

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/reverse-engineering-australias-fms-requests/

Deterrence in cyberspace: different domain, different rules (Liam Nevill, Zoe Hawkins, ASPI)

In a society that’s now reliant on cyberspace for everyday life, and when everything from cars, electricity grids and dams to weapons systems is connected to a network, the potential effects of malicious or aggressive actions in cyberspace warrant some justified concern.

This paper examines the application of deterrence concepts to cyberspace, discusses cybersecurity implications for broader deterrence frameworks, and makes policy recommendations to enhance cybersecurity and strengthen broader deterrence postures.

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/deterrence-in-cyberspace-different-domain,-different-rules

Patchwork hacker crew is spying on companies in multiple industries (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

Security experts at Symantec revealed that the Patchwork hacker crew is now expanding espionage activities on companies in a wide range of industries.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49755/intelligence/patchwork.html

KeySniffer – How to remotely hack wireless Keyboards (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

Experts discovered that Wireless keyboards from several vendors don’t use encryption when communicating with USB dongle being opened to KeySniffer attacks

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49738/hacking/keysniffer-attack.html

Sexual Violence and Justice in Liberia (Peace A. Medie, Project-Syndicate)

Martha’s daughter was only 12 years old when a group of men raped her in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. The police arrested one of the attackers, but did not refer the case for prosecution – an outcome that, Martha believes, had a lot to do with her inability to pay the unauthorized “processing fee” that some police officers impose on rape victims and their families.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/liberia-justice-for-rape-victims-by-peace-a--medie-2016-07

The Global Security Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (Tadataka Yamada, Project-Syndicate)

Today we are faced with the harsh reality that the treatment or prevention of infectious diseases has not made quantum advances since the early successes of vaccines and antimicrobial therapies. In a sense, the world is headed backward, as once-treatable microbes become resistant to existing therapies, and new infections for which there are no effective interventions continue to arise.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/infectious-disease-global-security-by-tadataka-yamada-2016-07

Turkish Democracy’s Secret Weapon (Adeel Malik, Project-Syndicate)

The recent failed coup attempt in Turkey highlights the country’s continuing vulnerability to military takeover. But it also reveals a newly developed – and highly potent – asset, one that Turkey’s neighbors should also seek to cultivate: a strong middle class willing and able to mobilize against extremist threats. The question for Turkey now is whether President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will cultivate this asset. For the wider Middle East, the issue is how to build a middle class that can safeguard stability.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/turkey-failed-coup-secret-weapon-by-adeel-malik-2016-07

A Brief History of (In)equality (J. Bradford DeLong, Project-Syndicate)

The Berkeley economist Barry Eichengreen recently gave a talk in Lisbon about inequality that demonstrated one of the virtues of being a scholar of economic history. Eichengreen, like me, glories in the complexities of every situation, avoiding oversimplification in the pursuit of conceptual clarity. This disposition stays the impulse to try to explain more about the world than we can possibly know with one simple model.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/history-income-distribution-by-j--bradford-delong-2016-07

Reversing Brexit (Anatole Kaletsky, Project-Syndicate)

How should the European Union respond to the narrow decision by voters in the United Kingdom to leave? European leaders are now focusing, rightly, on how to prevent other countries from leaving the EU or the euro. The most important country to be kept in the club is Italy, which faces a referendum in October that could pave the way for the anti-euro Five Star Movement to take power.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/reversing-brexit-referendum-by-anatole-kaletsky-2016-07

Growth in a Time of Disruption (Michael Spence, Project-Syndicate)

Developing countries are facing major obstacles – many of which they have little to no control over – to achieving sustained high growth. Beyond the headwinds generated by slow advanced-economy growth and abnormal post-crisis monetary and financial conditions, there are the disruptive impacts of digital technology, which are set to erode developing economies’ comparative advantage in labor-intensive manufacturing activities. With the reversal of these trends out of the question, adaptation is the only option.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/developing-countries-growth-models-by-michael-spence-2016-07

No, the White House Did Not Create a Color Coded Alert System for Cyber (Robert Knake, CFR)

Yesterday, the White House released a new policy document on the management of cyber incident response. The document, Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 41, captures over a decade of lessons learned on how federal agencies respond to cyber incidents. It is clear about what federal agencies will do (as well as what they will not do) and sets up a series of mechanisms for coordinating federal action with private companies.

http://blogs.cfr.org/cyber/2016/07/27/no-the-white-house-did-not-create-a-color-coded-alert-system-for-cyber/

Brazil’s Agonizing August (Matthew Taylor, CFR)

The coming month will be a stressful one for Brazilians.

http://blogs.cfr.org/oneil/2016/07/26/brazils-agonizing-august/

Suing Lord Balfour (Elliott Abrams, CFR)

http://blogs.cfr.org/abrams/2016/07/26/suing-lord-balfour/

Closing the Gender Gap in Development Financing (Rachel Vogelstein, CFR)

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama hosted a White House Summit on Global Development to map the future of U.S. development efforts.

http://blogs.cfr.org/women-around-the-world/2016/07/26/closing-the-gender-gap-in-development-financing/

Africans in China: The Pivot Back (Nathan Birhanu, Bochen Han, CFR)

As China’s involvement with Africa intensifies, media coverage has also proliferated, bringing to the forefront the everyday interactions between Chinese and Africans within Africa. What is less discussed is the story in reverse: how Africans are interacting with the Chinese in China.

http://blogs.cfr.org/campbell/2016/07/26/africans-in-china-the-pivot-back/

Why the Silicon Valley Model Failed Cleantech (Varun Sivaram, CFR)

It’s no secret that venture capital (VC) has fled from the clean energy technology (cleantech) sector, and as a result, new cleantech company formation has slowed. But why did this happen, and is there a future for cleantech?

http://blogs.cfr.org/levi/2016/07/26/why-the-silicon-valley-model-failed-cleantech/

Overcoming the Legacy of White Supremacy in South Africa (John Campbell, CFR)

South Africans will vote for municipal and district officials on August 3, and, as in other democratic countries, these elections will also serve as a referendum on the central government. In South Africa’s case, voters will be assessing the record of the scandal-plagued African National Congress (ANC) administration of President Jacob Zuma and the party's success (or failure) in addressing the social and economic consequences of three hundred years of white supremacy.

http://www.cfr.org/south-africa/overcoming-legacy-white-supremacy-south-africa/p38157

CAIR Wants You To Stop Saying "Jihadist" (The Clarion Project)

The head of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) tweeted after the Nice attack #Don'tCallTerroristsJihadists

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/cair-wants-you-stop-saying-jihadist

No Justice for 16-Year-Old Christian Rape Victim in Pakistan (The Clarion Project)

As one local Muslim leader said, “It is a normal issue and can be sorted out locally by elders of the area.”

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/no-justice-16-year-old-christian-rape-victim-pakistan

England Allows Entry of Pakistani Extremists for Speaking Tour (The Clarion Project)

The preachers supported an assassin of a liberal governor who spoke against blasphemy law. One was welcomed by the archbishop of Canterbury.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/england-allows-entry-pakistani-extremists-speaking-tour

Germany: Muslim Men Harass, Threaten Nude Bathers (The Clarion Project)

The incidents involved men who spoke fluent German, making it likely that the men were second and third generation German Muslims.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/germany-muslim-men-harass-threaten-nude-bathers

South Korea’s THAAD: Impact on China’s Nuclear Deterrent (Wu Riqiang, RSIS)

The ability of the THAAD radar in South Korea to detect and track Chinese strategic missiles could pose a serious threat to China’s nuclear deterrent. The best solution would be to replace the powerful THAAD radar with the less-capable Green Pine radar. Otherwise, we would probably see signs of deteriorating China-ROK relations and expansion of Chinese nuclear arsenal.

http://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/co16192-south-koreas-thaad-impact-on-chinas-nuclear-deterrent/#.V5i519KLTIU

Banning of ISIS’ Al-Fatihin: Is this Enough? (Mohamed Bin Ali, RSIS)

The authorities in Singapore recently banned Al-Fatihin, a newspaper published by an Islamic State-linked media agency. Will this be enough to reduce the lure of jihadism?

http://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/co16191-banning-of-isis-al-fatihin-is-this-enough/#.V5i44tKLTIU

Innovations in workforce development: Partnering schools with industries (Diana Quintero, Brookings)

On July 7th, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a half-day conference on the global context of modern manufacturing. The event included a segment on innovations in workforce development with Ashley A. Smith, a reporter from Inside Higher Ed who moderated the segment panel; Mary Ann Pacelli, Workforce Development Manager with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Walter Siegenthaler, Executive VP of the Max Daetwyler Corporation; and Leah Gilliam, Strategy, Innovation, and Education VP of Girls Who Code. The panelists addressed alternative education models, skill gaps in the manufacturing workforce, and the role that corporate partnerships can play in education.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brown-center-chalkboard/posts/2016/07/27-innovation-workforce-development-schools-industries-quintero

Educated but unemployed: The challenge facing Egypt’s youth (Adel Abdel Ghafar, Brookings)

Millions of Egyptians took to the streets in January 2011 chanting “‘ish, hurriyya, ‘adalah ijtima‘iyya,” or bread, freedom, and social justice. This simple chant captured protestors’ desire for a new Egypt defined by economic, political, and social change. Five years later, however, the attainment of those demands seems more elusive than ever. In the economic sphere, Egypt still faces the major challenge of high unemployment, particularly among educated youth. Why do so many of Egypt’s young university graduates struggle to find employment?

http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2016/07/27-unemployment-in-egypt-ghafar

More than price transparency is needed to empower consumers to shop effectively for lower health care costs (Paul Ginsburg, Brookings)

As the nation still struggles with high healthcare costs that consume larger and larger portions of patient budgets as well as government coffers, the search for ways to get costs under control continues. Total healthcare spending in the U.S. now represents almost 18 percent of our entire economy. One promising cost-savings approach is called “reference pricing,” where the insurer establishes a price ceiling on selected services (joint replacement, colonoscopy, lab tests, etc.). Often, this price cap is based on the average of the negotiated prices for providers in its network, and anything above the reference price has to be covered by the insured consumer.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2016/07/26-more-than-price-transparency-is-needed-to-shop-for-lower-consumer-health-care-costs-ginsburg

Was Saudi King Salman too sick to attend this week's Arab League summit? (Bruce Riedel, Brookings)

King Salman failed to show at the Arab League summit this week in Mauritania, allegedly for health reasons. The king’s health has been a question since his accession to the throne last year.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/07/26-salman-ill-arab-league-summit-riedel

What are the legal foundations of the Islamic State? (Dana Hadra, Brookings)

Media coverage of the Islamic State has focused on the group’s grotesque use of violence and archaic governance style. Less attention has been paid, however, to the institutions that make those practices possible—institutions that lend the group legitimacy, at least in the eyes of supporters, as a sovereign state. In her new Brookings Analysis Paper, “The legal foundations of the Islamic State,” Mara Revkin argues that legal institutions play a critical role in the Islamic State’s state-building project. Those structures help the group take and keep territory, as well as provide a measure of accountability to the people living under its rule.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/markaz/posts/2016/07/26-legal-foundations-isis-hadra

The Turkish coup and the refugees (Omer Karasapan, Brookings)

The night of July 15, 2016, must have been a horrible nightmare for the over 2.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. As difficult as their lives have often been, Turkey represented a safe haven with little fear of deportation—though the open door policy for new refugees from Syria has ended for now. There was also recent good news as the government enactednew rules on work permits while also calling for granting citizenship to some refugees. And although there are still over 400,000 working informally, often in tough conditions, health care has become available for free to those registered with the authorities. Schooling for Syrian children remains problematic with only half of the 900,000 children expected in schools by end 2016, but plans to cover them all by end 2017 have been underway.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/future-development/posts/2016/07/26-turkish-coup-refugees-karasapan

Can Asia transform international investment law? (Stephan W. Schill, East Asia Forum)

European and North American capital exporting countries have shaped international investment law for most of its history. They pushed for the customary international minimum standard of protection, forged the classical model of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and now drive the present recalibration of international investment law. Despite counter-proposals from the ‘South’ over decades, the making of international investment law has been essentially a transatlantic enterprise with the ‘North’ as predominant global rule-maker.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/07/27/can-asia-transform-international-investment-law/

Back to basics: why Podemos lost support in the last Spanish election (Marta Lobato, openDemocracy)

PP and PSOE have an advantage. They are tied to the history of the country, and there is a popular imagination behind them. Podemos, on the other hand, is trying to create something new.

https://opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/marta-lobato/back-to-basics-why-podemos-lost-support-in-last-spanish-election

Did Erdoğan finally get his Gezi? (Defne Kadıoğlu Polat, openDemocracy)

Could this be a win-win situation for Erdoğan and the AKP: able to enhance their power while reinstating their organic relationship with the people?

https://opendemocracy.net/defne-kad-o-lu-polat/did-erdo-finally-get-his-gezi

'Hollow' states: the presidents re-writing the rules to stay in power (Claudia Simons, openDemocracy)

Should he stay or should he go? When it comes to the president, it's the subject of heated debate in Burundi, Congo, DR Congo and Rwanda.

https://opendemocracy.net/westminster/claudia-simons/sub-saharan-africa-presidents-elections

Brazil: democratic normalisation, but little enthusiasm (openDemocracy)

According to the opinion polls, a majority of Brazilians seem inclined to think that the presidential change marks the beginning of a new phase for the country.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/democraciaabierta/marco-aur-lio-nogueira/brazil-democratic-normalisation-but-little-enthusiasm

'The unacceptable face of capitalism'? What the collapse of BHS shows us about the UK economy (Steve Tombs, openDemocracy)

In a deregulated financial market, Sir Philip Green's plundering of BHS is the rule, not the exception.

https://opendemocracy.net/uk/steve-tombs/unacceptable-face-of-capitalism-what-collapse-of-bhs-shows-us-about-uk-economy

Bahrain's uprising and its movement for radical change (Abdulnabi Hasan Alekry Bahraini, openDemocracy)

Women and youth were at the forefront of Bahrain's uprising in February 2011, and are at the heart of the ensuing movement for radical change.

https://opendemocracy.net/abdulnabi-alekry/bahrains-uprising-and-its-movement-for-radical-change

The rise of 'youth nationalism' in Poland (Tom Junes, openDemocracy)

What is causing the youth of Poland to mobilise so strongly in the name of nationalism and xenophobia?

https://opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/tom-junes/rise-of-youth-nationalism-in-poland

An industrial strategy for energy (Chris Goodall, openDemocracy)

Britain should abandon Hinkley Point and invest in storage.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/chris-goodall/industrial-strategy-for-energy

Zones of turbulence in the wake of EU-Turkey’s migration agreement (Evan Stanley Jones, openDemocracy)

The implementation of the EU-Turkey deal helps restore order to liberal markets and the political economy. The results of the deal are entirely to the detriment of the migrants affected. Who gains?

https://opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/evan-stanley-jones/zones-of-turbulence-in-wake-of-eu-turkey-s-migration-agreement

Economic change will not happen until the left understands money (Ann Pettifor, openDemocracy)

Developing a sound analysis of the causes of the financial crisis, and of solutions to the crisis is essential to attracting widespread public support for a transformation of the economy.

https://opendemocracy.net/uk/austerity-media/ann-pettifor/economic-change-will-not-happen-until-left-understands-money

The post-factual Labour leadership election (John Heathcliff, openDemocracy)

Activism around the Labour leadership election has been too quick to abandon the truth.

https://opendemocracy.net/uk/john-heathcliff/post-factual-labour-leadership-election

Far away view of Brexit (Barry Hindess, openDemocracy)

“To go to a referendum was curious… the UK has a regime of representative government that works to ensure that popular concerns have only limited impact on the conduct of government.”

https://opendemocracy.net/barry-hindess/far-away-view-of-brexit

Colombia’s constrained peace process: how courts alter peace-making (openDemocracy)

The Colombia case shows international courts do impact local peace-making, but in ways more subtle and nuanced than commonly claimed.

https://opendemocracy.net/openglobalrights/courtney-hillebrecht-sandra-borda-alexandra-huneeus/colombia-s-constrained-peace-pr

Abortion and contraception in India: the role of men (Nicola Desouza, openDemocracy)

The callous attitude of Indian men that ‘she can always abort’ in cases of an unwanted pregnancy caused by failure to use a condom needs to be tackled at the root.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/nicola-desouza/abortion-in-india-what-men-say

Kazakhstan: the limits of authoritarian crisis management (Luca Anceschi, openDemocracy)

Violent attacks on state institutions have shaken the Nazarbayev regime in recent weeks, exposing its fixation with information control over state management.

https://opendemocracy.net/od-russia/luca-anceschi/kazakhstan-limits-of-authoritarian-crisis-management

Modern slavery and the gendered paradoxes of labour unfreedom (Alessandra Mezzadri, openDemocracy)

Why labour unfreedom is a more useful category than modern slavery to challenge exploitative working relations at home and abroad.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/beyondslavery/alessandra-mezzadri/modern-slavery-and-gendered-paradoxes-of-labour-unfreedom

Sanders May Lose the Nomination, But He Won Big on Fixing Superdelegates (Daniel R. DePetris, The National Interest)

This week’s Democratic National Convention is a coronation for supporters of Hillary Clinton and a shot in the bow to the dedicated progressives and “Bernie Bros” who took on the job of stumping for the eccentric Vermont senator like it was a second career.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/sanders-may-lose-the-nomination-he-won-big-fixing-17124

The Hawks’ Election Strategy: Pushing a New Cold War (David Bromwich, The National Interest)

Begin with what is obvious: no responsible citizen ought to support in any way the presidential aspirations of Donald Trump. But in a wild election season, intelligent discussion cannot afford to end there.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-hawks%E2%80%99-election-strategy-pushing-new-cold-war-17113

Tim Kaine: Hillary's Wise Choice (Dov S. Zakheim, The National Interest)

Hillary Clinton’s choice of Tim Kaine as her running mate may not have reversed her overwhelming unpopularity with the American public. But it underscored the contrast between her professionalism and the rank amateurism that Donald Trump displayed throughout the Republican convention and its aftermath. Clinton could have pandered to the Democratic Left, much as Trump has pandered to the extremist Right. She didn’t. Instead, she chose a man whose public-spiritedness and essential decency is so widely recognized and appreciated that many of his Republican colleagues in the Senate were lining up to congratulate him.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/tim-kaine-hillarys-wise-choice-17122

How War and Crisis Help Spread Diseases Like Zika (Kip Whittington, The National Interest)

In 2014, West Africa experienced the world’s largest Ebola virus outbreak. For two years, the poverty-stricken countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire were ravaged by the disease, leading to over eleven thousand deaths and cementing the 2014 outbreak’s deadly place in history. During the epidemic, global attention was largely focused on preventing the spread of the Ebola virus. Less reported was how an entire subregion of Africa became so susceptible to the rapid spread of a catastrophic disease. While poverty is a well-known driver of disease, its links with another potent driver are often ignored by the foreign-policy community— conflict.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-war-crisis-help-spread-diseases-zika-17109

ADIZ in the South China Sea: Nine-Dash Line 2.0? (Alexander Vuving, The National Interest)

Ever since China set up its first air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea in November 2013, a Chinese ADIZ has hung as a sword of Damocles over the South China Sea.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/adiz-the-south-china-sea-nine-dash-line-20-17121

The Iran Deal Is Already Falling Apart (Mohammed Nuruzzaman, The National Interest)

The historic nuclear deal that Iran and the P5+1 group of powers signed on July 14, 2015, marked its first anniversary amidst hopes and despairs. Designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief, the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has made little progress, contrary to hopes for a thaw in U.S.-Iranian relations and an ensuing period of calm and stability in the Middle East. The U.S. State Department, in a cautious statement, has termed the deal“fragile but working.” Some analysts claim that the deal has worked in that it has largely eliminated the dangers of war involving Iran, Israel and the United States, while others emphasize plugging “holes” to make the deal work. Viewed realistically, such optimistic notes hold little water, as the deal is gradually approaching its endpoint.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-iran-deal-already-falling-apart-17118

Russia vs. America: Are Laser Weapons the Key to Victory? (Leonid Nersisyan, The National Interest)

In almost every film speculating about the future, we see a familiar scene: enemies firing at each other using various laser and beam weapons. Is there a prospect for the development of real models of such weapons? What can be achieved in this sphere, given existing technology? At what level is the development of various means of laser destruction, including air and missile defense systems (ADS and MDS)? And the main question: which trendsetter in the world of weapons is ahead—the United States or Russia?

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/russia-vs-america-are-laser-weapons-the-key-victory-17115

Hackers are offering for sale O2 customer data on the dark web (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

O2 customer data that was reportedly first stolen from the gaming site XSplit in November 2013 are now offered for sale on the Dark Web.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49716/deep-web/o2-customer-data-dark-web.html

Nigeria Rules Girls Are Allowed to Wear Hijabs (The Clarion Project)

Suicide bombers had used religious dress to hide their bombs. However, the legal status of hijabs in Nigeria may not be settled just yet.

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/nigerian-school-girls-allowed-wear-hijabs

Ansbach Suicide Bomber Pledged Allegiance to ISIS (The Clarion Project)

The Syrian asylum seeker who carried out a suicide bombing at a bar in Ansbach Germany had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a video.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/ansbach-suicide-bomber-pledged-allegiance-isis

The Death of OPEC (Anas Alhajji, Project-Syndicate)

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is dead. Saudi Arabia killed it. Now, OPEC is just a toothless zombie, attracting attention, but without having any impact on the living.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/opec-saudi-arabia-price-war-by-a--f--alhajji-2016-07

The Kremlin’s Olympic Acrobatics (Nina L. Khrushcheva, Project-Syndicate)

Next Friday, Russians will be among the athletes gathering behind their national flags at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium. That was almost not the case. In the wake of revelations by the World Anti-Doping Agency about large-scale state-sponsored doping in Russia, the country avoided an outright ban by the skin of its teeth.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/kremlin-reaction-olympic-doping-revelations-by-nina-l--khrushcheva-2016-07

Civil Society Against Terrorism (Dominique Moisi, Project-Syndicate)

After the terror attacks in Paris last November – a carefully coordinated series of assaults carried out by multiple attackers, resulting in 130 deaths – there was intense pain and fear, but also a spirit of unity and resilience. By contrast, since the Bastille Day massacre in Nice – where an attacker, having received help from five men better described as criminals than as radical Islamists, barreled a truck into a crowd, killing 84 people, many of them children – the dominant feelings seem to be impotence and anger.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/french-populists-capitalizing-on-terror-attacks-by-dominique-moisi-2016-07

Hillary Clinton and the Scandinavian-American Dream (Bo Lidegaard, Project-Syndicate)

This week, Hillary Clinton will address the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia to accept her party’s presidential nomination and present its platform. When she does, she will define her vision of, among other things, the social contract in America.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/scandinavian-welfare-economies-success-by-bo-lidegaard-2016-07

Democracy becomes a weapon against democracy (Marco Emanuele, South Asia Monitor)

History repeats itself. Turkey shows us how democracy, a great but a fragile achievement, can be exploited for purposes other than the democratic ones. And, Turkey is not alone in this. Such a manipulation of democracy is taking place on a global level; an obvious clash between the deep sense of democracy and its historical application.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=emerging&nid=18452

The Globalization Disconnect (Stephen S. Roach, Project-Syndicate)

While seemingly elegant in theory, globalization suffers in practice. That is the lesson of Brexit and of the rise of Donald Trump in the United States. And it also underpins the increasingly virulent anti-China backlash now sweeping the world. Those who worship at the altar of free trade – including me – must come to grips with this glaring disconnect.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/find-solutions-for-free-trade-backlash-by-stephen-s--roach-2016-07

The fears of US allies, the benefits of US alliances (Elsina Wainwright, The Strategist)

Donald Trump’s recent comments on America’s alliances, coinciding with the Republican convention last week, have further raised the anxiety levels of US allies about Washington’s global role after the US presidential election.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/fears-us-allies-benefits-us-alliances/

Sea, air and land updates (The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/sea-air-land-updates-51-7/

Fear and caution in Hanoi (Helen Clark, The Strategist)

The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s Arbitral Tribunal ruling against China in the South China Sea is no boon for Hanoi, at least so far.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/fear-caution-hanoi/

Hacker Interviews – Korrupt (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

Another interview with one of the black souls of the Internet, Korrupt, which is involved in various hacking campaigns.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49711/hacking/hacker-interviews-korrupt.html

DNC hackers’ attack was deeper than previously thought (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

New evidence collected by investigators suggests that hackers that attacked DNC penetrated deeper than previously thought.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49705/intelligence/dnc-hack.html

Disclosure of DNC Emails: Was Russia Making Up for the Fact It Got Caught? (Alex Grigsby, CFR)

Identifying the responsible party for a cyber incident is always a challenge. However, evidence has been piling up over the last few months that Russian intelligence services, and Russian military intelligence (GRU) in particular, is behind the hack of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) network and the email disclosures.

http://blogs.cfr.org/cyber/2016/07/25/disclosure-of-dnc-emails-hack-was-russia-making-the-best-of-a-bad-situation/

Q&A on Cambodia with Sophal Ear (Joshua Kurlantzick, CFR)

Last week, I spoke via email with Sophal Ear, Associate Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs at Occidental College, and author of Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy, about the current crisis in Cambodian politics. After a brief truce following elections in 2013, in which the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) shocked the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) by nearly winning control of the National Assembly, any semblance of détente has broken down. One opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, remains in exile; if he returns home he could face charges of defamation. Another opposition leader, Kem Sokha, has been holed up in the CNRP’s headquarters for weeks. If he comes out, he faces charges of “procurement of prostitution.” A prominent government critic, Kem Ley, was gunned to death in broad daylight one morning two weeks ago, raising fears that, in the run up to national elections in 2018, the country may be returning to the violent politics of the 1990s and early 2000s, when many opposition, politicians, activists, and journalists were killed. I asked Prof. Ear for his insights about the current crisis.

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2016/07/25/qa-on-cambodia-with-sophal-ear/

The Struggle Over Bangladesh's Future (Alyssa Ayres, CFR)

On July 1, militants attacked a restaurant in one of the Bangladeshi capital's affluent neighborhoods, taking dozens hostage. Twenty-nine people died, including the five gunmen and eighteen foreign victims. This incident was the most deadly in a recent rise in violence linked to Islamist extremists and occurs amid a polarizing political debate over Bangladesh's identity and what the role of Islam should be, says CFR senior fellow Alyssa Ayres says. "The July 1 attack suddenly pitches Bangladesh into the larger battleground of international terrorism," Ayres says, emphasizing the decision of the militants to affiliate themselves with a global terrorist movement at the time of the attack. "The Islamic State dimension comes on top of an already tense political climate," she says.

http://www.cfr.org/bangladesh/struggle-over-bangladeshs-future/p38155

Pennsylvania’s metro economies: A 2016 election profile (Alan Berube, Brookings)

With the GOP convention now in the electoral rearview mirror, attention is pivoting quickly from Ohio to Pennsylvania as the Democrats kick off their own nominating convention in Philadelphia.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2016/07/25-pennsylvania-election-profile-berube

Facing threats at home, France should still engage abroad (Philippe Le Corre, Brookings)

France has been struck by an unprecedented three terror attacks in the last 18 months. In what’s called Operation Sentinelle, 13,000 French military personnel now patrol streets and protect key sites across the country, assisting police and other security agencies. “The fact that the armed forces are visible,” said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at a Brookings event on July 20, “help to reassure the French people that they are safe both at home and abroad.”

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/07/25-france-efforts-counter-isis-lecorre

Book. Why Presidents Fail and How They Can Succeed Again (Brookings)

http://www.brookings.edu/research/books/2016/why-presidents-fail

What does the U.S. government know about Russia and the DNC hack? (Susan Hennessey, Brookings)

Potentially unpleasant news for Jim Comey: We need you to intervene in the 2016 election again.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/techtank/posts/2016/07/25-what-does-us-know-russia-dnc-hack-hennessey

Obama’s legacy in African security and development (Ian Livingston, Brookings)

President Obama’s presidency has witnessed widespread change throughout Africa. His four trips there, spanning seven countries, reflect his belief in the continent’s importance—even if he arguably hasn’t been able to devote the resources he might have wished, given the myriad of competing demands. African countries face a range of challenges on trade, investment, and development, as well as on security and stability.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/07/25-obama-legacy-african-security-livingston

The day after: Enforcing The Hague verdict in the South China Sea (Richard Javad Heydarian, Brookings)

It was an unequivocal rebuke of China’s expansive maritime claims and increasingly assertive posturing in adjacent waters. An arbitral tribunal, constituted under Article 287, Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), handed the Philippines a landmark victory against its giant neighbor. Most experts anticipated a favorable outcome, but few predicted its breadth. Not only did the tribunal exercise jurisdiction on almost all of the Philippines’ arguments, it also ruled favorably on the most thorny and consequential items, particularly China’s doctrine of "historic rights."

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2016/07/25-day-after-south-china-sea-heydarian

How to defeat terrorism: Intelligence, integration, and development (Norman Loayza, Brookings)

My partner was caught at the Istanbul airport during the latest terrorist attack. She hid in a closet with a few people, including a small girl, disconcerted and afraid. And when the attack was over, she saw the blood, desolation, chaos, and tears of the aftermath. This was a horrific moment. Yet, it paled in comparison to what the injured and dead and their relatives had to suffer.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/future-development/posts/2016/07/25-defeat-terrorism-intelligence-integration-development-loayza

Natural gas in the United States in 2016: Problem child and poster child (Tim Boersma, Brookings)

What do Americans think about U.S. natural gas?

The answer depends on who you ask. Presidential candidates, Washington think tank analysts, and ordinary citizens all give widely different answers to that question. In the United States, natural gas is sure to play an important role in the energy mix for the foreseeable future and has yielded several major economic, environmental, and health benefits in the short- and medium-term. Despite this, the image of natural gas has deteriorated in recent years, particularly within the environmental community.

In a new policy brief, "Natural gas in the United States in 2016: Problem child and poster child," Tim Boersma discusses the various sentiments surrounding the debate over natural gas, analyzing the data supporting or refuting these varied points of view. Additionally, Boersma discusses the role that natural gas can play as a bridge fuel to a low-carbon economy, outlining a policy and research agenda for the utilization of natural gas going forward.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2016/07/natural-gas-united-states-2016-boersma

Changing masculinities in East Asian pop culture (Geng Song, East Asia Forum)

Descendants of the Sun, a South Korean TV drama featuring a romance between a soldier and a surgeon in a fictional war-torn nation, is reigniting K-drama fever across Asia. In China alone, where the program is simultaneously broadcast online, it has drawn more than 2.4 billion views on video-streaming website iQIYI since it began airing in late February.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/07/26/changing-masculinities-in-east-asian-pop-culture/

Assessing the damage: the South China Sea arbitration (Donald Rothwell, East Asia Forum)

The ruling by the Annex VII Tribunal on the South China Sea maritime dispute between the Philippines and China lays down an unprecedented legal benchmark for disputes in the region. The unanimous decision of the five-member Tribunal addresses in detail all of the claims made by the Philippines. Only one claim was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/07/25/assessing-the-damage-the-south-china-sea-arbitration/

Enabling female entrepreneurs and beyond (Eyerusalem Siba, Brookings)

Investing in female entrepreneurs has a multiplier effect. Women often invest a higher proportion of their income back into their families and communities than men. Indeed, it is well-documented that when women control a greater proportion of household resources, the family allocates more money toward food and children’s education, and children that are healthier and more educated are better-prepared to contribute to a developing economy. However, many African women face cultural and social barriers to becoming entrepreneurs—creating the need for promoters of the gender empowerment agenda to acknowledge the entangled relationship between women and their social environment.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2016/07/25-enabling-female-entrepreneurs-siba

How the GOP Stopped Loving China (Jared McKinney, The National Interest)

The New York Times editorial board has condemned the GOP’s new platform, just authorized at the Republican National Convention, as the “most extreme” in memory. This may well be the case, but the platform is also remarkable for something the Times does not comment on: belligerence and a new cynicism towards China. To show how this really is something new, this article reviews GOP platforms since Nixon’s rapprochement with China and traces the evolution thereafter of GOP disillusionment.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/how-the-gop-stopped-loving-china-17088

Europe Can't Save the South China Sea (Emanuele Scimia, The National Interest)

The United States and European Union reacted quite differently to the recent South China Sea arbitration ruling, with the European bloc distancing itself from the transatlantic ally’s sharpest approach to the issue. Washington bluntly called on Beijing to respect the legal decision handed out by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on July 12, as Brussels loosely backed the arbitrators’ work and urged all parties involved to act with restrain and according to the international law.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/europe-cant-save-the-south-china-sea-17092

How Saudi Arabia and Israel Are Bracing for the Iran Deal's Collapse (Farhad Rezaei, The National Interest)

In discussing the reaction to the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, that was signed by Iran and the international community in July 2015, scholars have warned about the possible cascade of proliferation in the Middle East. They have been particularly concerned about the responses of two key Middle Eastern countries—Israel and Saudi Arabia—to the JCPOA. While the architects of the nuclear agreement hailed it as a way to limit proliferation in the region, critics have contended that the deal would actually spur a nuclear race.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-saudi-arabia-israel-are-bracing-the-iran-deals-collapse-17091

Sanctions Are a Tool, Not a Foreign Policy (Timothy Turnbull, The National Interest)

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), intends to introduce a bill imposing sanctions on Iran, focusing on individuals and entities involved in the testing of ballistic missiles and other “nefarious activities.” While these new sanctions will leave those issues agreed upon in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) untouched, they are intended to strengthen the hand of Congress relative to the president by proscribing the use of waivers, with which the president can allow individuals and entities to conduct business within those sectors of the Iranian economy subject to sanctions on a case-by-case basis.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/sanctions-are-tool-not-foreign-policy-17090

What Democrats Can Learn from Philadelphia's Navy Yard (Christopher A. Preble, The National Interest)

As Democrats descend on the City of Brotherly Love for their national convention this week, they might be tempted to visit the home of some of the city’s famous businesses, such as the Tasty Baking Company, maker of delicious Tastykakes; clothier Urban Outfitters; or pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, a DNC sponsor.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/what-democrats-can-learn-philadelphias-navy-yard-17080

If Ukraine Wants the ICC’s Help, It Must Play by the ICC's Rules (Valentyna Polunina, Andreas Umland, The National Interest)

Since Russia’s seizure of Crimea and its aggression in eastern Ukraine, many in Kiev have taken to the idea of enlisting the help of the International Criminal Court in The Hague to punish those responsible and discourage further belligerence. Political leaders in Ukraine, including President Petro Poroshenko, like to publicly invoke the ephemeral “The Hague” as a judicial instance of last resort when describing the future of President Putin, senior Russian officials, militants in parts of the Donbas region and those responsible for the killings during the Euromaidan protests.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/if-ukraine-wants-the-iccs-help-it-must-play-by-its-rules-17089

A Frozen War in Russia's Backyard Heats Up (Leonid Nersisyan, The National Interest)

More than two months ago, an escalation in the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict without precedent since 1994 occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh. From the night of April 1 to April 2, combat operations continued until April 5, having begun in two parts of the contact line between the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army and the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. On that day, the parties agreed to an armistice, signed in Moscow. The four-day war answered many questions regarding military balance, while posing new ones. Since the threat of another escalation is not excluded, it makes sense to analyze the condition of the armed forces of Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, taking into account the results of the short but bloody April war. But first, we must talk about the early history of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/frozen-war-russias-backyard-heats-17085

Munich Gunman purchased the weapon on the Dark Web (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

David S., the Munich gunman has purchased the weapon on the Dark Web, sincerely I was waiting for this title in the headlines, but …

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49690/deep-web/munich-gunman-weapon.html

Teacher cognitive ability around the world (Dick Startz, Brookings)

If you think the skills of American teachers don’t stack up to those of teachers in other countries, you’re wrong—American teachers are perfectly mediocre. Well, in fairness, American teachers seem to be a touch above average in literacy skills and noticeably below average in numeracy. They shine in neither area. “Mediocre” means middling. I guess some country has to be in the middle, but that’s not how we Americans like to picture ourselves. For me, American teachers being middle-of-the-pack isn’t good enough. I expect—at least if you’re an American reader of Chalkboard—that you too want the U.S. to be a world leader in education.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brown-center-chalkboard/posts/2016/07/25-teacher-cognitive-ability-world-startz

Terrorism in Europe (Pir-Mohammad Mollazehi, Iran Review)

Recent terrorist attacks in a number of European countries have not only revealed inability of those countries’ security services and their structural weaknesses, but also faced Europe with certain challenges on other fronts. At present, Western Europe is facing two extremist and radical currents, which have hidden their true motives behind an apparent façade of religion or nationalism. One current has its origins in the Arab Middle East and is represented by al-Qaeda and the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. This current considers itself as Muslim and thinks that Europe is taking position against Islam and is somehow anti-Islam.

http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Terrorism-in-Europe.htm

Qara Kelisa, St. Thaddeus Church: Day of St. Thaddeus (Iran Review)

Iran’s Qara Kelisa will honor the memory of Saint Thaddeus and his faithful followers during a ceremony in the northern province of West Azarbaijan.

http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Qara_Kelissa_St_Thaddeus_Church.htm

The Two Faces of Egypt's Al-Azhar (The Clarion Project)

Al Azhar’s Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb seems to have a habit of saying one thing to his Western audiences and another to his Muslim ones.

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/two-face-al-azhar

A Gun, a Machete and a Bomb: Three Days in Germany (The Clarion Project)

What connects the three attacks that took place in Germany in just three days?

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/gun-machete-and-bomb-three-days-germany

Turkish Police Torture, Rape Own Soldiers, Officers, Judges (The Clarion Project)

A new Amnesty report details the horrific torture that thousands have been subjected to since the post-coup round-up.

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/turkish-police-torture-rape-own-soldiers-officers-judges

Caught: ISIS Jihadis Attempt to Flee in Women's Clothing (The Clarion Project)

Kurds had warned the fighters to leave the town within 49 hours as a bombing campaign was to begin.

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/caught-isis-jihadis-attempt-flee-womens-clothing

Pakistan, India: 'Honor,' Blasphemy and Persecution (The Clarion Project)

Four recent stories show a culture steeped in honor violence and minority persecution. Does the world care?

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/pakistan-india-honor-blasphemy-and-persecution

The roots of Jeremy Corbyn's support (Al Jazeera)

The pro-Corbyn Momentum organisation has established itself as one of the biggest pressure blocs in the Labour party.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/07/roots-jeremy-corbyn-support-160720083400405.html

Families of Gaza war victims protest lack of aid (Al Jazeera)

Palestinian government has failed the families who need its assistance the most, demonstrators say.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/families-gaza-war-victims-protest-lack-aid-160724114347852.html

Indian court tackles extrajudicial killings in Manipur (Al Jazeera)

After decades of disappearances and deaths, recent ruling in insurgency-affected eastern state raises hope for justice.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/indian-court-tackles-extrajudicial-killings-manipur-160724121240369.html

Inside Abu Sayyaf: Blood, drugs and conspiracies (Al Jazeera)

Philippine group continues its insurgency and beheadings as military sources accuse local officials of lending support.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/abu-sayyaf-blood-drugs-conspiracies-160724090604857.html

Israeli expulsion law 'violates all rules of democracy' (Al Jazeera)

Critics fear the new legislation is designed to empty the Knesset of its Palestinian parties.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/israeli-expulsion-law-violates-rules-democracy-160724071131444.html

India's online marketplace for Mumbai's slum artisans (Al Jazeera)

A new online sales website opens new markets and brings recognition to artisans working in Mumbai's Dharavi slum.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/07/india-online-marketplace-mumbai-slum-artisans-160712084024483.html

Haneen Zoabi: Israel aims for 'political assassination' (Al Jazeera)

Al Jazeera spoke with the Palestinian MK targeted by Israel's controversial new expulsion law.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/haneen-zoabi-israel-aims-political-assassination-160724081737366.html

US: What did Muslims at the RNC think of Donald Trump? (Al Jazeera)

Al Jazeera speaks to Muslim supporters of the Republican party to gauge their views on Trump and his rhetoric on Islam.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/07/muslim-republicans-donald-trump-160723142629534.html

Trump's speech: A dystopian view of America (Al Jazeera)

Acceptance speech reflects how Trump has tapped into widespread anger and fear among white working-class men.

http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/americas/2016/07/trump-speech-dystopian-view-america-160724154612260.html

America’s Exploding Deficit (Martin Feldstein, Project-Syndicate)

Two recent pieces of budget news are a grim reminder of the perilous state of fiscal policy in the United States. President Barack Obama’s Office of Management and Budget announced that the federal government’s deficit this fiscal year will be about $600 billion, up by $162 billion from 2015, an increase of more than 35%. And the annual Long-Term Budget Outlook produced by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts that, with no change in fiscal policy, federal government debt will rise from 75% of GDP to 86% a decade from now, and then to a record 141% in 2046, near levels in Italy, Portugal, and Greece.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/america-rising-debt-ratio-by-martin-feldstein-2016-07

Hacker Interviews – Zilla from GhostSquadHackers (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

Enjoy my interview with the Zilla from GhostSquadHackers, I believe it is essential for cyber security experts to know how hackers work and why some of them are hunting the ISIS online.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49691/hacking/hacker-interviews-zilla.html

The West fails the 'coup test' in Turkey (Ayse Yircali, Sabiha Senyucel, Al Jazeera)

Many in the Western media and their analyses failed to show respect and extend credit to the society of Turkey.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/west-fails-coup-test-turkey-160724120008222.html

Israel, the UN's Sixth Committee and international law (Tallha Abdulrazaq, Al Jazeera)

How can a state that is so opposed to all legally binding resolutions of the UNSC engage on questions of the law?

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/israel-sixth-committee-international-law-160724105640754.html

ISIL as total state and pure violence (Hamid Dabashi, Al Jazeera)

ISIL and all its state nemesis come together to form the amorphous shape of a "total state".

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/isil-total-state-pure-violence-160724083630726.html

For the British left, social justice is electability (Rachel Shabi, Al Jazeera)

Across Europe, established centre-left parties are actively administering policies that made things worse.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/07/british-left-social-justice-electability-160722135244841.html

President Obama’s unfinished war (Andrew Bowen, Al Arabiya)

As President Obama’s counter-ISIS envoy Brett McGurk arrives in Jeddah for meetings to follow-up on last week’s summit in Washington, the state of the efforts in the fight against ISIS remains a mixed bag for Washington and the broader 30-plus-member coalition.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/25/President-Obama-s-unfinished-war.html

How to be polite and an asset to your society? (Turki Aldakhil, Al Arabiya)

The shape of the city and the behavior of its sons, their rhetoric and how they deal with reality, from streets to gardens, driving vehicles, respecting queues and how residents deal with strangers gives an indication about the city you are entering and how civilized it is.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/25/How-to-be-polite-and-an-asset-to-your-society-.html

Erdogan’s falling out with the West makes him in need of Moscow (Raghida Dergham, Al Arabiya)

In whose interest is it for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to launch a crackdown on judicial, educational, and military institutions, impose a state of emergency, and vow to execute those behind the coup against his Islamist government?

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/25/Erdogan-s-falling-out-with-the-West-makes-him-in-need-of-Moscow.html

How Pokémon Go is the new bogeyman (Khaled Almaeena, Al Arabiya)

In every period of history there are characters or issues that seem to disturb people and cause anxiety or fear. They are referred to as “bogeymen”. There have been many such bogeymen in history as a result of threats that people perceived to be real and dangerous.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/07/25/How-Pok-mon-Go-is-the-new-bogeyman.html

Bug hunter downloaded the entire Vine source code (Pierluigi Paganini, Security Affairs)

The Indian security expert and bug hunter Avinash has accessed and downloaded the entire Vine source code and it was really easy.

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/49678/hacking/vine-source-code.html

Why is AFSPA under constant attack? (Lt. Gen. Harwant Singh (Retd.), South Asia Monitor)

Counter-insurgency operations are a messy affair. There are no definite, lines, modes and structures that determine the scope and specificity of scales of operations by the military in dealing with them. Every situation has its own peculiarities and operating environment. Therefore, no same set of rules and methods can be applied in every case, though caution and restraint should be a constant factor in such operations. What needs to be borne in mind is that the overall environments in which these operations are conducted are generally hostile towards the security forces and people's sympathy is invariably with the insurgents.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18422

The Battle for Turkey soul (Anwar Alam, South Asia Monitor)

The recent attempt of a military coup has raised more questions than it has answered about the emerging complexities of Turkish politics. This development has sent a shock wave among all the international stakeholders in the region as it generated fear of further destabilisation of an already destabilised region.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=afroarab&nid=18415

America on the edge (Govind Talwalkar, South Asia Monitor)

A terrorist taking heavy toll of human lives in Nice, followed by the ambushing of the police in Dallas, Texas and in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have undermined the confidence of the ordinary Americans, who already had been on edge due to the recent terrorist attacks in San Bernadino and Orlando.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=gwatch&nid=18427

Making a martyr out of a militant (Shafiq Mir, South Asia Monitor)

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was neither the first militant leader to be killed in Jamu & Kashmir nor will he be the last one. Thousands of militants, including senior commanders, have been killed in Jammu & Kashmir in the past 27 years, ever since the eruption of militancy in the State.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=emerging&nid=18424

India. No, Captain, I don’t agree with you (Kuljeet Bains, South Asia Monitor)

Captain Amarinder Singh wrote an article in The Tribune, which has been an immense success. Though a Congress man, he has been hailed by supporters of all parties for the views.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18425

Bangladesh. Share not their threats (Saquib Rahman, South Asia Monitor)

All hell broke loose on the July 1 inside Holey Artisan Bakery with many precious lives lost, a few local but mostly foreign. Social media in Bangladesh got flooded with both criticism and praise for the government -- starting from how successful the military operation was, to the time taken to unmask the true attackers from the government’s end.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18419

Nepal. Chinese crackers (Yubaraj Ghimire, South Asia Monitor)

K. P. Oli’s exit as Nepal’s prime minister when the vote of no-confidence against him is put to vote is a foregone conclusion, but will any one succeed him constitutionally? The interested parties and partisan lawyers are interpreting the situation in ways that suit their purposes.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18416

Pakistan. Enemy images (Michael Krepon, South Asia Monitor)

Members of Congress have embarrassed themselves, this time by a joint subcommittee hearing on whether Pakistan is a friend or foe. Framing a congressional hearing in this binary way reflects the sad state of political discourse on Capitol Hill, where complex issues are boiled down to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. Members of Congress dress themselves in righteous indignation and confuse leadership with generating headlines.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18418

Afghanistan: President Obama's Vietnam (Jonathan Marshall, South Asia Monitor)

Historians still debate whether President John F. Kennedy would have withdrawn U.S. troops from Vietnam had he lived to win re-election in 1964. Since President Barack Obama recently announced his intention to keep at least 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan through the end of his presidency, the only debate will be over why he never withdrew but chose instead to bequeath an unwinnable war — the longest in U.S. history — to his successor.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18417

For a better harvest (S Chandramohan, South Asia Monitor)

Enhance value addition

With respect to rice, India may have to take steps to improve the earning capacity of the farmer. A capacity of as low as 500 kg of paddy/hour, can serve as a custom milling unit. There is a vast potential for installing mini rice mills in paddy growing areas, as a rural small scale activity. Farmers are required to be encouraged to be appointed as aggregators as well as for setting up of mini rice plants for better realisation.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=govd&nid=18434

The charge of the cow brigade (Shiv Vishwanathan, South Asia Monitor)

One of my friends, who is an anthropologist, argues that the middle class Indian does not need to be psychoanalysed on a couch. “A crowd,” he claims, “is a better method of analysing Indian repressions.” India’s politics of anxiety emerges more at the level of the crowd. “Crowds,” he adds, “are for negative democracy, the public for citizenship.”

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=cult&nid=18414

Reshaping India’s trade policy (Ajay Srivastava, South Asia Monitor)

Trade data for June 2016 brought cheers as India’s merchandise exports showed positive growth after 18 excruciating months. However, in their effort to take exports to the next level, India’s trade policymakers face four major challenges: How to encourage foreign investments, obtain a balanced outcome of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), improve ease of doing business, and reduce dependence on export promotion schemes?

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=eco&nid=18430

In KP Oli Stepping Down As Nepal PM, India's Foreign Policy Seen Vindicated (Sudhi Ranjan Sen, South Asia Monitor)

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Oli, seen as steering the Himalayan nation closer to Beijing than New Delhi, has stepped down. And in his resignation, some diplomatic observers see a vindication of India's foreign policy.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18412

Retrofit: ‘Intifada’ lessons from Israel (Sandeep Bamzai, South Asia Monitor)

Failure normally is a fog through which one can glimpse triumph. Unfortunately, the civil-military administration in Kashmir has been unable to get a handle on how to tackle the Palestinian-type intifada that has again gripped the state, despite the fact that it first emerged in 2008. Intifada is an Arabic word meaning “shaking off”, and can be loosely translated in English as “uprising”. First devised by Syed Ali Shah Geelani after the Amarnath Yatra protests and taken to the next level by his ideological heir Masrat Alam in 2010, its construct seems disturbing. The rapid spread of puranitical Wahhabi and political Islam through the Internet acted as a catalyst for the Kashmir Valley’s dissatisfied youth. The symbolism seen through images of protesting stone-pelters changed the dynamics in Kashmir, as a violent new way of civil disobedience emerged.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=18429

Asia-Europe Meeting: Getting two regions together will take more than just talks (Monish Gulati, South Asia Monitor)

Mongolia hosted the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit of Heads of State and Government (ASEM11) in Ulaanbaatar on 15-16 July 2016. The presidents of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Myanmar, South Korea, and Switzerland were among the 10 heads of state in attendance. Delegates from over 51 countries, as well as the EU and ASEAN, travelled to the Mongolian capital for the Summit. The 10th ASEM Summit (ASEM10) had been held on 16-17 October 2014 in Milan, Italy.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=sl&nid=18421

The Battle of Pozières Ridge, 23 July–3 September 1916 (Meleah Hampton, The Strategist)

On 23 July 1916 the 1st Australian Division launched an operation that began Australia’s contribution to the great British offensive of that year, the Battle of the Somme. On that day, some three weeks after the Somme offensive began, the 1st Australian Division attacked the French village of Pozières. Two days later the entire village was in their hands.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/battle-pozieres-ridge-23-july-3-september-1916/

After arbitration: enforcing the rules in Southeast Asia (Amelia Long, The Strategist)

The recent award handed down by the Arbitral Tribunal through the Permanent Court of Arbitration undoubtedly favours the Philippines (PDF) and is unlikely to end Beijing’s assertive behaviour in the South China Sea. Beijing has wasted no time in rejecting the ruling, claiming it to be ‘null and void’, but the superpower isn’t likely to go running away with its tail between its legs. In fact, China has vowed to ‘take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty in the South China Sea’, including potentially establishing an ADIZ across the region. But how other claimant and non-claimant states act in response to the Tribunal’s ruling will set an important precedent for dealing with behaviour that challenges the rules-based global order.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/arbitration-enforcing-rules-southeast-asia/