Conflict Resolution

Resolving Old Rivalries

Karl F. Inderfurth and Wendy J. Chamberlin — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:37:49 -0400

The deadly suicide attack last week on the Indian Embassy in Kabul has put Afghanistan in a familiar but unwanted position - a "back to the future" scenario, caught up again in the intrigues and suspicions of its neighbor, Pakistan, and Pakistan's neighbor, India. But this time around, the stakes are too high to replay old rivalries.

President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan said that Pakistan's intelligence service, known as the ISI, was behind the Indian Embassy bombing. His government announced it would boycott a series of meetings with Pakistan until "bilateral trust" was restored.

Israel's Sudden Flurry of Diplomacy is a Switch

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 16:25:55 -0400

In short order, Israel has reached a truce with the radical Islamist group Hamas, acknowledged secretive negotiations with Syria, and declared a willingness to discuss peace with Lebanon. All this comes on top of regular meetings between Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Diplomacy between Israel and its neighbors has been almost non-existent this decade. So why is all this happening now? And where is the United States, the traditional broker between Israel and the Arabs?

Pakistan Through the Lens of Iraq

Marvin G. Weinbaum and Edward P. Joseph — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:14:04 -0400

"There is no military solution in Iraq, only a political one." General David Petraeus's aphorism is about the only thing on which war proponents and opponents agree. The question is why so few American policy makers hold the same view about Pakistan.

Cautious Optimism: Chances for Cypriot Reconciliation

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 17:29:14 -0500

Reunification of Cyprus tops the agenda of newly elected president of Greek Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, and his pledges to open dialogue with the Turkish Cypriots have cast a hopeful ray of light onto what has long been a dismal situation. Christofias’ election is fraught with irony; he is a Soviet-trained member of the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), a Greek-Cypriot Communist party, which enjoys close relations with Russia. Cyprus is now the first European Union member with a Communist party in control of the presidency.

Pakistan's Best Chance

Wendy J. Chamberlin and Marvin Weinbaum — Thu, 3 Jan 2008 10:29:58 -0500

Rarely in situations of such volatility as Pakistan faces today is the objective so clear. Pakistan needs stability. The greatest threat to the country derives from internal terrorism, lawlessness and fractured regional politics.

Can Iraqis Beat the Ticking Clock?

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:59:03 -0500

Violence finally has declined enough so that an atmosphere more conducive to deal-making has emerged for Iraq’s rival ethno-sectarian groups. However, so far the tenor of politics in Baghdad does not appear to have changed much. Washington must make clear to the Iraqi government that as the surge begins to wind down, the opportunity to set in place durable stability must not be squandered. Otherwise, all involved will pay the consequences.

Annapolis Talks: Big Plans for Weak Leaders

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:07:14 -0500

Here’s the sad irony of the coming Israeli-Palestinian conclave: if Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were locked in a room and left to their own devices, they would be quite capable of real progress on some of the thorniest Middle East problems.

Jerusalem: Whose Capital?

Edward S. Walker, Jr. — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:15:35 -0400

On August 11, the New York Times published an article by Stephen Erlanger on the divided road the Israelis are building around Jerusalem. This road combines two roads - one for the Palestinians to be able to move from the Northern West Bank to the Southern West Bank and back - and one for the Israelis. A high wall separates the roads. For the Israelis, there are a number of exits that allow travelers to go into Jerusalem or down into the Jordan Valley. For the Palestinians, there are no exits except at the terminal points. The road is not news, nor is the concept.

Iraq's Sunni Arabs: Tenuous Bedfellows for US

Wayne White — Mon, 9 Jul 2007 13:00:00 -0400

Sunni Arabs turning against al-Qaeda and other terrorist elements in their midst is perhaps the first profoundly positive turn of events in Iraq since 2003. However, this does not mean that the US should remain in Iraq hoping this trend will herald more sweeping successes on other fronts. Quite the contrary.

Iraq in Need of Unification, not Partition

Louay Bahry, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0400

http://66.223.107.101/articles/doc651.html