Yep, the Norks are firing up the ol’ gas-graphite reactor at Yongbyon just like they said they would in April. With Yongbyon breeding plutonium and twice as much floor space at the enrichment facility, the North Koreans are probably happy to keep talking. Here are the initial stories from Kyodo and AP, as well as …
Minding Assad’s Red Line
by | 2013-09-10 | 13 Comments
Now that I’ve had my say on the Obama’s administration’s opportunity to defuse the Syria crisis, let’s consider the other side of the coin. What if doesn’t work? What if the United States, France, and whoever else comes along in the process end up resorting to force? What follows is an essay by Aaron Stein, a research …
Syria CW Elimination Modalities
by | 2013-09-10 | 17 Comments
I’ve written a column for Foreign Policy arguing that the United States should act on Syria’s offer to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention. What follows is an initial list of thoughts about the modalities for a United Nations/Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons special commission on the elimination of chemical weapons in Syria. …
Generation Why’s Turn in South Asia
by | 2013-09-09 | 5 Comments
In societies where seniority is highly valued, it’s hard for young analytical talent to be heard, and even harder to connect across the India-Pakistan border, given the difficulties young analysts have in obtaining visas. Retired diplomats and military officers have cornered the market of punditry on the subcontinent. In Pakistan, commentators usually defend their military’s …
