World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

PRESS RELEASE: Council Partners with Portsmouth Public Library for New Speaker Series

Thursday, April 09, 2015 1:09 PM | Anonymous

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release 04.01.2015

World Affairs at the Library

U.S. Foreign Policy / U.S. – Cuba Relations

April 2015

Portsmouth Public Library

In conjunction with the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, this spring the Portsmouth Public Library will be hosting several speakers on global issues. In April, we’re so pleased to welcome Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson and National Security Archive analyst Peter Kornbluh. We hope you’ll join us for a closer look at world affairs, and stay tuned for future lectures in this series!

U.S. Foreign Policy with Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson

Thursday April 16 | 6:30 pm

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired United States Army Colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, is a regular expert commentator on television news talk shows providing analysis and opinion. Wilkerson offers honest criticism of the foreign policy decisions of current and past administrations—particularly related to the planning and execution of the Iraq War and the global politics before and after. He has spoken on U.S. positions on militarism, torture, and race.

Before serving at the State Department, Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army. He is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy at College of William & Mary and Professorial Lecturer on National Security Affairs at George Washington University Honors Program. He is currently working on a book about the first George W. Bush administration.

U.S. – Cuba Relations with Peter Kornbluh

Tuesday April 21 | 7 pm

As a Senior Analyst, Peter Kornbluh has worked at the National Security Archive since April 1986. He currently directs the Archive's Cuba and Chile Documentation Projects. He was co-director of the Iran-contra documentation project and director of the Archive's project on U.S. policy toward Nicaragua. From 1990-1999, he taught at Columbia University, as an adjunct assistant professor of international and public affairs.

His most recent book is Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana (UNC Press, 2014). He is the author/editor/co-editor of a number of Archive books: the Archive's first two documents readers: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 and The Iran-Contra Scandal: The Declassified History, both published by the New Press, and Bay of Pigs

Declassified: The Secret CIA Report on the Invasion of Cuba (The New Press, 1998). On the 30th anniversary of the Chilean military coup in September 2003 he published The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability, which the Los Angeles Times selected as a "best book" of the year. The Pinochet File has been translated into Spanish and published in Barcelona as Pinochet: Los Archivos Secretos. A smaller book on the United States and the overthrow of the government of Salvador Allende has been published in Chile under the title: Los EEUU y el Derrocamiento de Allende.

His articles have been published in Foreign Policy, The New York Review of Books, the New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and many other journals and newspapers. He has appeared on national television and radio broadcasts, among them "60 Minutes," "The Charlie Rose show," "Nightline," CNN, All Things Considered, and "FreshAir" with Terri Gross. He has also worked on, and appeared in, numerous documentary films, including the Oscar winning "Panama Deception," the History Channel's "Bay of Pigs Declassified," and "The Trials of Henry Kissinger." In November 2003, he served as producing consultant on the Discovery Times documentary, "Kennedy and Castro: The Secret History," which was based on his article in Cigar Aficionado, "Kennedy and Castro: The Secret Quest for Accommodation." He is currently a weekly columnist for the Chilean newspaper, Diario Siete.

Contact: Steven K. Butzel, Library Director

skbutzel@cityofportsmouth.com | 603 766 1710

Congratulations, Souhegan High School!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015 4:22 PM | Anonymous

INAUGURAL THINK GLOBAL CONFERENCE CONNECTS 75 STUDENTS, TEACHERS & PARENTS WITH THE WORLD

Congratulations to Souhegan High School, winner of the 2015 New Hampshire Academic World Quest Competition!

Souhegan High School champions

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire held its first-ever Think Global Conference & Academic WorldQuest Competition for local high school students on Saturday, March 7 at SNHU. Nearly 50 students engaged in learning and discussion on international issues and opportunities such as studying and volunteering abroad, cultural do's and taboos around the world and also perspectives from visiting international students. Keynote speaker Dr. Janet Breslin Smith shared her family's experiences living and working abroad with the military, government and private business as well as inspiration for the next generation to think globally. The conference was available free to all New Hampshire students thanks to grant funding from the Bean and Mayer Foundations and support from Southern New Hampshire University.

Emcee extraordinaire Bruce Berk, of The Derryfield School, reads a question during the competition.

8 teams competed in the state's first Academic WorldQuest competition, a competition testing students' knowledge of world affairs, and Souhegan High School took home the title! The team will represent our state at the national competition next month in Washington, D.C., held by the World Affairs Councils of America. Oyster River High School placed second and Derryfield School's team of juniors took third. Other competing schools included Making Community Connections Charter School, Pinkerton Academy and Sanborn Regional High School.

Thank you to everyone who made the first annual conference a huge success: volunteers, speakers, team coaches, Council staff and especially our sponsors!

Kathryn & Jim Muirhead; Gibson's Bookstore; The Space Center

Weekly World News Update- February 25, 2015

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 10:04 AM | Anonymous

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Opinion and analysis of developments in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Plus, views on the evolving geopolitical landscape.

Greece - Extending Uncertainty (and Misery)

"Syriza's Miscalculation," Simeon Djankov - Peterson Institute for International Economics, February 18, 2015

"Greek Surrender: When All Hope is Gone," C. J. Polychroniou - Al Jazeera, February 23, 2015

"The Grexit Dilemma: What Would Happen if Greece Leaves the Eurozone?" Spiegel Staff - Spiegel Online International, February 20, 2015

"Keeping Greece in the Euro is About Far More Than Money," Marc Chandler - Financial Times, February 18, 2015

Europe Disunion

"Three EU Dreams That Have Turned Into Nightmares," Christopher Booker - The Telegraph, February 21, 2015

"It's Time to Kick Germany Out of the Eurozone," Patrick Chovanec - Foreign Policy, February 20, 2015

Angela Merkel - Iron Lady 2.0

"Who Made Germany Europe's Boss?" Clive Crook - BloombergView, Feburary 22, 2015

"In Merkel We Trust?" Anne Applebaum - Slate, February 20, 2015

"Germany's Real Role in the Ukraine Crisis," Elizabeth Pond and Hans Kundnani - Foreign Affairs, March/April 2015

Smoldering Conflicts

"How to Arm Ukraine Without Starting World War Three," Steven Pifer - Reuters, February 18, 2015

"Georgia Wary of Moscow Deals with South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Kathrin Hille - Financial Times, February 18, 2015

Libya

"Somalia on the Mediterranean," Christopher S. Chivvis - Foreign Policy, February 18, 2015

ISIS - What Does It Want and How Pervasive a Threat is It?

"What ISIS Really Wants," Graeme Wood - The Atlantic, March 2015

"Islamic State's Global Ambitions," Jessica Lewis McFate and Harleen Gambhir - The Wall Street Journal, February 22, 2015

"ISIL is a Nuisance, Not a Global Strategic Threat," Tony Karon - The National, February 22, 2015

Iraq - Déjà vu?

"Obama's Rushing to Disaster in Iraq," Eli Lake - BloombergView, February 23, 2015

Middle East

"Obama is Wrong. Democracy is the Last Thing the Middle East Needs Right Now," David Harsanyi - The Federalist, February 19, 2015

U.S.-Israeli Relations

"AIPAC Boycott: It's Time for Washington and Jerusalem to Heal Their Rift and Reaffirm Their Unshakeable Alliance," Editors - The Jerusalem Post, February 22, 2015

"As the U.S. and Europe Turn Away, Israel Looks to Asia," Jonathan Cook - The National, February 23, 2015

Update from Asia

"Is This the Century of the Dragon?" Pepe Escobar - Real Clear World, February 23, 2015

"Singapore and the Asian Century," Gabriele Giovannini and Emanuele Schibotto - The Diplomat, February 19, 2015

"China and the South China Sea Resource Grab," Michael Fabinyi - The Diplomat, February 22, 2015

"Revealed: Why China Would Lose a War Against America," Harry J. Kazianis - The National Interest, February 20, 2015

Geopolitics - The Changing Landscape

"The United States Must Resist a Return to Spheres of Interest in the International System," Robert Kagan - Brookings, February 19, 2015

"Post-Cold War Order is Breaking Down," Fyodor Lukyanov - The Moscow Times, February 19, 2015

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Weekly World News Update- February 18, 2015

Thursday, February 19, 2015 10:07 AM | Anonymous

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Views on terrorism and updates on Ukraine and the Islamic State - as well as analysis of developments in Israel, Greece, and Turkey. Plus, Latin American mysteries and China's role on the world stage.

Terrorism

"Danish Attacks Echo France," Griff Witte and Karla Adam - The Washington Post, February 16, 2015

"Copenhagen Attack is a Reminder to Britain," Editorial Staff - The Telegraph, February 15, 2015

"How China Defines Terrorism," Zunyou Zhou - The Diplomat, February 13, 2015

Ukraine - Winners and Losers in Minsk

"The War Next Door: Can Merkel's Diplomacy Save Europe?" Spiegel Staff - Spiegel Online International, February 14, 2015

"Ukraine or the Rebels: Who Won in Minsk?" Nicolai N. Petro - The National Interest, February 13, 2015

"Putin Comes Out on Top in New Minsk Agreement," Paul Roderick Gregory - Forbes, February 13, 2015

"The Minsk II Agreement - The Long Game," Gustav Gressel - European Council on Foreign Relations, February 13, 2015

Russia - What is Putin's End Game?

"Russian Resurgence: How the Kremlin is Making Its Presence Felt Across Europe," Ian Traynor and Shaun Walker - The Guardian, February 16, 2015

"Putin's Frozen Conflicts," Robert Orttung and Christopher Walker - Foreign Policy, February 13, 2015

"The American Education of Vladimir Putin," Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy - The Atlantic, February 16, 2015

"Countering Putin's Grand Strategy," Robert D. Kaplan - The Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2015

ISIS Update

"In Syria, the Enemy of an Enemy is Still an Enemy," Colum Lynch - Foreign Policy, February 12, 2015

"Why the Victory in Kobane Matters," Aron Lund - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, February 13, 2015

"Will ISIS Use Libya as a Springboard to Attack Egypt?" Michael Rubin - Commentary, February 15, 2015

"Boots on the Ground: The Realities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria," Anthony H. Cordesman - Center for Strategic and International Studies, February 13, 2015

"The Middle East That Might Have Been," Nick Danforth - The Atlantic, February 13, 2015

Israel

"Obama is Pursuing Regime Change in Israel," Aaron David Miller - Foreign Policy, February 12, 2015

"It's the Economy, and Bibi Isn't Stupid," Paul R. Pillar - The National Interest, February 14, 2015

Turkey

"Dreaming of Russia in Ankara," Claire Sadar - Foreign Affairs, February 12, 2015

Greece - Testing the Limits of the European Union

"Don't Blame Greece for the EU's Woes," Stephen Kinzer - Al Jazeera America, February 15, 2015

Latin American Mysteries

"Argentina's Kirchneristas Circle the Wagons," Mac Margolis - BloombergView, February 13, 2015

"Witches of Chiloe'," Mike Dash - Compass Cultura, February 2013

China on the World Stage

"How to Pragmatically Respond to Greater Chinese Activism on the Global Stage," Scott Kennedy - Center for Strategic and International Studies, February 2015

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Weekly World News Update- January 28, 2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 1:10 PM | Anonymous

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Opinion and analysis of the election in Greece, Obama's trip to India, and the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah. Plus, views on Yemen, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, and terrorism in Europe.

What's Next for Greece - and Europe?

"Greek Election Turmoil for Europe," Douglas J. Elliott - Brookings, January 26, 2015

"Hell is Other European Central Bankers," Walter Russell Mead - The American Interest, January 26, 2015

"So Long, Austerity?" Stathis N. Kalyvas - Foreign Affairs, January 25, 2015

"A New Volkspartei," Xenia Kounalaki - The European, January 26, 2015

"Greece's Alexis Tsipras: The Man Who Could Break Europe," Barbie Latza Nadeau - The Daily Beast, January 24, 2015

"The New Greece of Alexis Tsipras," Judy Dempsey - Real Clear World, January 26, 2015

"Greek Growth Drought is Real Threat to EU," Mark Gilbert - BloombergView, January 26, 2015

Hitting the Reset Button on U.S.-India Relations

"Why India is Still Hedging its Bets on US," Melissa S. Hersh and Ajey Lele - The National Interest, January 26, 2015

"A New U.S.-India Defense Relationship," Shashank Joshi - Al Jazeera, January 22, 2015

"No Big Ideas in India-U.S. Relations - and That's OK," Milan Vaishnav - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, January 22, 2015

"Beyond the Immediate Present," Rudra Chaudhuri - The Hindu, January 26, 2015

"Early in Obama's India Visit, A Nuclear Power Breakthrough," Syed Nazakat - The Christian Science Monitor, January 25, 2015

Saudi Arabia - The King is Dead; Long Live the King

"U.S.-Saudi Relations After Abdullah," Max Boot - Commentary, January 23, 2015

"Why the U.S. is Stuck with Saudi Arabia," Matt Schiavenza - The Atlantic, January 24, 2015

"King Abdullah: The Middle East's Failed Peacemaker," Christopher Dickey - The Daily Beast, January 23, 2015

"The Dangers of Saudi Succession," Simon Henderson - The Atlantic, January 26, 2015

"Saudi Arabia: Threat From ISIS Will Only Grow," Richard Haass - Financial Times, January 25, 2015

Yemen - From Bad to Worse

"The Ungovernable Yemen," Martin Reardon - Al Jazeera, January 23, 2015

"If Only We'd Just Spent More Blood and Treasure in Yemen," Stephen M. Walt - Foreign Policy, January 23, 2015

"In Yemen, the Gulf Faces a New Threat: the Americans," Faisal Al Yafai - The National, January 26, 2015

Iran - No Good Choices

"The Emerging Iranian Empire," Charles Krauthammer - National Review Online, January 22, 2015

"Time to Take It to Iran," Dennis Ross, Eric Edelman, and Ray Takeyh - Politico, January 23, 2015

Russia and Ukraine

"Kremlin Hard-Liner: Russians Would 'Rather Starve' Than Surrender Putin to Western Aggressors," Ambrose Evans-Pritchard - The Telegraph, January 23, 2015

"The Chilly Fallout Between Putin and His Oligarch Pals," Henry Meyer and Irina Reznik - BloombergBusiness, January 23, 2015

"Why War Has Exploded Again in Ukraine," Christopher Miller - Mashable, January 25, 2015

"Ukraine Reignites: Why Russia Should be Added to the State Sponsors of Terrorism List," Taras Kuzio - Foreign Affairs, January 25, 2015

Terrorism

"Europe Has Survived Terrorist Attacks Before," Anne Applebaum - The Washington Post, January 23, 2015

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Weekly World News Update- January 21, 2015

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 4:19 PM | Anonymous

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Updates and analysis concerning terrorism and extremism in Europe, the EU's latest financial challenges, Russia, the Middle East, and the situation in Nigeria. Plus, articles on the global energy market, global trends, and cyber security.

Global Trends

"Top 10 Trends of 2015," World Economic Forum

"Global Economic Prospects," World Bank Staff with Contributions - The World Bank, January 2015

Understanding the Rise of Terrorism in Europe

"Terrorism in Paris, Sydney the Legacy of Colonial Blunders," Stephen Kinzer - The Boston Globe, January 18, 2015

"How France Grew Its Own Terrorists," M.G. Oprea - The Federalist, January 16, 2015

"Terror War Comes to Europe," Tom Wilson - Commentary, January 16, 2015

"The Paris Attacks and the Failure of the Republic," Ali Saad - Al Jazeera, January 19, 2015

"Why There Are So Many Jihadists in Belgium," Joshua Keating - Slate, January 15, 2015

Responding to Terrorists - and Nationalists

"Think Before You March," Stephen M. Walt - Foreign Policy, January 16, 2015

"Down with La Lacita - to Beat Islamism, We Need a Secularism that Encourages Religion," Ed Husain and Peter Welby - The Spectator, January 16, 2015

"Let's Talk, Pegida!" Christopher Gohl - The European, January 19, 2015

Eurozone - A Shocking Move by the Swiss Adds to the EU's Financial Woes

"Making Sense of the Swiss Shock," Markus Brunnermeier and Harold James - Project Syndicate, January 17, 2015

"What the Wild Swiss Franc Appreciation Really Means," Edward Harrison - Foreign Policy, January 16, 2015

"Not Even Mario Draghi Can Save Europe Now," Editorial Team - BloombergView, January 19, 2015

"A 'Merkel Plan' for Europe," Bill Emmott - Project Syndicate, January 19, 2015

Russia - Making New Friends; Searching for Common Ground with Foes

"Authoritarian Drift at the Banks of the Black Sea," Dominique Moisi - Real Clear World, January 19, 2015

"The EU and Russia: Values or Interests?" Judy Dempsey - Real Clear World, January 19, 2015

Politics in the Middle East

"Israel's Potentially Existential Election," Paul Scham - Middle East Institute, January 17, 2015

"How Long Can Mahmoud Abbas Hold On?" Dalia Hatuqa - Foreign Policy, January 16, 2015

"Netanyahu and Europe's Far Right Find Common Ground," Jonathan Cook - The National, January 18, 2015

Arab Spring - Four Years On

"Is Egypt on the Verge of Another Uprising?" Thanassis Cambanis - The Atlantic, January 16, 2015

"The Problem with Libya's Peace Talks," Amanda Kadlec - Foreign Policy, January 16, 2015

U.S. and Iran Continue to Talk (and Talk)

"Iran's End-Game Strategy in Nuclear Negotiations," G. William Heiser and Amir Abbas Fakhravar - Real Clear World, January 19, 2015

"Can the U.S.-Iran Rift be Healed?" Colin Nickerson - The Boston Globe, January 17, 2015

Nigeria - Responding (or Not) to a Massacre and Preparing for an Election

"Boko Haram Attacks: Why Isn't Nigerian Civil Society Protesting Terrorism," Eliza Anyangwe - The Guardian, January 14, 2015

"When Normal is Deadly: How Boko Haram Made Us Okay with Slaughter," Joe Randazzo - The Daily Beast, January 18, 2015

"Goodluck Jonathan: From Poor Boy to Accidental President," Monica Mark - The Guardian, January 17, 2015

Playing Politics with Energy

"Sofia's Choice," Keith Johnson - Foreign Policy, January 16, 2015

Cyber Security

"The Digital Arms Race: NSA Preps America for Future Battle," Jacob Appelbaum, Aaron Gibson, Claudio Guarnieri, Andy Müller-Maguhn, Laura Poitras, Marcel Rosenbach, Leif Ryge, Hilmar Schmundt and Michael Sontheimer - Spiegel Online International, January 17, 2015

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Weekly World News Update- January 14, 2015

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 5:17 PM | Anonymous

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

This week's news digest focuses primarily on the events in Paris - their roots, reactions, and consequences. Scroll down for analysis and opinion concerning Greece and the euro zone, Russia and Ukraine, as well as Syria and ISIS.

The Attacks in Paris - Roots of Radicalization

"The Forgotten War That Spawned Paris's Attacks," Adam Baron - The Daily Beast, January 11, 2015

"Quelle Surprise? The Attacks in Paris Were Terrible. But We Should have Seen it Coming," Aaron David Miller - Foreign Policy, January 11, 2015

The Attacks in Paris - Reflection and Outrage
"France's 9/11," Dominique Moisi - San Francisco Chronicle, January 9, 2015

"This is No Time for Europe to Retreat," Judy Dempsey - Real Clear World, January 12, 2015

"To Call the Paris Attacks a 'War' Dignifies Pointless Slaughter," Janet Daley - The Telegraph, January 10, 2015

"A Win for the Jihadists," Jonah Goldberg - National Review Online, January 9, 2015

"Paris Killings Require More Than Mere Condemnation," H.A. Hellyer - Brookings, January 8, 2015

"Terrorist Acts, Not Cartoons Provoke Islamophobia," Hussein Ibish - The National, January 11, 2015

"Let's Talk About the Other Dead Journalists," Rafia Zakaria - Al Jazeera America, January 10, 2015

The Attacks in Paris - Consequences and Options

"The Battle From Algiers: Lessons from the Charlie Hebdo Attack," Robin Simcox - Foreign Affairs, January 12, 2015

"If Europe is to Overcome Islamist Terror, It Needs to Fight for the Values It Holds Dear," Paul Mason - The Guardian, January 11, 2015

"Tearing Up the Magna Carta: Fear Risks Trumping Civil Liberties in a Europe Rattled by Islamist Terrorism," Colum Lynch and Jamila Trindle - Foreign Policy, January 9, 2015

"Do Jews Have a Future in France?" James Kirchick - The Daily Beast, January 10, 2015

The Attacks in Paris - Playing Politics

"Le Pen's Moment," Philip Gourevitch - The New Yorker, January 10, 2015

"What Else was Paraded in Paris?" Michael Marder - Al Jazeera, January 12, 2015

"Abbas in Paris: Hypocrisy Isn't Progress," Jonathan S. Tobin - Commentary, January 11, 2015

"For Cameron and Miliband, Paris is Act One of the UK General Election," Matthew d'Ancona - The Guardian, January 11, 2015

Turmoil in the Eurozone as Threat of a "Grexit" Looms

"A Greek Euro Exit Would Hurt Europe - But Not as Much as It Would Hurt Greece," Katinka Barysch - The Guardian, January 9, 2015

"Weighing the Options the Greeks Face," Jacob Funk Kirkegaard - Newsweek, January 9, 2015

"The Greek Tragedy," Creston Davis - The European, January 10, 2015

"Europe's Lapse of Reason," Joseph E. Stiglitz - Project Syndicate, January 8, 2015

Ukraine/Russia - Assigning Blame and Assessing Options

"Who is to Blame?" Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and James Stavridis - Horizons, Winter 2015

"A New Policy to Rescue Ukraine," George Soros - The New York Review of Books, February 5, 2015

"Two Cheers for Obama's Ukraine Policy," David W. Kearn - The Huffington Post, January 9, 2015

"What to Do About - or With - Russia?" Walter C. Clemens, Jr. - The Diplomat, January 9, 2015

Syria/ISIS - New Threats and a New Solution?

"Assad's Secret: Evidence Points to Syrian Push for Nuclear Weapons," Erich Follath - Spiegel Online International, January 9, 2015

"Encouraging Regional Ownership of the Fight Against the Islamic State," Daniel Levy and Ellie Geranmayeh - European Council on Foreign Relations, January 12, 2015

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In Memory of William Martel

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 5:01 PM | Anonymous

Former Board Member, Great Decisions teacher, and frequent Council speaker on 'Grand Strategy' William C. Martel passed away on Monday, January 12, 2015. Bill was an Associate Professor of International Security Studies at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a graduate of St. Anselm College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Read more about Bill in a remembrance published in The Daily Signal. His service to the World Affairs Council of NH will always be remembered.

The staff and board of the World Affairs Council have expressed our deepest condolences to Bill's family, including his wife, Diane, and his children William Martel, Jr. and Catherine Martel.

Weekly World News Update- January 7, 2015

Wednesday, January 07, 2015 12:36 PM | Anonymous

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Opinion and analysis concerning North Korea, Cuba, Russia, the Middle East, as well as Greece and the Eurozone. Plus, reflections on 2014 and views on what to watch in 2015.

Dealing with North Korea

"Strategic Clarity on North Korea," Christopher R. Hill - Project Syndicate, December 30, 2014

"New Sanctions Let Pyongyang Play the Victim," Michael Auslin - The Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2015

"Better Than New Sanctions: Could Obama's Cuba Strategy Work on North Korea?" Ted Galen Carpenter - The National Interest, January 3, 2015

Cuba - What Happens Next?

"U.S.-Cuban Relations: Lessons from China and the Soviet Bloc," James Lockhart - War on the Rocks, December 31, 2014

"Lessons Cuba Can Learn from East Germany," Diana Villiers Negroponte - Newsweek, January 5, 2015

Cold War Redux?

"A New Cold War Order?" Mikhail Gorbachev - Project Syndicate, January 5, 2015

"US and Russia in Danger of Returning to Era of Nuclear Rivalry," Julian Borger - The Guardian, January 4, 2015

"Decoding Vladimir Putin's Plan," Joshua Kucera - U.S. News & World Report, January 5, 2015

"Remote Control: Can an Exiled Oligarch Persuade Russia that Putin Must Go?" Julia Ioffe - The New Yorker, January 12, 2015

Hotter Wars

"Hammer and Anvil: How to Defeat ISIS," Robert A. Pape, Keven Ruby, and Vincent Bauer - Foreign Affairs, January 2, 2015

"All is Not Lost in Afghanistan," James Stavridis - Foreign Policy, January 5, 2015

Middle East Round-Up

"Can the Middle East Navigate Democracy?" Mark P. Lagon and Zachary Laub - Council on Foreign Relations, December 30, 2014

"The UN, the PA, and the Peace Process," Paul R. Pillar - The National Interest, January 2, 2015

"Bad Choices: Why is the Netanyahu Government Freezing These Funds in the First Place?" JPost Editorial - The Jerusalem Post, January 4, 2015

"Islam Will Not Have its Own Reformation," Nick Danforth - Foreign Policy, January 2, 2015

Greece Threatens to Leave Euro Zone - Again

"Grexit Grumblings: Germany Open to Possible Greek Euro Zone Exit," Nikolaus Blome, Giorgos Christides, Christian Reiermann, and Gregor Peter Schmitz - Spiegel Online International, January 5, 2015

"Why Europe Still Can't Afford a Greek Exit," Carol Matlack - BloombergBusinessweek, January 5, 2015

"Germany Should Not Scoff at Greece," Marcel Michelson - Forbes, January 4, 2015

"The Odds of Greece Leaving the Euro Have Never Been Higher," Matt O'Brien - The Washington Post, December 29, 2014

"Berlin Insists it Expects Greece to Remain in Eurozone," Stefan Wagstyl - Financial Times, January 4, 2015

A look back at 2014...

"The Foreign Policy Story of the Year," David Rothkopf - Foreign Policy, December 31, 2014

"The Birth of a New Century," George Packer - Foreign Policy, December 2014

"Why 2014 Went Wrong for the Eurozone," Simon Nixon - The Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2015

...and, what to watch in 2015

"The World in 2015: Our Take on the Year Ahead," Roundtable Discussion with 10 Foreign Policy Experts - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

"Top Risks 2015," Ian Bremmer and Cliff Kupchan - Eurasia Group, January 5, 2015

"2015 Watch: The Seven Great Powers," Walter Russell Mead - The American Interest, January 4, 2015

"2015: Seven Global Summits That Deserve Your Attention," Stewart M. Patrick - Council of Councils, Dec 22, 2014

"Ten Elections to Watch in 2015," James M. Lindsay - Council on Foreign Relations, December 8, 2014

"10 Wars to Watch in 2015," Jean-Marie Guéhenno - Foreign Policy, January 2, 2015

"The Middle East in 2015: What to Watch," Joseph Bahout, et al. - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, December 29, 2014

"Africa in 2015: A New Year's Guide," Simon Allison - Daily Maverick, January 5, 2015

"Will 2015 be Africa's Year to Shine?" John Campbell - The National Interest, January 2, 2015

"2015: The Year of the Bear? 5 Ways Russia Can Regroup," Nikolas K. Gvosdev - The National Interest, January 4, 2015

"Why 2015 Might Well be Mankind's Happiest New Year," Fraser Nelson - The Spectator, December 26, 2014

"The World is Not Falling Apart," Steven Pinker and Andrew Mack - Slate, December 22, 2014

"Prospects for the Global Economy in 2015," Robert Kahn, et al. - Council on Foreign Relations, December 23, 2014

"Forget 2015 - 2050 Is The Year For Predictions," Zoë Schlanger - Newsweek, January 4, 2015

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Best World Affairs Books of 2014

Thursday, December 18, 2014 4:51 PM | Anonymous

Best of the Best: The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh's Top Books of the Year

Each week, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh brings you the best analysis and opinion on current global issues. This week - as a special supplement to our Weekly World News Update - the Council has drawn on many of its regular sources to bring you a selection of the top books of 2014.

If you are tempted to buy any of these books this holiday season, please consider supporting the Weekly World News Update by doing so through AmazonSmile using the following link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/25-1064871.

Global Hotspots

Why We Lost: A General's Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Daniel P. Bolger

China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants are Building a New Empire in Africa, Howard W. French

No Good Men among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes, Anand Gopal

Without You, There is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite, Suki Kim

The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan, Jenny Nordberg

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China, Evan Osnos

Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia,Peter Pomerantsev

Geopolitics

The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age, Archie Brown

The Contest of the Century: The New Era of Competition with China - and How America Can Win, Geoff Dyer

Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy, Francis Fukuyama

World Order, Henry Kissinger

National Insecurity: American Leadership in an Age of Fear, David Rothkopf

Secrets and Betrayal

The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames, Kai Bird

No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State, Glenn Greenwald

Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee - A Look Inside North Korea, Jang Jin-Sung

A Spy among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, Ben Macintyre

Historical Analysis

Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence, Karen Armstrong

Gaza: A History, Jean-Pierre Filiu

Congo: The Epic History of a People, David Van Reybrouck

The Long Shadow: The Legacies of the Great War in the Twentieth Century, David Reynolds

The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall, Mary Elise Sarotte

The Deluge: The Great War, America and the Remaking of the Global Order, 1916-1931, Adam Tooze

Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David, Lawrence Wright

Also Notable

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Robert M. Gates

The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World, Russell Gold

Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War, James Risen

The Tyranny of Silence, Flemming Rose

Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon, Kim Zetter