All Global Viewpoint

The US already destroyed the political, economic, and social infrastructure of Iraq. There is no way it should attempt to re-enter this agony. This is not some jihadi apocalypse. In fact, ISIS is establishing the groundwork for what is emerging as a likely federalist structure of Sunni Arab, Shiite Arab, and Kurdish regions – the only way Iraq can survive for the foreseeable future.

By provoking US allies, Beijing is forcing Washington to choose between abandoning its friends or going to war with China. Both believe the other will back down. But there is a high chance that they are both wrong. America’s best move then is to change the game in Asia, by offering to share power if China behaves responsibly.

As an opposition member of parliament, I can happily say that Modi appears to have realized that he will have to lead the nation from the center and not from the extreme right, where he built his base. But if he backslides, we will resist him robustly. India's democracy deserves no less.

The electoral victory of Narendra Modi and the BJP marks a major shift for India – inspiring great hope for many and worry for others. However, both the euphoria and the fears will calm down when Modi gets down to the hard business of governing a large, diverse, chaotic India.

It took three weeks for President Obama to publicly address the crisis of more than 250 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Evidence is mounting that, beyond its strategic self-interest, the US does not have an operating philosophy on defending human rights.

The US and Britain must lend surveillance and other technology help locate the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. By doing so, they are sending a message that friends of Nigeria will not stand by if the terrorist campaign continues. A new 'safe schools' initiative must also be put in place to reassure worried parents that schools are secure.

History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. We have seen that isolationism only results in greater conflicts later. It is only through the cooperation of nations that firm and clear lines can be drawn and that others can be enticed in.

In this interview, South African writer Nadine Gordimer speaks about the disillusionment of post-Mandela South Africa, her distrust of the digital era, and her decision to retire from writing fiction.

The genocide in Rwanda was an emblematic failure of the international community. The world has since made important strides in acting on those lessons, but this work still faces setbacks. The international community cannot claim to care about atrocity crimes and then shrink from the commitment required to prevent them ­­– whether in the Central African Republic or Syria.

In an interview, Robert Kaplan says: 'The United States can preserve the peace [in the Asia Pacific] by seeking not domination, but a favorable balance of power with China. It must at some level allow China its rightful place in the Western Pacific.'

Europe should be working to integrate, not isolate, Russia. Punitive isolation is what the Treaty of Versailles did to post-World War I Germany, leading to Hitler’s rise and World War II. Instead, the West and Russia have everything to gain by Russia’s coming closer to the EU.

I feel sorry for the people of Crimea who fell for Russia's lie. The regime will soon show them that even the subtropics can have polar nights. Still, the most powerful Ukrainian army – that of freedom and democracy – marches on, fulfilling its mission, including the liberation of Russia.

Condoleezza Rice states: 'The recent events [in Ukraine and elsewhere] should be a wake-up call to all Americans. I know we are tired and worried about our problems at home, but we cannot eschew the responsibilities of leadership and embolden those who don’t share our values.'

Where is Europe as Vladimir Putin is about to pocket Crimea? Or more to the point: Who is Europe? As Putin’s Crimean gambit unfolds, we don’t hear much from London and Paris. Germany has moved to center stage, touting its responsibility for world order and taking a more active role.

By targeting the Ukrainian government with a cyber weapon, the Russians are able to effectively engage in an aggressive, kinetic act without actually declaring war, or other countries reacting like it is an act of war. This will not last forever. 

The strategy of the West regarding Russian aggression in Ukraine should be to complicate Vladimir Putin’s planning. He should be given options to avoid conflict. But he should also be made aware of the negative consequences for Russia that would follow armed conflict.

The coming peace talks in Geneva provide hope for setting lines for a cease-fire in Syria. To draw those lines, three separate homelands must be created, with input by outside powers. Some will say this is impossible. Not so.

Mandela is revered worldwide as champion of nonviolence and peace. Human rights activists and freedom fighters around the globe aim to follow his example of reconciliation, forgiveness, and non-retributive justice. This philosophy will be vital for future transitions in Iran and Syria.

The Obama administration faces pressure from Congress for more sanctions against Iran. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani faces increasing pressure from hardliners who oppose negotiations with the US. But a diplomatic deal is still clearly preferable for all sides.

China's President Xi Jinping is neither a reformer nor a non-reformer. He is a pragmatist – a disciple of former Chinese Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping. Mr. Xi seeks to build the overall vitality of the Chinese nation, and to do this, he feels the Party must maintain absolute control.