Colombia– even mentioning the name of this nation invokes a number of emotions and ideas in the mind of an American reader.  Depending on one’s company discussing Colombia might spark visions of a lush and untamed jungle, the United States’ war on drugs or such infamous revolutionary groups as FARC.  On any of these subjects a reader would certainly not be disappointed by John Otis’ Law of the Jungle.  Last week members of the World Affairs Council and students in the DC metro area were treated to a discussion with the author of this eagerly anticipated book.

Regardless of his freshly published book, anyone interested in the affairs of South America would certainly appreciate an opportunity to speak with Mr. Otis.  A respected journalist based out of Bogota, Otis has worked as a reporter on Central and South American issues for over two decades.  In addition to his lengthy years of experience in Central and South America Otis has now been honored twice by the Overseas Press Club as a result of his coverage of Latin America and his investigation of Colombia’s FARC guerillas, as a result he is certainly viewed as something of an authority on the subject. Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the serious nature of the foreign policy issues addressed, His Excellency Adrian Vierita injected his presentation to members of the World Affairs Council on Tuesday night with humor and optimism for the future of US-Romanian relations, making it an enjoyable and informative experience for all in attendance. The Ambassador focused his speech on what he termed, “the elephant in the room,” referring to Romania’s top defense body’s recent approval of US placement of missile interceptors in the country. He also spoke to the audience about Romanian identity, through the lens of its geography, politics, and status as a young democracy. His Excellency graciously devoted much of his time to fielding questions from guests, some of which included inquiries about the future of Romania’s education system, the nuances of implications of Romanian participation in the missile defense system, development of ‘Black Sea partnerships,’ and Romania’s role as a European Union member country. Read the rest of this entry »

The pressure has been building up on President Barack Obama in the past few months on many fronts. Although he has tried fulfilling some of his promises, most of them have been slowed down by the democratic process. The steady and gradual removal of American troops from Iraq by 2011 and the escalation of the war in Afghanistan and northern regions of Pakistan are some of the primary issues facing the President. The policy shift to Iraq allowed the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to regroup and establish strong footholds in the northern areas of Pakistan called FATA, and in Afghanistan. The pathway for success this time around is not fully determined and the regional dynamics have changed dramatically with the shift of policy to the AFPAK region. At the foreign policy series event, three distinguished and highly qualified speakers gave us insight and perspective into the future of Obama’s strategy for the AFPAK region and specific goals to be achieved by the administration. Read the rest of this entry »

It may be a popular opinion amongst most of the public that the George W. Bush administration not only ruled under the neoconservative ideology, but they also created it. After the terrorist attacks made on September 11, 2001, the Bush administration publically decided that following neoconservatism would be the best way to restore the country’s safety, and to reinforce America’s powerful status in other countries. Although the Bush administration was very open about his use of neoconservatism, the origins of this ideology date further back into the sixties during President Richard Nixon’s term. In The Forty Years War: The Rise and Fall of the Neocons, from Nixon to Obama, authors Len Colodny and Tom Shachtman go into detail about the evolution neo-conservatism has undergone in the past forty years. Colodny and Shachtman were the guest speakers for the World Affairs Council Author Series event, on January 7, 2010, where they were invited to speak about their new book, in a discussion moderated by USA Today’s Foreign Affairs Editor Ray Locker.

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The President now faces a monumental foreign policy decision that could change the course of events in Afghanistan. While a pathway for success has not yet been defined, Ronald Neumann, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, contributes his experience and informed knowledge to the pool of scholarship surrounding the debate with the release of his new book, The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan.  While presenting his book on November 3^rd, Ambassador Neumann outlined his perspective on the present situation in Afghanistan and the consequences the United States may face in pursuing the differing strategies being debated. Before assessing these individual strategies, Ambassador Neumann put forth that the debate itself over which strategy to pursue is marring image of unwavering confidence. The fact the United States is hesitant to pursue any policy reveals the discrepancy in American opinion and exudes a compromised position of power to the international community. Read the rest of this entry »

Moscow’s power and international presence has considerably declined since the fall of the USSR in 1991 yet it has not disappeared.  We continue to see a Russia who attempts to play a role in its former domain.  Russia’s resurgence gains its strength through its new position as a major exporter of natural gas and oil.  To understand today’s Russia would involve understanding the significance of the energy industry and the company Gazprom is the incarnation of a new energy rich Russia.  Also necessary is to understand the role Putin plays in this new Russia, something Mr. Goldman takes an adamant position on.  This is why Marshall Goldman’s book, Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia, is important to read if one is to understand today’s Russia.  Mr. Goldman was able to attend the World Affairs Council DC’s Author Series Event on October 19, 2009 to further discuss his book and his experiences with Russia.

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As His Excellency Klaus Scharioth addressed the audience Monday evening, emotions were high amongst those who remembered the fall of the Berlin Wall so vividly. Scharioth recollected the courage and strength of those that took to the streets in protest in 1989 in East Berlin. He praised both West Germany, for reintegrating East Germany after the fall without hesitation, as well as the United States for so quickly coming to the aid of the ailing nation. Scharioth’s key message of the evening highlighted the accomplishments of the German-American friendship and projected the unlimited possibilities of the two nations working in tandem to meet the challenges of the future Read the rest of this entry »

Despite what your views might be on the United Nations it is clear that it is a significant institution in today’s world.   The branch of the United Nations able to wield the most power can certainly be applied to the Security Council.  To understand international politics it would be essential to comprehend the failures and successes of this council.  Mr. Bosco does exactly this in his new book, Five to Rule Them All: The UN Security Council and the Making of the Modern World, telling the history and analyzing the council.  Mr. Bosco addressed members and guests of the World Affairs Council on Thursday, October 1^st, to promote his work.            Read the rest of this entry »

Haleh Esfandiari belies the image of an international political convict. Although a petite woman, her recount of being held captive and interrogated in Iran for over 110 days in 2007 wields a strength much greater than what is visibly perceptible. She does not fail to impress her broad knowledge and understanding of Middle Eastern Affairs upon you, and the recount of her book, My Prison My Home, is extremely vivid.  It is filled with memories and even a description of the robbery which took all her belongings, including her passport, and incited a series of events that led up to her incarceration. Read the rest of this entry »

As we the interns looked at the photo of his Excellency Samir Sumaida’ie, the Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S., we deduced that he was a James Bond type- dark and mysterious.  Perhaps it was the way half of his face was darkened by a shadow, but I was curious to know how his Excellency would figure in our collective imaginations once we heard him speak.  Sumaida’ie did not fail to impress.  His discourse on Iraq was optimistic yet realistic.  The serious nature of his words did not impede him from tossing in light-hearted remarks and responses.  At one point he used a quote from Churchill that goes “Americans always do the right thing…After they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.”  Read the rest of this entry »