Western policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan are based on an outdated imperial playbook and a modern but mistaken belief in “surgical strikes,” writes David Stephens
14 Feb 13 Comments (0)Why Australia’s Security Council bid was a mistake
Starved of funds, Australia’s foreign affairs department has spread itself far too thinly since Kevin Rudd launched the bid, writes Danielle Cave
27 Sep 12 Comments (1)Dreams and nightmares
Graeme Dobell reviews a collection of essays about Australia’s strategic environment
21 Aug 12 Comments (1)Cause and effectiveness
Michael Cornish assesses the report of the Independent Review of Aid Effectiveness
20 Jul 11 Comments (2)Lonely evenings at the photocopier
Forty years ago this week, the New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers – until recently, the largest leak of all. Rodney Tiffen recounts a tale of two leakers
16 Jun 11 Comments (0)The imperfect storm
We can now start to see how the world has and hasn’t been changed by WikiLeaks, writes Rodney Tiffen
03 Jun 11 Comments (0)Germany’s Libya opt-out
Germany’s decision to abstain from backing the military action in Libya hints at political, trade and foreign policy pressures, writes Daniel Nethery in Berlin
31 Mar 11 Comments (0)Iraq 2003: what the leaders say, and what they leave out
Former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix looks at the recent memoirs of Tony Blair, John Howard and George W. Bush. “Mr Howard seems to have felt sheer disdain for British squeamishness about the United Nations,” he writes
23 Mar 11 Comments (0)Will Australia’s satellite TV service head Skywards?
Australia’s history of international broadcasting is littered with mis-steps, writes Rodney Tiffen. Will the government’s current tendering process see it turn its back on the ABC, and embrace Sky, just as Rupert Murdoch’s stake in that company is set to grow?
16 Mar 11 Comments (0)Asylum seeker processing in East Timor: a solution for whom?
If the regional asylum seeker processing centre goes ahead, the only real winner will be the Gillard government, writes Savitri Taylor
09 Mar 11 Comments (0)Dissent among the security realists
Geoffrey Barker reports on a debate about the implications of China’s growing economic and military power
02 Mar 11 Comments (0)Jostling giants
Regardless of their long-term significance, China’s defence decisions are creating unease in South Asia, writes Geoffrey Barker
04 Feb 11 Comments (0)What the WikiLeaks cables reveal about Australia’s leaders
Democracy not only depends on trust, it thrives on it, writes former intelligence analyst Paul Barratt. But the WikiLeaks cables show that Australian political leaders are reluctant to level with the public
23 Dec 10 Comments (3)Watching North Korea
Relations are unlikely to be warm, but dealings with the North can be handled calmly, writes Danielle Chubb
13 Dec 10 Comments (0)Without the Bush presidency, would WikiLeaks have happened?
WikiLeaks is the product of a time of great stress in the international system, argues Tony Kevin
10 Dec 10 Comments (3)Misreading China
A casual reference to the use of force underlines the flaws in Kevin Rudd’s thinking about Australia’s largest trading partner, writes Brian Toohey
09 Dec 10 Comments (1)It’s all about integration
The WikiLeaks revelations about Kevin Rudd’s views on China show that the foreign minister is well within the mainstream of western thinking, writes Geoffrey Barker
Comments (1)Five steps to becoming a more effective UN member
Norway has taken the lead in peacemaking and other international initiatives, writes John Langmore. Australia can learn from its example
09 Nov 10 Comments (1)Punching at exactly our weight
How should Australia respond to the changing power balance in the region, asks Brian Toohey
08 Sep 10 Comments (1)“It’s good to be back”
Barack Obama has gone onto the front foot, but did he leave it too late? Political historian David Farber discusses the post–healthcare reform prospects with Peter Clarke
28 Apr 10 Comments (0)
