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Empowering the Pakistan PoliceFebruary 14, 2013 | by Robert Perito
Yet, acts of heroism have done little to alter the fact that most Pakistanis fear the police and seek their assistance as a last resort. | Read more Kennedy Center Concert Highlights Music as a Source of Hope for Afghanistan’s FutureFebruary 13, 2013 | by Hodei Sultan I arrived at the Kennedy Center in Washington for the performance of ensembles from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and was amazed to see the sheer number of people enduring a line that stretched a full hallway, three deep, to get tickets. One would have thought the crowds came for a rare Hollywood sighting. But the diverse audience showed up for a different kind of performance that was making waves across the social media landscape and by word of mouth. More than 2,000 people patiently waited in line, in hopes of securing a seat. As an Afghan-American, it was a rare occasion and a proud moment to see the number of Afghans from the diaspora turning up to support the young artists, as well as representatives from embassies, non-profit organizations and the U.S. government. | Read more North Korea Nuclear Test Shows Device Advances, Challenges China’s InfluenceFebruary 12, 2013 | by Liz Harper USIP’s Mike Lekson and Bruce MacDonald weigh in on North Korea’s third nuclear test: “As we anticipated, North Korea is developing both a more powerful and apparently a more deliverable weapons system, which combined with its ballistic missile program, will not only pose a threat to its neighbors but could ultimately threaten the United States,” said Lekson, an arms control expert and former State Department official. Lekson, director of gaming in USIP’s Academy of International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, continued: “The attitude taken by China will be extremely important, especially in the United Nations Security Council. While no country can compel the North Korean government to behave in a responsible fashion, China has the most direct influence on the Kim family regime. China has shown much greater patience than the rest of the world community, and its reward has been defiance from Pyongyang.” | Read more Iranian Supreme Leader Declares He’s “Not a Diplomat” in Rejecting U.S. Talks on TwitterFebruary 7, 2013 | by Viola Gienger “I'm not a diplomat, I'm a revolutionary and I speak candidly,” Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in rejecting the latest U.S. overture for direct talks. And this time, he did it on Twitter. The Supreme Leader has become an avid user of Twitter and posted more than 30 comments on the topic of U.S.-Iran talks today. USIP’s Iran Primer has the tweet highlights. | Read more Military Intervention in Mali vs. Syria: When is the Path Rocky or Paved?February 7, 2013 | by Rachel Brandenburg France’s rapid intervention in Mali in early January is particularly striking when compared to the lengthy debate over international intervention in Syria, which has thus far produced only inaction. What considerations made French intervention in Mali feasible while constraining action in Syria? While both Mali and Syria have deep histories and carry complex implications for neighboring countries and regional stability, the two conflicts are of course very different. The path to military intervention in Mali was clearer, as was the execution of the campaign, despite the challenges of the ongoing fight and forthcoming stabilization and reconstruction efforts. France’s interest in Mali, the increased threat of terrorism and United Nations Security Council support for intervention, even if not initially for unilateral French action, eased the way, along with the low risk of a military campaign to regional and international powers. | Read more Ahmadinejad’s Visit to Egypt Unlikely to Herald New Alliance With IranFebruary 5, 2013 | by Viola Gienger Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s arrival in Egypt today marked the first visit by an Iranian president since his country’s 1979 revolution. He was in Cairo to attend a two-day summit starting tomorrow of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The president of predominantly Shiite Muslim Iran met today with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood is a mainstream Sunni Islamist group. Ahmadinejad also met with a grand sheikh who is considered Egypt’s top scholar of Sunni Islam. | Read more Former Senator John Kerry Officially Takes Helm as Secretary of StateFebruary 4, 2013 | by Liz Harper
In his welcoming remarks, Kerry remembered the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith in the September, 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. | Read more Egypt: National Dialogue Vs. Street PoliticsFebruary 1, 2013 | by Holger Albrecht Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi may have been trying to bridge the deep rift between Islamists and their secular opposition with his January 28 move establishing a committee to amend Egypt’s new and controversial constitution. But as a response to the street protests around the country, it may instead make him look out of touch with politics on the ground. The announcement of the committee came with an invitation to all political forces to participate in a National Dialogue, including the National Salvation Front, led by Mohamed el-Baradei and former presidential candidates Hamdine Sabbahi and Amr Moussa. This would seem to be an opportunity to review some of the serious flaws and idiosyncrasies inherent in the constitution. Yet, the timing of Morsi’s initiative is striking: it came after several days of street protests that had turned violent in Cairo, Ismailia, Suez, and Port Said, as well as in a number of other cities. And it did not prevent the opposition from calling for more mass rallies today , under the banner “Friday of Deliverance.” | Read more |
Welcome to USIP's Olive Branch blog, a place for timely analysis, views from the field and an exchange of ideas about how to build peace and end or prevent conflict. Through its work in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and beyond, the Institute blends its expert analysis with its field work, a dynamic in which each must always inform the other on parallel tracks. We hope that this blog will reflect that spirit of combining thought with action. And we invite you to browse our posts and then send us your own ideas, comments or reflections. Each blog post and comment posted on the Olive Branch represents the views of the author and not necessarily that of USIP, a non-partisan, congressionally-funded organization that does not advocate for policy positions.
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In Pakistan’s struggle against violent extremism, Pakistan police officers have sacrificed their lives to save the lives of those around them. Heroic acts by the police have occurred in Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi, the cities impacted most by the spread of terrorism from the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. In Pakistan’s cities, police are responsible for confronting the threat from extremists groups.
State Department employees welcomed the former senator of Massachusetts, John Kerry, as the new U.S. secretary of state, succeeding former Secretary (and former Senator) Hillary Rodham Clinton, who ended her four-year tenure on Friday, Feb. 1. Kerry, a supporter of USIP who visited the Institute’s Kabul office last year, officially resigned as senator on Feb. 1, and was sworn in later that day as the 68th secretary of state. He formally greeted his staffers for the first time today. .png)
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