NATO
All topics-
Gaddafi and the West's military intervention
A nation forsworn, forsaken, forgotten
The political situation in Libya five years after the fall of Gaddafi is disastrous. President Obama recently admitted that the mistakes made by NATO could have been avoided. Now, more than ever, it is important to pursue the right strategy, says Gareth Evans, former chairman of the International Crisis Group
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Global strategies in the war on terror
Eliminate the breeding grounds
One of the reasons for terrorism is a world order that is out of whack, which no longer reacts appropriately to crises around the globe, writes Syrian publicist Mohammed Dibou. Neither ″national″ nor ″continental″ measures can offer the protection craved by the West's citizens
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NATO in Afghanistan
Hopes of withdrawal fade
2015 was a troubled year for Afghanistan. With the Taliban and IS achieving temporary success within the country, NATO was forced to revise its troop withdrawal plans. A report by Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
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Interview with the German-Afghan photographer Lela Ahmadzai
The undaunted women of Kabul
In her latest photo series, German-Afghan photographer and multimedia journalist Lela Ahmadzai documents the life of four Afghan women who are intent on leading self-determined lives, despite the social pressure to conform. An interview by Felix Koltermann
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IS and the lessons learnt
Negotiating beyond time and space
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is a recruitment tool for the IS and has to go. Nevertheless, a successor government needs to be able to keep order and cannot allow the jihadists to exploit a power vacuum, as it has in Libya. An essay by Richard N. Haass
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Solutions to the Syrian conflict
Diplomacy rather than deadlock
Only diplomatic negotiations can bring about an end to the bloodshed in Syria. These talks must take place now without preconditions and involve both the Assad regime and the authoritarian Russian leadership. A contribution to the debate from Niklas Kossow and Ilyas Saliba
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Russia′s air strikes in Syria
Courting the aggressor
Putin′s involvement in Syria means an extension of the conflict. Prompting tens of thousands to flee, his air strikes are clearing a path for Assad′s death squads. Any hope of creating effective safe zones is now gone. By Bernard-Henri Levy
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Afghanistan: the Taliban′s Kunduz offensive
"There's nothing left to keep me here"
The security situation in Afghanistan continues to escalate. After bitter fighting in Kunduz, the mood is also tense in Kabul. Meanwhile thousands of Afghans are leaving the country every day. Impressions from Kabul by Emran Feroz
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After the Taliban attack on Kunduz
Lacking political vision
The blood-letting goes on in Afghanistan, and as usual, it is the civilians who are suffering most. Forced to shoulder the political burden, coalition troops in the country were unable to create the right conditions for peace. Commentary by Sandra Petersmann in Kabul
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The Crimean crisis
The Near East: scene of a new Cold War?
The Crimean crisis could mark the beginning of a new confrontation between East and West. Not only is there already talk of a second Cold War, there are already signs of it in the Near East. A commentary by Nora Müller
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Russia, the US and the Syrian Civil War
A Bloody Game of Chess
The Assad regime has succeeded in turning Syria into a chess board over which Russia and the US have locked horns as the blood and tears continue to flow. The losers in this stalemate are undoubtedly the Syrian people, writes Elias Khoury in his essay