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America’s election choices
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The US presidential election battle has begun in earnest, with the first primaries due in January and at least 20 states planning to hold them on 5 February 2008. Republicans could face a long fight for the nomination, while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have emerged as leaders in the Democratic party race. With George W. Bush’s public approval ratings very low, Republicans hope to be rescued by national security issues, on which they have long held the advantage among voters – though this is awkward as the biggest source of Bush’s unpopularity is the war in Iraq. However, Iraq and national security pose problems for both parties.
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Contractors in war
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The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing an incident in which 17 Iraqi civilians were killed when personnel of the US-based private military company Blackwater Worldwide opened fire during a convoy movement in Baghdad. Blackwater denies any wrongdoing. The Iraqi government has demanded compensation and the company’s withdrawal from Iraq. The events highlighted the difficulties of regulating and overseeing private military and security companies, which have been increasingly employed to supplement regular armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and elsewhere. The US government is under pressure to tighten regulation.
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US intelligence reform |
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The structure of the intelligence community was changed by new laws enacted in response to the failings exposed by the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States. Capacity to gather and analyse information has been increased. However, it remains unclear to what extent these reforms have made a genuine operational difference or improved the relationship between agencies.
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Instablity in North Kivu |
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Insecurity in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains rife, in spite of the peace agreement in place since 2003. The Kivu provinces – and North Kivu in particular – have been engulfed in a wave of violence and human-rights abuses since November 2006, fuelling a humanitarian crisis. Armed factions have continued to prey on local populations, to oppose army reintegration and to engage in armed confrontations. Some 375,000 people have been newly displaced in North Kivu. The escalation of violence has raised the spectre of a new regional war.
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India’s energy insecurity
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India faces unprecedented demand for energy to fuel its economic boom, and is increasingly dependent on imports. It has embarked on a global search for energy resources. Relationships with China on energy-related issues, wrangles over possible pipelines, and environmental and climate concerns all pose new challenges to India’s foreign and security policy.
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