Obama's war in Afghanistan
The dispatch of an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan, announced by President Barack Obama on 1 December, will improve the chances of reversing the growing momentum of the Taliban insurgency. While a new military strategy represents a clear step forward, many obstacles to success remain.
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Recovering Iraqi sovereignty
The US still has a key role to play in the transition to full Iraqi sovereignty. But as US troops withdraw, Washington will have to rely on diplomacy, and will want to focus on those issues where it can have the most impact. The US would do well to give priority to achieving a political stability that embraces both Sunnis and the Kurds, to sustained economic development and to constructive engagement of Iraq’s neighbours.
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A new strategic concept for NATO
The NATO Alliance is developing a new strategic concept intended to be agreed late in 2010. The elaborate process devised to generate the new document is likely to bring divisions between allies to the fore.
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New impetus for nuclear security
Preparations are under way for an international summit on nuclear security to be held in April 2010. The administration of US President Barack Obama is spearheading new efforts to bolster the security of the world’s nuclear facilities and to ward off the danger of terrorists obtaining nuclear weapons.
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Building global food security
Food prices have dropped from their 2008 peaks as supply pressures have eased and demand has fallen. However, while intense political pressure brought about by protests and civil action has largely ceased, the global food crisis is not over.
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