The drones of war
Since the US stepped up its use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Pakistan and Afghanistan in mid 2008, missile strikes by unpiloted drones have become increasingly controversial. The IISS goes behind the scenes with the USAF and RAF aircrews in Nevada who remotely operate the vehicles over Afghanistan, looks at the overall strategy governing UAVs’ deployment and discusses the heated debate surrounding their use.
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Power-sharing in Zimbabwe
Agreeing to share power with President Robert Mugabe has put Zimbabwe’s former opposition, the MDC, in almost a catch-22 situation. The new government desperately needs major financial help, but key donors want to see better governance and respect for human rights in Zimbabwe before releasing the purse strings. They remain unconvinced and, as effectively a junior coalition partner, the MDC has limited power to persuade them.
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Kenya's political stalemate
A year after a national unity government returned Kenya to peace, the country is mired in political deadlock and the public disappointed with its leaders. The coalition deal between former rivals, President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ended a period of brutal inter-ethnic clashes in this normally stable nation. Since then, the coalition has failed to address the grievances behind the violence – leading to fears of a repeat.
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UK rethink on counter-terrorism
With its recently revised counter-terrorism strategy, the UK government is placing greater emphasis on tackling the root causes of extremism. Its original ‘Contest’ strategy concentrated on the prime task of preventing violent terrorist attacks. The new ‘Contest II’ shifts more attention to promoting the shared values of democracy, tolerance and human rights, challenging extremist views and preventing young British Muslims being radicalised.
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Economic stress continues
This month, the results of the United States Treasury’s ‘stress tests’ of leading American banks were met with overall relief. However, the health of the global financial system remains precarious. With GDP everywhere expected to shrink, trade down and lending reduced, governments continue to face huge challenges, both individually and collectively. Despite the much-vaunted rise of China, the role of the US remains crucial.
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