Topic: International Crisis Group
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Five tasks for Haiti's new pop-singer president
Michel “Sweet Mickey” Martelly has officially – and finally – been proclaimed president-elect of Haiti, more than two weeks after officials from the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced he had edged out former first lady Mirlande Manigat in a runoff with over 67 percent of the vote.
The wait has been long for Haitians, who first went to the polls last November. The battered country’s future is now in the hands of the 50-year-old Martelly, a popular singer with little political experience, but who led an impressive campaign. Martlelly must now address the following five tasks:
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Syrian conflict threatens to fracture Iraq
Semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan and the central Iraqi government are on a collision course as the Kurds increasingly side with the Syrian opposition and Baghdad stands by the Assad regime.
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West Bank welcomes Hamas back with excitement - and apprehension
Still riding a wave of popularity after the Gaza war, Hamas held celebratory rallies throughout the West Bank. But worries about a return to the chaos and violence of the intifada are bubbling up.
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North Korea rocket launch: Why China only 'expresses regret' (+video)
Beijing's restrained response to a widely condemned rocket launch is based on its concern about North Korea's stability – and its view that a tough UN resolution could worsen regional security.
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George Clooney: Village burnings in Sudan are 'a war crime'
George Clooney, co-founder of the Satellite Sentinel Project, which monitors acts of war in Sudan and South Sudan, said that the recent village burnings that took place in the region are 'a crime against humanity.'
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Can lessons from Iraq be applied to US-Iran tensions?
A declassified CIA report on Iraq says numerous intelligence lessons have been learned from the search for WMD. But the political dynamic around Iran's nuclear program is a different matter.
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Kurdish-Iraqi government talks collapse amid fear of civil war
Talks between the Kurds and Iraq's central government on pulling back troops in disputed areas are collapsing. What does is mean for Prime Minister Maliki?
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North Korea rocket preparations: Could it be a bluff?
There are questions about whether North Korean scientists have corrected whatever caused the embarrassing crackup of its last rocket shortly after liftoff in April, and whether Pyongyang is willing to risk another failure — along with UN condemnation and more sanctions.
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Palestinians push for elevated UN status: Did Gaza conflict help?
Some nations are warming to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's bid for enhanced UN status. After the Gaza conflict, they see the moderate Abbas as a counterweight to Hamas.
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Congo crisis: a deal with rebels, then maybe no deal
Congolese M23 rebels battling the government said Tuesday that they are withdrawing, reportedly unconditionally, from Goma. Then another M23 leader raised fresh demands.
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Backchannels
Obama to visit Myanmar, an overture to a one-time pariahPresident Obama's trip to Myanmar comes as the capstone of a stunningly fast rapprochement with a country the US once treated as a pariah. Is it too soon?
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Backchannels
Aghanistan's Karzai back to antagonizing the US and attacking free speechAnd why not? It's not as though his public statements cost him anything.
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Why the Palestinian president shocked his people over 'right of return'
President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to give up on a longtime Palestinian demand that refugees be allowed back into homes from before the 1948 founding of the Jewish state.
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How will FARC peace talks play out in rural Colombia?
Successful peace talks could mean the end of nearly five decades of fighting between the FARC and the Colombian government, when civilians and rural communities were often hit the hardest.
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Ethiopia surprises itself with peaceful transition after Meles
Fears that unrest would follow the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in August may prove unfounded in Ethiopia, a Western ally in the troubled Horn of Africa.
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Backchannels
A quiet waiver for Pakistan from the Obama administrationIn September, the Obama administration waived conditions that would have halted $2 billion in aid to Pakistan on the grounds it hasn't made progress in fighting terrorism. Why? 'National security.'
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With Turkey-Syria escalation, worries grow about a tip into war
With Turkey and the Syrian regime on opposite sides of the antigovernment uprising in Syria, flare-ups like the Turkish grounding of a Syrian jet this week carry great risk of tipping the two into open conflict.
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Bali bombings: 10 years later, progress and some bumps ahead
After the 2002 Bali bombing, Indonesia cracked down on terror. But analysts warn lack of understanding about smaller cells could hamper efforts.
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Does Ivanishvili's win put Georgia back in Russia's orbit?
Though President Saakashvili tried to paint him as a Russian puppet before this week's election, experts say Ivanishvili's – and Georgia's – relationship with Russia remains complex.
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In Libya, a patchwork of militias keeping the peace, and straining it
The murders of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi last month were a reminder that militias can make for poor security forces.
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Opinion: UN can't leave Haiti until rule of law is established
Any exit strategy for the UN presence in Haiti has to be built on the country doubling the size of its police, ending impunity in its courts, and forging the rule of law as a foundation for economic growth and political stability.
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Joint raids suspended: NATO's Afghanistan strategy hits hurdle
The new policy is likely to put even more distance between NATO and Afghan forces, stressing relations at a time when NATO has been working to hand over security to the Afghans.
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Questions grow over Iran's influence in Iraq
As Tariq al-Hashemi's death sentence heightens sectarian tensions in Iraq, Shiite Iran's role there is getting more attention, including a potential clerical succession struggle in Najaf.
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Somalia gets a new president
Somalia's parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the new leader for the African nation on Monday.
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In Somalia, battle looms for militants' last major stronghold
Air and sea attacks around the key Somali port city of Kismayo this week point to a long-awaited offensive by the African Union Mission in Somalia against seasoned Al Shabab fighters.
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Syrian prime minister defects from Assad regime (+video)
Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab, a Sunni in Bashar al-Assad's Alawite-dominated government, is among the highest profile defectors to the opposition.
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