National Security & Defence
Inside the Issues Special Edition 2.26 - Iran and the West
In a special edition of Inside the Issues, host David Welch moderates a panel discussion on relations between Iran and the West. Panellists include: former U.S. ambassador Thomas Pickering and former Iranian ambassador Hossein Mousavian and Balsillie School of International Affairs Professor James Blight, who begins the dicussion by asking "Why can't we transcend our differences?"
Deadline Day in Syria: Little Optimism for Kofi Annan's Peace Deal
So today is the deadline for the Bashar al-Assad government to respect the already watered-down UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan’s plan for a ceasefire. Instead of complying with the plan, the Syrian military killed two Syrian civilians inside Turkey in refugee camps on Sunday and killed a Lebanese cameraman on the Lebanese-Syrian border. On top of that, Assad has been on killing rampage in the northern province of Idlib, now using helicopters to kill from the skies. The outpouring of refugees continues, at the pace of thousands a day fleeing to Turkey and Jordan.
Saudi Arabia in the 21st Century: Dialogue as a Means of Transformation
On Friday, March 23 the Saudi Ambassador to Canada, Osamah Al Sanosi Ahmad, delivered a lecture entitled "Saudi Arabia in the 21st Century: Dialogue as a Means of Transformation" at the CIGI Auditorium.
The European Union's March of Folly (Continued)
The previous post of the same title focused on the economics underlying the painful, protracted adjustment deal underway with the euro zone crisis in Europe. With relative calm restored in the wake of the ECB’s Long-Term Refinancing Operation (LTRO) and Greek debt swap, this might be a good time to step back and examine the origins of the euro zone to better understand how things got to where they are today.
Inside the Issues 2.23 - North Korea and Regional Security
With a new leader installed in Kim Jong-un and fresh negotiations underway with the United States, some think that North Korea may finally be coming in from the cold of international estrangement. To test this theory, Inside the Issues talks to Seung Hyok Lee, adjunct assistant professor at Renison University College and South Korean national.
Inside the Issues 2.22 - Diplomacy in Syria and Iran
With twin crises in Syria and Iran becoming increasingly challenging to solve diplomatically, this week Inside the Issues talks to Paul Heinbecker, long-time Canadian diplomat and former ambassador to the United Nations.
Canadian training mission meant to free up U.S. soldiers for Afghan combat: documents
CIGI Senior Fellow Mark Sedra comments on newly revealed documents regarding Canada's role in Afghanistan.
North Korean Announcement Shows Policy Continuity with Past Regime
North Korea agreed recently to suspend its nuclear activities, announcing a freeze on nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and uranium enrichment at its Yongbyon plant. It also invited back international nuclear inspectors expelled in 2009, presumably in a bid to restart the six-party talks. To better understand the significance and possible ramifications of North Korea’s announcement, we talked to James Manicom, SSHRC post-doctoral fellow at the Balsille School of International Affairs.
Inside the Issues 2.21 - The "Extraordinary" US-Canada Partnership
Prior to his February 29 signature lecture, the US Ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, visited the CIGI studio to discuss what he calls the "most extraordinary closest relationship that exists between two countries in the world."
Ship of fools
“Another Western war on a Muslim country would be unpredictable, negative and very dangerous,” Distinguished Fellow Paul Heinbecker says, in commenting on the possibility of Canadian frigates participating in a U.S.-led naval blockade off the southern coast of Iran.
Inside the Issues 2.16 - The Idea of North America
Though the appetite for North American integration has been in flux for the past 100 years, Robert Pastor argues that closer cooperation is not only possible, but an easier than many think. The author of The Idea of North America and professor at American University, Pastor describes the opportunities and challenges facing the emergence of a common continental identity.
Inside the Issues 2.15 - Gaps in the Global Governance System
In this week's Inside the Issues, the program welcomes David Dewitt, vice president of programs at CIGI and noted expert on international affairs.
Inside the Issues 2.14 - Domestic Responses to International Terrorism
Following the 9/11 attacks and others across Europe, domestic responses to international terrorism have increased in both scale and perceived importance, but how well are they working? In North America there has not been a significant terrorist event for over a decade, but as Veronica Kitchen tells us in this week's Inside the Issues, that doesn't mean that national security efforts are necessarily functioning as optimally as they should.
Art frames terror and security
In an op-ed to The Waterloo Region Record, CIGI Research Officer Michael Lawrence looks at how artists, like Daisy Rockwell, are contributing to discussions on global security.
Leaner and Meaner? Exploring the Global Security Implications of US Military Reform
CIGI's Vice President of Programs and global security expert David Dewitt discusses what a leaner US military will mean for global security.
Inside the Issues 2.13 - Reconstituting Iraq, from Power to Process
In this week's Inside the Issues, the program focuses on constitution-building in Iraq (or lack thereof) with Sven Spengemann, visiting scholar at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Having worked in Baghdad since 2005 and, from early 2007 on, as the Senior Constitutional Officer for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (currently on leave), Spengemann discusses the challenges involved in building a legitimate federal system within a country of competing sectarian interests.
Two NATO soldiers killed
CIGI Senior Fellow Mark Sedra says a recent attack in Afghanistan that left two NATO soldiers dead is a classic insurgent tactic to infiltrate Afghan security forces and commit these attacks from within.
CIGI Experts Predict Global Governance Challenges for 2012
This week, CIGI experts David Runnalls, Eric Helleiner, Gregory Chin and Mark Sedra share their thoughts on what 2012 will bring in terms of environment and energy, the global economy, global development and global security challenges.
Inside the Issues, Episode 2.10: Steven Mock on Nationalism
In episode10 of season two, Steven Mock discusses the complex topic of nationalism and its effects on domestic and international politics. As the author of the upcoming book, "Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity," Mock goes on to explain how symbols of unsuccessful historical events have been mythologized to strengthen states' conceptions of their national narrative. In the global arena, nationalism may seem irrational and even mystical at times but must be taken seriously as a vital political force, Mock argues.
Canada and the US: Beyond the Border
CIGI's Stephen Clarkson participates in a debate, on TVO's The Agenda, which discusses the recent US-Canada border deal.