Published in the Globe and Mail, April 12, 2013 A curious dynamic has seized the world in the past week concerning the latest iteration of North Korea’s ongoing game of blackmail by brinkmanship. The North, a failed state by any definition, regularly trots out ridiculous threats against everyone around it – threats which would surely result in its own rapi… Read More
Author Archives: Peter Jones
The recent 10 year anniversary of the Iraq war brought forth a flood of retrospective analyses, many dedicated to answering the vexed question of whether it was worth it. In reading them, one is struck by the arguments of those who remain wedded to the ideological arguments made at the time, many of whom were part of the administration of George W. Bush. The mos… Read More
Tags: Afghanistan, iraq, Peter Jones, Saddam Hussein, United States
Rapid Nuclear Proliferation Simply Doesn’t Happen
Published in the Globe and Mail, February 18, 2013 Among the many reasons why Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons (a sentiment with which any reasonable person must agree), one hears the argument that it would initiate a cascade of proliferation across the Middle East. First Saudi Arabia, then Turkey, then Egypt, then God knows who would inevitably acq… Read More
Tags: Iran, Middle East, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons, Peter Jones
Are Iran’s Nuclear Dangers Overblown?
Iran’s nuclear program continues to generate much heat and light on the global stage. While the Iranian nuclear challenge is a serious matter, much of the commentary on the degree and immediacy of its dangers is overblown. These are the conclusions of two Iran specialists–Alexander Holstein of Geopoliticalmonitor.com and myself–in a dia… Read More
Tags: Alexander Holstein, Iran, nuclear weapons, Peter Jones
The Rise of the Israeli Middle
The Israeli election was that rarest of things: a real surprise. We had been assured for weeks that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition would make gains. But the big winner was the political centre. Why were we so surprised? Perhaps one of the reasons is that we have become accustomed to seeing Israeli politics in terms of security. The question… Read More
Tags: Arab-Israel conflict, elections, Israel, Peter Jones
Non-State Actors Who Bring Nations Closer
Published in The Hindu, January 5, 2013 A controversy erupted recently over Track Two discussions regarding the Siachen issue. “Track Two Diplomacy” is a term with which much mythology is associated. Some proponents believe that it can cut through the red tape of conventional diplomacy and resolve intractable problems. Critics argue that it is both a use… Read More
Tags: conflict resolution, diplomacy, India, Peter Jones, Track Two
Next Year in Jerusalem (And Elsewhere in the Middle East)
Published in the Globe and Mail, December 28, 2012 A year ago, after noting that making predictions about the Middle East is a foolish endeavour, I made a series of predictions about what might happen there in 2012. To my amazement, most of them held up reasonably well. For those interested in grading them, my 2012 predictions can be found here. A sensible pers… Read More
Tags: Arab Spring, Barack Obama, Canadian foreign policy, Iran, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, Peter Jones, Syria
Published in the Ottawa Citizen, November 25, 2012 Iran was an issue in the U.S. election. Now that he has won, President Barack Obama has to decide what to do about it. There are no good options. Beyond the rhetoric over the need for a rapid attack, much of it coming, until recently, from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his friends, the U.S. intel… Read More
Tags: Barack Obama, Iran, nuclear weapons, Peter Jones, U.S. foreign policy
Egypt Can Lead Hamas to the New Middle East
Published in the Globe and Mail, November 19, 2012 Slowly, painfully, fitfully, the new Middle East is emerging. Egypt is key to this, both in terms of its internal evolution and its response to regional events, such as the fighting in Gaza. Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi has many balls to juggle. His political base is Islamist, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. B… Read More
Tags: Egypt, Gaza, Hamas, Iran, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, Peter Jones, Syria
‘One is Entitled to One’s Opinion’: Prince Charles’s Letters
The fracas over opinionated letters sent by Prince Charles to various British politicians and senior officials has broken out of the courts and into politics. The letters, which are understood to be frank in their advice on various subjects dear to the Prince’s heart, have been so frequent over the years that they have a nickname within UK government circle… Read More
Tags: Canada, democracy, monarchy, Peter Jones, Prince Charles, United Kingom
