In the wake of the French intervention in Mali, there is much talk of the Sahel region becoming a safe haven for extremist Islamists. Africa’s vast desert territories are perceived as ‘ungoverned spaces’, or ‘black holes’ where a dangerous underworld of terrorists and criminals operate freely and whence they will eventually launch their attacks on a West… Read More
Tag Archives: Islamism
Misinterpreting Mali: The Uses and Abuses of R2P (Post)
As argued in this space recently, there are sound legal and political justifications for the intervention of French and West African troops in northern Mali. Further, the apparent achievements of the operation so far lend support to those who argue it is feasible to defeat the Islamist insurgency. But lasting success will depend on the extent to which the r… Read More
Tags: David Petrasek, France, humanitarian intervention, Islamism, Mali, Responsibility to Protect, Syria, UN Security Council
To those of us deeply skeptical of the deployment of Western military force in the developing world, the French intervention in Mali in recent days poses something of a dilemma. It appears to be legally and militarily justified, and enjoys strong local and regional support. Yet at the same time, it appears to be based on the same assumptions about Western ai… Read More
Tags: Afghanistan, Al-Quaeda, David Petrasek, France, intervention, Islamism, Mali, UN Security Council
An Intervention Ahead in Mali? (Post)
These days, when Western politicians or analysts discuss the possibility and likely consequences of an international intervention, they tend to refer to Syria. This is understandable, given the gravity and complexity of the crisis unfolding there. But the focus on Syria has led us to overlook the growing international support for intervention in anot… Read More
Tags: Africa, ECOWAS, humanitarian intervention, Islamism, Mali, Syria
Reading the Signs of Islamist Radicalization in Central Asia (Event)
A talk by John Schoeberlein, Harvard University. Free. Registration is not required. This event will be in English. John Schoeberlein is the Director of the Program on Central Asia and the Caucasus under the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. During 1998-99, he headed the United Nations’ Ferghana Valley Developm… Read More
Tags: Central Asia, Islamism, John Schoeberlein, radicalization
Fighting Al Qaeda in Yemen: Re-thinking the Islamist Threat (Event)
A talk by Christina Hellmich, University of Reading. Co-sponsor: Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Free. Registration is not required. This event will be in English. Christina Hellmich is a specialist in Middle East politics with a particular research interest in Political Islam, International Security and Global Health. During f… Read More
Tags: Al-Quaeda, Christina Hellmich, Islamism, Middle East, Yemen
