In 1994, Nelson Mandela announced that South African foreign policy would forever be guided by the international pursuit of human rights and true democracy. Yet eighteen years later, the country appears to have lost sight of not only Mandela’s guidelines, but of any coherent global strategy at all. In a time when the international community Read More…
5. Authors of the NCC
A list of authors, past and present
Syria: The Revolution will be Weaponized
By: Alexander Corbeil The Syrian revolution is sliding towards a full fledged civil war as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has stepped up operations this past week against Syrian security forces. While army units loyal to Bashir al-Assad have cleared the suburbs of Damascus of rebel fighters, the takeover of areas on the regime’s doorstep Read More…
Continental Pipe-Dreams
By: Rodnie Allison In what can only be considered an unprecedented rupture in Canada-US cooperation on energy policy, last week’s formal repudiation of the Keystone XL expansion project will have significant implications for energy security, and wider continental relations writ large. According to the former president and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute, Jack Mintz, the Canada-US Read More…
Pakistan: Between the Gavel and the Gun
By: Alexander Corbeil The land of coups, nuclear warheads, and Islamic extremists has born witness to a tense standoff between the country’s three political powerhouses. President Asif Ali Zardari and his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are currently in a struggle with both the Supreme Court and top military brass of the country. In the shadows Read More…
The Anatomy of US-China Cooperation on North Korea
By: Ben Hartley New leadership in Pyongyang invariably changes the strategic calculus of China and the US on the Korean Peninsula. The appointment of Kim Jong-un as Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army is an important indication of the legitimacy of Jong-un, and points to the ruling military cadre’s interest in maintaining internal stability. Read More…
A Somali Quagmire Part I – A Guide to the Players
By: James Marcus Bridger As was the case for much of the Cold War, Somalia once again finds itself playing host to a number of competing local, regional, and international actors. The beleaguered Transitional Federal Government (TFG) now controls the capital Mogadishu, thanks to an offensive launched by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)—a Read More…
Is A Financial Crisis in Eastern Europe on the Horizon?
Even as the debt crises of Italy and Greece continue and the economic malaise of the “big two” of Europe, France and Germany, has made the headlines in the past few months, Europe watchers may have noticed that the latest region to be affected is in fact outside the Euro-zone altogether. Worries are surfacing that Read More…
Canada-US Border Deal: No Slam Dunk
By: Rodnie Allison When observing the Canada-US relationship it is important to take stock of the social, economic, and ideological features that unite us. We share the continent’s waterways, supply chains, airspace, and a much-touted undefended border. Simply put, we are being pushed together by forces far greater than that which are pulling us apart. Indeed Read More…
Cool Heads Needed Over Delisle Espionage Case
By Simon A. Miles The recent laying of charges against naval intelligence officer Sub-Lieutenant Jeffrey Paul Delisle has sent the Canadian news media into a tizzy, reminiscent of Cold War intrigue. At the time of his arrest, Delisle was working as a naval intelligence officer with HMCS Trinity in Halifax. The Department of National Defense Read More…
The Syrian Brief: Week Two
By: Alexander Corbeil Inside Syria Reports by Syrian opposition groups detailed the death of 30 people throughout Syria on Thursday in a widespread and brutal crackdown by Assad’s forces. The continuance of violence comes as a temporary ceasefire has been reached between the Syrian military and rebels in the mountain town of Zabadani, near the Read More…