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Spy Agency Watchdog Strikes a New Pose 0
- Analysis
- August 24, 2014
Published in the Ottawa Citizen, August 23, 2014

The old adage in the spy business, when it came to publicity, was “no news is good news.” That ceased to pass democratic muster in Canada only in the mid-1980s and …
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Is Putin the World’s Most Popular Politician?0
- Analysis
- August 17, 2014
Reviled in the West as a dictator, Russian president Vladimir Putin is enjoying a surge of support at home. According to the latest results published by polling organization Levada (which is generally considered hostile to the Russian government), Putin has …
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Afghanistan’s Never-Ending Election Multiplies Causes for Concern 0
- Analysis
- August 13, 2014
A relatively orderly and peaceful first-round election in Afghanistan this year saw an almost 60% voter turnout in defiance of Taliban threats, symbolizing Afghans’ determination to unite in the interest of peace and stability. The democratic process appeared to have …
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Who’s Leading the World?0
- Analysis
- August 11, 2014
The simple but disturbing answer is: nobody.

Our world has over a billion people still living in extreme poverty. There are 25 million jobless in Europe. Jihadists control half of Iraq. The Doha Trade Round is in its 13^th…
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Behind Canada’s Shifting Rhetoric on Israel 0
- Analysis
- August 10, 2014
Published in the Ottawa Citizen, August 5, 2014

The current round of violence between Israel and Hamas has given rise to a renewed wave of criticism of the Canadian government’s close support for Israel. Underlying such criticism is often …
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Peacekeeping Works Better Than You May Think 0
- Analysis
- August 2, 2014
Does peacekeeping work? Janice Stein (University of Toronto) and I had a lively exchange on this subject on the CBC radio program “The House” this weekend. Have a listen.

In the interview, I said that more than two …
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Moral Confusion in Gaza and Ukraine 0
- Analysis
- August 1, 2014
In my last post for the CIPS Blog, I drew readers’ attention to Robert Entman’s 1991 article comparing media coverage of the shooting down of Korean Airlines Flight 007 in 1983 and Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988. It is …
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Ethnic Divisions Mar Afghanistan’s Second-Round Elections 0
- Analysis
- July 11, 2014
The Afghan election, which started with enormous enthusiasm from Afghan voters, the government and the international community, has turned sour. It is now marred with disputes centred on ethnic (mainly Pashtun/Tajik) divisions, splitting the country along ethnic lines and driving …
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Canada Needs to Reconnect with its Diplomatic Tradition 0
- Analysis
- July 10, 2014
The Harper government’s neglect of diplomacy has resulted in a largely ineffective foreign policy that has not served Canada’s interests, argues CIPS director Roland Paris in this video clip. His remarks were part of a panel discussion organized by Canadian …
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Un surréalisme inquiétant: le point de vue de Moscou 0
- Analysis
- July 10, 2014
À l’invitation du ministère de la Défense de Russie, du 22 au 24 mai 2014, j’ai assisté à la Troisième Conférence de Moscou sur la Sécurité internationale qui portait officiellement sur le Moyen-Orient, l’Afghanistan et l’Asie du Sud. Évidemment, compte …
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The Use and Abuse of Diversity in Canada’s Foreign Policy 0
- Analysis
- July 2, 2014
In late May of this year, the Ottawa Forum delivered a sparkling lineup of speakers who proposed new directions for Canada’s international policy. A recurrent theme of the forum’s discussions, in the words of co-organizers Taylor Owen and Roland Paris, …
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Wherefore the Air Force? A Review of Robert Farley’s “Grounded”0
- Analysis
- June 24, 2014
Robert Farley, Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2014).

The future of the U.S. military may be in Canada’s past, contends Robert Farley. The book’s main argument is that …
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