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Before We Get Carried Away: Politics, Security and Nigeria’s Missing Girls 0
- Analysis
- May 22, 2014
It is rare that Africa captures the attention of the world. Its everyday suffering is normally barely a ripple on the global airwaves. Not so with the kidnapped schoolgirls of Chibok. By now, the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls has been retweeted over …
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Political Legitimacy Is What Matters in Ukraine’s Popular Referendums 0
- Analysis
- May 15, 2014
A decade ago, The Spectator magazine commissioned me to write an article arguing that the British government ought to hold a referendum on the proposed new constitution for the European Union. I went further, and proposed that if the government …
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Security Certificates Are Flawed Tools 0
- Analysis
- May 15, 2014
Published in the Ottawa Citizen, May 14, 2014

It was not a jailhouse door that slammed in Mohamed Harkat’s face this week, but something ultimately more definitive: a Supreme Court ruling. Harkat has lost a long legal battle that …
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Is Canada Pulling Its Weight in NATO?0
- Analysis
- May 9, 2014
When NATO’s military commander, General Philip Breedlove, visited Ottawa this week, he noted that Canada was one of the first countries to contribute military equipment and forces to NATO’s temporary deployment of land, sea and air assets to Eastern Europe, …
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Parliament Neglects its Duty to Debate Military Deployments 0
- Analysis
- May 7, 2014
by Philippe Lagassé

Published in the Ottawa Citizen, May 6, 2014

It is easy to blame Parliament’s failings on an excess of executive power in our system of government. In certain cases, however, the legislature is the source of …
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Quick Take: What’s the Significance of Ukraine/Russia So Far?0
- Analysis
- April 30, 2014
What’s the most significant outcome to date of developments in Ukraine/Russia?

CIPS faculty were invited to give brief responses to this question—still very much a development in progress, as many of them point out. Here’s a range of strikingly disparate …
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CIDA’s Underspending: The Minister’s Explanations Don’t Add Up 0
- Analysis
- April 28, 2014
While global foreign aid reached an all-time high in 2013, the Canadian government’s contributions fell by over 11%. Among the 28 industrialized countries belonging to the Development Assistance Committee, only debt-ridden Portugal cut aid more drastically than Canada. Not …
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The Ottawa Forum: Rethinking Canada’s International Strategy 0
- Analysis
- April 27, 2014
It’s been almost a decade since Canada conducted a foreign policy review.

The Ottawa Forum on May 23-24, co-organized by CIPS and the Canadian International Council, will bring together some of Canada’s most insightful “next generation” policy thinkers and most …
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Ukraine: Another Example of the Dangerous Clash of Hegemons 0
- Analysis
- April 15, 2014
A previous version of this essay was published in the Huffington Post on March 18, 2014

When the history of the early decades of the 21^st century is written, it may well be called the era of multiple clashing …
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Canada Makes Palestinian Human Rights a Pawn in Mideast Peace Talks 0
- Analysis
- April 10, 2014
As John Kerry’s deadline fast approaches for concluding a ‘Framework Agreement’ in the resuscitated Israel-Palestine negotiations, few are optimistic. Those disparaging the deal, or even the need for a deal, appear to have the upper hand in both camps. The …
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Afghanistan’s 2014 Election: A Referendum Against the Taliban 0
- Analysis
- April 8, 2014
April 5 was the day of Afghanistan’s historic election, a milestone in its history. I saw men and women, young and old, lined up in the rain-damped city to vote from dawn to dusk, exercising their democratic rights. In 50 …
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The Curious Case of Jonathan Pollard 0
- Analysis
- April 7, 2014
One of the stranger aspects of the current round of the interminable Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is the reported idea that the U.S. is considering releasing Jonathan Pollard as an inducement to keep the Israeli government at the peace table for …
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