World Politics Review

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The Significance of Pope Francis' Historic Trip to Iraq Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Pope Francis traveled to Iraq earlier this month, his first trip overseas since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the first-ever papal visit to the war-torn country. Francis said he wrestled with concerns that the three-day visit could facilitate the spread of COVID-19, but ultimately deemed it a worthwhile opportunity to encourage and show solidarity with Iraq's dwindling Christian minority. During his travels, the pontiff also highlighted a number of issues that he has devoted considerable attention to throughout his papacy, including poverty, interfaith dialogue and conflict resolution.

Joshua McElwee, the Vatican correspondent and international news editor for the National Catholic Reporter, had a front-row seat to this historic occasion as part of the press pool that traveled with Francis to Iraq. He joins WPR's Elliot Waldman on the Trend Lines podcast this week to discuss the significance and symbolism of the trip.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

The Pope's Visit Exposed Iraq's Lack of Reconstruction

Under Pope Francis, Vatican Flexes Its Global Political Muscle

In Northern Iraq, Ethnic Minorities Are Key to Rebuilding After ISIS

Are Iraq and the U.S. Ready to Win the Peace After the Liberation of Mosul?

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Biden's Review of Drone Strikes Is a Chance to Reject 'Targeted Killings' Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

On its first day in office, the Biden administration quietly placed temporary limits on counterterrorism drone strikes outside of active battlefields. According to the New York Times, which first broke the news last week, the new restrictions are intended as a stopgap while Biden's national security team conducts a broader review of U.S. counterterrorism operations overseas—including whether to reverse policies put in place by the Trump administration that expanded the use of drone strikes.

In light of the Biden administration's more cautious stance on drone strikes and its renewed focus on multilateralism, some analysts have argued the U.S. should be part of a broader, international effort to limit the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in certain contexts. But what would such an effort look like in practice? How workable is it? And what other pressing international legal questions would need to be addressed?

This week on Trend Lines, WPR's Elliot Waldman digs into these questions with Charli Carpenter, a professor of political science and legal studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a guest researcher at the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

Can the Laws of War Adapt to a World of Drone Warfare?

Behind the Growth Market in Counter-Drone Technology

Why It's So Hard to Defend Against Drones

Are Drones the 'Perfect Assassination Weapon,' or an Overblown Threat?

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

A New Chief Prosecutor, and New Challenges, for the ICC Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

Last month, after months of jockeying for influence, member states of the International Criminal Court held a secret ballot to determine the court's next chief prosecutor. The winner was Karim Khan, a British lawyer with extensive experience on both the prosecutorial and defense side of international criminal cases. Khan will be only the third person to hold the job.

He will take over from the current chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, at a time when the ICC faces some difficult questions about what kind of institution it will be. This week on Trend Lines, WPR's Elliot Waldman is joined by Kyle Rapp, a doctoral candidate specializing in international law at the University of Southern California, to discuss Khan's vision for the ICC and the difficult balancing act he will be faced with in his new role.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

An ICC Investigation Into War Crimes Is Key to Securing Peace in Afghanistan

The International Criminal Court Is in Danger of Being Bullied Into Irrelevance

The ICC Is Flawed. Is It Still Africa's Best Hope for Justice?

Can International Justice Survive in an Age of Renewed Nationalist Fervor?

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Why Innovation Will Be Key to Africa's Post-COVID Rebuilding Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Most African countries have fared relatively well in their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, reporting rates of infection and mortality that are far below those seen across much of Europe and the Americas. Yet Africa is expected to take a huge economic hit from the pandemic and its associated containment measures, with the African Development Bank forecasting that an additional 50 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty across the continent.

Vaccination drives and economic relief packages will certainly be important to contain the damage. But according to author and researcher Efosa Ojomo, emerging-market nations should be aiming to build societies that are more resilient to economic shocks like the pandemic.

This week on Trend Lines, Ojomo joins WPR's Elliot Waldman to discuss how the concept of "market-creating innovations" can foster broad-based solutions to poverty and other social problems in the wake of the pandemic. Ojomo is the head of the Global Prosperity research group at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, and a co-author of "The Prosperity Paradox: How innovation can lift nations out of poverty."

Relevant Articles on WPR:

Africa Is a Coronavirus Success Story So Far, If Only the World Would Notice

How Africa's Surging Technology Sector Can Reach Its Full Potential

Tech Giants Are Engaged in a New Scramble for Africa

The Continued Relevance of Informal Finance in Development

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Can Belarus' Stalled Protests Regain Momentum? Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

Just over six months ago, Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, was declared the winner of a presidential election. Like others before it, the outcome of the Aug. 9 vote was not in question—official results showed Lukashenko winning just over 80 percent of the ballots despite widespread reports of voter fraud and the violent suppression of opposition supporters.

What happened next, though, was unprecedented. In the weeks and months after the rigged election, huge masses of people took to the streets of Minsk and other cities across Belarus to demand Lukashenko's resignation, as well as the release of all political prisoners. The scale of the rallies has ebbed in recent months, but a core group of protesters has braved Lukashenko's brutal security apparatus, as well as the bitter winter cold, to continue regular demonstrations.

This week on Trend Lines, WPR's Elliot Waldman is joined by Dan Peleschuk, a freelance journalist and WPR contributor based in Kyiv, Ukraine, to discuss what might be next for Belarus' protesters. Peleschuk was imprisoned for two days while trying to cover the protests last summer in Minsk, and wrote about that experience for BuzzFeed News.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

How Russia's Putin Could Respond to the Protests in Belarus

'It's Not Normal for Belarus.' Lukashenko Faces Growing Pre-Election Protests

Making Sense of the Arrest of Russian Mercenaries in Belarus

Is Russia's Pressure on Belarus Putting It in Play for the West?

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Biden Confronts Trump's Disastrous Legacy on Immigration Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

Since he took office last month, President Joe Biden has moved quickly to overhaul Donald Trump's immigration policies. Among other measures, the new administration has moved to rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which had been gutted under Trump; ended the "safe third country" agreements that aimed to force asylum-seekers to first register their claims in other nations before traveling to the United States; stopped construction of the wall along parts of the U.S. border with Mexico; and issued a 100-day pause on deportations, although that order has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Adam Isacson, a longtime WPR contributor who is currently the director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, has been tracking the detrimental impacts of Trump's immigration policies and their ripple effects in Central America. He joins WPR's Elliot Waldman on the Trend Lines podcast this week to discuss Biden's early moves on immigration.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

America Needs More Open Immigration

Biden's New Approach to Central America Is Welcome, but It Won't Be Easy

Trump's Anti-Immigrant Crackdown Is Creating New Coronavirus Hotspots

Trump's Threats Won't Make Mexico and Guatemala 'Safe Third Countries'

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Addressing Gender Disparities in COVID-19 Recoveries Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

Around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has taken an especially high toll on women and girls. From public health to education to jobs and livelihoods, studies have revealed a gender disparity in the impact of COVID-19 that is particularly wide in lower- and middle-income countries. Yet for all the work that's been done, experts say there's still a lot they don't know about how these impacts are being felt across different communities.

To help address this problem, the Center for Global Development recently launched a new initiative to analyze the gendered impacts of the pandemic and study policy responses around the world with the aim of addressing the long-term causes of gender inequality. The leader of the initiative, Megan O'Donnell, discussed her work with WPR's Elliot Waldman this week on the Trend Lines podcast.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

The Importance of Gender Inclusion in COVID-19 Responses

'Don't We Deserve More?' Mexico's Spike in Femicides Sparks a Women's Uprising

To Save the Economy From COVID-19, Protect Informal Workers

Another Victim of COVID-19: Sustainable Development

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Decoding Kim Jong Un's Latest Show of Strength Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party has had a busy start to the year. Earlier this month, the Eighth Party Congress was held in the capital, Pyongyang: Eight days of meetings, including a 9-hour work report read out by leader Kim Jong Un himself. Just a couple days after those sessions wrapped up, Kim oversaw a celebratory military parade, the second one since October, featuring a new missile described by state media as the "world's most powerful weapon." New analysis of satellite imagery by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute suggests Pyongyang could be preparing for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

According to Duyeon Kim, an adjunct senior fellow with the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, these showy events, filled with pomp and fanfare, are designed to project strength at a time when North Korea's economy is reeling from a "triple whammy" of sanctions, COVID-19 and consecutive natural disasters. She joined WPR's Elliot Waldman on the Trend Lines podcast this week to break down the multilayered messaging from the recent party congress and what to expect from North Korea in the coming year.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

Will Biden Go Big or Go Backward on North Korea Diplomacy?

At a Huge Military Parade, North Korea's Kim Speaks Softly and Flaunts a Big Missile

As North Korea's Economy Reels, Kim Looks to Tighten Control

Why North Korea Blew Up Its Détente With the South

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

Trump's Poisonous Legacy: Emboldened Far-Right Extremists Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

The storming of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., by pro-Trump insurrectionists earlier this month was both shocking and utterly unsurprising. After all, for anyone paying attention to the rioters' social media posts in the days and weeks leading up to the event, they made their intentions clear. A subset of the participants appeared to have technical training, and had laid meticulous plans well in advance of Jan. 6.

The attack on the Capitol, then, was a culmination—not just of the insurrectionists' efforts to train and arm themselves for a violent revolt, but also of years of recruitment and radicalization by right-wing militias and other violent groups in the United States, all too often egged on by Donald Trump and his supporters.

But Jan. 6 was also the beginning of a dangerous new era in which attacks by violent extremists could become commonplace, says Colin Clarke, a specialist on domestic and transnational terrorism at the Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consultancy. This week on Trend Lines, Clarke joins WPR's Elliot Waldman to discuss the rising threat of far-right extremism in the United States, and what the future of this movement could look like after Trump leaves office.

Relevant Articles on WPR:

Deplatforming Pro-Trump Extremists Could Drive Them Underground

Will America's Fever Break After the Pro-Trump Siege of the Capitol?

Jihadism May Be Waning, but New Forms of Violent Extremism Are Emerging

How to Tackle the Urgent Threat of Transnational Right-Wing Extremism

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

What the End of the Qatar Boycott Means for the Gulf Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

Flights between Saudi Arabia and Qatar are resuming this week and the land border has reopened between the two countries—signs of a thaw in relations after three and half years of acrimony. Last week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed to end a travel and trade blockade they had imposed on Qatar in 2017. Those four countries, calling themselves the "anti-terror quartet," had accused Qatar of supporting radical Islamist groups, among other charges.

The crisis had divided the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, and the United States had lobbied extensively for an end to the blockade. But according to Sanam Vakil, the deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House in London, there remains a lot of work to do for the GCC to rebuild trust and address the disputes that caused relations to break down in the first place.

This week on Trend Lines, Vakil joins WPR's Elliot Waldman to discuss the lingering divisions and mistrust among Gulf countries

Relevant Articles on WPR:

Are Saudi Arabia and Its Gulf Neighbors Close to Ending the Qatar Boycott?

What Does Disarray in the Gulf Mean for the GCC?

Qatar's Exit From OPEC Could Exacerbate a Rift Among Its Members

Turkey Rolls the Dice by Supporting Qatar in Its Feud With Saudi Arabia

Trend Lines is produced and edited by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

To send feedback or questions, email us at podcast@worldpoliticsreview.com.

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