Up Front Blog

Reuters/Thomas Peter - A woman unfolds the pre-Islamic revolution Iranian national flag during a demonstration.
Suzanne Maloney, November 04, 2009
Three decades after Iran seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, igniting a 14-month hostage crisis, Suzanne Maloney examines the current state of power in the Islamic Republic. Maloney says that the recent demonstrations in Iran are an extension of the country's unanswered conversation of legitimate ruling authority, and that responses by hard-liners indicate a belief that any reform would beget revolution.
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Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Nonproliferation, Diplomacy
SPOTLIGHT: Africa

World Bank/Scott Wallace - Fishermen prepare nets on shore of Lake Victoria, Tanzania.
Ernest Aryeetey, November 03, 2009
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Treasury Neal Wolin's visit to three African nations demonstrates the commitment by the current administration to African development issues. Ernest Aryeetey urges Deputy Secretary Wolin to focus on sustainable development and encourage countries to establish frameworks for long-term growth.
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Africa, Development, Developing Countries, Global Poverty, Economic Development
Up Front Blog

Reuters/Adrees Latif - Abdullah Abdullah, holds up a ballot at a news conference in Kabul.
Michael E. O'Hanlon, October 31, 2009
Michael O'Hanlon discusses Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal from Afghanistan's presidential election runoff that was scheduled for November 7. O'Hanlon argues that while Afghan President Karzai can now be viewed as legitimate, although tainted, he is hardly out of the woods.
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Afghanistan, Elections, Governance, Politics