The Impact of Islamic State on U.S. Middle Eastern Strategy

On September 10,2014,U.S.President Barack Obama announced a new strategy for fighting the extremist group,the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham(ISIL).1It is generally considered that this marks a major turn in US’Middle Eastern strategy,and observers have commented that the U.S.may have got itself once again"mired in the Middle East".How can we accurately assess U.S.Middle Eastern strategy?And how should we

The Historical Logic of the Resurgence of the Afghan Taliban

In the wake of the Afghanistan War,the Afghan Taliban(hereafter termed the Taliban)quickly regrouped and set up a horizontal organizational structure in which their ethnic composition became increasingly diverse and their ideology appeared more pragmatic and moderate.The Taliban accommodated the political culture and demands of the vast rural and tribal societies of Afghanistan by providing necessary public goods and satisfying the need of local communities for survival and security.Hence,the Afghan society was mobilized.By contrast,the Afghan government failed miserably in its efforts to centralize power and develop rural areas,which resulted in lessened efficiency of the governance of the Afghan state due to intense competition among ethnic groups.Gradually,the Taliban filled the power vacuums in the countryside,eroding and dismantling the local institutions of the Afghan government.Ultimately,it returned to power during the withdrawal of the United States(US)troops from the country.Nevertheless,a long list of major challenges is awaiting the Taliban,including the reconfiguration of its loosely organized structure and the building of a sociopolitical system capable of melding Islamic traditions with modern spirits.In this manner,power sharing,political inclusiveness,and economic growth can be achieved in Afghanistan,and the country can be reaccepted into the international community.

The Nature of No-Fly Zones in International Relations

A No-Fly Zone (NFZ) is a unique mode of humanitarian intervention that is understudied in international relations. This article focuses on the politics of NFZs in international relations, and investigates their nature by empirically reviewing all three cases of NFZs to date. NFZs represent a middle ground for international intervention which, both legally and legitimately, may be aimed at either protecting populations or promoting regime change in weak states, depending on the circumstances. There may be efforts by intervening states to highlight humanitarian crises among certain targets in order to secure UN authorization for the NFZs;but the implementation of NFZs is also largely driven by the security interests of the enforcing states. As a result, there is the potential for those states implementing NFZs to transcend legal authorization and to at times use excessive force, with the potential for calamitous results for local people, or, in extreme cases, to accomplish regime change by supporting opposition parties in target states.

Global Politics:The Middle East Remains the Darkest Place in 2015

Over the past four years,political changes in the Middle East have always appeared to be unexpected and dazzling.Anti-government'Arab Spring'movements against strongman politics broke out in 2011;political Islam gained power through elections in Tunisia and Egypt in2012;an Egyptian military coup occurred in 2013;and in 2014 the'Islamic State'sprung up in Iraq and Syria.All these seemingly irrational episodes in fact share an inherent logical relationship.Looking ahead to2015,there is no end in sight to the military conflicts currently rife in the Middle East.This includes civil wars such as those in Iraq,Syria,and Libya,and the Yemen and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.There is no hope

Islamic State Reflects the Darker Side of International Politics

In revolutions,it is crucial to identify who is the enemy and who is the friend.But when we look at Islamic State it is difficult to distinguish between the two.If there are only two participants,and the relationship is linear,there is no problem.But when there are multiple players,the problem becomes complex.When each player has many targets,and these targets overlap,conflict and vary,the friend-foe relationship

Collective Blindness:A Reflection on Predictions by Chinese Academics about the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

During the early part of the 21 st century,Chinese academic circles made judgments and forecasts about U.S.war aims in Afghanistan and the Middle East,the possible process of the wars,and outcomes of postwar reconstruction.After the U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan on October 7,2001,and its military invasion of Iraq on March 20,2003,these big events were analyzed in the context of the international politics of the time.Since these two conflicts are coming to a conclusion,at least in their direct military scope,it is time to look back upon the forecasting framework to see whether alterations and improvements can be made.On December 18,2011,all American combat troops pulled out of Iraq,and the end is in sight for U.S.withdrawal from Afghanistan—either in December 2014,or thereafter.

The Role of Islam in the Development of the‘Belt and Road’Initiative

Historically,the interaction between the religion and trade has not only promoted the expansion of Islam along the Land and Maritime Silk Road,but also developed a close relationship between China and the Islamic world.Now Islam is one of the most influential and widely distributed religions in the world.Being in the core sections of Land and Maritime Silk Road,the Middle East,Central Asia,South Asia,and Southeast Asia are the areas where Islam is a dominant religion.Therefore,for China,good relations with Islamic countries are very critical for the successful implementation of the‘Belt and Road’Initiative.China’s over 23 million Muslims(especially the Hui People)know two cultures(Chinese and Islamic),have two identities(Chinese and Muslims),and are the natural bridge between China and Islamic countries.Chinese Muslims are playing an important role in the development of Islamic finance and production of Muslim licit(halal)food products which are two potential cooperation areas between China and Islamic countries.For China and Islamic countries,it is necessary to expand cultural exchanges to eliminate some misunderstandings of each other.