India Eyes African Investments

With China keen to expand its trade ties with Africa—and maintaining a controversial energy relationship with Sudan (BBC)—discussion of Asian-African relations typically zeroes in on Beijing. Less commonly questioned are India’s substantial and increasing investments in Africa. India’s net investments on the African continent remain small relative to China’s (World Bank), but experts say a burgeoning Indian-African relationship nevertheless holds the potential to redraw economic lines of power in several African countries.

By CFR, USA.

International trade Policy Resource.

Confronting Terror in Open Society

Gordon Brown faced a trial by fire in his first week as Britain’s prime minister. Two days after his tenure began, Brown found himself beset by terrorism, first with the discovery of two car bombs (BBC) in central London, then later with a failed assault (Scotsman) on Glasgow’s airport. The incidents, detailed in this Telegraph timeline, draw attention to Britain’s terror response network, and more generally to how free societies interact with their Muslim citizens.

By CFR, USA.

Governance Policy Resource.

Rethinking Terror Lists

Terror lists are very much in vogue. Long the province of the U.S. State Department, which annually releases its Country Reports on Terrorism, the business of indexing terror organizations and “sponsor” states has diversified, with assorted think tanks and for-profit firms releasing their own, sometimes politically-colored rosters (WSJ.com). Now the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adds its brush to this canvas, crafting a blacklist of companies that report dealings with “state sponsors” of terrorism in their annual filings to the commission. SEC Chairman Christopher Cox says the project aims to protect investors from “indirectly subsidizing a terrorist state” (AP). But the list prompts outrage from companies and stirs debate more generally on the wisdom of releasing terror lists, given the potentially radioactive diplomatic consequences they tend to provoke.

By CFR, USA.

Humanitarian Intervention Policy Resource.

Mexico Tackles Reforms

The congressional brawls that preceded Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s inauguration did not bode well for his relationship with lawmakers or their constituents. Six months into his term, he seems to have won the respect of both. According to Mexico’s Reforma newspaper, Calderon’s approval rating in June was a strong 65 percent, up from 58 percent in March. Not bad for a man who squeaked into office by less than 1 percent of the vote over leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a disputed poll that left the country deeply divided.

By CFR, USA.

Governance Policy Resource.