Afghan retreat

­As Bonn conference on Afghanistan convenes, what is the future of this country after 10 years of Western military intervention? The main issues for the meeting are the upsurge in violence; the transition of security forces as international forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan; and potential negotiations to seek a peace agreement with the Taliban. What has the West, particularly the US,...

Pakistan’s revenge

When will US-Pakistan relations reach a point of no-return? Will the US stop its war on terror at the expense of civilians? How can the Pakistani government reconstruct relations with the US if the people have become extremely anti-American? CrossTalking with Robert Grenier and Ahmad Majidyar.

Fat tax

­Should people pay more for fattening goodies? Can it solve the problem of obesity? How will the money raised be used by the government? And would a fat tax actually stop people from consuming their beloved chocolate brand or donuts? CrossTalking with MeMe ROth, Philip Ridley and Robert Ferguson on November 30.

Bahrain Forgotten

­The BICI report has accused Bahraini security forces of wrongdoing, but is the issue of the report enough justify the regime? Will the international community buy it? And will the opposition take it seriously even if some of the report’s recommendations are implemented? Is Iran to blame for the unrest of the Bahraini people? Or is it another Arab Spring against corruption and injustice?...

Egyptian limbo

­Will Egypt’s military council ensure fair elections? Does the West support the military against the traditional bogeyman known as the Muslim Brotherhood? Will the army chief follow in Mubarak’s footsteps? And who will let the Egyptian people decide their own future? CrossTalking with Karl Sharro, Rania Al Malky and David Bukay on November 25.

#OWS assaulted

­Is OWS nothing more than a bunch of unemployed graduates and anti-Semites? Or do these people come from all walks of life and thus are fairly called the 99%? Are they chanting against inequality or do they question the capitalist system? And will these people be able to actually tackle the burning issues if they win seats in some political institutions? CrossTalking with Frances Fox Piven,...

EUNITY

­How much will the eurozone crisis divide Europe? Will we see less trust among nations? Will it allow nationalism and xenophobia to become more acceptable in society? And will more fiscal integration consolidate the Union’s political power? CrossTalking with Charles Kupchan, Vernon Bogdanor and Josen Janning.

GOP brain trust

­What has happened to the traditional Republican views on foreign policy? Can Obama’s foreign policy be viewed as hawkish? And if it can, then do the Republicans have to be extreme to outdo Obama? Do the current contenders actually have a clue as to how to deal with the Arab Spring and emerging powers? It seems that some of them like Herman Cain and Michelle Bachmann simply have to fill the...

Getting Syrious

Is there a case for Western intervention in Syria? Will the international community sit and wait until Assad goes? Will it use all its non-military means to help Syrians crash the regime? And if it doesn’t work, will we see a repeat of the Libyan scenario? And if there was a strong opposition movement, would the West feel more emboldened to get rid of another dictator? CrossTalking with Samer...

Iran déjà vu

­Is the latest IAEA report a case for a war with Iran? Why does the US get to read it first? Is there enough evidence to conclude that Iran’s nuclear program goes far beyond peaceful purposes? And why is no-one questioning the credibility of the IAEA? CrossTalk with Mark Levine, Patrick Hayes and Hooshang Amirahmadi on November 14.