World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The announcement of a new Islamic State (IS) to replace the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was made over the radio.  The transcript of the announcement has been made available through the Middle East Media Research Institute, and it is a remarkable document.  It establishes a new Caliphate and names Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi as the Caliph.  The announcement explicitly repudiates most of the logic currently governing the world order:

“So rush O Muslims and gather around your caliph, so that you may return as you once were for ages, kings of the earth and knights of war. Come so that you may be honored and esteemed, living as masters with dignity… By Allah, if you disbelieve in democracy, secularism, nationalism, as well as all the other garbage and ideas from the west, and rush to your religion and creed, then by Allah, you will own the earth, and the east and west will submit to you. This is the promise of Allah to you…”

This is the first time since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the guidelines for a genuine alternative to the Western world order has been articulated.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ended the cease-fire against the Russian-speaking separatists in eastern Ukraine.  The cease-fire has been in place for several weeks, but there has been no reciprocal action, and Poroshenko has vowed to restore the sovereignty of Ukraine.   Both sides are clearly prepared for a spike in violence, and it remains to be seen how Russia and the West will react to the outbreak.  But Poroshenko has signaled his desire to move Ukraine closer to the West.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it clear that he intends to modify Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution in which Japan renounces war.  That clause was inserted into the Japanese Constitution after World War II in order to reassure Japan’s neighbors that Japanese militarism would not resurface.  There have been huge protests against Abe’s plans and most polls indicate that the Japanese people do not wish to change the constitution.  The growth of Chinese power in the region, however, makes it difficult for Japan to defend its interests in a traditional balance of power manner.  It seems unlikely, however, that Abe is interested in trying alternative methods of defending Japanese interests.