The Iran-allied Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi have met in Juwait to discuss a possible settlement in the ongoing war in Yemen, The meeting broke down without the sides even agreeing on an agenda to discuss. The violence began in September 2014 and more than 6,000 people have died in the conflict so far. The outcome is disappointing, but there has been a fragile cease-fire in place and at least the sides have agreed to talk. But there is clearly a long way to go.
Fred Kaplan has written an insightful piece for Slate that reviews the steps the Obama Administration has taken in Iraq to fight Daesh (the Islamic State). He raises the central issue about which many analysts have raised concern: the possibility of “mission creep” into a larger war. Kaplan does a good job of pointing out how American forces have learned important lessons about fighting in Iraq and suggests that perhaps Obama has taken steps to avoid a larger war. But President Obama leaves office in less than a year and who knows who the next US President will be.
170 nation-states will likely sign the climate change agreement that was forged in Paris last year and with luck the agreement will be ratified by the end of 2016. The agreement is significant only because it signals (finally) that the major polluters have recognized their responsibilities in changing their behaviors. The agreement itself does not contain mechanisms to avert climate change in any signficiant way.
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