 | | January 27, 2012 |
| The State of the Union, Iran sanctions, and Egypt a year after the uprising were among the issues occupying policymakers and headline writers this week. Commentary and analysis from the Wilson Center. |  | Obama was tough on economic issues and highlighted the year's foreign policy achievements, says Director Jane Harman. Hear more about Jane Harman's reaction to the SOTU on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports. more | |  | Video Q&A // January 24, 2012 Egyptians mark the first anniversary of the revolution that toppled former dictator Hosni Mubarak—an uprising centering on Cairo's iconic square that prompted hopes of a new and democratic politics. Just back from a research trip to Egypt, Distinguished Scholar Robin Wright gives a first-hand impression of the country's political situation, reporting on protests against the military and the recent parliamentary elections.
More from Robin Wright on the unrest in Egypt in
The Wall Street Journal and on The Diane Rehm Show. |  | Event // January 23, 2012 Bipartisan support for foreign aid has led to notable successes, such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and long-running scholarship and technical programs for international students. Yet the U.S. public and many in Congress remain deeply skeptical of the value of such funding, questioning if it's a fair trade-off when similar investments may be needed at home. |  | Video // January 25, 2012 Embargoes on Iranian oil exports are having the desired effect, but military options should still remain on the table to deter Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, Jane Harman, director, president, and CEO of The Wilson Center told FoxNews on Tuesday. "The escalating rhetoric from Iran is proof that the sanctions are biting," Harman said, noting a recent European Union boycott of Iranian oil. "All of this means that the noose is tightening around the Iranian government." Harman stressed sanctions are aimed at dissuading Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. "The goal of these efforts is not to hurt the Iranian people but to get the government to abandon its potential nuclear ambitions," she said. | Wilson in the News | Distinguished Scholar Robin Wright published a piece on "the eyes of Tahrir," as the problem is now known in Cairo, one of many tangible human costs of the Egyptian uprising. Some 3,800 Egyptians have suffered serious eye injuries in the unrest, with at least 1,500 losing one eye, according to ophthalmology conference this month. Human rights activists claim the firing of rubber bullets and pellet guns at protesters' eyes is a deliberate tactic. | Egyptians are now most concerned with the fast deteriorating economic situation and the continuing presence of the military at the helm of power, Senior Scholar David Ottaway told CNN's OutFront. "They realize their would-be revolution has not produced a better economic life for them, and that the new regime is just as repressive and authoritarian as the old one," Ottaway said. | Director of the Latin American Program Cynthia Arnson said Salvadoran expatriates play a critical role by sending remittances home, but that is not enough. El Salvador needs people to help build the economy and provide education and job opportunities to keep people out of gangs, she said. "As important as the remittances are to subsidize consumption, [it] is not the same as creating productive capacity, and there is a huge role for the Salvadoran community living in the United States and other countries to contribute to their homeland by creating economic opportunity," Arnson said. "It is a vicious cycle and, unless people who are in a position to provide capital for the economic growth and job creation [also provide help], it is very hard to see how the country will ever break this cycle." | "FARC has been under unrelenting military pressure for over a decade," said Director of the Latin American Program Cynthia Arnson. "But FARC is still an enormously wealthy insurgent organization because of revenues from the drug trade. It still retains a capacity to commit acts of violence and harm people." | "Lopez was running far behind in the polls, and the Supreme Court's defiance of the decision by the Inter-American Court left a big cloud of uncertainty over Lopez's future, even if he were to come out ahead," said Director of the Latin American Program Cynthia Arnson. "Capriles has been the front-runner for some time, so the endorsement will continue to bolster his campaign." | The latest sanctions have been back-breaking, not just for the less affluent but also for the middle class, said Director of the Middle East Program Haleh Esfandiari. "People are buying less because the prices have gone up," she said. "That affects the shopkeepers. It's a vicious cycle." For many people, monthly government subsidies of $40 or $50 are no longer enough to get by. | Recognizing that the KLB is in grave danger, The Wilson Center has released a report this past month titled, "Aiding without abetting: Making US civilian assistance to Pakistan work for both sides." This report warns that substantial midcourse changes are needed if the KLB is to fulfill the hopes associated with it. | Despite his impressive win in South Carolina, the former speaker has too many flaws to make it to the White House, writes Senior Scholar Linda Killian. | Psychological care provided at the primary care level for all troops returning home from war is of the upmost importance, says Public Policy Scholar Nancy Sherman, they're heavy, invisible wounds are some of the most severe. | | | | | | Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
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