Defending the Philippines: Military Modernization and the Challenges Ahead
May 3rd, 2012
China’s increasing belligerence in the South China Sea has led the new president of the Philippines, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, to make the most credible policy commitment in decades to improve Philippine military capabilities. China can now threaten the ability of the Philippines to access resources located in its exclusive economic zone.1 China can also impede access to the sea lanes in the South China Sea, including those near the Philippines, which are crucial arteries for both regional and global trade. Under Aquino’s leadership, the government has launched programs to build up the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Philippine Navy (PN). How much assistance Manila will seek from the United States remains unclear.
Dangerous Work: Violence Against Mexico’s Journalists and Lessons from Colombia
April 11th, 2012
The job of Mexican journalists covering drug trafficking and organized crime along the Mexico-U.S. border has regularly been called the most dangerous job in the world. And the danger has spread from journalists for traditional media to bloggers and citizens who post reports on drug cartel violence through social media such as Twitter and Facebook. The danger is not just from drug cartels, however. Journalists often identified local politicians and police–frequently in the pay of the cartels–as the source of most of the threats.
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