NEW LOOK AHEAD ESSAY: The Structural Constraints on Transatlantic Cooperation

Flags of European states outside of the parliament in Strasbourg. (Getty Images)

In the latest installment of Hudson's Look Ahead essay series, Peter Rough examines the trends emerging in the political culture of Europe and transatlantic relations, arguing that only an active and engaged United States can marshal the power of the West and bridge internal divisions within Europe to confront today's key geopolitical challenges. Likewise, Europe’s democratic institutions, wealth, trading relationships and military alliance with the United States enables the continent to continue to function as a xxxxxx against the corrosion of the American-led international order.

Why Operation Warp Speed Worked

General Gustave Perna delivers an update on Operation Warp Speed in the Rose Garden of the White House on November 13, 2020. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Operation Warp Speed can still push the vaccine rollout over the finish line–but governors must recognize that the federal government is operating under unprecedented pressures and adjust their operations accordingly, writes Arthur Herman in The Wall Street Journal. The principal mission of Operation Warp Speed was to develop, manufacture and distribute coronavirus vaccines. To date, the program has managed to produce and deliver about 50 million vaccine doses—all made in the U.S.—with hundreds of millions more on the way. This is the most remarkable achievement in modern medicine, made possible by following the model of the World War II mobilization effort.

Beijing's Welcome Gift to Biden: More Threats and Tensions

Chinese coast guard ship 6307 patrols the sea, Yantai City, Shandong Province, China on September 1, 2020. (Photo by Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Beijing welcomed the Biden administration by introducing a new law that strains already-fraught U.S.-China relations and increases the likelihood of a confrontation in the South China Sea, writes Patrick Cronin and Robert Manning in Foreign Policy. The new measure allows the China Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels, board and inspect ships in waters claimed by Beijing, and destroy any structures built by other states in the disputed Paracel and Spratly island chains, and also asserts the right to prevent ships from passing through waters illegally claimed by China. Washington must reclaim its credibility by making clear that this confrontational approach will carry high costs, and should be prepared to push back on acts of aggression by China.

Pakistan's Supreme Court Acquits Daniel Pearl's Killer

Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan. (Getty Images)

The decision by the Pakistani Supreme Court to acquit four men involved in the kidnapping and beheading of The Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl shows the persistence of jihadist sympathies in Pakistan, writes Husain Haqqani in The Wall Street Journal. While Pakistan has cooperated with the U.S. in the war against al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups, it has been reluctant to act against regional terrorist groups in Afghanistan and India. The Supreme Court’s decision suggests that the country still has a long way to go to overcome the lure of jihadism.

Iran Tests the New Administration 

President of Iran Hassan Rouhani speaks at the National Combat Board Meeting in Tehran, Iran on November 7, 2020. (Iran Presidency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Iran’s decision to detain U.S. citizen Emad Sharghi two days before President Biden’s inauguration is a test for the new administration, writes Seth Cropsey in RealClear Defense. With Iran eager to exert malign influence across the region, such actions are clearly designed to intimidate the U.S. into pursuing policies that placates the Iranian regime. President Biden’s response to this provocation will provide a good indication of future U.S. policy toward Iran.  

BEFORE YOU GO...

It's been a year since the United States signed a peace agreement with the Afghan Taliban and peace talks are at a standstill and violence unabated. Join us online this Friday for a discussion on the status of the peace agreement with Ambassador Husain Haqqani, Ambassador Javid Ahmad, and the Long World Journal’s Bill Roggio.