Weekly Must Reads: Greece on the Brink and More

What do Greek elections, doctors, Mali, and Obama all have in common?  They’re all featured in our weekly must reads!

Take a look at our recommendations below.

“Greece Votes Itself in the Foot Again: The Rise of the Coalition of the Radical Left and the Demise of Europe”
Foreign Affairs
12 June 2012

With the next round of Greek elections coming up, Stathis Kalyvas at Foreign Affairs analyzes the two most likely outcomes—namely that either New Democracy or Syriza win a majority of the votes—and the effects this election could have on Greece’s place in the eurozone and the country’s economy at large.

“The Doctor’s Grim Reward”
Newsweek
11 June 2012

Sami Yousafzai, Nazar Ul Isla, and Ron Moreau profile the complicated and curious man, Shakeel Afridi, who helped lead America to Bin Laden.  They tell the story (or stories) of his recruitment by the Central Intelligence Agency, the strange conviction and sentencing he received for alleged ties to Lashkar-e-Islam, and the rising tension between ISI and U.S. intelligence agencies.

“The Second Term”
The New Yorker
18 June 2012

While Ryan Lizza’s essay outlines the whole of what could be Obama’s second term—both in terms of domestic and foreign policy—he places the potential of Obama’s second term in the context of other two-term presidents, discussing his shift towards a post-9/11 foreign policy with an emphasis on the Pacific as well as the role China and other countries may have on his second-term policies.

“Limbo Land”
Foreign Policy
14 June 2012

In “Limbo Land,” Peter Chilson offers a look into the heart of Mali, offering his own experience in witnessing the difficulties faced by a country plagued by raiders, a lack of resources—including military resources, and instability.

“Noonan: Who Benefits from the ‘Avalanche of Leaks?’”
Wall Street Journal
14 June 2012

“It’s a good thing our enemies can’t read. Wait, they can! They can download all this onto their iPads at a café in Islamabad,” says Peggy Noonan in this Wall Street Journal column on the wave of leaks coming seemingly from the Obama administration.  She offers her opinion on Congress’ involvement and her take on why this “avalanche of leaks” appeared—and how they can be stopped.