News + Media

	Analysis + Opinion February 26, 2015 Putin’s war of words, decoded By Elizabeth Wood The Washington Post On Feb. 20, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin handed out medals in a special ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of World War II, the war Russians know as The Great Patriotic War.
	Analysis + Opinion February 17, 2015 The Pentagon’s bloat Benjamin H. FriedmanBoston Globe Accounting tricks and self-interested politicians ensure that US military spending will remain immune from any real ‘hard choices’.
	Analysis + Opinion February 10, 2015 Just say no: America should avoid these wars Barry R. PosenNational Interest The bipartisan U.S. foreign-policy establishment seems to only know how to generate new wars. None end well.
	Analysis + Opinion February 9, 2015 US social science and international relations Stephen Van EveraWar on the Rocks In the eloquent essay that kicked off “The Schoolhouse” series, my colleague Frank Gavin pointed to a number of issues that affect and infect graduate education in international affairs, particularly at the PhD level.
	Analysis + Opinion February 6, 2015 Does the Islamic State believe in sovereignty? Richard A. NielsenThe Washington Post The Islamic State claims that its attempt to assert exclusive political control over wide swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria is legitimate, but its brand of sovereignty is very different from the existing international norms.
	Analysis + Opinion February 5, 2015 Breaking discipline and closing gaps? The state of international relations education Francis J. GavinWar on the Rocks Over 20 years ago, esteemed political scientist Alexander George published Bridging the Gap: Theory and Practice in Foreign Policy, which identified a growing divide between academics and policymakers interested in foreign policy and international affairs.
	News Release February 3, 2015 Former national security advisor of India joins CIS Shivshankar Menon, a former national security advisor of India, has been named a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow. The Indian diplomat will be at CIS for one month beginning February 3, 2015. During his time at MIT, Menon will be working on a history of India-China relations. He also will meet with faculty and students to discuss regional issues.
	Analysis + Opinion January 21, 2015 How Obama fell short on cybersecurity Joel BrennerPOLITICO Magazine Under the president’s proposals, we’ll remain America the vulnerable.
	News@E40 January 9, 2015 Wickremesinghe elected PM of Sri Lanka The Center is thrilled to announce that Ranil Wickremesinghe was recently elected prime minister of Sri Lanka. Wickremesinghe was a CIS Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow in the spring of 2014. While at MIT, he focused on how to formulate a constitution sans an executive presidency. He also worked with faculty and students interested in Asian regional issues. In addition, he was the key speaker at Starr Forum: The Indian Ocean: The Vortex of Destiny. Wickremesinghe was prime minister of Sri Lanka twice before, from May 7, 1993 to August 19, 1994, and from December 9, 2001 to April 6, 2004.
	In the News December 17, 2014 What falling oil prices and new US sanctions mean for Russia Diane Rehm Show Russia’s economy is in turmoil as authorities there take drastic steps to stabilize the ruble. To help prop it up, the central bank raised a key interest rate and the Russian government has begun selling off its foreign currency reserves. The economy is being battered by a combination of western sanctions and falling oil prices.