Elections, mass media and short-termism in foreign policy making: the case of Afghan war

After nearly eight years of conflict in Afghanistan it appears that the campaign is at its final stretch, with US and British troop withdrawals on the cards. However Nima Khorrami Assl writes that our short-termist strategies in Afghanistan expose inherent problems with the democratic process in producing effective foreign policy and that this is further complicated by an influential mass media

Keeping 16,000 police on the streets of London is an unsustainable strategy. Government should give serious consideration to turning ‘good gangs’ into voluntary neighborhood officers under police supervision

The mobilization of thousands of extra police into London appears to have been successful in preventing further rioting in disorder. However, Nima Khorrami Assl argues that keeping such vast numbers of police on the ground is not sustainable for much longer, especially in light of the government’s intended cuts to police. The government should give serious thought into co-opting those already defending their local communities into voluntary neighbourhood corps under the direct supervision of the police

Rather than pursuing a programme of direct involvement, Britain should seek a low profile in Yemen and encourage other Arab states to use their ‘soft power’ to encourage political and economic reforms

Recent political developments in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world, unthinkable even six months ago have resonated across the entire region. While the UK and the West may seek to encourage democratic reforms in other countries such as Yemen, Nima Khorrami Assl writes that a more active and engaging foreign policy in this area may in fact have the opposite effect to what is intended