Will the recruits training for Somalia’s new navy — its first in decades — prove capable against threats such as piracy? Considering that Mogadishu is also beseeching neighboring states to send more troops to assist in its struggle against rebel forces, I wonder.

In Iran, Lebanon and North Korea, a familiar lesson has played out dramatically in recent days: When freedom reigns, human life has greater importance and security; the opposite prevails under repression.
Why not start with the just-concluded sham election in Iran, a country that once experimented with genuine democratic practices? It is easy to join with [...]

As negotiations continue to force North Korea to end its dangerously irresponsible nuclear program, the most important player clearly is China. So far, many Americans have been understandably dismayed by Beijing’s apparent reluctance to do more than criticize Pyongyang for its disruptive behavior. But is the Chinese response to the crisis as glove-soft as it [...]