Topic One: Sino-Soviet Relations

The Sino-Soviet pact of alliance formed last year seems to be crumbling already, being perhaps the most short-lived treaty since the Munich agreements in pre-WWII Germany. Russia, traditionally anti-Chinese, has been alarmed by Chinese nuclear tests near the Russian boarder, and many Russian officials have been quick to blame the Chinese for the recent terrorist attack on the Russian oil refinery in Ust' Urov.

It is in our opinion at CNN that to assume that the Russians and Chinese are a single giant Communist Bloc would be an even greater mistake than it was in the days of the Korean and Vietnam wars. If relations between Russia and China continue to mount in intensity, we can probably expect to see the Asian alliance system to change drastically. India may find itself a powerful ally in Soviet Russia, as it did during the Cold War. The addition of Russia on the side of India would no doubt spark a new series of wars over Kashmir and other Indian lands lost in previous wars with China and Pakistan.

Topic Two: Iranian Expansion

In the past several months, Iran has begun a campaign of expansion which has been payed little attention to by any Western power, most notably Israel, considering the profound effects such an expansion would have on Israeli foreign policy. Iran has already annexed several of the "stans", as well as Iraq and Kuwait. Smaller Islamic nations, Jordan and Syria, have joined in agreements with Iran, effectively making them satellite states. Iran's most powerful ally, Russia, has been traditionally anti-Israel, and the addition of the anti-semetic Egyptian nation to the alliance may have pushed the Islamic expansion over the edge. Something should be done do curve the Iranian expansion, and to stop the Egyptians who have already made threats to the Israeli government of land annexation in southern Israel.

Topic Three: Ukranian-Chinese Weapons Trading

In a time when Russia seems to be preoccupied with fears of Chinese treachery, the Ukranian government is displaying little diplomatic skill. Perhaps the next target for the reignited Russian expansion into Europe, Ukraine has opened talks for weapons technology swaps with China, further freezing relations between Russia and Ukraine. This may possibly result in a stepped-up Russian expansion into southeastern Europe, to prevent Ukraine (and her ally in Romania) from becoming a threat to the western boarder of Russia.

This isn't even to mention the effects this may have on Western relations with both Ukraine and China. If the two enter in pacts together, the western approach to handling Red China, as well as handling Eastern Europe, will have to be drastically altered. The world doesn't need another rogue nuclear power, and the Ukraine, being a member of neither NATO or the EU, could prove to be as unpredictable a nuclear power as Korea has been since the late 1990's.

Topic Four: Polish Espionage

In the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, Polish operatives have been uncovered attempting to transfer weapons technology secrets from these nations back to Poland. Could this be a demonstration that Soviet influence has expanded throughout Eastern Europe to the extent that Soviet Russia is able to monitor the actions of even the most powerful Baltic state? If this is true, then the Soviet expansion has gone unchecked for too long ,and programs will need to be instated to secure Eastern Europe from Soviet influence. Perhaps a good way to handle this situation would be to open membership in NATO and the EU to every Eastern nation?

Topic Five: Governmental Inactivity in Southern Europe

With the great exception of Greece, every major government in Southern Europe, including Italy and Spain, has been completely inactive for the past couple of months. Both Spain and Italy are suffering from severe economic problems resulting from their inability... and apparent lack of desire... to pass any sort of funding provisions for the year. If Italy's economy continues to slide, all of Southern Europe may become prey to extremist groups from both the left and the right.