Foreign Policy Blogs

Archive | August, 2011

Turkey Solidifies Key Role in Libya

Turkey Solidifies Key Role in Libya


Turkey’s policy in Libya raises questions of how patient it will be with neighbor Syria.
In an effort to show Turkey’s leading role in Libya, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutolgu arrived in Benghazi, Tuesday (August 23rd), to meet with the leaders of the National Transitional Council (NTC), …

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The Narrative Matters on the UN Vote

The Narrative Matters on the UN Vote


 
The Palestinian’s unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nation’s in September is right around the corner, but what was initially considered by some as a shrewd maneuver to force their terms as part of the peace process is now facing a much larger uphill battle.
Given …

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Japan’s Jobless Rate Climbs to 4.7%

Japan’s Jobless Rate Climbs to 4.7%

The government said Tuesday that Japan’s jobless rate climbed to 4.7 percent in July, up 0.1 percent from a month earlier, while household spending fell a real 2.1 percent to 280,046 yen ($3,649).
While a jobless rate of 4.7 percent seems relatively low considering that the U.S.’s unemployment rate for July …

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Welcoming PM Noda to the Neighborhood

Welcoming PM Noda to the Neighborhood


In her most recent post at CFR’s Asia Unbound, Elizabeth Economy lays out the range of Chinese reactions to PM Noda’s election, which has spanned, in her words, “from the bleak to the belligerent.” She writes,
“Chinese analysts point out that the prime minister has …

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U.S. Endures Deadly Month

U.S. Endures Deadly Month


As this last day of the month unfolds I think we can be forgiven for being a bit distracted as a country. An earthquake hit the East Coast, and while not unprecedented, it was certainly jarring for many people. And then Hurricane Irene battered and drenched …

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Libya’s Transition: Following in Russia’s Footsteps?

Libya’s Transition: Following in Russia’s Footsteps?


As Russia desperately struggles to make amends with Libya’s rebel government, a fantastic new article uncovers some amazing parallels between Libya’s revolution and Russia’s transition from Communism.
Writing in the Exiled, the web-only successor of the defunct Russian gonzo paper,

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Reminiscing about Peace – Israel’s Founding Fathers

Reminiscing about Peace – Israel’s Founding Fathers


News broke recently from various outlets that Israel has been providing training and non-lethal supplies for Jewish settlers in Palestine to defend themselves from an expected onslaught of unrest during the days surrounding Palestine’s bid to seek official recognition from the UN in September. Palestine’s attempt …

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Exxon Mobil Wins Russian Arctic Contract

Exxon Mobil Wins Russian Arctic Contract


Oil giant Exxon Mobil has secured a contract with Russia’s state oil company, Rosneft, to explore the floor of the Arctic Ocean for oil. At a surprise signing ceremony in Sochi, site of the coming Winter Olympics, Vladimir Putin stated, “The scale of the investment is …

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SE Asia: Weekly Roundup

SE Asia: Weekly Roundup

This isn’t going to be one of my typical analytical postings, but there was some interesting news as well as a few fascinating/disturbing videos that were brought to my attention this week that I felt I simply had to share.
Firstly, there was a chilling scene outside a Phnom Penh money …

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Syrian WMDs: Libya Redux?

Syrian WMDs: Libya Redux?


With revolts against the al-Assad government raging on, the U.S. and Israeli governments are focused on what might happen to Syria’s suspected cache of mustard gas, VX, Sarin, and long-range missiles. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that both countries are …

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Horn of Africa Conferences Discuss Aid and Prevention

Horn of Africa Conferences Discuss Aid and Prevention


International organizations with interests in the Horn of Africa crisis are stepping up their contributions to both alleviating the current crisis and preventing similar crises in the future. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) pledged $350 million after an emergency donor conference held in Istanbul, …

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UNSECGEN Ban: Message on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests

UNSECGEN Ban: Message on the International Day Against Nuclear Tests


On the occasion of yesterday’s “International Day Against Nuclear Tests”, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon reiterated the need for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to enter into force. The UN established an International Day against Nuclear Tests in 2009 on the 20th …

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And the Winner of Liberia’s 1st Qualified Men’s Marathon is…

And the Winner of Liberia’s 1st Qualified Men’s Marathon is…


An Ethiopian by the name of Mehari Gebre. But no matter, young Liberian Lucy Massaquoi,16, took the gold in the women’s event and a fun time was had by all.
The event, which was held on August 28th, was the brain-child of BHP Billiton, the …

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Mullah Omar Delivers Strategic Message Before Eid

Mullah Omar Delivers Strategic Message Before Eid


On the occasion of Eid, the celebration at the end of the month of Ramadan, Mullah Omar declared the Taliban are willing to deal politically with the U.S and President Karzai’s government Kabul. The Taliban leader let it be known that even though …

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UN Framework Convention – News from the Front

UN Framework Convention – News from the Front


We’ve been on vacation – and happily quite busy – thus have I been away from blogging.  A little bit relative to the trip itself and some thoughts regarding sustainability, renewables, etc. perhaps in a couple of days.  For now, here’s this on some of the …

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