Azerbaijan’s best-known journalist (who also happens to be Azerbaijan’s best journalist, period) alleged yesterday that she is being victimized in a blackmail attempt. Khadija Ismayilova, who writes for a number of publications and hosts the popular “After Work” radio show for RFE/RL’s Baku bureau, made the allegations after receiving a letter containing photographs of a […]
Vladimir Putin was elected President of Russia. What a surprise! One thing is quite certain, being elected was not the problem, the real dilemma for Putin may be to stay in power as long as he envisions it. Russian citizens are seriously concerned about the problems of representation, transparency, accountability, and most importantly ramping corruption. […]
The following was taken from Jspace.com, which is providing exclusive coverage of the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference. The article was written by Jspace Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Rob Lattin, who also blogs about Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for Foreign Policy Blogs. While Cairo and Damascus are burning, things in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan seem […]
The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News is reporting that human rights NGOs based in Iraq have received alarming reports that the country is facing another bloody wave of targeted attacks on men, women and children who are believed to be gay or lesbian. In the past month, some 40 Iraqis accused of homosexual preference […]
The last few days have been remarkable in the eyes of many in the West who see certain countries or rebel groups as the main source of conflict internationally. Despite Iran pushing against Israel and the US over its nuclear program, and Syrian rebels being crushed in Homs, the last few days resulted in North […]
Your own words can came back to haunt you. So learned South Africa’s Julius Malema, the controversial African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader expelled from the ANC for sowing disunity and bringing the ANC into disrepute last Wednesday. In what sounds like a sign of defeat and humiliation, the flamboyant Malema, who’s own firebrand […]
The National Interest just published a piece I wrote on the ailing Iran-Venezuela alliance. Both countries are reeling from economic mismanagement and geopolitical isolation: Led by Undersecretary Stuart Levey, the U.S. Treasury has waged a global campaign to stop banks from laundering money for Iran’s nuclear program in recent years, and international sanctions are slowly […]
The following was taken from Jspace.com, which is providing exclusive coverage of the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference. The article was written by Jspace Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Rob Lattin, who also blogs about Israeli and Middle Eastern foreign policy for Foreign Policy Blogs. Cyber warfare is becoming an increasingly important problem, as Israel very well knows. […]
Anyone casually following the news of Israel recently would assume that the question is not if, but when, Israel will attack Iran. No Israeli leader seems to be able to speak publicly without mentioning the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and Israel’s need to prevent it from moving forward. President Obama just gave an exclusive interview […]
When Nepal’s current Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai assumed office in November 2011 to head a coalition government with the Madhesi Front as partner, many in Nepal were cautiously optimistic about him bringing an end to the disillusionment brought by four failed governments in four years- owing to delay in the […]
Right after U.S. forces went into Afghanistan in 2001 — in those heady “Paris 1944” days of liberating Kabul and most of the country — one of my best friends put to me an urgent request. Knowing I was en route to Kabul he asked me to please bring him a “Karzai hat” upon my […]
For Prime Minister Garry Conille, nearly five months of growing political tension sufficed to provoke his final decision. “I feel obligated to present my resignation as Prime Minister of the Government of Haiti,” he wrote to President Michel Martelly and leaders of the National Assembly. “Please, Mr. President,” he concluded, “Accept the assurance of my […]
Hardly anyone likes Putin anymore, but he still won the election in a landslide, and is celebrating in style. How is that possible? Of course, it helped to be the only candidate allowed TV airtime, and a hefty (unlimited) government budget for high-stakes propaganda (including some apocalyptic ads depicting Russia descending into WWII style suffering […]
A full-page ad in today’s Washington Post featuring former top U.S. military and intelligence officials urging President Obama to resist the pressure for a war of choice with Iran. The ad, sponsored by National Iranian-American Council (NIAC), comes on the same day that President Obama is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at […]
I will be on vacation until March 19. In the meantime, check out Eye on the Arctic and the Barents Observer to stay up to date on northern happenings. See you in two weeks!