Mexican commandos are organizing raids against drug cartels from U.S. territory, according to Obama administration officials. These so-called boomerang operations allow the Mexicans to plan operations with the DEA, and may allow the Mexicans access to advanced U.S. equipment. Crucially, the operations also skirt venal state and local police in northern Mexico—thought to be lookouts […]
Yesterday’s bombing of the UN compound in Abuja, Nigeria by the radical-Islamist sect Boko Haram is finally setting off alarm bells throughout the Nigerian Government and the global anti-terrorism establishment. And well it should. Boko Haram– the nickname for the group which is largely composed of disaffected, unemployed youth and university students from the predominantly […]
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan stepped down today under pressure from the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, factions within his own Democratic Party of Japan, and low approval ratings. In announcing his resignation in a televised speech, Kan said: “Under the severe circumstances, I feel I’ve done everything that I had to do. Now I would […]
A son of Salmaan Taseer, the liberal governor of the country’s powerful Punjab province who was shot dead by his own security guard in Islamabad in January, has been kidnapped by masked gunmen in Lahore. Taseer’s loss did not end the family’s miseries nor did the tragedy dissuade them to speak up for liberal values […]
Civil society in Cambodia is typically a very contentious issue. A few months ago, I attempted to dichotomize the diverging opinions on this subject by highlighting the urgent need for NGOs in the developing world whilst pointing out that many of these institutions are fatalities of their own benevolence. The problem, of course, is rooted […]
Was the August Coup the blueprint for the Arab Spring? Sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky says no. “The only thing the Arab Spring and the end of the USSR have in common is that they happened to involve large crowds. It’s like comparing a political rally with a football match, or the French Revolution with a rock […]
This week Canadians of all political views are mourning the death of New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton. Mr. Layton ran a historic campaign only a few short months ago, bringing the Orange of the NDP party and support for social democratic values into every region of the country. Mr. Layton did not only get […]
ISN Insights has published my latest piece, “ANC: Historical Irony on the Horizon?”, in which I wonder whether or not Jacob Zuma might face a fate similar to that Thabo Mbeki confronted in 2007 and 2008.
I’ve been quiet as epochal events have developed in Libya. Suffice it to say that I am cautiously optimistic — Moammar Gaddafi has been bad for Libya, bad for North Africa (ask Chadians about what Libya has meant to them over the year) and especially bad for Pan Africanism, a creed he embraced only after […]
Two days ago a mob of villagers stoned to death a Taliban commander and his body guard in the Nawa District of Helmand Province. The news had gone under-reported for some time even though the New York Times picked it up. Today a few more outlets ran the news. No doubt the Pentagon and the […]
Moody’s downgraded Japan’s credit rating one step to AA3 Wednesday, citing the country’s massive debt, weak growth prospects and constant political uncertainty. The downgrade came as no surprise to analysts, and bond markets remained relatively calm. A rating of AA3 is regarded as a very low risk, but somewhat susceptible to long-term risks. Standard & […]
Addressing his cabinet yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu said that Israel does not want a war in Gaza. One of Netanyahu’s aides said, “There’s a sensitive situation in the Middle East, which is one big boiling pot; there’s the international arena; [and] there’s the Palestinian move in the United Nations in September… On […]
Yes, you heard it right, the AU’s Peace and Security Council reportedly failed on Monday to agree on a common position on Libya. Instead the body has deferred the decision to a Friday meeting of the AU’s heads of states’ leadership meeting. Frankly, I am not surprised and do not expect the 15 heads of […]
All for one, one for all! Such is the musketeer oath logic behind a growing chorus of voices calling for an expansion of the bailout fund, launching a Eurobond, or even an outright transfer of money to debt-stricken nations. Only through debt mutualization will the euro (read the EU) be saved, say the musketeers. The […]
Despite all that the Arctic countries have done to try to make the region safer for transportation, deadly accidents still tragically happen. On Saturday, First Air flight 6560, en route from Yellowknife to Resolute Bay, crashed, killing 12 people on board and injuring three others. Visibility was approximately three miles at the time of the […]