The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. A little over a week has passed since President Ali Abdullah Saleh was taken to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. And since, Yemen is no closer to finding a solution […]
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) managed to win its third consecutive general election, while increasing its vote percentage again. AKP’s single-party government had received 34.28% of the votes in 2002; then 46.58% in 2007 and now 49.90% in 2011 elections, exceeding many expectations and analyses that foresaw AKP’s probable vote percentage around the […]
As the current civil crisis rages in Syria, Lebanon and others await the outcome. Coinciding with the so-called Arab Awakening throughout the Middle East, demonstrations that started earlier this year in Syria have continued to build. The protests have been met with force by the government. The Tunisian and Egyptian governments fell quickly in the […]
Nepal, erstwhile Monarchy and once the only ‘officially Hindu nation’ of the world, may have seen much greater challenges in its journey, but May 28, 2011 would still go down as an important date in the fledgling democracy’s patchy calendar. Forestalling a major Constitutional crisis, Nepal’s key parties recently struck a last-minute deal to extend the […]
The Japanese government outlined a plan to give preferential treatment to foreigners with specialized skills Thursday. The government will issue points to foreigners based on things like academic background, skill sets and business experience. Foreigners with preferred skills will be able to extend three-year visas to five years. Japan will soon face a labor shortage […]
Syrian President Esad’s regime is still standing despite the weeks long protests and callings for a regime change in Syria. Recently, the Syrian National Television released the videos of military operations on a northern town, Cisr el Sugur. Many people from Cisr el Sugur and surrounding towns are already on the move to run from […]
Marc Stanley, the Chairman of the Jewish National Democratic Council, wrote an article in August 2008 lauding President Obama’s (then the Democratic candidate) trip to Israel as a “reaffirm[ation] [of] his commitment to Israel’s peace and security.” However, since he has taken office, President Obama has yet to visit Israel. Far right-wingers point to his […]
Originally appeared in: Political Reflection Quarterly. Volume 2, Issue 1. (Spring, 2011) H. Akın Ünver, PhD — Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been undergoing an important and profound transformation since May 2010, which began with the resignation of Deniz Baykal, the party’s chairman for more than 15 years, as a result of sex scandal allegations. Following Baykal’s resignation, […]
Several weeks ago, President Barack Obama spent an entire week traveling throughout Europe meeting the heads of states and governments of Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland, in order to strengthen the transatlantic bridge. On June 7 and 8, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was Obama’s guest in Washington. Besides a sudden secret love-story between the […]
Despite his father being treated in Saudi Arabia following a bomb attack on the Presidential mosque, Ahmed Ali Saleh is determined to fight off the opposition and conquer the seat that is rightfully his. At the head of the powerful and well trained Republican Guards, Ahmed Saleh is a powerful player on Yemen’s political scene. […]
The Following piece is written by a Yemeni-based journalist who writes for the Foreign Policy Blogs network and, due to serious security concerns, remains anonymous. According to sources close to the Yemeni government, Brigadier General Ali Saleh al-Ahmar, President Saleh’s half brother, would be behind the attempted assassination which took place last week. An explosion […]
Another day of Syria dominating the press. I’ll try my best to continue to update things in anticipation of another pivotal friday of protests coming up tomorrow. Check it. Northern Exposure Continued I just want to continue to update the Jisr al-Shaggour story. As of this evening, the number of Syrian refugees to have crossed […]
Before I start off today’s post I want to thank the OLLI program of Portland for having me yesterday. I gave a presentation there on my experiences in Syria, and could not have had a more pleasant experience. It’s very rewarding to get the opportunity to speak with such an involved and engaged group of […]
Norway and Russia On July 7, the Treaty on Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, which delimits the long-disputed boundary in the eastern Barents Sea between between Norway and Russia, will finally go into effect. Yesterday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Russian Prime Minister Sergei Lavrov exchanged […]
In light of the upheavals in the Arab world, the EU’s failure to foster economic and political liberalization in the southern Mediterranean has been made obvious. In spite of the launch of the Barcelona Process (aka the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP)), in 1995, intended to foster a “secure and stable Euromed region, underpinned by sustainable development, […]