Foreign Policy Blogs

Regions

The Arctic Comes to the Forefront in the Canadian Election

The Arctic Comes to the Forefront in the Canadian Election

Dennis Bevington has represented the riding of the Western Arctic in parliament for the past two terms. But his time in office may soon be up. The Tories and Liberals are taking on the New Democratic Party incumbent in a tightening three-way race. Bevington is competing against the Conservatives’ Sandy Lee, former minister of health […]

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Libya and the Obvious Truth

Libya and the Obvious Truth

Since the beginning of the strategic bombings of Libya enforcing a no-fly zone mandated by the United Nations Security Council resolution 1973, the Euro-Atlantic community has gone through a rough political and diplomatic period. President Sarkozy of France was one of the architects behind the UNSCR and leading the path to implementing a no-fly zone. […]

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Japan's Road to Recovery and Rebirth

The following article was written by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and sent to numerous English-language newspapers. “Japan’s Road to Recovery and Rebirth” By Naoto Kan On March 11, Japan was hit by one of the most powerful earthquakes in recorded history. We are making all-out efforts to restore livelihoods and recover from the series […]

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Always Bet on Putin

Always Bet on Putin

As the 2012 Russian presidential election draws near, there has been a buzz of speculations and a flurry of possible scenarios floating in the press as to who will run in the election and most importantly be the next Russian president. Though incumbent Dmitri Medvedev has not officially announced his bid for a re-election although […]

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Oligarchs 2.0

Oligarchs 2.0

As the number of Russian billionaires swells to record numbers (101 from last year’s 62) – recession be damned! – old-school raw materials magnates face competition from a new breed of internet entrepreneurs. According to the FT, the Forbes list – long the preserve of well-connected oligarchs that had made their fortunes from ex-state assets […]

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Nigerians Go To The Polls

Nigerians go to the polls today in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the country’s history. While Goodluck Jonathan is expected to win handily the run-up to the oft-delayed polling has been fraught with violence.  At Slate Dayo Olopade has one of the better election previews. As always, elections are only part […]

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32 Aum Shinrikyo cult facilities inspected in 2010

The government said Friday that the Public Security Intelligence Agency inspected 32 facilities belonging to the Aum Shinrikyo cult last year in accordance to a law designed to curb the cult’s activities. The Aum Shinrikyo (Religion of Truth) cult is responsible for the the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, which […]

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P. Sainath on 'Paid News' in India

P. Sainath on 'Paid News' in India

Palagummi Sainath a renowned journalist and rural affairs editor of The Hindu delivered the First Maharaj Kaul Memorial Lecture at University of Berkeley, California on April 11. Sainath has written extensively on farmer suicide and paid news, issues that have not been widely reported in the mainstream Indian media. At Berkeley, Sainath choose to speak […]

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Obama Draws Passover-Arab Revolutions Parity

President Barack Obama’s comparison between the Passover story and the Middle East revolutions demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both Jewish traditions and the uprisings sweeping the Arab world. Obama released a statement Friday wishing Jewish families across the world a happy Passover, but he also included substantial references to Israel and Middle East policy. The […]

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Islam and democracy: American questions, Ottoman answers

Islam and democracy: American questions, Ottoman answers

“Is Islam a ‘democratic’ religion?” “Is Islam compatible with democracy?” “What is the relationship between religion and governance in a Muslim country?” For the past decade, Americans have increasingly questioned whether Islam and democracy are compatible. What many participants to the debate do not realize is that a similar debate took place more than a […]

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Mass Murder in San Fernando

Mass Murder in San Fernando

San Fernando is quick becoming the murder center of Mexico. In recent days the bodies of 145 people have been uncovered, most in mass graves, about an hour-and-a-half drive south of Brownsville, Texas. Mexican federal investigators expect more bodies to be discovered there soon. In connection, 16 local police officers were arrested for collusion with […]

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Unilateral Declarations Come With Responsibility

Any unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood — whether by the Israeli government through a pull out or by the residents of the West Bank themselves — could solve the peace process impasse and provide a struggling group of people with the opportunity to thrive, but that sovereignty would also reflects a responsibility to ensure security […]

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The Story of Lt. Gen. John Kelly and His Son

Though the piece is now over a month old, I really would like to recommend this incredible story by Greg Jaffe of the Washington Post on Lt. Gen. John Kelly’s family. Kelly lost one of his two sons to a land mine in Afghanistan and is now a close adviser to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. […]

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European Union: Manipulating History with Tax Payer Dollars

When given the choice, most Europeans identify themselves according to their national heritage rather than as Europeans. According to the European Union’s polling data, only 33 percent of Europeans believe their voices count in Brussels compared to 52 percent who believe their voices count in their national governments. The EU is determined to change this.

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Japan reflects on society post-disaster

In the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 13,392 dead and 15,133 missing (most of whom are assumed to have been washed out to sea), and the subsequent nuclear crisis at Fukushima, the Japanese are making a long-overdue assessment of their society. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Wednesday that former […]

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