Readers of the FPA blog network have assuredly noticed an exchange of opinions between fellow blogger Rob Grace and I. In a very well thought-out critique of my previous post that the United Nations is anti-Israel, Rob contends that I “misread” the true nature of that global body, which he says is actually pro-Israel. His […]
It was obvious a year ago that the 2010 midterms were going to be about domestic issues, specifically the economy, jobs, and health care. But it was hard to predict just how little foreign policy, the Afghanistan war included, would play in this political season. The war in Afghanistan has to be considered the top […]
Dear Readers: I am Reza Akhlaghi, presiding over the Iran page on FPA Blogs. Our Iran page is presently experiencing technical difficulties, so in the interim I have been invited to be a guest blogger here on the Middle East page “. So please stay tuned as my first piece here will be posted on […]
It has been eight years since the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCPs) first peaceful transfer of power, an act which heralded Hu Jintao’s ascension to China’s highest positions of power. Xi Jinping Once again China embarks on a change of helmsmen. On October 18th of this year, Mr. Xi Jingping (习近平)was selected for the position of […]
Israel’s changing demographics are always a touchy subject, with some Israeli politicians arguing that higher Arab birth-rates will result in Jews becoming a minority, while some researchers contend that Arab and Jewish birth rates are actually very similar. Regardless of whether the Jewish, Arab or other populations are on the rise, these people still need […]
“How I Ended This Summer,” a Russian film depicting the isolation of two men who work at a remote meteorological station in the Arctic, has won the award for Best Film at this year’s 54th annual London Film Festival. Jury chair Patricia Clarkson remarked of the director, “Alexei Popogrebsky has combined stunning cinematography with painterly […]
A new study published in the journal of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics has found that a large increase in Arctic shipping could exacerbate global warming by 17% to 78%. The range is so wide because of the uncertain future of shipping in the High North, which depends on changes in vessel traffic, growth, and shipping […]
With the Cold War a thing of the past and the limits of US unilateralism clearly demonstrated, the EU must be experiencing perfect conditions for their key competencies; soft power and diplomatic dexterity – right? European nations have after all been conditioned by the continent’s tumultuous history in the necessity of taking other points of view […]
There we go again. Earlier today, law enforcement authorities arrested yet another terrorist in the making – a naturalized American of Pakistani origin, Farooque Ahmed for trying to help coordinate bombing at Washington’s Metro System, also known as the subway system. Once again, fortunately, this nut’s plot was never a serious threat, but for his […]
Next month Egypt is to hold its parliamentary elections. In preparation the ruling party has taken to arresting opposition members. The Muslim Brotherhood members were jailed for hanging election posters. Government officials stated that the Brotherhood violated an election law that prescribed religious slogans on posters. As per numerous reports, the ruling party’s posters were […]
On November 25, 2010, Lady Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, announced in a press release the appointment of the two top administrators of the External Action Service: Pierre Vimont as the Executive Secretary General and David O’Sullivan as its Chief Operating Officer. […]
My colleagues Pat Frost and Rob Grace ( over at the Law and Security Strategy blog) and I have written extensively on why the situation in Afghanistan looks grim. The war there is a long haul; the Karzai government is corrupt, a two-timing, untrustworthy thing; viable solutions to the conflict in Afghanistan require negotiated international […]
The story of US/Karzai government negotiations with members of the Taliban have already taken so many twists (mostly rhetorical rather than substantive) that one should not feel ashamed to be confused as to what exactly is going on between the two warring parties. One second the Obama administration admits (Gates) to ongoing negotiations and the […]
Are development charities justified in utilizing dehumanizing images to raise funds for their causes? We’ve all seen it on TV screens, newspaper ads, and probably heard about it on radio talks. As an African living in America it makes me cringe, just like Duncan McNicholl, every time I see a “photo of a teary-eyed African […]
Over more than a month, I’ve been traveling quite a bit. In that time, I’ve missed quite a bit of news that has been directly relevant to Bangladesh. Over the next few weeks or so, I’ll try to readdress all that news and point to holes that might have gone not have gone missing had […]