Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis gave an insightful speech last week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that addresses the Obama administration’s trade priorities in the Asia-Pacific and outlines the complex challenges (regional architecture, rising China, and others) that will undoubtedly temper the US trade policy stance for years to come. This […]
Israeli films have garnered significant attention in the past, particularly with the internationally acclaimed Waltz with Bashir that depicted Israel’s role in the Beirut during the early 80’s. As a follow up that movie, the film Lebanon provided a glimpse into a tank and the claustrophobia of Israeli soldiers during war. Prior to release of […]
Politics in Bangladesh matters to me. Politics in Bangladesh might matter to you. But why should the U.S. government worry about politics in Bangladesh? I have at least 2 arguments in response to that question. The first response attaches to ongoing developments in the attempt to establish regional security in South Asia, to a) support […]
In order to return the biblical species of deer now known as the Persian Fallow Deer to Israel an espionage mission was set up by an Israeli general who was also a zealous conservationist. This particular deer species used to roam the Judean Hills for centuries and is frequently mentioned in the Bible as a […]
The African Union (AU) is gathering in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. For the last year the AU has been led by Moammar Gaddafi, to the discomfort of many. And while there were fears that he was going to try to seek re-election to a second term, Gaddafi stepped aside, yielding to Malawi’s President Bingu […]
South Africa continues to gear up for the World Cup. While some fear crime or terrorism FIFA and the local organizing committee have finally said enough with the negativity. Meanwhile it looks like all stadiums will be ready well ahead of time, and boosters hope that the world-class facilities will help change the views people […]
The Committee of Experts Investigation of the April 6, 1994 plane crash of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana is complete and you can access The Mutsinzi Report and supporting material here. The shotting down of Habyarimana’s plane is widely seen as the precipitating event for Rwanda’s genocide.
Because I honestly do not even know what to say about this: . . . I’ll let the BBC do my talking for me: South Africa’s ruling African National Congress is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to inspire a sense of “identity” in its members. Its latest venture? A range of leather jackets […]
Iranian filmmakers- despite heavy restrictions – have over the years provided an intriguing and provocative look at Iran’s dynamic social, religious, and political culture. Reza Aslan explains in his article, Iran’s Cinematic Revolution, what sets Iranian cinema apart from others: The irony is that part of what makes Iranian cinema so unique are the ingenious […]
On January 24th, a Russian-made Iranian passenger aircraft carrying 157 passengers and 13 crew crash-landed in northeastern Iran injuring at least 46 people. The Taban Air aeroplane caught fire upon landing at Mashhad airport at 7:20am local time. Iran has a bloody aviation history. Last July, a Caspian Airlines jet carrying 168 people crashed into […]
I apologize for my absence as I’ve been in the middle of an apartment move that made me wish I was literally in a ‘graveyard of empires’. But now I’m nearly settled, the internet now is internetting effectively, and we can get back to all things Afghanistan shortly. During the past week of moving mayhem, […]
With elections to the Iraqi Parliament looming on the horizon (set for March 7, 2010), my next few posts will focus on aspects of political parties, security, terrorism and government responsibility for peacekeeping. The more we as Americans know about the parties running, what they stand for and the chances that security can ensure a […]
Egypt has won the Africa Cup of Nations on a header in the 85th minute. They have become the first-ever nation to win the tournament three times in a rown, having taken the cup when they hosted in 2006 and in Ghana in 2008. This was Egypt’s World Cup, since they did not qualify for South […]
Ok. It is official. There are more urgent matters than mediating between Israel and its neighbors. For ten years now, the U.S. has exercised little to no pressure on Israel to go back to the negotiations table. During the Bush years, we witnessed absolute disengagement of the U.S. from the so-called peace process. During the […]