ForeignPolicy.com has a fantastic slideshow of Afghanistan: 2009. I recommend checking out the entire collection, but here are some of my favorites: All these dramatic photos are amazing, but this one I found earlier this year is still my favorite: _
U.S. efforts to bolster the peace process have traditionally considered the status of Jerusalem as one of the final pieces of the puzzle. Critics of this approach point out that the holy city’s status remains a critical controversial aspect of negotiations that would risk negating any previous compromises obtained in negotiations. Even though Israel agreed […]
As students of history know, countries don’t come into existence overnight and there is a long and hard struggle behind every political success, especially if it results in carving out independent land for a group of people. Take for example Bangladesh. Bengali as a language was never embraced by the country, Bengalis culture, history, and […]
Mickey Mouse caused quite a stir, particularly in his starring role from a 2006 photograph of the effects of the second Lebanon War. The New York Times revisits this image that previously obtained significant criticism for a perceived one-sided view of the conflict. Without giving any context on the origins of the doll, the photograph […]
It’s looking like the Awami League government is turning the refugee crisis consequent to climate climate into a policy issue. The Daily Star reported today that, “A parliamentary standing committee on Tuesday asked the expatriate welfare ministry to start preparation for rehabilitation of two crore people with jobs abroad, who are feared to be […]
The much heralded Asian Century is upon us. Or so at least pundits and scholars would have us thinking. Through numerous books (When China Rules the World: the End of the Western World and the New Global Order), articles (Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese), op-eds (Welcome To The Asian Century By 2050), and strategic […]
Zainab Jeewanjee discusses this weeks T.S.A.’s enhanced security directives. She explains how increased security measures are useful and should work in tandem with U.S. led soft power so as to mitigate any chance to unintended consequences such as Anti-Americanism or racial profiling.
The 2010 fiscal year omnibus appropriations bill signed into law last month coupled with the supplemental appropriations bill from last summer mark a slight boost in foreign operations funding and imposes some interesting limitations on the use of funds for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel receives $2.78 billion in FY2010 for Foreign Military Financing, […]
Scanning the FPB site a few days back, I couldn’t help peeking at the Global Film Blog. In his last post Sean Patrick Murphy deemed “Sin Nombre” the best film he has reviewed over the past year. I just happened to watch it over the holidays, and I can’t think of an equal. The flick […]
Recent developments regarding the contentious issue of relocating the Marine Corps Air Station in Futenma, Okinawa have elicited a heated exchange of ideas and much speculation on the future of the US-Japan alliance. Indeed, since the recently elected administration of Yukio Hatoyama first announced that it would seek a renegotiation of the treaty guiding the […]
It is an odd thing to wish for more positive news coverage of a country’s socio-economics. On one hand, one is grateful for any coverage whatsover, particularly when the coverage is of an overlooked country like Bangladesh; on the other one wishes bitterly that the news on the ground were such that positive coverage were […]
It should not surprise anyone that President Lula’s foreign policy would come under greater scrutiny during an election year to determine his successor. What is shocking is the stark contrast between the government’s foreign policy to restore democratic rule in Tegucigalpa while rolling out the red carpet for […]
As 2010 starts, the same two stories that dominated the headlines in 2009 are in the news already. The post-election protests and the ongoing game of nuclear brinkmanship are still continuing. Here is an AFP video that highlights the major events that took place in Iran in 2009, giving us an insight as to what […]
A former intelligence official called it a “high-level asset meeting gone bad.” Bad is definitely an understatement. Of course the comment is in reference to the suicide attack which killed 7 CIA agents at Forward Operating Base Chapman in border province of Khost. They were “experienced frontline officers and their knowledge and expertise will be […]
Regardless of you’re political views on Israel, the settlers, the two-state solution, and any other highly politicized issue, there rarely is there such a blatant example of the difference in values and tactics between Israel and its enemies. The IDF has been accused of certain questionable tactics (ie. Goldstone report) but the military still attempts […]