The New York Times reported on January 1 that the U.S. has dismissed the criminal charges against Blackwater for opening fire on Iraqi civilians in 2007. Many Iraqi citizens were angered by the news, with one of the men injured during the gunfight saying that the U.S. is letting criminals go free. The Federal judge […]
Israelis and Palestinians alike generally exhale a sigh of relief as news reports, often citing undisclosed official sources, indicate Israel and Hamas are finalizing a prisoner swap and Fatah and Hamas are prepared to agreed to a reconciliation deal. Foreign officials, particularly Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, regularly insert themselves into the drama and use both situations to […]
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh lifted a stay on a four year old High Court verdict that had declared illegal and unconstitutional the fifth amendment of the Constitution of Bangladesh. The fifth amendment had legitimized all successive governments after the assassination of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from 1975 until April 1979. This ban now makes […]
If education is the engine of economic growth and social replenishment, and education outcomes are path dependent, then we must care about how our youth begin their studies. This is more the case in Bangladesh than in most other countries. The sheer fact of the population of Bangladesh, its density and the growing divergence in […]
A Canadian joint review panel has endorsed the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, which has been in the works for years — yet there are still many obstacles in its way. Estimated to cost $16.2-billion, the pipeline is supposed to transport natural gas from the Beaufort Sea to northern Alberta. But not all of Canada supports the […]
The FPA Israel blog person of the year was abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. You can vote on the Ha’aretz Web site for your top choices on the person of the decade. Selections include: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu PA President Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah II Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad The Obama Team Former President […]
As India steps into a new decade it seems ready to take on the world. But this process will not be without some big challenges. While terrorism and internal security are crucial concerns, sustaining the rapid economic growth and making India easier and safer to do business with are also huge challenges. With the India-US […]
Let’s ring in the new year with forward looking news. Bangladesh and India are moving closer to politics in concert. The cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding that Dhaka and New Delhi would import and export electricity from each other over the long term. The Daily Star reports: “A meeting of the cabinet chaired by […]
At the FPA’s Global Film Review Blog Sean Patrick Murphy reviews Invictus. I am working on an essay on the movie, the book on which it is based, and another book on South African sport and Apartheid which I will share with you as soon as it is published.
Recently the Foreign Policy Association published a “Viewpoints” piece of mine titled “Disunity in South Africa.” Please check it out if you have any interest in South African politics.
An immediate reflection of this detachment is seen in the absence of a clerical figure leading today’s masses in the streets of Iran and the shrinkage of Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karrubi into nothing more than symbolic figures with no significant impact on the movement’s direction.
The mourning of Ashura has come and gone, and not a whimper in Bangladesh. As readers of the New York Times and Guardian know Ashura is the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The events of that date in 680 AD are considered to have created the fault lines between […]
Oh, this is not good. Nigerian President Umaru Yar-Adua’s health is apparently a serious problem. He has effectively disappeared at a time when crisis in the country’s North and the tenuous cease-fire with the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) require serious leadership and no one seems to have any serious grasp as to just how […]
I would like to draw your attention to two new websites from the same organization, Global Information Network. The first is their website, including their page for African affairs. This page carries news from their news partner – the IPS (Inter Press Service) wire which they edit for U.S. readers. Registration is free, but after a couple of […]
I am concerned with the effect of intra-party democracy and candidate selection on the quality of democratic policy making in Bangladesh. Though not as well-studied in politics as other more “titillating” topics like justice, candidate selection is the dominant issue in any practical study of a functioning democracy. To that end, it may serve us […]