Sorry for the silence. The perfect storm of family, travel, and work has buried me. Tomorrow I head to New Hampshire for a wedding and a couple of days in the old hometown. Hopefully these links will keep you off the streets: The debate continues as to whether this is the greatest Springbok side ever. […]
With a meeting of global leaders at the United Nations General Assembly this week, one wonders what Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will say. During his speech in 2006 he referred to US President George W. Bush as the devil. This time around, will he critique Barack Obama in the same way? In late March, after […]
U.S. officials attempted to spin the tripartite meeting yesterday between President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a success that managed to re-infuse urgency into a stalled peace process. Moreover, direct negotiations with no preconditions between Israeli and Palestinian officials may formally resume within the next couple of months. […]
United States General McChrystal explains that Iran’s Quds Force and Pakistan’s ISI are aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan, undermining US efforts and interests in the War on Terror. His remarks are useful in drawing out history of extremist groups in the region and the ISI’s dealings with Afghanistan during and after the Soviet Afghan War. That history shows that Pakistan has no significant links to Al Qaeda, the perpetrators of 9/11 and links with the Taliban were dictated by our interests in funding Mujahideen forces to counter Soviets int he 1980’s.
An article from September 10 in The Globe and Mail discussed the possibility of Canada and Denmark working out a solution to the conflict over Hans Island. The half-square mile island has technically been in dispute since 1973. A treaty was signed between the two Arctic nations regarding the delimitation of the Canadian and Greenlandic […]
The newest INSS report examines the complex relationship between Israel and Russia alongside recent efforts for increased cooperation between the two countries. Russia, and previously the U.S.S.R., always sought a prominent role in the Middle East, at times forging alliances with Arab countries to counteract the U.S.-Israel relationship. Further, as Russia attempts to regain its […]
Since Iran is such a vibrant country and is constantly in the news, there are plenty of news and analyses that I read while researching my blog but am unable to write about. So here is my first installment of stories about Iran that “slip through the cracks” (yes- I am quoting Lewis Black from […]
It’s Out. The Cat and Gen. McChrystal’s Afghan Strategy and Resource Recommendations to President Obama. While I safely got my cat Chuck back into the house, the Obama administration cannot put McChrystal’s report, which calls for thousands of more troops or the US mission in Afghanistan “will likely result in failure”, back in its envelope. […]
The Arroyo Administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have signed an agreement to form an “International Contact Group” to help negotiate a peace agreement between the two sides in the predominately Muslim island of Mindanao. Got all that? The agreement was signed in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. For more background go here. – […]
A recent op-ed in Al-Ahram is not notable for any intellect in the writing, unmatched analysis, or strong arguments proving any one particular point. Instead, the shear, unbridled hatred is the only noteworthy aspect of the article, which concludes that Israel perpetrated an unprecedented hoax during 9/11 to blame Islamic fundamentalists for the terror attacks and embed the United […]
The Hindu reports that Russia has offered to help India build an advanced radar. “As the race to secure the Indian Air Force’s $10-billion tender for 126 combat jets reached the crucial stage of flight trials, Russia, on top of a full technology transfer, is offering India help in building its own advanced radar. This […]
Even though Palestinian and Israeli officials announced their refusal to meet at this week’s United Nations General Assembly, the obstinate statesmen reluctantly agreed to tripartite talks between President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Special Envoy George Mitchell spent all of last week in negotiations in the Middle […]
Here is President Obama’s message to Muslims celebrating Eid all around the world: STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE OCCASION OF EID-UL-FITR As Muslims in the United States and around the world complete the month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, Michelle and I would like to extend our personal greetings on this joyous occasion. Eid […]
This video is pretty telling of Israeli humor. It’s more a combination of confusing and awkward as opposed to roll-on-the-floor laughing. The video mocks the recent diplomatic rifts between Israel and some northern European countries. Norway recently cut ties with an Israeli firm after objections to the border barrier (wall and fence) between mainland Israel […]
A recent article from Reuters paints a bleak picture for research in the Arctic. International conflict over resources has strained scientific cooperation, while oil companies’ financial means give them the ability to contract icebreaker ships for long periods of geophysical surveying, shutting out scientists. The good news is that there are also some bright spots. […]