Comparing a topographical map of Palestine in the early 1900s to a modern Google Map of Israel, one striking differences juts out. No, not the separation fence (wall, hedge, whatever you want to call it). The Dead Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate primarily due to over-mining from both Jordanian and Israeli companies. Even […]
Current news on the group with which perpetrators of last years Mumbai atrocities are linked, are connected to Pakistan. While news outlets report on Lashkar-E-Taibba’s, it is important to that these connections are viewed within the context of a history of U.S. Pakistan relations, and Pakistan’s current commitment to fighting terrorism. Some reporting on the issue of Lashkar-E-Taibba lacks this comprehensive discussion on Pakistan by overlooking the costs and immediate interest Islamabad has in uprooting terrorism.
One of the greatest challenges facing the United States, its NATO allies, and the Afghan government is how to handle what is sure to be a rising prison population. The US/NATO troop surge has been followed by more aggressive efforts to take back Taliban-dominated areas and these missions have inevitably led to an increase in […]
The first Fatah conference in 25 years may cause significant tensions between the Palestinian Authority, Israel, the United States, and Egypt, according to a news report. Next week’s conference is expected to boost the legitimacy of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but recent hurdles may torpedo the event while taking Abbas and the peace process with it. […]
I have to admit I have been a little taken back by the latest developments in the Iranian politics. I thought that the power struggle brewing between President Ahmadinejad and the hard-line politicians was now over with Mr. Mashaii’s resignation from the position of first Vice President. I was wrong. Ahmadinejad has now appointed Mashaii […]
At the recent ASEAN Regional Forum in Thailand, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton, before the the 25 nations present, officially confirmed a substantial shift in U.S. foreign policy when she stated: ‘On behalf of our country and the Obama administration, I want to send a very clear message that the United States is back, that we […]
The president of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, earned 85 percent of the vote, winning the July 23rd election, which came as no surprise to anyone, whether the Kyrgyz population or any of the major powers. His opponent, SDP leader Almazbek Atambayev, ran a weak campaign that few expected to succeed. It is hard to write this […]
The Israeli destruction machine has been ordered to demolish a Bedouin village in the Negev desert; the authorities issued a warning to the residents on June 15th, their presence in the desert was “unrecognized”. Under the current “co-existence laws”, Israel does not recognize the existence of about 75.000 Bedouins in the Negev Desert. Awaiting assistance […]
New figures from the Israeli Defense Forces estimate that over 300,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, with numbers increasing at a rate of 2.3 percent this year. The rate of growth is expected to inch higher due to family re-locations to the settlements during the summer. The figures do not include Jewish populations in East […]
The Springboks have gotten off on the right foot for taking the Tri Nations competition, defeating their historic foes the All Blacks in New Zealand, 28-19 yesterday. [If anyone knows the best way to watch the matches in the US, where television coverage is a non-possibility from what I can glean, please do let me […]
Iranian clerical regime has one less controversy to deal with as Mr. Mashaii resigned from his post of first Vice President. As discussed in my previous post, Mr. Mashaii was President Ahmadinejad’s pick, but he was severely criticized by the clerical regime for stating in 2008 that Iranians are friends with Israelis. The resignation was […]
From the New York Times: The chief of United Nations peacekeeping forces, Alain Le Roy, has told the Security Council that a series of explosions in southern Lebanon on July 14 most likely came from an illegal Hezbollah arms cache. He gave a speech behind closed doors on Thursday, and reporters obtained copies on Friday. […]
On Friday, there was an interesting op-ed from the New York Times on Sarah Palin’s resignation written by an Alaskan of Inupiat and Lithuanian descent, William L. Iggiagruk Hensley. He is the chair of the First Alaskans Institute and has written a number of books on Alaska’s native people. In his article, Hensley applies the […]
Excuse me World, how are you feeling about the NATO presence in Afghanistan? What are your thoughts about a possible return to rule by the Taliban? While WorldPublicOpinion.org asked the world, well almost 65% of it (actually just a few thousand scattered people), to share their thoughts on such questions in a recent survey last […]
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unequivocally stated that the United States would not permit Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, she said this morning on NBC’s Meet the Press. Her comments come amidst speculation that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. […]