As I’ve feared all along, it appears quite clear that Robert Mugabe and his supporters in the military, police, and among the “veterans” are not about to yield power. Violence against the opposition continues to escalate. The International Crisis Group has concluded that the military will either engage in pre-emptive action prior to the runoff […]
Yet another indicator of how bad things are in Zimbabwe? Even with the recent explosions of xenophobic violence aimed at foreigners and especially Zimbabweans in South Africa, huge numbers of immigrants continue to cross the border and head directly for the maelstrom in Johannesburg and its environs. They have undertaken the quick calculus and decided […]
Is Guinea headed for political chaos? Recent events indicate as much. In recent days President Lansana Conté fired his prime minister Lansana Kouyaté, who enjoys international support, on 20 May, replacing him with Ahmed Tidjane Souaré.
March 8 and March 14 reached an agreement. The terms were: Electing Michel Suleiman as President by the end of this week Formation of a government based on a 16-11-3 formula (16 for the majority, 11 for the opposition and 3 to be chosen by the president) end of the sit in in downtown Beirut […]
Afghan's culture and societal battles are of utmost important in the overall fight for the country's future, but the Afghan and NATO armies are still the key-holders to success on all fronts. Their ability to stand up or stand down against the Taliban and other insurgent forces will be a crucial determining factor as the […]
DOHA, Qatar, May 21 (UPI) — Lebanese opposition movements and the Western-backed government declared a deal Wednesday in Qatar to end the 18-month political conflict and elect a president. The Shiite opposition and the Lebanese government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora agreed to elect Lebanese army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman as president within 24 hours, […]
This afternoon, Pavel Gusev, the editor of the daily Moskovsky Komsomolets, gave a revealing interview with Masha Myers and Matvei Ganapolsky on the liberal radio station Ekho Moskvy headlined "Empty Front Pages: What is the Russian Press Protesting Against?". (Listen to the archived program here ) The policy in question was a recent, subtle and […]
Stratfor.com is an international security site, and one for which you have to pay. But here is a freebie. The article, by George Friedman, is trying to discuss the balance of geopolitics and politics, a fascinating topic and one we have touched on a little here. Despite a somewhat inauspicious start- “Nowhere is that more […]
There are many fronts to all wars and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan is no different. NATO forces have supreme firepower to use against the Taliban insurgents, but this alone cannot defeat them and secure a safe and free nation. The Karzai government needs to produce good governance for its peoples and a civil society […]
With the war on drugs continuing to escalate in Mexico, I feel it's important to examine the role that the United States plays in fueling the illicit drug trade. Most of us know that the US is the world's largest consumer of illegal drugs. The education system is geared to advertise the evils of drugs. […]
A delegation of leaders from a roundtable summit in Qatar urged Lebanon to form a unity government as soon as possible to recover from the latest conflict pitting the Shiite opposition, including Hizballah, against the western-backed Sunni government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Qatari emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani met with Siniora and […]
To offer some sweet relief for your Monday blues, here's some Central Asian geopolitical analytical madness! A couple of weeks ago we discussed the EU's attempts at diversifying CA gas exports to circumvent Russian territory and influence, mainly in Turkmenistan. In addition, on this blog we have talked about China and India's growing role in […]
In sub-Saharan Africa crises will come and crises will go but it seems, tragically, that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and especially that country's eastern regions, will constantly be beset with chaos.
This Kevin Cullen op-ed in The Boston Globe is so badly argued, so dumb and shallow, that I hardly even know where to begin. And what probably vexes me more than anything is that I agree with the fundamental premise behind the argument. But it is so terribly done that it does an injustice to […]
How's this for a worrisomely cryptic announcement?: Harare – Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will not return home on Saturday as expected to prepare for the second round of elections against Robert Mugabe, his party said. “We apologise to advise that Morgan Tsvangirai is no longer expected to return today. We can't say why he […]