This is from October, but it is still interesting. Congressional testimony about Iran, from Karim Sadjapour (.pdf file). The piece is nuanced and fair, with interesting reccomendations on how the US should deal with Iran, specifically how we can influence the people, rather than the government.
I suppose there could be a first time for anything. The European Union is joining the US in calling for pressure on Syria to be constructive in helping Lebanon get past its current, dangerous political crisis. Hezbollah does not agree. What Solana said is far from being objective. It is an echo of the United States‘ […]
I do not even feign to be an economist, but many observers, including Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, worry that the country's current account deficit represents a “major chink in [South Africa's] armour.” The declining value of the rand and the tenuous state of global markets is also a concern, but as Manuel points out, probably […]
You know that Simba Makoni is no one's puppet. And I know that Simba Makoni is no one's puppet. It is absurd to posit, as Robert Mugabe and his supporters have tried to do in recent days, that Makoni is a tool of the west, of the British or the Americans. Which is why it […]
While some still look to cast blame in Kenya, is appears that the narrative in that country, which saw an explosion of unexpected violence after several years in which it appeared that the country would be a model for all of Africa, has turned to reconciliation. Of course to have true reconciliation, there will have […]
Continuing a 3-Part series on Freedom House's Freedom of the World ratings for all five Central Asian states; Today are Kazakhstan and Tajikistan Here is a link to how Freedom House scores each nation. Kazakhstan Political Rights , 6/7 Civil Rights , 5/7 Status , Not Free Freedom House's analysis of political and civil rights […]
British immigration authorities have decided to deny asylum to more than one thousand Zimbabweans living in the country and to expel them from the country. The Home Office has decided that the asylum seekers face no risk of danger if they return to Zimbabwe, which is prima facie absurd. Zimbabwe is a pariah state — […]
In an extensive interview with the Mail & Guardian ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe last week effectively told COSATU to back off, to stop trying to run the party's and the country's internal affairs, and effectively debunked the idea that Jacob Zuma might be more receptive to giving COSATU and the SACP greater power within […]
Is Tokyo Sexwale laying the foundation for a run at the Presidency if Jacob Zuma's path to power is cut off by his corruption case? That was the first question that came to mind when I saw that Sexwale has started pressing Thabo Mbeki to come clean about his role in the arms deal that increasingly is taking […]
There is less than a fortnight before Zimbabweans go to the polls in what could be an epochal election but in what will most likely result in a rigged and effectively predetermined reaffirmation of Robert Mugabe's stranglehold on power. Mugabe is receiving support from some vocal sources, at least some of which makes it pretty […]
(Hummer H6 Player Edition is a $103,000 "Super SUV," six-wheeled with a horse power of 325hp and torque of 365 lbs-ft) Darfur and the Olympic games. China is a key player in both, but rather than throwing a blanket over both issues to determine cause-effect and prescribe a solution, we need to be more careful about […]
Freedom House (FH) recently came out with their 2007 Freedom in the World Rankings and I will individually go through their analysis of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, with Kyrgyzstan the focus today. Freedom House does a difficult and controversial job very well, and their work provides a great amount of insight into individual […]
Several Yemeni papers have reported that at-large al-Qaeda leader Qasim al-Raymi has been spotted at a funeral in Sana’a. Al-Raymi, according to al-Needa, was spotted by an eyewitness in Sana’a beautiful, tangled Old City. This report is seconded by al-Sahwa (which also has a picture of al-Raymi). (Thanks to Greg for his translation skills) Al-Raymi […]
The European Parliament rang in its 50th anniversary today, with a 'solemn ceremony’, in what FT commentator Andrew Bounds calls “an even more surreal session” in Strasbourg than usual. Since 1958 and with the growth of the Union the legitimacy (first appointed then directly elected), size (from 142 members to the current 785) and role […]
Good article from The Middle East Times about Iraqi journalists defying death threats. I don't know if this qualifies as “good news” or not, given the circumstances, but it is pretty inspiring.