Foreign Policy Blogs

Current Conflicts

The Cairo Protests

The Cairo Protests

Cairo protests (credit: twitpic/shefaa) A second day of protests swept across Egypt today. Inspired partly by a popular revolution in Tunisia, thousands of people took to the streets in Cairo, Suez, and other cities, in defiance of government threats. As many as twenty thousand gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. According to reports, four people have […]

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Hezbollah Nominates New Lebanese Prime Minister

Hezbollah Nominates New Lebanese Prime Minister

In an atmosphere of reconciliation and peaceful transition, but with a backdrop of tires burning in the streets of Beirut, a new prime minister has been nominated in Lebanon. Najib Mikati was prime minister for a few months in 2005, and he is Lebanon’s richest man. Mikati’s first speech struck a conciliatory tone: “My hand […]

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Lebanon's Developing Crisis

Lebanon's Developing Crisis

A view over Beirut After the Lebanese government collapsed last week, many feared that the conflicted society might descend once again into violence. That danger appears to have passed, and Lebanese leaders have been quick to reassure the international community that the crisis would be resolved peacefully. However, the process of forming a new government is […]

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Sunday: Decision Day in Juba

Sunday: Decision Day in Juba

There is jubilation in the streets of what might become the world’s newest capital city. The streets are humming with crowds, marching bands, and sound trucks. Some 3.9 million people, out of a total population of 8.7 million, have signed up to vote in the week-long referendum, which begins this weekend. Independence awaits! But underneath […]

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Jafar Panahi Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Jafar Panahi Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Renowned Iranian filmmaker receives harsh prison sentence and banned from making films for the next twenty years. The oppression of Iranian activists in all shapes and sizes continues. Jafar Panahi, whose passionate speech in court was reproduced in a previous blog post, is one of the latest opponents of President Ahmadinejad’s government to be firmly […]

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Peace in Palestine

Peace in Palestine

An interesting debate has begun over at Foregin Policy. Last Tuesday, Israel’s vice premier and minister of strategic affairs Moshe Ya’alon wrote a provactive article that blames Palestinians for stalling the peace process. He writes that Palestinians, “instead of concluding a deal with Israel…have demonstrated a total unwillingness to compromise, often favoring terrorism, as witnessed […]

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Wikileaks Should Target Conflict Minerals

Wikileaks Should Target Conflict Minerals

Wikileaks has successfully created an online forum that publicizes normally secretive communications. Its most recent attacks on the U.S. government and military have brought widespread condemnation from officials, diplomats, and civilian experts. It remains to be seen whether this public shaming will create more transparent government or just encourage diplomats to be increasingly secretive. But […]

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In Defense of Human Rights and the Arts in Iran

In Defense of Human Rights and the Arts in Iran

Jafar Panahi, a celebrated Iranian filmmaker accused of organizing demonstrations against the government and various other crimes, delivered an impassioned defense in court last month. Panahi was imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison from March 1 to May 25 of this year. Panahi is the director of several internationally acclaimed films, including “The White Balloon,” […]

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Election Problems Across Africa

Election Problems Across Africa

The day after I post something about the upcoming independence referendum in Sudan, election problems boil over in two other countries on the continent. The Guinean military has proclaimed a state of emergency following a disputed election earlier this month, and reports are emerging of a military coup in Madagascar this morning. On November 7, […]

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The 196th Country in the World

The 196th Country in the World

South Sudan is set to vote itself into independence. But can it get there? A number of problems confront the government of South Sudan in preparation for a January referendum on independence.Voter registration is underway, but a delay in the vote could push Africa’s largest nation back to civil war. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary […]

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Chinese Companies Defy UN Sanctions in Iran & Darfur

Chinese Companies Defy UN Sanctions in Iran & Darfur

The spotlight is on Chinese weapons this week. The Washington Post reported that the Obama administration has gathered evidence of Chinese companies helping Iran develop its missile technology and nuclear weapons. One U.S. official associated with this investigation said the companies may be acting without the knowledge of the Chinese government. UN sanctions currently restrict […]

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Bushehr Struggles Against Computer Viruses, Heat, Delays

Bushehr Struggles Against Computer Viruses, Heat, Delays

Iran’s first nuclear power plant in Bushehr will not be up and running until next year, according to reports from the Iranian atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi. Iran began loading Russian-made fuel rods into the plant in August with the expectation that the plant would be connected to the national power grid by October. […]

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Wikipedia for Zionists

Searching for unbiased commentary? Look elsewhere. Last week, two Israeli Zionist groups unveiled a seminar series on Wikipedia editing designed “to influence what is written there, how it’s written and to ensure that it is balanced and Zionist in nature.” The groups were concerned that entries on the user-edited encyclopedia did not offer a balanced, […]

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Rwanda: Still Troubled

Rwanda: Still Troubled

On April 6, 1994, President Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda was assassinated as his plane descended to Rwanda’s Kigali airport. It remains unclear who was responsible for the attack but everyone knows what happened next. Somewhat less well-known is France’s role in the training, arming, and supporting of the Hutu government and its violent paramilitary groups. […]

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A Culture of Inequality in Israel

A Culture of Inequality in Israel

What will Jerusalem be like in twenty years? Today, the city is divided into predominately Jewish west Jerusalem and predominately Palestinian east Jerusalem. East Jerusalem itself is striped with both Palestinian and Jewish neighborhoods. Quality of life in different neighborhoods varies dramatically, but it is safe to say that Jerusalem’s Jews enjoy a far greater […]

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