President Asif Ali Zardari, in a meeting with Director of US National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair, urged US to assist Pakistan in its own civilian nuclear technology deal to help overcome its dire energy needs. President had suggested that this kind of deal will not only bridge the trust deficit between the two countries, but […]
The World’s leading banking and finance executives, industry regulators, and billionaire investors like Warren Buffet and George Soros – the Wall Street crowd writ large – will head to the annual World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland this week. On the agenda will be efforts to challenge US President Barack Obama’s efforts to reform the financial industry.
“The Canadian military planners expect that Pakistan will collapse by 2016, and the territory will be occupied by India. Sound bizarre? Not so to the security analysts in Ottawa.” Downhill for Pakistan? (Dawn) Tariq Amin-Khan. Tuesday, January 19, 2010 For the record, I want to make clear that I am a staunch supporter and promoter […]
Following the lead of Europe’s approach to their financial industry reforms, the Obama Administration in coming weeks is poised to take a more aggressive stance with the financial industry. In response to the proposed measures, Edward Yingling, President & CEO of the American Bankers Association (ABA), the banking sectors powerful industry lobby, said “It is perplexing to us,” why taxpayers are outraged about the bailouts and other financial indsutry behaviors.
Last week President Obama issued an executive order to systematize and accelerate the declassification of national security documents. National security is always the arch nemesis of transparency, the ace in the sleeve of politicians who aren’t quite comfortable with whatever pledges of openness they have made. Obama’s decision is therefore admirable not only for the […]
It is the time of year when people promise to do things differently, when they commit to change. What might world leaders resolve for fighting corruption and promoting accountability in 2010? There are few political or business leaders on the planet who would not publicly vouch for anti-corruption and accountability. This is the lingo of […]
A Year-end Round-up of major events and happenings in the Global Markets, Global Economy & International Trade arena, naming the Global Markets & Foreign Policy blog’s Person-of-the-Year, and our outlook for 2010.
Overview This past year was another interesting one for Venezuela, and it is a country where one never knows what will happen next. Overall, Chávez continued to advance his “Bolivarian revolution”. This effort included a number of laws passed by the National Assembly, a body that typically rubber stamps initiatives proposed by the Venezuelan president. […]
It is nauseating to see people being slaughtered in Pakistan these days. Human life has no respect for barbaric animals responsible for these bombings and suicide attacks. And if the news of bombings and killing was not enough, I was horrified to learn that Lahore’s commissioner (incorrectly) blames India for these attacks while Punjab’s law […]
Many polls have now been released showing Americans’ feelings toward our presence in Afghanistan and President Obama’s new surge plan. As I mentioned the day of the President’s West Point speech, Obama’s Afghanistan policy approval rating had dropped all the way to 35%, an alarmingly low number. I blamed some of this on the long […]
The United States is not taking the support offered by the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to the Iranian nuclear program lightly (Here is a previous blog I wrote on this topic). This week as the Turkish prime minister met with President Obama in Washington D.C., Iran’s nuclear program was very much a topic of […]
It is my sadistic joy to follow political pundits on a regular basis. Sometimes I have I have to step back from laptop as the hot air can get unbearable. Their reactions to President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, and the speech which announced it to the nation, have been something to see, I mean, read. Pundits […]
I am posting my thoughts on the Year in Review for issues most relevant to Global Engagement. However, this is part 1 of 2 – Annie White will also post her thoughts. Between the two of us you should get a pretty good sense of the year just ending and the one soon to begin. Overview: […]
Today’s Washington Post is reporting that Obama’s promise didn’t even last 24 hours. According to the paper, Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen all three danced around the issue of withdrawal from Afghanistan while testifying in front of Armed Services Committee a day after the speech. US Presidents have always struggled with the […]
So far, in 2009 alone, 9000 Pakistanis have died in Pakistan because of terrorism – that is bombings, suicide attacks and other acts of extreme violence against Pakistan, and Pakistani society by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Yes, 9000 (nine thousand) Pakistanis have died because of terrorism in 2009 alone. This terrorism according to Pakistan is […]