Since his swearing in as the 56th president of Haiti on May 14, 2011, Michel Martelly tried turning over every leaf around the globe, seeking new investment opportunities for his homeland. Consecutive trips to the United States and Spain respectively, after assuming office, attested to his aspirations: bring needed attention to the ravaged country. However, […]
“Today in the Senate, I met with Senators Jon Kyl and Mark Kirk”, announced Russia’s ambassador to Nato Dmitry Rogozin. “I…was transported in a time machine back several decades, and in front of me sat two monsters of the Cold War, who looked at me not through pupils, but targeting sights.” “The meeting is very […]
Chief of Staff General Işık Koşaner and all of the force commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces resigned by 18:00 EET today (July 29, 2011). This is considered as the biggest protest in Turkish republican military history and the first time that the Chief of Staff has resigned together with the commanders of the navy […]
As news of the horrific attack in Norway ticked in, we drew our conclusions regarding the perpetrator’s motives and background. The media were quick to point out that Norway contributes to the coalition forces in Afghanistan and Libya, and that Norwegian newspapers had reprinted the Muhammad caricatures that first appeared in the Danish daily Jyllands […]
I have so many Africa-related stories in tabs on my laptop that my whole system is slowing down. You know what that means: Here are a bunch of stories that have caught my eye, with commentary, much drawn from my recent trip to South Africa, as apt. This is the South Africa edition (a more […]
Currently reading about the question of European security for my dissertation, I came across a very insightful book – in French – entitled Un Monde sans Europe? (A world without Europe?). The manuscript’s research question is very simple: what are the challenges, and possible opportunities, for France and Europe in this transforming world? In order […]
Afghanistan seems to be sinking- that is, whatever there is left to sink. Earlier this month, the King of Kandahar, Ahmed Wali Karzai, was assassinated and predictable political exchange immediately ground to a halt. The powerful thorn on the side of Afghan pols, General David Petraeus, left to take up his new role as CIA […]
Smiles but plenty of clouds, too The inaugural session of the annual U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in Washington last summer imparted new energy to bilateral affairs following a period of treading water. President Obama used the occasion to announce his visit to India and emphasized that partnership with New Delhi was one of his “highest priorities.” […]
As things stood on the evening of July 26, 20011, Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s five-month-old government could collapse by the weekend, thereby giving serious headache to India, which has serious stake in the peace process and drafting of a new constitution. The present Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxists Leninists (CPN-UML)- is Nepal’s […]
The mediasphere is abuzz with talk of a pro-Putin video starring young-sexy-busty Russian women (isn’t that what all women in Russia are like anyway?) I was struck by déjà vu. The video brings past mammaries I mean memories to the fore. Remember the “happy birthday Mr. President” calendar from the scantily clad students of Moscow […]
Former Sri Lankan President (from November 12, 1994 to November 19, 2005) Chandrika Kumaratunga recently charged her successor and present Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, of adopting “authoritarian” policies and warned the latter against clubbing Tamil civilians with the now vanquished LTTE/Tamil Tigers. She accused the government of projecting Sinhala Buddhist as the dominant force […]
In April of this year, Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika delivered his state of the nation address, entitled “A Promise Delivered.” From what is currently happening in the country (which some observers liken to the ongoing uprising in the Arab world), nothing even remotely resembles the fulfillment of this speech. As far as I can […]
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