The same day Iraq signed a $365 million agreement to install a pipeline network to import 25 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas a day to the Sadr, al-Quds and South Baghdad power stations in the Iraqi capital, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hinted to aides that he was considering cutting half of his government’s […]
On Friday, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced that his country would create two brigades to station in the Arctic, possibly in Murmansk or Arkanghelsk. He stated, “The location will be determined, as well as weapons, numbers and infrastructure for the brigades.” Serdyukov’s announcement reflected Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s intentions in the Arctic, recently publicized […]
As the FPA Blog site is going under the knife in about an hour, I won’t have time to put up a full post today. However, I wanted to get something up before the anesthetic sets in. As readers of yesterday’s post know, signs were pointing towards a governmental attempt to seize the reform narrative. […]
First of all, allow yours truly to apologize for the conspicuous gap in posts of late. There has been a fairly serious medical emergency with the paterfamilias which has kept me away from the blogosphere. My bad. The good news is that all is now well, and I’m back to a regular posting schedule. Lucky […]
One of the less publicized issues going on during Egypt’s rebuilding process is the trouble in the Sinai Peninsula. Since the revolution toppled the former autocratic government, lawlessness and chaos have taken hold of society. The nomadic Bedouin of the Sinai, who under Mubarak were controlled and coerced in to cooperating with the regime, have […]
I’m thrilled to join Mexico Today, a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and tourist destination. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work as a Community Manager for México Today, whereby I will generate content and manage other contributors. I also participated in an […]
Indictments have been issued in the investigation into the assassination of Rafik Hariri. Four members of Hizballah are reportedly named in the case and the Lebanese government has a month to make arrests, after which the sealed indictments will become public. The indictments come at a particularly tense time for Lebanon, both internally and externally. […]
The University of KwaZulu-Natal hosted this year’s Southern African Historical Society (SAHS) biennial meeting. As a result of my travel fiascos (thanks again, Delta) I missed a good hunk of the meeting. Still, what I did get to experience over the final day-and-a-half was a wonderful combination of fellowship, intellectual inspiration, networking, and book buying. […]
Unemployment at 42 percent. A “negative” credit rating from Moody’s. Widespread corruption. And now without a government for nine months. Nearly 16 years after Dayton, the New York Times reports that the country is facing its worst crisis since the war. [Bosnia Flounders as Powers Argue: NYTimes]
Ethnic discord, cultural and linguistic divisions, monarchy, site of the longest political crisis ever recorded; no, I am not talking about Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, or Tunisia, but Belgium, one of the founding countries of the EU, a signatory of the Treaties of Rome in 1957, the heart of the European Union, and home of the […]
President Obama’s announcement of far larger and more accelerated withdrawals of U.S. forces from Afghanistan than many had expected affects Indian security interests and the U.S.-India relationship in significant ways.
I once read that there are but three types of western expats to be found in Cambodia: drunken/stoned womanizers, fugitives, and do-gooders. After much independent research and a brief stopover during a border run from Thailand, I have no reason to question the veracity of this assertion. That said, I will leave the former two […]
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