PART II North Korea will never honestly negotiate a dismantling of its nuclear weapons; this is the only trump card that has ensured cash flow into the regime. In essence, N. Korea is black mailing the region (and the U.S.). This behavior is not surprising, as the North is a “mafia state” lead […]
One of the reasons I’m writing this blog is to try and give readers a better idea of what Syria is like. Sometimes that means things like discussions of foreign policy, my post on the IAEA for instance. Other times it means we talk about domestic issues like the banning of the Niqab. Well today […]
The Following piece was published in Tehran Bureau: www.tehranbureau.com by MEA CYRUS in London 25 SEPTEMBER, 2010 Taste for controversy increases president’s own risks. [ comment ] There is considerable confusion as to why President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said what he did in New York, clearly suggesting that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were a devious […]
There is no dearth of reports, articles and analysis on India’s preparation or the lack of it for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010. Apart from the Indian news channels inviting ‘experts’ of all hues to comment on what went wrong and the national mission to discover where the ‘buck stops’, criticism in the international media […]
Ever since I watched the Ridley Scott film “Gladiator” ten years ago, and winced at the public and private dissembling that was the meat of that film, I’ve always toed a somewhat cautionary line between freedom of expression–as something more than a principle– and responsible art-making. At issue: when does a plausible experience ring […]
Even for a country like India, long inured to the fiascos created by its bungling and corrupt politicians, the adjectives accompanying the Commonwealth Games (CWG) seem like a new low.
France is facing few hard choices regarding its Muslim population. Yesterday, Five French nationals were kidnapped off the shores of Nigeria by Al-Qaeda wing in North Africa. The group claimed responsibility and expressed its clear intention of targeting France’s interest and French nationals. The group made no specific demands as of yet. This, while officials […]
The issue of Syrian cooperation with the IAEA has returned to the headlines as the UN General Assembly convenes this week. While Barak Obama’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian front, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s incendiary remarks have garnered the most attention, nuclear proliferation has also come to the fore with Syria right in the middle. In remarks […]
In the Pambazuka 2010-09-22, issue 497, Charles Abugre writes a beautiful piece about the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) success and challenges ahead. His article comes at a time when world leaders are gathering in the Big Apple to review progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. What I like about Charles’ article is that it […]
It may have gone unnoticed and unremarked within politics and policy circles, but Pakistan is out again, renewed and replenished in odd ways that speak to a disjointed narrative about contemporary art and literature. Consider the new edition of Granta out in newsstands and haute stores that peddle in that version of mature sensibilities that […]
From the Global Organized Crime Blog: Wordplay is an important skill for politicians and diplomats, who routinely solve dilemmas by substituting one phrase for another, replacing ‘hot-button’ words with language that may not change reality, but which invariably gives players the ‘wiggle-room’ they need to back-off, rethink, renegotiate, regroup, or retreat from battles plainly lost. […]
One of the themes that repeatedly pops up when trying to “figure out” Syria is the contrast between where Syria has been, and where it is going. You see this division everyday. Old, decrepit services fighting for space on the road with modern buses. Older, covered women sharing the sidewalks with girls in plunging neck […]
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