Can favorable consolidation of democracy in Bangladesh serve as a bulwark against fanatacism and instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The simplest answer is yes. There are two ways, cases really, in which it might serve as a bulwark. The first case: Bangladesh’s democratic consolidation serves as an exemplar to show interested parties in Afghanistan […]
The New York Times just published a heart-wrenching piece on the death of an innocent 12-year-old girl in Pakistan who worked as a servant in the home of a wealthy lawyer. That poor child, little Shazia Masih, might have died from injuries sustained from vicious physical abuse from her employer. Now, simply switch the […]
One of the bluntest anti-Iran piece was published in The Wall Street Journal this week. Bret Stephens, in “Seven Myths About Iran”, tries to show why attacking Iran is perfectly reasonable. He tries to counter “myths” like “Military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities would accomplish nothing.” But as Teymoor Nabili points out in his Middle East blog, the […]
The escalating war between Putin and House Speaker Sergei Mironov, who is being pressured to resign for daring to criticise the budget and the Prime Minister by name on national TV, may be just the opposite of what it seems. “Do not try to bend the spoon. Try to realize the truth: there is no […]
The finance ministers of the G-7 have convened in Iqaluit, Nunavut, where temperatures are slightly below 0° F. That makes it the perfect place for the “fireside chats” Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty hopes to hold as part of a back to basics approach to discussing global finance. Issues like the European Union debt and […]
Malaysia: The NY Times has an article concerning ANOTHER Anwar Ibrahim trial. Over the last 30 years, Mr. Anwar has not been a stranger to Malaysian jails, nor to the charge of sodomy, but his latest running-a foul with the political elite may have some serious repercussions in Malaysia, as well as to the nation’s […]
The Iranian government is desperately trying to quell dissent by using threats and intimidation to silence the opposition. Last week Iran executed two prisoners who were accused of being part of the Monarchist conspiracy, Davoud Rahmanipour and Mohammad-Reza Ali-Zamani. Rahmanipour was only 18 at the time of arrest and 19 at the time of his […]
These are not South African President Jacob Zuma’s best days. To make an American analogy, Zuma right now comes across to much of the public like a mix between Bill Clinton and John Edwards. Bill Clinton survived his sexual peccadilloes, though they wounded his presidency and legacy substantially and may well have helped cost Al […]
Hamas is outraged that one of its top leaders was assassinated in the heart of the Gulf, with the terror group blaming the Israeli Mossad, warning other leaders of potential assassination attempts, and vowing revenge. The Israeli government has not commented, as to be expected, but all the signs point to Israeli intelligence as the […]
A little over three months into the Hatoyama administration and it is now clear that the new government is taking engagement with its East Asian neighbors seriously. Major missions of DPJ lawmakers to China and high-level cabinet meetings with South Korean counterparts have signaled a newfound interest in and commitment to diplomacy and détente in […]
In his report to the President this summer, Gen. McChrystal stated that he thought the war in Afghanistan was winnable, but if things did not change quickly, it would be lost. McChrystal has now been handed nearly 100,000 American troops, along with thousands more NATO and Afghan partners, and given about a year to show […]
These are good days for Lebanon. The country is relatively stable, stocks are up, and the tourists are back. The government is semi-functional, business is booming, and construction is everywhere. The people of Lebanon are showing the world what they are capable of when their country is not at war. But many Lebanese are fearful […]
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