It is being reported that the US Joint Chiefs of Staff will issue a report recommending that the Obama administration lower its expectations for a democratic Afghanistan and instead concentrate on regional stability and defeating Al Qaeda and the Taliban. I have not seen the report myself, but Politico's David Cloud asserts that the report […]
Over at The New Republic, Eric Reeves fears Another Bloodbath in Darfur. Reeves is deeply committed, incredibly passionate, and has been more right than wrong about Darfur in recent years. But he also can be a bit shrill, and among some prominent Sudan observers is not considered a particularly reliable voice, especially when it comes […]
I am all for resistance. Resistance against abusive governments, corrupt regimes, staggering bureaucracy, greedy leaders, stupidity, ignorance, poverty so on, so forth. Hizballah comes up with good ideas. The downside is the way they put them into action and the direction of their dedication. Sheikh Qauaq made a statement yesterday when Hizballah honored Tehran on […]
How should you feel about the latest alleged deal in Zimbabwe? The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has apparently signed on, but at best cautious optimism seems wise. My bet? Within ten days the deal falls apart amidst Robert Mugabe's and ZANU-PF's double dealing, threats, thuggery, and general malfeasance.
The trajectory may not follow a straight upward angle, but generally speaking, the course of South African politics from now to the elections will generally increase in intensity on a near weekly basis. How that intensity manifests itself will make all the difference. It is one thing for parties to jockey for position. It is […]
Mercifully, Iraq's provincial elections on Saturday were a largely peaceful affair . Voter turnout was less than anticipated. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his party appear to have consolidated their influence, although votes are still being counted. Jennifer Bushaw at FPA's Iraq blog characterizes the elections as a chance to see the impact of Iraq's […]
A new Palestinian militant group — The Jihad Movement for the Victory of Gaza — emerged in Ain el Hilwe. Their target? The Egyptian Embassy and UNIFIL. What's next? The Saudi Embassy? Then what? The militant Palestinian groups main role is to create trouble. They are used as tools by the mighty Arab and Muslim […]
Cheap bread and used cars: As Russia's economic tailspin rips away one by one the flimsy protective myths of the ruling clique – national rebirth, orthodoxy, regional hegemony, patriotism, assertiveness abroad – we now see in stark relief the true, rather more prosaic, foundations of Putin's popularity in Russia. As thousands of citizens called […]
Just as Iraq's provinces express their newly given right to participate in an election, the Afghanistan people will have to wait a little bit longer for their turn. The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan has decided to postpone the country's presidential election until August 20th for the expressed reason of registering more voters, setting up […]
Christopher Boucek at Carnegie discusses the rubrics by which we can measure the success of terrorist/jihadi rehabilitation programs, given the recent revelations on recidivism among graduates of the Saudi's efforts in this regard. (Mentioned on this blog in November). Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal takes the a strong stance against releasing prisoners; if […]
Iraqi provincial elections will take place tomorrow, serving as a segue into the national elections to be held later this year. The mainstream media outlets are framing this event as a wonderful change from the last election day, which was riddled with violence. To a degree, I believe this is true. But the real challenge […]
The real status of events in Zimbabwe continues to be shrouded in a fog of obfuscation, misinformation, and disinformation. Despite reports apparently emanating from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state, the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have denied that they have agreed to form a unity government. MDC's unwillingness […]
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