Category: Blogs

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Bremain vs Brexit

Nov 3, 2016

Brexit Ruling is a Win for Parliamentary Democracy

By Erwan Lagadec

The era of “fact-free politics” just met its match, in that “facts are stubborn.” Populist politicians can distort much of the truth with little or no political consequences, but the British high court’s ruling on November 3 proves that for Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, and Theresa May, ignoring the reality of the United Kingdom’s constitutional […]

European Union International Organizations

SyriaSource

Nov 2, 2016

The Obama Administration Still Has a Range of Options to Pressure Assad and Russia

By SyriaSource

Steve Heydemann’s article in the New York Times explores the range of policy options available to the current White House administration, arguing that a no fly zone is not the only choice. Being flexible would allow the administration to judiciously exercise power to achieve its diplomatic objectives. He also points out that, although the current […]

Syria
Deputy chairman of Federation Council's defence and security committee Frants Klintsevitsj

NATOSource

Nov 2, 2016

Russian Leader Makes Nuclear Threat to Norway for Hosting US Marines

By The Local (Norway)

A key Russian defence figure says the deployment of US Marines at Værnes is part of a US buildup to go on a “global blitz” and warned that Norway may make itself a target for a potential nuclear attack.

NATO Northern Europe
Director General of the British Security Service Andrew Parker

NATOSource

Nov 2, 2016

MI5 Head: ‘Increasingly Aggressive’ Russia a Growing Threat to UK

By Ewen MacAskill and Paul Johnson, Guardian

Russia poses an increasing threat to the stability of the UK and is using all the sophisticated tools at its disposal to achieve its aims, the director general of MI5 has told the Guardian.

Cybersecurity Intelligence

IranSource

Nov 2, 2016

A Friendlier Majles Confirms New Rouhani Ministers

By Mehran Haghirian

President Hassan Rouhani addressed the Islamic Republic’s Majles (Parliament) on Nov. 1 on the occasion of confirmation hearings for three new ministers. With the help of his supporters within the Majles, all three nominees won votes of confidence and are now ministers at least until new presidential elections scheduled for May 19, 2017.

Iran

New Atlanticist

Nov 2, 2016

India Makes a Smart Move

By Nidhi Upadhyaya

By 2050, 843 million people will be living in urban areas of India. They will migrate from rural regions for better job opportunities, better health care, and a better life. How will cities sustain this huge influx of people? The government of India is already addressing this question. With the Smart Cities Mission, it is […]

India

UkraineAlert

Nov 2, 2016

Why the Revelation of Officials’ Cash, Cars, and a Church Will Change Ukraine for Good

By Anders Åslund

In a bout of extraordinary transparency, 50,000 Ukrainian officials have declared their assets and incomes and it is easily accessible to the interested public. A staggering amount of wealth has been revealed and this very act is likely to have changed Ukraine for good. As declarations arrived on the publicly accessible register, it recorded the […]

Ukraine

SyriaSource

Nov 1, 2016

Russia and Risk: Who is Answerable?

By Frederic C. Hof

Those who advocate modest military measures to stop or at least slow the mass murder of Syrian civilians by Russia and its Assad regime client should not evade the patently unfair question they are often asked: “Are you willing to risk World War III?” As important as it is to defend civilians—for both humanitarian and […]

Syria

UkraineAlert

Nov 1, 2016

Erdogan: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Russian Encirclement

By Stephen Blank

Less than six months ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly complained that the Black Sea had become a Russian lake and sought regional and NATO cooperation against this threat. Russia and Turkey’s long-standing relationship was on the rocks, especially after Turkey had shot down a Russian fighter plane over Syria in November 2015. In […]

Russia Turkey

AfricaSource

Nov 1, 2016

South Africa’s ICC Withdrawal is a Distraction from a Broader Political Crisis

By Chloë McGrath

South Africa, commonly lauded as a beacon of democracy on the African continent, has finally caught the attention of the international community after its official decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The press and human rights organizations are abuzz with the news – decrying the country’s betrayal to “millions of victims of […]

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