Category: Blogs

Law of the Sea Tribunal Ruling Muddies the Waters Not Just for Ghana

By Peter Pham

Two months ago, Ghana  struck a blow for both the rule of law and fiscal probity when it detained the storied flagship of the Argentine navy as part of court-ordered relief for the Latin American country’s jilted creditors. Over the weekend a somnolent United Nations tribunal has waded into the controversy with a decision that not […]

Top News: Judiciary to Investigate Referendum Violations

By Egypt Source

The minister of justice has appointed judges to investigate all reported violations during the first round of the referendum on the constitution.  GOVERNMENT & OPPOSITION Opposition to protest referendum at Tahrir, presidential palace Opposition movements will protest in Tahrir Square and in front of Ettehadiya Palace Tuesday, against what they allege were vote rigging attempts […]

Turkey and the EU: Too Late?

Though his country has been aspiring to join the European Union since the 1960s, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warns “the EU will lose Turkey” if action in accession does not happen by the 2023 centennial of the Turkish Republic.

Russia to develop precision conventional ICBM option to counter NATO’s missile defense

By RIA Novosti

NATO: Somali pirates seized no ships for 6 months

By AP

From AP:  NATO officials say no ships have been hijacked off the Somali coast in the second half of this year, reflecting a sharp decrease in piracy along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Egypt and a “Failure of Leadership”

By Tarek Radwan

The Arab Spring has produced and reproduced a number of wonky clichés in its wake – the term “Arab Spring” itself is no exception.  From the development of a “new language” to describe the various uprisings to recommendations for “engagement” with one political actor or another, commentators and policy-makers employ vague terms that others may […]

Britain’s drone air force decimated by pilot error

By Robert Verkaik, Daily Mail

From Robert Verkaik, Daily Mail:  Nearly half of Britain’s top-secret military drones deployed in Afghanistan have crashed – many because of pilot error.

China’s Bad Diplomacy

By James Clad and Robert Manning

A joke now making the rounds in Asia asks, “who is America’s most effective diplomat in Asia?” The punch line brings knowing laughter: “‘Mr. Beijing.’ Yes, Mr. Bob Beijing is playing America’s best hand.”

Sectarian Language as a Political Tool

By Basil El Dabh

"Someone is pulling us into side battles and saying 80 percent of the people who were in front of Al-Ittahadeya yesterday and the past days were Copts. We and Copts are partners in the homeland and we will not be dragged into sectarian strife,” said Khairat El Shater, deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood in […]

NATO allies may lack sufficient precision bombs for Syria contingencies

By Zachary Fryer-Biggs, Defense News