PBS: Escaping Eritrea … [Read More...] about ካብ ውሽጢ ቤት ማእሰርታት ኤርትራ
UPFRONT
A Streetcar in Uganda
Fritz Schumann | February 24, 2016 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS Bringing Mass Transport to Africa At first, the Ugandan capital of Kampala seems like a mirage of endless slums. Most of the city is made up of row upon row of temporary houses and huts. Looking closer, though, you’ll see the occasional mansion scattered on the surrounding hills. Those who can afford it guard their … [Read more...] about A Streetcar in Uganda
Intriguing new developments in the Red Sea region
22 February 2016 | COHENONAFRICA There are some intriguing new developments in the Red Sea region. Eritrea has joined the “Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism.” What is so interesting about that? Well, the list of countries in that coalition are all good friends of the United States. American arms exporters make lots of dinars selling to those … [Read more...] about Intriguing new developments in the Red Sea region
What Russia’s Failing Economy Means For Putin’s Legacy And Military Ambitions
Alexandra Ma, Editorial Fellow | Post 02/20/2016 | THE HUFFINGTON POST The WorldPost spoke with Sergey Aleksahenko, former deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank. Every week, The WorldPost asks an expert to shed light on a topic driving headlines around the world. In this edition, we speak with Sergey Aleksashenko, former deputy chairman of the Central Bank of Russia … [Read more...] about What Russia’s Failing Economy Means For Putin’s Legacy And Military Ambitions
Putin’s Patriotism Playbook
Gregory Feifer | February 18, 2016 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS What’s Russian Nationalism Got to Do With It? It may not seem remarkable for an authoritarian such as Russian President Vladimir Putin to identify patriotism as his country’s “national idea,” as he did to a group of Russian entrepreneurs earlier this month. “There can be no other,” he said of the … [Read more...] about Putin’s Patriotism Playbook
Playing With Fire
Mitch Ginsburg | February 18, 2016 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Rise of Jewish Terrorism On the night of July 30 last year, Amiram Ben-Oliel, the 21-year-old son of a rabbi, waited for a friend in a cave in the heart of the West Bank. They had planned to rendezvous there, between Ramallah and Nablus, before heading to the Palestinian villages of Duma and Majdal … [Read more...] about Playing With Fire
Preparing for the Collapse of the Saudi Kingdom
Sarah Chayes and Alex de Waal | Feb 18, 2016 | THE ATLANTIC It can’t last. The U.S. better get ready. For half a century, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been the linchpin of U.S. Mideast policy. A guaranteed supply of oil has bought a guaranteed supply of security. Ignoring autocratic practices and the export of Wahhabi extremism, Washington stubbornly dubs its … [Read more...] about Preparing for the Collapse of the Saudi Kingdom
Syria: The winners and losers are becoming clear in this war
Patrick Cockburn | Saturday 13 February 2016 | THE INDEPENDENT The war is far from over, but the faint shape of an endgame is coalescing amid the bloodbath At an early stage of the war in Syria, an Iraqi official went to see a Nato commander. “What’s the difference between what is happening in Syria and Libya [where Muammar Gaddafi had just been overthrown]?” he asked. … [Read more...] about Syria: The winners and losers are becoming clear in this war
The world’s next crisis: drought and famine in the Horn of Africa
Martin Plaut | 11 January 2016 | THE NEW STATESMAN There are warnings that the humanitarian caseload could exceed the Syrian crisis. The scale of the drought now gripping the Horn of Africa is only beginning to be grasped. While the BBC and some other media outlets have given it some coverage, this has only really touched the surface of the problem. Most quote a … [Read more...] about The world’s next crisis: drought and famine in the Horn of Africa
How Vladimir Putin lost Ukraine
Elizabeth Pond | 10 February 2016 | THE NEW STATESMAN Putin’s war cost Russia its centuries-long shared identity with its neighbour. Now, Kyiv risks betraying the spirit of the Maidan revolution. When the Russian inquest finally comes, the answer will be clear. It was President Vladimir Putin who lost Ukraine – after a millennium of shared east Slav identity. When the … [Read more...] about How Vladimir Putin lost Ukraine
How to Build an Alliance
Ashlyn Anderson and Amy J. Nelson | February 11, 2016 | FOREIGN AFFAIRS U.S.-Indian Defense Cooperation and the Rise of China In January last year, U.S. President Barack Obama made a historic trip to India to celebrate Republic Day as the chief guest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the visit, the two countries announced six “pathfinder efforts” for the … [Read more...] about How to Build an Alliance