Minor Thoughts on the Shalit Deal
Both of these moves signify minor, yet important shifts in Israeli policy, but does this mean anything? Does it show an Israeli government that is belatedly reacting to its own self-isolation? Or is there something bigger afoot?
The End of the Responsibility to Protect?
My new piece is up at Foreign Policy Journal: Critics of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and interventionism in general have long accused international humanitarian action of being a form of imperialism cloaked in humanitarianism. The BRIC/IBSA countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa; hereafter referred to as BRICS) are beginning to unite … Read more
1,000 Palestinian Prisoners Down, What’s Left?
The following factsheet gives an overview of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, even after the release of Shalit
Saddam Hussein’s Doppleganger Kidnapped for Porn Film
Mohamed Bishr, an Egyptian man who greatly resembles former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, was injured last Sunday when three armed men attempted to kidnap Bishr in order to force him to impersonate Hussein in a pornographic film.
Syrians Should Blame Libya
So in the wake of the failed UNSC resolution condemning the violence in Syria, the Russian foreign ministry (Russia, along with China, vetoed the resolution) issued a statement explaining why they utilized the veto: Our wording proposals on the inadmissibility of external military intervention are not taken into account. And that, in view of the … Read more
Syria’s Civil War?
The Syrian episode of the Arab Spring seems to be stagnating in a horribly violent phase. The majority of protesters have remained true to non-violence, only to see continued repression and killing by the Assad regime (somewhere around 2,700 killed.) Some have turned to violent revolution based on the Libyan experience, though this number is reportedly in the minority. Internationally, western countries have tried and failed to pass a watered-down resolution at the United Nations, leading many to contemplate the possibility of establishing a no-fly zone over Syria.
Will Oil Drown the Libyan Revolution?
Michael Ross wrote a pretty interesting piece in the latest Foreign Affairs (subscription required) about the possibility that the prevalence of oil in many Arab countries will dampen the effects of the Arab Spring. The boiled down thesis is that monarchs and dictators who are fortunate enough to run countries blessed with immense oil wealth … Read more
Quartet’s New “Peace Initiative”
It is not surprising reading the news, after the Palestinian Authority’s bid at the United Nations, that the Quartet came out with a “new idea.” It is a nice mixture of the “same old garbage” with a tint of “we need to keep ourselves relevant.” The Quartet is this ad-hoc organization of the United States, … Read more
Why Has the Egyptian Revolution Stalled?
In addition to the regular reading list, I am offering a pretty good selection on Egypt. I am crazy behind this week and have not really had time to comment on all I want to, including many issues that are covered in these readings. Unsurprisingly, the main constant through all of these pieces is the … Read more
