Pyongyang's underground nuclear test on May 25 and its April 5 test-firing of a long-range missile that flew over Japan was condemned almost unanimously across the globe. It is easy to understand why. A small but extremely belligerent and reckless country has effectively undermined the existing system for resolving conflicts and providing collective security.
The nuclear militarization of North Korea creates a dangerous risk for Russia. Any nuclear explosion by North Korea in the region would mean that radiation fallout would inevitably spread to Russia's Far East. South Korea, China and Japan face the same risk.
FULL ARTICLE
08 June 2009
Clinton's Troubling Transformation (ISRAEL)
When Hillary Clinton was New York's junior US senator from 2001 to 2009, she was a vocal supporter of Israel. She was especially strong on Jerusalem, stating in a September 2007 position paper that she believed "Israel's right to exist in safety as a Jewish state, with defensible borders and an undivided Jerusalem as its capital, must never be questioned." Her spokesman even said "this paper is a reflection of her consistent policy... that hasn't changed." In June 2004, Clinton voted for the Senate resolution endorsing president George W. Bush's letter to prime minister Ariel Sharon that envisaged Israel retaining "major Israeli population centers" in Judea and Samaria and "defensible borders" in any final peace agreement.
FULL ARTICLE
FULL ARTICLE
07 June 2009
The Power of Humility (ISRAEL)
Is there meaning and power to Barack Obama's address without President Obama? Is this solely Obama's text or is it America's new text, whoever the president might be? The answer is twofold. Obama did not have to make his Cairo speech to alter U.S. policy. Anyone looking for a policy change could have found it in his earlier declarations supporting dialogue with Iran and opposing settlements, as well as in his announcements that he would bolster the Afghanistan campaign and speed up the pullout from Iraq. Obama the politician could have allowed his actions to draw Arab and Muslim support, and show the rest of the world where he is headed.
But Obama did not plan merely to announce political change and redefine U.S. interests in the Middle East, or offer American-Muslim reconciliation. You don't need an appearance at a dim hall at Cairo University to do this. Obama is a political philosopher who seeks to forge a new constitution of international politics that can replace the old paradigm, which drew a line separating Islam from the West. The old paradigm also built the temples of Orientalism, where the Middle East was researched as a holding area of natives, which attributed wisdom to the West and backwardness to "Islam," and juxtaposed a West of diplomatic finesse and honest handshakes with an Islam of fraud and violence.
FULL ARTICLE
But Obama did not plan merely to announce political change and redefine U.S. interests in the Middle East, or offer American-Muslim reconciliation. You don't need an appearance at a dim hall at Cairo University to do this. Obama is a political philosopher who seeks to forge a new constitution of international politics that can replace the old paradigm, which drew a line separating Islam from the West. The old paradigm also built the temples of Orientalism, where the Middle East was researched as a holding area of natives, which attributed wisdom to the West and backwardness to "Islam," and juxtaposed a West of diplomatic finesse and honest handshakes with an Islam of fraud and violence.
FULL ARTICLE
06 June 2009
Reaching for Hearts and Minds (AUSTRALIA)
Barack Obama has made a bold, characteristically eloquent attempt to appeal over the heads of the gatekeepers of official opinion in the Muslim world to the great mass of moderate Muslims.
Obama called for a new partnership between the US and Muslims. He firmly restated his determination to combat extremism and violence. He admitted some mistakes in US policy. He committed himself to working for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. He supported human rights and specifically women's rights in Muslim countries. He skilfully drew on his life experiences to convey an appreciation of the richness of Islamic culture and history.
He also defined and defended what America is. To an audience of Muslims all across the world, many of whom sadly still believe the weirdest conspiracy theories about 9/11, Obama spoke in plain language: al-Qa'ida murdered 3000 civilians on 9/11. He defended US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most importantly, he spoke of the US's "unbreakable" bonds to Israel. People tend to overlook this, but Obama has been just as forthright as George W. Bush in his public commitments to Israel.
FULL ARTICLE
Obama called for a new partnership between the US and Muslims. He firmly restated his determination to combat extremism and violence. He admitted some mistakes in US policy. He committed himself to working for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. He supported human rights and specifically women's rights in Muslim countries. He skilfully drew on his life experiences to convey an appreciation of the richness of Islamic culture and history.
He also defined and defended what America is. To an audience of Muslims all across the world, many of whom sadly still believe the weirdest conspiracy theories about 9/11, Obama spoke in plain language: al-Qa'ida murdered 3000 civilians on 9/11. He defended US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most importantly, he spoke of the US's "unbreakable" bonds to Israel. People tend to overlook this, but Obama has been just as forthright as George W. Bush in his public commitments to Israel.
FULL ARTICLE
05 June 2009
Why Europeans Have It Wrong About Americans (GERMANY)
Many Europeans think that the US is full of gun-toting maniacs and illiterate morons. In part two of his series on trans-Atlantic differences, American historian Peter Baldwin shows why Europeans have this -- and plenty of other facts about America -- plain wrong.
In a three-part essay for SPIEGEL ONLINE, American historian Peter Baldwin argues that the EU and the US are much more similar than they think. You can read part one of his essay here.
When compared to Europe, the US welfare state is often portrayed as miserly and undeveloped. And so it is, if the standard is taken to be Sweden or Germany. But if we look at the span of social policy across Europe, a different picture emerges.
Of course, America has no universal system of health insurance -- Michael Moore's 2006 film Sicko will ensure that no one forgets that. Some 15 percent of the American population is not covered. There is no question that being uninsured is unfair and brutal, nor that the lack of universal health coverage is the most pressing problem of American domestic politics. The true disgrace of American health care is that infant mortality is higher than anywhere in Europe. President Obama seems determined not to let the financial crisis sidetrack his promise to improve access to health insurance.
FULL ARTICLE
In a three-part essay for SPIEGEL ONLINE, American historian Peter Baldwin argues that the EU and the US are much more similar than they think. You can read part one of his essay here.
When compared to Europe, the US welfare state is often portrayed as miserly and undeveloped. And so it is, if the standard is taken to be Sweden or Germany. But if we look at the span of social policy across Europe, a different picture emerges.
Of course, America has no universal system of health insurance -- Michael Moore's 2006 film Sicko will ensure that no one forgets that. Some 15 percent of the American population is not covered. There is no question that being uninsured is unfair and brutal, nor that the lack of universal health coverage is the most pressing problem of American domestic politics. The true disgrace of American health care is that infant mortality is higher than anywhere in Europe. President Obama seems determined not to let the financial crisis sidetrack his promise to improve access to health insurance.
FULL ARTICLE
Obama's Likud Trap (HONG KONG)
There is a famous episode in the classic comedy show, Fawlty Towers in which the British hotelier played by John Cleese prepares for a party of German guests with the invocation "Don't mention the war!"
Obama actually came to Cairo and pulled this off. Speaking on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the Six-Day War in which Israel actually occupied the Occupied Territories, he gave a long and considered oration which did not mention the war that gave rise to the occupation and whose humiliation is still seared in Egyptian memory.
It was that war that heralded the US's seemingly infinite forbearance for Israeli actions, as proven by the heavy handed, and continuing, attempts not to mention the Israeli attempt to sink the USS Liberty.
FULL ARTICLE
Obama actually came to Cairo and pulled this off. Speaking on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the Six-Day War in which Israel actually occupied the Occupied Territories, he gave a long and considered oration which did not mention the war that gave rise to the occupation and whose humiliation is still seared in Egyptian memory.
It was that war that heralded the US's seemingly infinite forbearance for Israeli actions, as proven by the heavy handed, and continuing, attempts not to mention the Israeli attempt to sink the USS Liberty.
FULL ARTICLE
04 June 2009
Obama's Message to the Muslim World
By Barack Obama
I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.
We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
FULL ARTICLE
I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.
We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
FULL ARTICLE
03 June 2009
The Trans-Atlantic Frenemies (GERMANY)
Barack Obama is only passing through Germany on his trip to Europe later this week and does not plan to hold substantial talks with Angela Merkel. The White House views the chancellor as difficult and Germany is increasingly being left out of the loop.
The most meaningful gifts given between world leaders aren't bouquets or porcelain tea services, but rather the flattery they extend to each other. And the American president has showered the German chancellor with a number of highly valued niceties.
Indeed, when the president described her approach to political problems as being not only "smart," but also "one of a kind," the chancellor beamed like it was Christmas morning.
There's just one problem with the flattery: The man doing the talking was George W. Bush. But these days, in the Washington of Barack Obama, an entirely different tone is adopted when talking about German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
FULL ARTICLE
The most meaningful gifts given between world leaders aren't bouquets or porcelain tea services, but rather the flattery they extend to each other. And the American president has showered the German chancellor with a number of highly valued niceties.Indeed, when the president described her approach to political problems as being not only "smart," but also "one of a kind," the chancellor beamed like it was Christmas morning.
There's just one problem with the flattery: The man doing the talking was George W. Bush. But these days, in the Washington of Barack Obama, an entirely different tone is adopted when talking about German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
FULL ARTICLE
02 June 2009
The Trouble with Cairo (CANADA)
Barack Obama has speech problems.
True, he delivers a message mellifluously. But even before giving a major address to the Muslim world this Thursday, America's communicator-in-chief sounds confused.
Consider his choice of setting. Cairo, according to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, “in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world.” Confusion No. 1: Arabs and Muslims are interchangeable.
They're not. Fewer than 20 per cent of Muslims live in the Middle East. Cairo is no more the heart of the Muslim world than Jakarta is.
Indeed, Indonesia would have been far richer soil for this occasion. It's the most populous Muslim country, boasting as many believers as the entire Arab region. It's a crucible of religious moderation; a national election in April affirmed the upper hand of secular parties.
FULL ARTICLE
True, he delivers a message mellifluously. But even before giving a major address to the Muslim world this Thursday, America's communicator-in-chief sounds confused.
Consider his choice of setting. Cairo, according to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, “in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world.” Confusion No. 1: Arabs and Muslims are interchangeable.
They're not. Fewer than 20 per cent of Muslims live in the Middle East. Cairo is no more the heart of the Muslim world than Jakarta is.
Indeed, Indonesia would have been far richer soil for this occasion. It's the most populous Muslim country, boasting as many believers as the entire Arab region. It's a crucible of religious moderation; a national election in April affirmed the upper hand of secular parties.
FULL ARTICLE
01 June 2009
Can the UK Afford its Washington Ties? (LEBANON)
A week, they say, is a long time in politics. And so it seems like an eternity since British Prime Minister Gordon Brown proclaimed to the nation that he had a "moral compass" that guided all his decisions and underpinned his policies. Today, less than two years on, his moral compass looks more like a defective traffic direction finder, the kind you rip out of your car because it can't tell right from left, or in Brown's case, right from wrong.
In case you missed it, the United Kingdom is enduring an unending moral sclerosis within Parliament. Members of Parliament from all parties have been exposed for scandalously misusing their generous expense allowances to line their own pockets, enriching themselves and their families. The public outrage is such that some parliamentarians have returned money or decided not to seek re-election. So far, a minister and the Speaker of the House of Commons have been forced out of office.
FULL ARTICLE
In case you missed it, the United Kingdom is enduring an unending moral sclerosis within Parliament. Members of Parliament from all parties have been exposed for scandalously misusing their generous expense allowances to line their own pockets, enriching themselves and their families. The public outrage is such that some parliamentarians have returned money or decided not to seek re-election. So far, a minister and the Speaker of the House of Commons have been forced out of office.
FULL ARTICLE
If Israel "Defeats" Obama? (ISRAEL)
You had to read it twice to believe it: "Criticism of the United States in Jerusalem." A senior Israeli official warns: "We are disappointed." The fly hovering about is complaining that the elephant is not obeying its orders. What chutzpah on the part of Barack Obama. He just entered the White House and already has something to say - about how many new houses we are building in Ofra, and about when we will dismantle the walls in the "illegal outposts," which are already beginning to disintegrate because of old age.
Instead of dismantling settlements, he would do better to dismantle the Iranian nuclear program. Otherwise Jerusalem will reassess its special relationship with Washington, and will reconsider its commitment to ensuring the qualitative advantage of the United States. If this situation continues, we may even stop vetoing anti-American decisions in the United Nations Security Council.
FULL ARTICLE
Instead of dismantling settlements, he would do better to dismantle the Iranian nuclear program. Otherwise Jerusalem will reassess its special relationship with Washington, and will reconsider its commitment to ensuring the qualitative advantage of the United States. If this situation continues, we may even stop vetoing anti-American decisions in the United Nations Security Council.
FULL ARTICLE
31 May 2009
America Must Engage North Korea (JAPAN)
On the question of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, better known as (a) North Korea, (b) notorious charter member of former U.S. President George W. Bush's "axis of evil" and (c) pain-in-the-neck threat to world peace and stability, here are a few humble observations in light of the fact that, basically, no one really knows what to do about North Korea, including China:
• First, you do NOT need to scramble to the telephone to get the local contractor to sink that bomb shelter into your backyard — not just yet, anyway. In its current state of evolution, North Korea is still far from being a serious world-threatening nuclear power.
It is true, the trend lines are ominous: In recent days this much unloved regime has test-fired several missiles and appears to have detonated yet another underground nuclear explosion of unclear size and uncertain sophistication. Even so, this all amounts to a mean flurry of activity from a regime claiming the adherence of some 23 million residents — almost every last one being ethnic Korean and too many being mainly hungry.
FULL ARTICLE
• First, you do NOT need to scramble to the telephone to get the local contractor to sink that bomb shelter into your backyard — not just yet, anyway. In its current state of evolution, North Korea is still far from being a serious world-threatening nuclear power.
It is true, the trend lines are ominous: In recent days this much unloved regime has test-fired several missiles and appears to have detonated yet another underground nuclear explosion of unclear size and uncertain sophistication. Even so, this all amounts to a mean flurry of activity from a regime claiming the adherence of some 23 million residents — almost every last one being ethnic Korean and too many being mainly hungry.
FULL ARTICLE
Obama's Bold Settlements (LEBANON)
The emergence of Zionist-Jewish colonialism - otherwise euphemistically called "Israeli settlements" - as the litmus test of relations between Israel and the United States is an important indicator of how quickly the Obama administration has moved to reposition itself in the Middle East.
The latest statements by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton represent a dramatic change in American policy rhetoric, which now unambiguously calls for a total freeze on settlements, natural growth, "outposts" and anything else the Israelis do when they transfer their population into colonies built on Arab lands occupied in 1967. Washington has dropped its previous wishy-washy practice of merely calling colonies and settlements "unhelpful" to peacemaking, and has used dramatic moments to press its point to Israel and the world.
FULL ARTICLE
The latest statements by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton represent a dramatic change in American policy rhetoric, which now unambiguously calls for a total freeze on settlements, natural growth, "outposts" and anything else the Israelis do when they transfer their population into colonies built on Arab lands occupied in 1967. Washington has dropped its previous wishy-washy practice of merely calling colonies and settlements "unhelpful" to peacemaking, and has used dramatic moments to press its point to Israel and the world.
FULL ARTICLE
30 May 2009
Middle East Hangs on Obama's Words (UK)
Elections in Lebanon and Iran; a long-promised Obama speech to the Muslim world in Cairo; summits with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and a growing rift between the US and Israel. The Middle East is heading into one of those watershed periods that could define the region for years to come.
The countdown begins on Wednesday when Barack Obama travels to Riyadh and then to Cairo for a speech to try to bridge the divide between Islam and the west. His officials are giving little away about the content but seem definite on one point.
The president will not use his Cairo platform to spell out the details of his revamped, amalgamated plan for an Arab-Israeli settlement, though he may touch on Palestine. Instead a more broad-brush approach is expected.
FULL ARTICLE
The countdown begins on Wednesday when Barack Obama travels to Riyadh and then to Cairo for a speech to try to bridge the divide between Islam and the west. His officials are giving little away about the content but seem definite on one point.
The president will not use his Cairo platform to spell out the details of his revamped, amalgamated plan for an Arab-Israeli settlement, though he may touch on Palestine. Instead a more broad-brush approach is expected.
FULL ARTICLE
29 May 2009
Obama’s Guantánamo Dilemma (IRAN)
By giving his most detailed speech so far on terrorist detainees on Thursday, Barack Obama was hoping to persuade others to drop the subject.
Unfortunately for Mr. Obama, who wants to direct the conversation to more forward-looking topics, such as healthcare reform and a possible Arab-Israeli peace process, the turmoil surrounding treatment of alleged terrorists is likely to persist.
That is partly because he has adopted a messy position himself. On the one hand Mr. Obama has said he will close the Guantánamo detention centre by next January. On the other, his administration continues to use George W. Bush’s definition of the “war on terror” to detain the most dangerous ones indefinitely – just not on Cuban soil, or American, if Congress continues to get its way.
FULL ARTICLE
Unfortunately for Mr. Obama, who wants to direct the conversation to more forward-looking topics, such as healthcare reform and a possible Arab-Israeli peace process, the turmoil surrounding treatment of alleged terrorists is likely to persist.
That is partly because he has adopted a messy position himself. On the one hand Mr. Obama has said he will close the Guantánamo detention centre by next January. On the other, his administration continues to use George W. Bush’s definition of the “war on terror” to detain the most dangerous ones indefinitely – just not on Cuban soil, or American, if Congress continues to get its way.
FULL ARTICLE
Medvedev Hopeful About Obama Visit (RUSSIA)
President Dmitry Medvedev expressed optimism Saturday about advancing relations with the United States during President Barack Obama’s visit to Moscow in July even on divisive topics such as NATO’s eastward expansion.
Medvedev again criticized NATO’s ongoing military exercises in Georgia, which Russia defeated in a brief war in August, saying such drills were clearly “provocative” and threatened stability in the region.
He expressed hope, however, that he would have a fruitful discussion on security cooperation with Obama when he visits Moscow on July 6 to 8.
FULL ARTICLE
Medvedev again criticized NATO’s ongoing military exercises in Georgia, which Russia defeated in a brief war in August, saying such drills were clearly “provocative” and threatened stability in the region.
He expressed hope, however, that he would have a fruitful discussion on security cooperation with Obama when he visits Moscow on July 6 to 8.
FULL ARTICLE
28 May 2009
Friends In Deed (INDIA)
The deadly bomb blast that killed dozens in Lahore yesterday once again underlines the grave threat posed by extremists in Pakistan to the very
survival of that country. The incident reiterates the grievous risk that a Pakistan speedily spinning out of control poses to its neighbours and to global security. Even as the Pakistani establishment under pressure from and with the help of the US fights the Taliban in its territory, it is increasingly becoming clear that what is being done is not going to be enough to restore stability.
Leading powers, in Pakistan's neighbourhood and away, simply cannot afford to leave it to America alone to manage the crisis in Pakistan. In this context, reports that America has solicited the help of Pakistan's long-time allies, China and Saudi Arabia, to help Pakistan counter the militant threat is welcome news. It reflects a growing understanding in the Obama administration that China, which has equipped Pakistan militarily for decades, and Saudi Arabia, which is a major source of funds for Pakistan, could wield critical influence over our neighbour.
FULL ARTICLE
survival of that country. The incident reiterates the grievous risk that a Pakistan speedily spinning out of control poses to its neighbours and to global security. Even as the Pakistani establishment under pressure from and with the help of the US fights the Taliban in its territory, it is increasingly becoming clear that what is being done is not going to be enough to restore stability.
Leading powers, in Pakistan's neighbourhood and away, simply cannot afford to leave it to America alone to manage the crisis in Pakistan. In this context, reports that America has solicited the help of Pakistan's long-time allies, China and Saudi Arabia, to help Pakistan counter the militant threat is welcome news. It reflects a growing understanding in the Obama administration that China, which has equipped Pakistan militarily for decades, and Saudi Arabia, which is a major source of funds for Pakistan, could wield critical influence over our neighbour.
FULL ARTICLE
27 May 2009
The World Watches Obama (UK)
It's become fashionable to argue that the US and the international community, however that entity is defined, can do little to rein in maverick, gun-totin', bomb-throwing North Korea. Bill Clinton tried being nice, sending his secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, to Pyongyang, and that didn't work. George Bush tried being horrid, talked about the "axis of evil", then switched back to nice. That had no lasting impact, either.
South Korea, closest to the problem and with the most to lose (and perhaps gain) tried summit meetings, economic zones and other inducements. But its so-called "sunshine policy" was rained off as the North repeatedly reverted to gloomy, aggressive type. The UN security council tried sanctions, then more sanctions. Now Russia says it is contemplating even tougher sanctions. Don't hold your breath.
FULL ARTICLE
South Korea, closest to the problem and with the most to lose (and perhaps gain) tried summit meetings, economic zones and other inducements. But its so-called "sunshine policy" was rained off as the North repeatedly reverted to gloomy, aggressive type. The UN security council tried sanctions, then more sanctions. Now Russia says it is contemplating even tougher sanctions. Don't hold your breath.
FULL ARTICLE
26 May 2009
Nuremberg Precedent For Bush Trial (JAPAN)
The Nuremberg Principles, a set of guidelines established after World War II to try Nazi Party members, were developed to determine what constitutes a war crime. The principles can also be applied today when considering the conditions that led to the Iraq war and, in the process, to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, many of them children, and to the devastation of a country's infrastructure.
In January 2003, a group of American law professors warned President George W. Bush that he and senior officials of his government could be prosecuted for war crimes if their military tactics violated international humanitarian law. The group, led by the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, sent similar warnings to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
FULL ARTICLE
In January 2003, a group of American law professors warned President George W. Bush that he and senior officials of his government could be prosecuted for war crimes if their military tactics violated international humanitarian law. The group, led by the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, sent similar warnings to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
FULL ARTICLE
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