Most concrete walls in Sri Lanka have been demolished in the past four years since the ethnic war ended, but the emotional barricades remain as the country battles its bloody past and tries to make peace with itself. It’s easier said than done. Read Here – ThisDayAndThat
The heads of government of the 53 nations of the Commonwealth come together every two years for a summit. This time, several have decided to stay away, to boycott the gathering in Sri Lanka Read Here – BBC
The government defeat leaves both British policy on Syria, and David‘s Cameron’s own leadership, mired in the deepest uncertainty Read Here – The Telegraph, London
Post-Iraq skepticism of White House promises is extraordinarily high. Obama must lead an open debate on Syria that helps restore confidence in the public’s control over the use of military force. Read Here – Reuters
All the signs are they’re going to do it again. The attack on Syria now being planned by the US and its allies will be the ninth direct western military intervention in an Arab or Muslim country in 15 years. Depending how you cut the cake, the looming bombardment follows onslaughts on Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, […]
The most confused civil servant today is the Indian diplomat who receives mixed signals from his political bosses, thus limiting his ability to take initiatives in foreign affairs. Read Here – Gulf News
The debate about what to do in Syria has been sidetracked by discussions of credibility and reputation. But both logic and evidence prove that reputations are mostly imaginary. Obama should not let fears that others might think him irresolute drive him to disaster. Instead, he should refocus on what U.S. interests really are in Syria, […]
In a few weeks’ time, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Saudi Arabia with an avowed objective of fostering the cordial relationship between the two countries. That is exactly where the relationship has always been — cordial and businesslike without cultivating strategic opportunities. The relationship between the two countries has been dominated by trade except for […]
Lost in this cross-wired debate is the issue of the long-term future of the economy. Britain has been finding it difficult to recover from the financial crisis not just because of its austerity policy but also because of its eroding ability to engage in high-productivity activities. This problem is most tellingly manifested in the country’s […]
Do British people feel proud of the Empire? Are they indifferent to it? Or have they been persuaded by the teaching of history, so influenced by the Left, that the British Empire was purely oppressive, racist and bad? These questions arise from David Cameron’s visit this week to India. He arrived, begging bowl in hand, […]
looking beyond borders 