…American diplomacy has already undergone vast changes in the past few decades and is now so heavily encumbered by fortresslike embassies, body armor and motorcades that it is almost unrecognizable. In 1985 there were about 150 security officers in U.S. embassies abroad, and now there are about 900. That does not include the military officers […]
Throughout the Arab world, a struggle between two major historical forces, religion and secularism, is now unfolding. It is the type of battle between Caesar and God that took Europe centuries to resolve. The future of the Arab Middle East will be decided in the fight between Syria’s Sunni insurgents, supported throughout the region by […]
There is a country in the Middle East where a youthful, educated and culturally Westernised population pulses with inventiveness and vitality. Its society is religious, certainly, and harbours a deeply ingrained suspicion of Britain and America, yet it also turns an implacably hostile face towards al-Qaeda’s brand of Sunni radicalism. Read Here – The Telegraph, […]
In a report last year, the Pew Research Center noted a marked increase in legal restrictions on the practice of religion around the world. The report found that “The share of countries with high or very high restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose from 31% in the year ending in mid-2009 to 37% in the […]
In the public perception, it is almost axiomatic that overseas oil assets constitute energy security. It assumes that ownership confers rights of unqualified access. There is a belief that if you own hydrocarbon assets in any corner of the world, it automatically and ineluctably entitles you to physically access those resources as and when you […]
It is not Bosnia at the turn of the 20th century and it will not trigger a global war, but Lebanon is threatening to sink the Middle East into yet another vicious cycle of violence as political divisions and ideological battles fuel regional tensions. Read Here – The National
Fresh off one overhyped “achievement”– forcing a restart of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that have scant chance of success–Secretary of State John Kerry is apparently eager to achieve any empty triumph, namely a “reset” of relations with Pakistan. Read Here – Commentary
The United States Air Force will dramatically expand its military presence across the Pacific this year, sending jets to Thailand, India, Singapore, and Australia, according to the service’s top general in the region. For a major chunk of America‘s military community, the so-called “pivot to Asia” might seem like nothing more than an empty catchphrase, […]
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
Remember when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict made front pages every day and the United States fought wars to secure oil and gas in the Middle East? Back then, the region’s political problems were of primary economic importance to Americans. But now, as the prospect of energy independence dawns, to whom does the Middle East really matter? […]
looking beyond borders 