THIS week scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre gave warning that Arctic sea ice has receded to its second-smallest area since satellite records began in 1979. The rate of shrinkage this year is the fastest ever and, with around a month still left of summer, the current ice coverage of 5.3m square [...]
Archive for August, 2008
Ice, ice, baby
Posted in Americas, Arctic, Asia, Canada, Denmark, Europe, Geopolitics, McCain, Norway, Obama, Russia, US, balance of power, gas on 29 August, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Russia on its own after SCO meeting
Posted in Asia, China, Europe, Geopolitics, Georgia, Russia, balance of power on 28 August, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Moscow’s failure to gain SCO support for its position in Georgia seems to be evidence of at least two facts of life:
La-a, la-a, ana ir-ra’is
Posted in Africa, Arabs, Mauritania, Third World, history on 26 August, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Earlier this month I mentioned that the Arab coup d’etats that came immediately to my mind in the aftermath of the latest Mauritanian coup occurred in late spring or summertime. However, the indispensable alle reminded me of several other coups occurring in November, May, January. I gave several reasons for my belief that summer [...]
Peretz: Doesn’t much care for reading
Posted in Africa, Europe, Sudan, Turkey, genocide on 22 August, 2008 | 2 Comments »
A disgusted, and poorly informed, bleeding heart gushing out corn syrup writes,
What is new that Bashir made his comments in Turkey where he arrived as a guest. He could not enter the countries of Europe without risk of arrest. Does Turkey really want to be a member of the European Union, the member countries of [...]
Pulling a Nasser
Posted in Africa, Arabs, Libya, Maghreb on 22 August, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
How very unoriginal.
Womp Womp
Posted in Mauritania on 20 August, 2008 | 1 Comment »
The UNSC gives the coup a thumbs down. The Mauritanians who were hoping China would bale out the regime are surely disappointed.
A Gelid Design: Russo-Syrian relations
Posted in Arabs, Geopolitics, Georgia, Israel, Levant, Multipolarity, Russia, Syria, US, balance of power on 20 August, 2008 | 2 Comments »
As Bashar al-As’ad visits Moscow, Josh Keating worries that the peace process between Syria and Israel could be disrupted by Russia’s rise or turn the region into a stage for “East-West” confrontation. Russo-Syrian military cooperation (especially the sale of Russian SSMs and SAMs to Syria) has caused displeasure in Washington and Tel Aviv in recent [...]
David P. M. Barnett on the Russian facility for joint operations:
I mean, if you want strategic allies who can go places and do stuff in a long war against radical extremism, we should be more impressed than dismayed.
But, of course, that requires us to view the situation with less emotion and to think more long [...]
Like a great man once said something similar . . .
Posted in Caucus, Europe, Geopolitics, Georgia, Russia, US, history on 18 August, 2008 | 4 Comments »
Only one with a heart of stone could fail to be moved by the spectacle of the leaders of Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states standing by Saakashvili last week at a rally in Tbilisi. But Putin is not Hitler or Stalin; he is not even Leonid Brezhnev. He is what he is, and that [...]
My reflection on the Georgian War thus far
Posted in Caucus, Europe, Geopolitics, Georgia, Russia, US, balance of power on 18 August, 2008 | 4 Comments »
Those who fear that the Russians are back on the rise should remember that the Russians are, as a nation, failing on several levels. I am no Russianist, but this is how my thoughts are shaping up.
Georgia and Merkel’s sweet talk
Posted in Algeria, Geopolitics, Georgia, Germany, Maghreb, Multipolarity, Russia, gas on 18 August, 2008 | 1 Comment »
It is not a coincidence that the German Chancellor should send President Bouteflika such a warm letter, encouraging more cooperation between her country and Algeria, in the aftermath of the Georgian War and on the eve of her changing her tone on Georgia’s NATO bid.
A forgetful old man
Posted in Tomfoolery, US on 15 August, 2008 | 3 Comments »
This is the man we are told holds the most credibility on foreign affairs in the US presidential election.
I am interested in good relations between the United States and Russia. But in the 21st century nations don’t invade other nations.
John McCain, 13 August, 2008, Birmingham, Michigan.
Yes, yes they do.
Ya Khatou
Posted in Arabs, Maghreb, Mauritania, Third World, culture, gossip on 15 August, 2008 | 13 Comments »
Khatou mint El Boukhari, the wife of Mauritania’s former president, has been blamed by many for her husband’s downfall. She introduced the concept of a Hillary Clinton-style First Lady to a country in which the wives of powerful men tend to keep out of the limelight. She aroused distrust and ire from much of the [...]
Ambassador O’Vall
Posted in Africa, Mauritania on 15 August, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Seeing as the Junta is purging its diplomatic ranks of Abdallahi loyalists, perhaps it will appoint Col. Vall Ambassador to Ireland? Doubtful, but a fun prospect.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Boutef sleeps through Mauritanian visit
Posted in Africa, Algeria, Bouteflika, Geopolitics, Mauritania, balance of power on 14 August, 2008 | 4 Comments »
As a part of the dialogue established by the Arab Maghreb Union’s visit to Nouakchott, the junta sent a special envoy to Algiers yesterday. Bouteflika refused to meet with the Mauritanian representatives, including FM M. Abdallah Ould Benhmida and Col. Mohammed Ould Cheikh Mohammed Ahmed, instead delegating the task to Abdelkader Messahel, the head of African and [...]
El Watan: Algerians not fond of Iranian sharia
Posted in Africa, Algeria, Iran on 13 August, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
El Watan’s take on Bouteflika’s visit to Khomeni’s shrine:
Fast updates
Posted in Africa, Mauritania on 12 August, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The Mauritanian Ambassador in DC has resigned, refusing to serve the junta. The junta fired the Ambassadors to Mali, Ethiopia, France, who were known to be close to Sidi. The head of UFP has refused to meet with the government, and Messaoud Ould Boulkheïr is refusing to work with the government, rejecting their entreaties.
Possible sources of Moroccan conduct
Posted in Africa, Algeria, Geopolitics, Mauritania, Morocco, balance of power on 12 August, 2008 | 38 Comments »
As I have already discussed Algeria’s reasoning on the Mauritania coup, it is appropriate to discuss Morocco’s. From what I can tell, Morocco has three main priorities in Mauritania: (1) Avoiding the possibility of “chaos” on its southernmost borders, (2) avoiding the return of Sidi, and (3) asserting itself as a regional problem solver and [...]
Bouteflika’s Iranian junket
Posted in Africa, Algeria, Iran, Russia, gas on 12 August, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Bouteflika’s visit in Tehran, it should be noted, included a visit to the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeni, which was preceded and followed by pronouncements of Third World solidarity, praise for Iran’s nuclear program, calls for increased cooperation in a variety of sectors, and allusions to Bouteflika and Ahmadinejad’s predecessor’s “Dialogue among Civilizations” pet project (including [...]
Let them dig for themselves
Posted in Africa, Algeria, Geopolitics, Mauritania, Morocco, Russia on 12 August, 2008 | 2 Comments »
El Khabar reminds us that all three of the international envoys that were in Nouakchott yesterday were led by Algerians: Ramdane Lamamra for the AU’s Peace and Security Council, Said Djinnit, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in West Africa, and Assistant Secretary General Ahmed Ben Hali of the Arab League. Whether this [...]
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