Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Eurasia Review: News & Analysis

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• The Health Effects Of Fukushima
• The EU And Pakistan’s Turbulent Democratisation – Analysis
• America’s Passive Stance On Syria – OpEd
• No Prosecution Of US Troops For Defiling Corpses, Burning Korans – OpEd
• Indonesia: Defying The State
• Iran Transit – Analysis
• Apple Bans Drone-Awareness iPhone App
• The Rohingya Problem: How To Solve? – Speech
• Of Chinese Snakeheads And Mexican Coyotes: Globalization Of Crime-Terror Pipelines – Analysis
• US Shares Responsibility For Rachel Corrie’s Death – Analysis
• Is China Wearing Out Its Welcome In Africa? – OpEd
• Labor Day 2012 And The Election Of 2012: It’s Inequality, Stupid – OpEd
• Sovereign Debt Sustainability In Spain And Italy – Analysis
• Parting With Sister Anne Montgomery – OpEd
• Lieberman’s Diplomatic Terrorism – OpEd
• Fr. Groeschel Under Fire – OpEd
• Egypt: Sinai Offensive Continues, Dialogue Underway With Tribal Leaders
• Georgian Dream Snubs Planned TV Debates On Public Broadcaster
• Libya: Sufi Under Attack, Saudi Arabia Condemned
• Iran Doubled Number Of Underground Centrifuges, Says IAEA
• UEFA Names Andrés Iniesta Best Player In Europe
• Isaac Causes Minor Damage To New Orleans
• Ecuador: Ruling In Favor Of Sarayaku Tribe
• Tibetans Blocked From Return
• Tunisians Fear Growing Salafist Violence
• Pakistan: Girl In Blasphemy Case Deemed A Minor
• Exiled Activist Handed Prison Sentence After Returning To Burma
• Youth Protest Against Pakistan’s Role In Gilgit Baltistan
• Don’t Let Pussy Riot Case Overshadow What Is Wrong With West – OpEd
• Rafale MMRCA Deal: Last Minute Glitches? – Analysis

The Health Effects Of Fukushima Posted: 30 Aug 2012 09:21 PM PDT The stresses of personal involvement in the evacuation, management and cleanup related to the Fukushima nuclear accident have emerged as the biggest factors in ill health for Japanese people. The mental or physical burden of the forced move from their homes because of the Fukushima accident was the cause of 34 early deaths, said a [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The EU And Pakistan’s Turbulent Democratisation – Analysis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 09:16 PM PDT By Gerald Stang A conflict between Pakistan’s government and its muscle-flexing judiciary is posing serious challenges to the country’s recently re-established democratic regime. It also breeds uncertainty in how the EU should engage with Pakistan. In June 2012, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton travelled to Islamabad to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani to [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

America’s Passive Stance On Syria – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 09:01 PM PDT By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed Election year, Obama’s personality, the Iraqi nightmare, the attitude of the Russians and the phobia of jihadists are all reasons that might explain the protracted slackness of the Americans to support the popular uprising in Syria. Thousands of Syrians carry arms and are bravely fighting a spectacular war with simple weapons. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

No Prosecution Of US Troops For Defiling Corpses, Burning Korans – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:57 PM PDT By Bill Van Auken Three US Marines and six soldiers have escaped criminal prosecution in connection with the videotaped urination on the corpses of slain Afghans and the burning of copies of the Koran in two separate incidents that provoked bloody unrest earlier this year. Other Marines still face separate charges in connection with the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Indonesia: Defying The State Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:52 PM PDT Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono needs to act more firmly against institutions and officials that defy national court rulings or his inaction risks prolonging local conflicts. Indonesia: Defying the State, the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, details how one impact of the country’s decentralisation drive has been the emergence of regional politicians willing [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran Transit – Analysis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:50 PM PDT By C. Raja Mohan Senior officials from India, Iran and Afghanistan meeting on the margins of the NAM summit in Tehran on Sunday have agreed to promote an ambitious trilateral economic partnership. A joint working group (JWG) of the three countries will soon meet to find ways to expand trilateral trade, transit and investment cooperation [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Apple Bans Drone-Awareness iPhone App Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:45 PM PDT For the frequency with which the United States launches drone strikes abroad, often killing civilians as a result, write-ups in the mainstream news aren’t always easy to spot. A smartphone developer wants to change that, but Apple isn’t interested. Drones+, the latest endeavor from Brooklyn-based app developer Josh Begley, provides information from real and reputable [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Rohingya Problem: How To Solve? – Speech Posted: 30 Aug 2012 08:31 PM PDT By Dr. Habib Siddiqui [Note: Conference Closing speech delivered at the International Conference on “Contemplating Burma’s Rohingya People’s Future in Reconciliation and (Democratic) Reform,” held on August 15, 2012 at the Thammasat University, Bangkok.] Is there any solution to this problem facing the Rohingya and other ‘nameless’ minorities in Myanmar who are threatened to extinction? [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Of Chinese Snakeheads And Mexican Coyotes: Globalization Of Crime-Terror Pipelines – Analysis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:55 PM PDT By Vanessa Neumann The latest White House Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime [1] and the Department of Defense Counternarcotics and Global Threats Strategy [2] both clearly prioritize combating transnational criminal organizations as a cornerstone of a national security strategy that will effectively undercut foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). Indeed, the goal of disrupting crime-terror pipelines [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US Shares Responsibility For Rachel Corrie’s Death – Analysis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:44 PM PDT By Stephen Zunes On August 28, an Israeli court rejected a civil lawsuit against Israeli occupation forces for the 2003 murder of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year old American peace activist killed in the Gaza Strip, upholding a severely flawed internal Israeli military investigation. Amnesty International strongly condemned the decision, noting how “the verdict continues the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Is China Wearing Out Its Welcome In Africa? – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:36 PM PDT The following is an excerpt from my new column in Spear’s magazine. The explosive economic growth of China over the past decade has transformed millions of lives, redefined investors’ portfolios and even shifted the global balance of power. The BRIC economies now represent 20 per cent of the global economy, four times ten years ago. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Labor Day 2012 And The Election Of 2012: It’s Inequality, Stupid – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:29 PM PDT The most troubling economic trend facing America this Labor Day weekend is the increasing concentration of income, wealth, and political power at the very top – among a handful of extraordinarily wealthy people – and the steady decline of the great American middle class. Inequality in America is at record levels. The 400 richest Americans [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Sovereign Debt Sustainability In Spain And Italy – Analysis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:25 PM PDT Interest rates on Italian and Spanish bonds are back up to their 2011 levels, raising alarm bells across Europe. But this column argues that the media’s hard-held belief that neither Italy nor Spain can withstand interest rates of 7% is wrong. By William R. Cline After a brief easing in sovereign interest rates for Italy [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Parting With Sister Anne Montgomery – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:13 PM PDT By Kathy Kelly Anne Montgomery died yesterday. I remember her words to me and to our young Iraqi friend Eva, sitting in the Al Monzer hotel in Amman, Jordan. This was in 2006, and she’d waited three weeks for a visa to enter Iraq as a peace witness. Anne had crossed into zones of conflict [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Lieberman’s Diplomatic Terrorism – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:09 PM PDT By Jamal Kanj Here we go again! Evet Lvovich Lieberman, the Moldavian who became Avigdor Lieberman when in 1978 his religion uniquely qualified him for instantaneous Israeli citizenship, is demanding removal of Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas. In a letter to the Mideast Peace Quartet on August 21, Israel’s foreign policy chief, who once branded the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Fr. Groeschel Under Fire – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:06 PM PDT A quarter century ago, Father Groeschel and seven other priests broke away from a religious community to found the Franciscan Friars of Renewal. His service to the Church over the past half-century has been nothing less than heroic. His ministry to the least among us is especially noteworthy. Father Groeschel holds a Ph.D. in psychology [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Egypt: Sinai Offensive Continues, Dialogue Underway With Tribal Leaders Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:03 PM PDT The military offensive continues in the Sinai, where the army said it killed 11 Jihadist fighters since the start of operations, and arrested 23. For Operation Eagle the military deployed an entire infantry division backed by hundreds of armoured vehicles and new tanks, especially for the destruction of the underground tunnels to the Gaza Strip. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Georgian Dream Snubs Planned TV Debates On Public Broadcaster Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT (Civil.Ge) — Format under which the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) will host TV debates ahead of the October 1 parliamentary elections is “falsehood” and the Georgian Dream will not be part of it, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the major opposition coalition said on August 30. GPB has invited ruling United National Movement (UNM) party; [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Libya: Sufi Under Attack, Saudi Arabia Condemned Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:57 PM PDT In a long statement, the League of Libyan Ulema – Muslim scholars – condemned the recent attacks against Sufi mosques and places of study, as also shrines of “saints”, according to various sources carried out by Salafi groups. The statement stresses the lack of knowledge of the Salafis of the religious traditions of Libya, openly [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran Doubled Number Of Underground Centrifuges, Says IAEA Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:55 PM PDT (RFE/RL) — The UN’s nuclear watchdog has issued a report saying Iran is preparing for possible major expansion of uranium enrichment in a fortified underground facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) quarterly report also says “extensive activities” — a reference to suspected sanitization efforts — at Iran’s Parchin military complex will hamper its investigation [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

UEFA Names Andrés Iniesta Best Player In Europe Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:51 PM PDT Andrés Iniesta has been crowned European player of the year following a sparkling campaign for both Barcelona and Spain, thesportreview.com reported. The Spanish midfielder, who was named player of the tournament at this summer’s European championship as La Roja lifted the trophy in Poland and Ukraine, beat off stiff competition from 2011 winner Lionel Messi [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Isaac Causes Minor Damage To New Orleans Posted: 30 Aug 2012 06:47 PM PDT By Brian Padden Tropical storm Isaac moved away from New Orleans Thursday, causing only minor damage, but flooded areas outside the city, triggering evacuations and rescue operations as waters quickly rose. North and south of New Orleans the storm left hundreds of homes under water. Fears of an imminent failure of a dam in Mississippi [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Ecuador: Ruling In Favor Of Sarayaku Tribe Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:38 PM PDT The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, a judicial institution of the Organization of American States that is headquartered in San José, Costa Rica, found the Ecuadorian state responsible “for not having carried out a free and informed prior consultation process in accordance with international standards, violating the rights to communal indigenous property and cultural identity [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Tibetans Blocked From Return Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:35 PM PDT In what appears to be a growing trend, Chinese border police have deported to Nepal two groups of Tibetans who had sought to re-enter Tibet, some in hopes of reuniting with family members, according to Tibetan and Nepalese sources. One group of 11 men was forced over the border to Nepal on Aug. 29, while [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Tunisians Fear Growing Salafist Violence Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:33 PM PDT By Monia Ghanmi Tunisian artists, intellectuals and activists are speaking out about a spate of salafist attacks across the country. In one of the latest attacks, poet Mohamed Sghaier Ouled Ahmed was violently assaulted on Saturday (August 25th) after a television appearance in which he criticised salafists in Tunisia. “I have had my share of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Pakistan: Girl In Blasphemy Case Deemed A Minor Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT A Christian girl charged under strict blasphemy laws saw her chances of escaping a prison sentence increase yesterday after a court confirmed she was a minor suffering from a mental disability. Medical tests determined Rimsha Masih was about 14 years old. She will face a juvenile court hearing tomorrow, said the Islamabad district court judge, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Exiled Activist Handed Prison Sentence After Returning To Burma Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:28 PM PDT A political activist and lawyer, who recently returned home after years in exile, was sentenced to six months in prison for charges of contempt of court on Wednesday. National League for Democracy member Saw Kyaw Kyaw Min, who fled the country in 2008, yesterday became the first former-exile to be prosecuted upon his return to [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Youth Protest Against Pakistan’s Role In Gilgit Baltistan Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:26 PM PDT In Pakistani Administrated Kashmir a pro independence student organisation marched on the roads against the sectarian killing of innocent people in Pakistan Controlled Gilgit-Baltistan. Activists of the hard-line National Students Federation (NSF) staged a rally and marched barefooted to registrar their protest over alleged occupation of Pakistan in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Agitators feared that the government [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Don’t Let Pussy Riot Case Overshadow What Is Wrong With West – OpEd Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:22 PM PDT By Burc Kostem The recent arrest of members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot has lead to a sharp criticism of Putin and the Russian political system from Western critics. Three members of the band have been sentenced to three years in prison while 2 others have fled the country. Influential cultural icons [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Rafale MMRCA Deal: Last Minute Glitches? – Analysis Posted: 30 Aug 2012 01:20 PM PDT By Vivek Kapur Media reports recently surfaced stating that the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, which had zeroed in on the French Dassault Rafale as the fighter of choice leading to commencement of exclusive negotiations with Dassault for finalising the contract, is far from final. These reports have been attributed [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.