Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Eurasia Review: News & Analysis

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• Within ‘Special Cell’ Of Delhi Police: A History Of Falsifying Evidence
• Spain Hit By Epidemic Of Despair
• Burma: Open Letter To Norway Ambassador Nordgaard On MPSI Consultation
• UAE Has Ambitious Nuclear Program – Analysis
• ECOWAS Officials Discuss Mali Options
• Mauritania Thwarts Arms Deal
• Arab Nations Want IAEA To Investigate Israel
• Ban Ki-Moon Meets Iran’s Supreme Leader
• Abbas In Tehran In First Visit As President
• The Keystone XL Pipeline Scam – OpEd
• American Muslims Claim Their Place In Global Islam
• Sri Lanka And India: Cultural And Religious Ties – Analysis
• US Crude Oil Inventories And Tightening Oil Market – Analysis
• Obama’s China Syndrome: EPA Gives Chinese Millions For Green Projects‏ – OpEd
• Caricatures Of Violence: The Poisoning Of Yasser Arafat – OpEd
• The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction – OpEd
• NATO Secretly Authorizes Syrian Attack – OpEd
• F.E.A.R. Group: Revolutionaries Or Maniacs? – OpEd
• Syria: Government Attacking Bread Lines, Says HRW
• Flood Of Syrian Refugees Threatens Regional Stability And Underlines Price Of Inaction – OpEd
• Kyrgyzstan: Domestic Brews Fight Off Foreign Imports, Vodka
• Saakashvili Pledges To Protect Georgia From Attempts To Import Instability
• Republican VP Candidate Ryan Promises Fixes, Not Excuses
• Iran’s Foreign Policy: Misperception Or Really Escaping The Pitfall? – Analysis
• Wade Michael Page And The Rise Of Extremist Right – OpEd
• Hindus Want Apology From Australian Prime Minister Gillard Over Racist Job Ad‏
• The Rohingya Problem: Why? – Speech
• The Small-Dollar Loan Problem Payday Loans And The “Debt Trap”
• Total Enters Exploration In Bulgaria With Award Of Khan Asparuh Offshore License
• Soccer Match To Test Egypt’s Shift From Street To Parliamentary Politics – Analysis

Within ‘Special Cell’ Of Delhi Police: A History Of Falsifying Evidence Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:19 PM PDT By Gareth Porter The Delhi Police Special Cell, which has accused an Indian journalist and four Iranians of conspiring to bomb an Israeli embassy car in Delhi Feb. 13, has a long history of planting evidence on those it has accused and of obtaining false confessions, according to court records now cited by critics of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Spain Hit By Epidemic Of Despair Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:13 PM PDT By Inés Benítez Rising rates of depression and suicide are among the most obvious signs of the increase in mental illness resulting from the economic crisis in Spain. “Between December 2011 and March or April 2012, the number of suicides presumably linked to economic problems has increased significantly,” a forensic investigator in the southern Spanish [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Burma: Open Letter To Norway Ambassador Nordgaard On MPSI Consultation Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:08 PM PDT Dear Ambassador Nordgaard, At the outset, we state that we welcome Norway’s MPSI. We view such initiative to have the potential of furthering peace processes, especially in the ethnic areas. As such, consider us as peace building actors and we are willing to provide our support where necessary. However, we feel Norway is unable to [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

UAE Has Ambitious Nuclear Program – Analysis Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:04 PM PDT By Bernhard Schell Nearly one year after the launch of a nuclear fuel procurement competition in July 2011, the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started an ambitious atomic power program. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has awarded six contracts related to the supply of natural uranium concentrates, conversion and enrichment services, and the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

ECOWAS Officials Discuss Mali Options Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:02 PM PDT By Bakari Gueye Defence chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Abidjan at the week-end to discuss the latest developments in Mali. The commanders of the UN mission to the Ivory Coast (ONUCI) and Operation Unicorn forces also attended the talks, which wrapped up on August 25th. “We have worked [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Mauritania Thwarts Arms Deal Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:59 PM PDT By Jemal Oumar Mauritanian gendarmerie units in Bassiknou foiled an arms deal that involved Touareg Islamist group Ansar al-Din. The radical group, in control of Mali’s Timbuktu, was planning to strike a deal with a Mauritanian businessman to generate money to finance its terror activities. Mauritanian army patrols stationed on the joint border near Fassala [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Arab Nations Want IAEA To Investigate Israel Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:57 PM PDT Seventeen Arab countries have presented the International Atomic Energy Agency with an initiative to probe into Israel’s secretive “nuclear capabilities.” Reuters reports that the Arab states have called for the “Israeli Nuclear Capabilities” issue to be included in the agenda for next month’s IAEA conference, but there is still some doubt whether they will follow [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Ban Ki-Moon Meets Iran’s Supreme Leader Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:54 PM PDT UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Wednesday, discussing such issues as Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian crisis and human rigths issues. The UN Chief told reporters following his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei that he has discussed his concerns about human rights violations with Iranian authorities, and Martin Nesirky, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Abbas In Tehran In First Visit As President Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:52 PM PDT President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Iran will determine future relations between Iran and the PLO, following years of strained ties. Abbas arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, his first visit to Iran as president, to attend a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. Relations between the PLO and Iran have been tense since late President Yasser Arafat [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Keystone XL Pipeline Scam – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:50 PM PDT By Michael Brune With all the political posturing in Congress over the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, it’s easy to lose sight of the real issue: This pipeline is dangerous and unnecessary. It will cost the American people far more than we can afford. The politicians pushing the pipeline are lying about the pipeline’s [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

American Muslims Claim Their Place In Global Islam Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:48 PM PDT By Farha Tahir Twenty years ago, if you had asked American Muslims where they were from, many would probably have responded with the name of a far-off country, one they may have visited once. Now, it’s more likely that you’ll hear the names of American states as diverse as Idaho, Wisconsin, California and New York. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Sri Lanka And India: Cultural And Religious Ties – Analysis Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:42 PM PDT By N Sathiya Moorthy The ‘Kapilavastu relics’ brought to Sri Lanka from India for Buddhists across the country to pay their respects should further underline the long and continuing cultural and religious ties that have existed between the two South Asian neighbours. Indian Culture Minister Kumari Selja, who brought the relics at the initiative of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US Crude Oil Inventories And Tightening Oil Market – Analysis Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:39 PM PDT (EIA) — Global crude oil prices have increased significantly over the past two months. Since reaching a 2012 low of $89 per barrel on June 21, Brent spot prices have increased almost $25 (27 percent) to more than $113 per barrel on August 28, after reaching a high of almost $117 per barrel on August [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama’s China Syndrome: EPA Gives Chinese Millions For Green Projects‏ – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:36 PM PDT GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, while campaigning in Tampa just before the RNC convention that began on Tuesday, outlined his energy and environmental plan that he claims will achieve energy independence by the year 2020. And he noted his plan doesn’t include millions of U.S. dollars for the Chinese. He proposed opening new areas for [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Caricatures Of Violence: The Poisoning Of Yasser Arafat – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:33 PM PDT It sounds to me like Arabian Tales from One Thousand and One Nights. — Moshe Yaalon, Israeli Vice Premier, Aug 29, 2012 It is the language of brutal indifference – words that are chewed, gnawed, spat out with derision. But when asked whether the Israeli authorities might have had a hand in the death of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:31 PM PDT By Melkam Lidet Last Saturday, my friends and I went to Jayouss, an agricultural village in the north western part of the West Bank, close to Israel’s separation wall. It is one of the Palestinian villages that won a non-violent battle against the construction of the wall back in 2005, leading to a court order [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

NATO Secretly Authorizes Syrian Attack – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:29 PM PDT By Gordon Duff Monday, August 28, 2012, in a meeting in Brussels, NATO military leaders in consultation with “telephonic liaison” with officers of military forces in several former Soviet Republics, major African states, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states came to a combined decision to act against Syria. Two issues were on the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

F.E.A.R. Group: Revolutionaries Or Maniacs? – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:26 PM PDT By Olga Denisova US security services have arrested 4 servicemen who had plotted to kill President Barack Obama. The four plotters – Private Isaac Aguigui, Private Christopher Salmon, Sergeant Anthony Peden and Private First Class Michael Burnett – called their group F.E.A.R., which was the abbreviation of their motto, “Forever enduring, always ready”. It is [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Syria: Government Attacking Bread Lines, Says HRW Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:24 PM PDT Syrian governmentforces have dropped bombs and fired artillery at or near at least 10 bakeries in Aleppo province over the past three weeks, killing and maiming scores of civilians who were waiting for bread. The attacks are at least recklessly indiscriminate and the pattern and number of attacks suggest that government forces have been targeting [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Flood Of Syrian Refugees Threatens Regional Stability And Underlines Price Of Inaction – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:22 PM PDT The situation in Syria is deteriorating rapidly as the fighting has intensified in urban areas, which are key to the regime’s survival and to the opposition’s progress. The death rate has spiraled upward as has the flow of refugees out of Syria. Neighboring states are beginning to become overwhelmed by the torrent of human misery [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Kyrgyzstan: Domestic Brews Fight Off Foreign Imports, Vodka Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:20 PM PDT By Chris Rickleton The pump hand at Pinta, a draft-beer kiosk in central Bishkek, is having a busy summer. He estimates that the shop where he works, one in a chain of seven, has moved over five tons of beer this month, most of it produced by Kyrgyz brewers. Business is booming. “It is hot, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Saakashvili Pledges To Protect Georgia From Attempts To Import Instability Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:18 PM PDT (RFE/RL) — President Mikheil Saakashvili has pledged to stop any attempt to export instability into Georgia from its neighbors. Reuters news agency quoted Saakashvili as saying in a televised statement on August 29: “Another attempt to export a new wave of tension and instability into Georgia from our northern neighbour will be stopped at the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Republican VP Candidate Ryan Promises Fixes, Not Excuses Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:15 PM PDT U.S. Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan has promised an end to “excuses and idle words” when it comes to the economy if voters elect the party’s presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the November election. Ryan gave a strongly-worded acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, Wednesday night. He told the convention [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran’s Foreign Policy: Misperception Or Really Escaping The Pitfall? – Analysis Posted: 29 Aug 2012 01:09 PM PDT By Aygul Hanova Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his recent speech pointed out that all the Western powers intervene in countries only for their self-interest; further claims were made toward their financial incapability to afford intervention.[1] Whether this address was made on policy grounds or there are other motives, one should examine Iran’s foreign policy [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Wade Michael Page And The Rise Of Extremist Right – OpEd Posted: 29 Aug 2012 01:04 PM PDT By Harmeet Singh After the Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on the morning of August 5, 2012 many questions have been raised. For example: Why neo-Nazi Wade Michael Page chose Sikhs as his victims? Eric Holder, the US Attorney General denounced this crime as “an act of terrorism, an act of hatred, a [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Hindus Want Apology From Australian Prime Minister Gillard Over Racist Job Ad‏ Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:59 PM PDT pset Hindus want Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to publicly apologize over the underlying racist attitudes in Australia against “others” as exhibited in the recent “no Indians” offensive job ad in Tasmania. An advertisement, reportedly appearing on Gumtree website, announced about “Positions available for experienced cleaners in supermarket” at a Coles supermarket in Hobart, but [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Rohingya Problem: Why? – Speech Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:49 PM PDT By Dr. Habib Siddiqui [Author’s Note: Keynote 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.] As a conscientious global citizen of our planet, I have been writing for the past 32 years since my days as [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Small-Dollar Loan Problem Payday Loans And The “Debt Trap” Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:38 PM PDT As the recovery from the recession slowly continues, many struggling households may find themselves without the resources to cover necessary expenditures. Some of these households turn to small- dollar loans like payday lending to meet their immediate needs. But these loans are only beneficial if the borrower is able to repay the loans at reasonable [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Total Enters Exploration In Bulgaria With Award Of Khan Asparuh Offshore License Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:18 PM PDT Total announced Wednesday the signature with the Bulgarian authorities of the exploration contract concerning the offshore Khan Asparuh license, awarded under the licensing round that opened last January 31. The 14,220-sq.km block is located approximately 80 kilometers offshore in the Black Sea in water depths of between 100 and 2,000 meters. Total has signed an [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Soccer Match To Test Egypt’s Shift From Street To Parliamentary Politics – Analysis Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:16 PM PDT Egypt is testing with a partial lifting of a ban on fans attending soccer matches whether the country after 18 months of political volatility, including violent protests before and after last year’s ousting of president Hosni Mubarak that led to the republic’s first free elections, has finally returned to a more peaceful resolution of political [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.