Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Eurasia Review: News & Analysis

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• Who Will Govern Syrian Kurdistan? – Analysis
• Brazil’s Chaotic Transportation Systems At Stake: The Role Of Private Sector – Analysis
• Pakistan: Alarming Amount Of Hate-Material In Textbooks, Study Reveals
• Tunisia: Amazighs Face Islamist Harassment
• South Africa: Miners Protest Spreads
• Vatican Invites Usain Bolt To Address Religious Liberty Conference
• Obama And Romney Offer Rare Glimpse Of Their Spiritual Lives
• Brussels Wants All Eurozone Banks Under ECB Watch
• Why The NAM Summit In Tehran Was Important – Analysis
• Bahrain: Thousands Rally To Demand Release Of Jailed Activists
• Google Shuttering TV Ads Product
• Warning About Seal Population In Caspian Sea
• Keeping Egypt’s Blogosphere Alive – OpEd
• The FBI Lurking Behind Every Corner – OpEd
• TSA: Keeping America Safe…From Ron Paul? – OpEd
• Wall Street’s War On The Cities – OpEd
• Why You’re A Lot Poorer Than You Thought You Were – OpEd
• After Zionism: Only A One State Solution Is Possible – OpEd
• Israel’s Master Of Mischief – OpEd
• India – Pakistan: Signals From Tehran Indicate Possible Midterm Polls In India – Analysis
• India’s Cold Start Strategy And Pakistan’s Response – Analysis
• ‘The India Doctrine’ – Book Review
• Don’t Shoot The Messenger: The ‘Un-Social’ Strategy – Analysis
• North Korea: Kim Serious About Reforms, Says Expert
• Navy SEALs Assassinated Bin Laden – OpEd
• Russia To Develop Sea-Based Space-Defense System
• The Bhutan-China-India Triangle – Analysis
• Iran Rejects Latest IAEA Accusations
• China: Cyber dissident Wang Xiaoning Freed But Many Chinese Netizens Still In Prison
• Kosovo Still Key To Serbia’s Progress, EU Says

Who Will Govern Syrian Kurdistan? – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:42 PM PDT By Giorgio Cafiero Last month, as the Free Syrian Army took over areas of the Syrian-Turkish border, a power vacuum emerged in northeastern Syria. It was not the Free Syrian Army that filled the vacuum, but instead the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), the most heavily armed Kurdish faction in Syria. In early August, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Brazil’s Chaotic Transportation Systems At Stake: The Role Of Private Sector – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:38 PM PDT By Arnaud Koehl On July 27, a violent truck drivers’ strike occurred in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, which eventually encompassed Brazil’s entire trucking industry. Among other issues, they were protesting the National Agency of Terrestrial Transports’ (ANTT) new highway safety regulations.[1]On the same day, the agency issued measures concerning a significant [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Pakistan: Alarming Amount Of Hate-Material In Textbooks, Study Reveals Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:34 PM PDT Textbooks in two of the country’s provinces contain an alarming amount of hate material, while their education policy shows a deep-rooted bias against religious minorities, according to a new study. The Catholic Bishop’s National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) revealed the results of the research “Taleem ya Nafrat ki Aabiyari” (Educating or nurturing hate) [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Tunisia: Amazighs Face Islamist Harassment Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:32 PM PDT By Mawassi Lahcen Threats from radical Islamists prevented Tunisian Amazigh associations from holding a conference in the country’s southern Matmata region. Six Tunisian Amazigh groups planned their event, which aimed to unite the Tunisian Amazigh movement, to coincide with the 20th Tamezret Festival for Amazigh Culture on August 24th-25th. But hard-line Islamists protested against the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

South Africa: Miners Protest Spreads Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:29 PM PDT A gold mine operated by the Gold Fields company is the latest to be affected by the miners protest that began in South Africa’s so-called platinum belt in the Johannesburg region. According to Gold Fields, some 12,000 of its workers have been on a strike since Wednesday demanding higher salaries and better living conditions. The [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Vatican Invites Usain Bolt To Address Religious Liberty Conference Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:27 PM PDT By David Kerr The world’s fastest man, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, has been invited to address a Vatican conference on religious liberty. “We look for a most fundamental common ground among different religions,” conference organizer Giovanna Abbiati told CNA Aug. 31. “Most of all we’d like to focus on the absolute value of religious freedom [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama And Romney Offer Rare Glimpse Of Their Spiritual Lives Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:23 PM PDT By Daniel Burke U.S. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, says it’s not his job to defend his Christian faith against doubters who suspect he’s Muslim. His Republican Party challenger, Mitt Romney, says religion is “integral” to his life, even as often he avoids mentioning his Mormon faith by name. In interviews published 21 August by [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Brussels Wants All Eurozone Banks Under ECB Watch Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:20 PM PDT (EurActiv) — The European Commission plans to give the European Central Bank (ECB) oversight of all banks in the eurozone from 2014, said Michel Barnier, in charge of the internal market at the EU executive. Under the plans, the ECB will oversee all banks that have tapped the European Stability Mechanism from January next year, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Why The NAM Summit In Tehran Was Important – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 09:16 PM PDT By Bernhard Schell Whether or not the sixteenth summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM16) in Tehran from August 26 to 31 was a setback for the U.S., which led efforts to “isolate” Iran, the fact is that it took place at a crucial point in time for international relations that are characterised by a tug-of-war [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Bahrain: Thousands Rally To Demand Release Of Jailed Activists Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:57 PM PDT Thousands of protesters from Shiite opposition groups marched in Bahrain on Friday, Aug 31 to demand the release of jailed activists, according to AFP. The march held under the slogan “Freedom and Democracy” was organized after a two-month break in demonstrations in the tiny Gulf monarchy ruled by a Sunni minority. It was held near [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Google Shuttering TV Ads Product Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:54 PM PDT Google is shuttering its TV ads product in favor of online video ad solutions, VentureBeat reports. Google started the TV ads division in 2007 when it seemed that any form of advertising might be amenable to AdWords-style pricing mechanics and placement. Even today, the company advertises the ability to “target up to 42 million U.S. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Warning About Seal Population In Caspian Sea Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:52 PM PDT The seal population in the Caspian Sea is rapidly falling, the deputy head of the marine life branch of Iran’s Environment Protection Organization warned in a statement to the media. The Reporters Club reported on Thursday August 30 that Abdolreza Karbasi, deputy head of Marine life protection, has said: “According to the latest research carried [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Keeping Egypt’s Blogosphere Alive – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:50 PM PDT By Nadine El Sayed Social media and blogs play a crucial role in maintaining a diversified, vibrant and well-rounded public sphere in Egypt. Social media clearly played a large role in the Egyptian uprising and political bloggers and online activists helped create a dynamic public sphere online during and after the revolution. For many Egyptian [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The FBI Lurking Behind Every Corner – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:47 PM PDT The late Richard Masato Aoki, famed street fighting ’60s radical who armed San Francisco Bay Area Black Panthers, has been implicated as an FBI informant. Surprise, surprise. The sight of armed Black Panthers prompted Governor Ronald Reagan to sign gun control in California. Aoki’s role in arming them has always had a special place in [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

TSA: Keeping America Safe…From Ron Paul? – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:43 PM PDT Everyone keeps harping on how the Israelis have licked their security problems through effective profiling of airline passengers, so the TSA decided it would give it a whirl—but it turns out TSA “Behavior Detection Officers” can’t do that well, either. Internal whistleblowers claim they’re engaging in racism, prompting “retraining,” according to thisCNN report. In the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Wall Street’s War On The Cities – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:39 PM PDT The pace of Wall Street’s war against the 99% is quickening in preparation for the kill. Having demonized public employees for being scheduled to receive pensions on their lifetime employment service, bondholders are insisting on getting the money instead. It is the same austerity philosophy that has been forced on Greece and Spain – and [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Why You’re A Lot Poorer Than You Thought You Were – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:34 PM PDT You’re a lot poorer than you thought you were. According to a report by Sentier Research “real median annual household income… has fallen by 4.8 percent since the ‘economic recovery’ began in June 2009.” That’s worse than the 2.6 percent decline that took place during the recession itself. (between July 2007 to June 2009) All [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

After Zionism: Only A One State Solution Is Possible – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:29 PM PDT By Karen Dabrowska Time has run out for the two-state solution because of the unending and permanent Jewish colonization of Palestinian land. That is the conclusion of Antony Loewenstein and Ahmed Moor the authors of After Zionism, which brings together some of the world’s leading thinkers on the Middle East question to dissect the century-long [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Israel’s Master Of Mischief – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:11 PM PDT Avigador Lieberman has a restless nature. From time to time he has to do something, anything. As Minister of Foreign Affairs he should be doing something about, well, foreign affairs. Trouble is Israel’s foreign affairs are managed by others. The most important sector of our foreign affairs concerns the relationship with the United States. Indeed, [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India – Pakistan: Signals From Tehran Indicate Possible Midterm Polls In India – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:09 PM PDT Pakistani media reports on the meeting between our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari in the margins of the NAM summit in Tehran on August 29, 2012, are tinged with ill-concealed disappointment over the perceived reluctance of our Prime Minister to make a definitive commitment over a possible visit by [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India’s Cold Start Strategy And Pakistan’s Response – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:55 PM PDT In April 2004 Indian Army Chief unveiled the new Cold Start concept that would allow it to mobilize quickly and undertake retaliatory attacks in response to specific challenges posed by Pakistan’s “proxy war” in Kashmir. The goal of this cold start strategy is to launch a retaliatory conventional strike against Pakistan before the international community [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

‘The India Doctrine’ – Book Review Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:48 PM PDT By Isha Khan Adorned in a saffron red jacket and embellished with a detailed map of South Asia the concept of an India doctrine has been introduced to the readers in Bangladesh recently. The book “The India Doctrine” has been published by the Bangladesh Research Forum and edited by Barrister M.B.I. Munshi. Munshi’s contribution to [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Don’t Shoot The Messenger: The ‘Un-Social’ Strategy – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:32 PM PDT By Shruti Pandalai When the Jasmine revolution swept up the Arab spring, detractors around the world said democratic nations would be safe. The new media revolution would only help democracies engage further. This belief has held strong. Yet, those in the corridors of power, here in India, have felt increasingly uncomfortable. This is unchartered territory. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

North Korea: Kim Serious About Reforms, Says Expert Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:29 PM PDT Though many analysts are skeptical, expert Andrei Lankov says North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong Un is beginning to consider Chinese-style economic reforms. He speaks to RFA’s Executive Editor Dan Southerland: Q: How do you interpret reports that North Korea is planning to reform the economy and the agricultural system? Do these appear to be [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Navy SEALs Assassinated Bin Laden – OpEd Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:26 PM PDT In the aftermath of the assassination of Osama bin Laden, amid the contradictory reports from the Obama administration about the event, I came to believe that the Isalmist was likely assassinated deliberately. The stories about resistance put up by Bin Laden made little sense since they were immediately withdrawn and replaced by an equally implausible [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Russia To Develop Sea-Based Space-Defense System Posted: 31 Aug 2012 07:11 PM PDT Russia is developing a sea-based missile- and space-defense system, which will be deployed in international waters. The system is expected to become an integral part of the Russian Navy. The construction of the new sea-based missile-defense system has been entrusted to Almaz-Antey, the arms manufacturer that also produces the S-400 ‘Triumph’ missile defense system. Anatoly [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Bhutan-China-India Triangle – Analysis Posted: 31 Aug 2012 01:04 PM PDT By Rajeev Sharma This article seeks to examine the growing strategic and diplomatic importance of Bhutan for its big neighbours: China and India. China has recently intensified its efforts to woo Bhutan and engage with it directly, despite the lack of diplomatic ties between them. To improve relations with Bhutan, China first has to resolve [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran Rejects Latest IAEA Accusations Posted: 31 Aug 2012 01:02 PM PDT Iran on Friday rejected a report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claiming that the Islamic Republic has doubled the number of centrifuges used to enrich uranium in the underground site of Fordo. In its report, the IAEA noted that Iran is rapidly expanding capabilities of uranium enrichment despite Israeli or American threats [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

China: Cyber dissident Wang Xiaoning Freed But Many Chinese Netizens Still In Prison Posted: 31 Aug 2012 12:58 PM PDT Reporters Without Borders said it acknowledges the release today of the cyber dissident Wang Xiaoning. “We are relieved to know that Wang Xiaoning is finally free and we share the joy of his family and friends,” the press freedom organization said. “However, we note that he served his sentence in its entirety and there has [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Kosovo Still Key To Serbia’s Progress, EU Says Posted: 31 Aug 2012 12:56 PM PDT By Marija Ristic The EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, said he cannot give an exact date when Serbia will be able to open EU membership talks, as he doesn’t have a crystal ball. Speaking after a meeting with Serbia’s minister for EU integration, Suzana Grubjesic, he warned that Serbia had made only limited progress [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.