Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

“China: The New Peacemaker In The Middle East – Analysis” plus 24 more : Eurasia Review

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• China: The New Peacemaker In The Middle East – Analysis
• I Corps: US Pacific Command’s Newest Asset – Analysis
• Trans Pacific Trickle-Down Economics – OpEd
• Iran, P5+1 Determined To End Nuclear Manufactured Crisis – Zarif
• Where Is Black America? – OpEd
• General Strike Of The Rich Alumni – OpEd
• CIA Boss: We Were Heroes In Error – OpEd
• Qatari Promises Of Labour Reform Ring Hollow Amid Revived Corruption Allegations – Analysis
• South Africa’s Revocation Of Its Bilateral Investment Treaties – Analysis
• Lee Kuan Yew: History, Heritage And The Idea Of Singapore – Analysis
• China’s Premier Li Faults Local Governments And Banks – Analysis
• Montenegro Vows Crackdown After Jihadist Threats
• Britain’s Boring Election Reaches Gripping Finale
• US State Department Responds To NR’s Report On Sister Diana Momeka – OpEd
• Spain-Morocco Hold Bilateral Meeting On Terrorism, Immigration And Crime
• Obama Administration’s Relationship With Iran Has Echoes Of Schizophrenia – OpEd
• EU Increases Financial Support To Nepal In Aftermath Of Earthquake
• Spain: PM Rajoy Says ‘Terrorism Is The Enemy Of Everyone’
• India: Rudderless Process, Aimless Violence In Nagaland – Analysis
• Pakistan: Shooting The Messenger In Balochistan – Analysis
• Kenya: Kerry In Nairobi To Help Fight Al Shabab
• Engaging With India: Will Australia Miss The Boat, Yet Again? – Analysis
• Saudi Arabia Says New-Look Government To ‘Secure Nation’
• Maldives: To Make A ‘Flawed’ And Fractured Democracy Work – Analysis
• Good-Neighbour Bangladesh Acts Against Anti-India Insurgents – Analysis

China: The New Peacemaker In The Middle East – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 06:11 PM PDT By David Grammig Fifty-one agreements were signed by China and Pakistan during President Xi’s April visit, kick-starting the “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) project a mere two years after the plan was first announced. Details of the project change as frequently as the total number of countries involved in China’s ambitious approach to make the ancient Silk Road fit for the 21st century. Geopolitical calculations are as much a reason for this 2-trillion-dollar project as economic ones. The OBOR... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

I Corps: US Pacific Command’s Newest Asset – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 06:08 PM PDT By Robert B. Brown and Jason N. Adler We will of necessity rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific region. Our relationships with Asian allies and key partners are critical to the future stability and growth of the region.1 In January 2012, the United States redefined its global security priorities with the words above. The changing global environment, signified by the rising political and economic power of Asia, necessitated an adjustment of national strategic goals. On the surface, little may... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Trans Pacific Trickle-Down Economics – OpEd Posted: 04 May 2015 05:59 PM PDT Have we learned nothing from thirty years of failed trickle-down economics? By now we should know that when big corporations, Wall Street, and the wealthy get special goodies, the rest of us get shafted. The Reagan and George W. Bush tax cuts of 1981, 2001, and 2003, respectively, were sold to America as ways to boost the economy and create jobs. They ended up boosting the take-home pay of those at the top. Most Americans saw no gains. In fact, the long stagnation of American wages began with... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran, P5+1 Determined To End Nuclear Manufactured Crisis – Zarif Posted: 04 May 2015 05:56 PM PDT Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran and the P5+1 group of countries are working on the draft of a final deal over Tehran’s nuclear work. Zarif said that the process of drafting is “moving forward” as the two sides are “determined to end this manufactured crisis & open new horizons.” The Iranian top diplomat, however, stressed that “many brackets” still remain which need to resolved by hard work. Experts from Iran and the six global powers are currently in New York to... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Where Is Black America? – OpEd Posted: 04 May 2015 05:53 PM PDT By Francis A Kornegay Jr* US President Barack Obama, in his struggle to fashion a transformative foreign policy by reshaping the balance of America’s relationships in the Middle East, faces formidable resistance from Israel’s right-wing Likud government allied with the most reactionary Republican-controlled US Congress in recent memory. There are, however, two missing dimensions that must be inserted into Obama’s equations regarding Iran and Israel within the context of the framework accord... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

General Strike Of The Rich Alumni – OpEd Posted: 04 May 2015 05:50 PM PDT Our colleges are wise and witty. Our buildings wear the grace of European monuments. Amidst this splendor comes the ugliness. It is a cliché. Racism is dull. It is never creative. Did they scrawl an invective? Did they attack someone? What they did has been done before. Human cruelty is so unoriginal. But you are shocked? That is peculiar. Only the privileged can be truly shocked. “There are words like Liberty,” Langston Hughes sang, “That almost make me cry.” Why, you ask? “If you had known... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

CIA Boss: We Were Heroes In Error – OpEd Posted: 04 May 2015 05:44 PM PDT By Daniel McAdams Once again, Washington is agog over a former government insider’s admission of the “mistakes” made by his agency in a memoir otherwise wholeheartedly endorsing US failed foreign policies. As Iraq and Syria fall to ISIS and al-Qaeda, as Libya’s “liberation” has produced hell on earth, former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell writes in his new book that, oops, we got it wrong: we expected all these US “liberations” to undermine rather... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Qatari Promises Of Labour Reform Ring Hollow Amid Revived Corruption Allegations – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 05:37 PM PDT A promise by Qatari labour and social affairs minister Abdullah Saleh Mubarak al-Khulaifi to reform the Gulf state’s controversial kafala or labour sponsorship system by the end of this year is likely to cut little ice with human rights and trade union activists who four years after Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup are demanding deeds rather than words. Mr. Al-Khulaifi’s promise comes amid an avalanche of media disclosures that suggest massive violation of world soccer... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

South Africa’s Revocation Of Its Bilateral Investment Treaties – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 05:20 PM PDT By Mathabo le Roux* South Africa’s decision to terminate its bilateral investment treaties (BITs) has elicited strong and mixed reactions from around the world. Countries on the receiving end of the revocation reacted with the unusual vehemence and commentators at home were mostly critical, some even alarmist, claiming that the action marked the government’s intention to embark on wholesale nationalisation. Yet, in other quarters, South Africa has been held up as something of a trailblazer,... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Lee Kuan Yew: History, Heritage And The Idea Of Singapore – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 05:15 PM PDT Lee Kuan Yew’s success in transforming Singapore from a plural immigrant society into a multicultural nation rested on the core values that shaped him and the power systems that he chose to serve his political cause. By Wang Gungwu* It is not too early to think about Lee Kuan Yew’s place in history. The sense of loss that Singaporeans demonstrated when he lay in state was genuine and deep. The eulogies from all over the world testify to the impact of his achievements in the city-state that he... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

China’s Premier Li Faults Local Governments And Banks – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 05:11 PM PDT By Michael Lelyveld As China feels the effects of its economic slowdown, the government is searching for causes and showing signs of political strain. During a one-week period last month, Premier Li Keqiang leveled criticisms, first at local officials and then at state-owned banks, for not cooperating with efforts to boost economic growth, which fell to a six-year low of 7 percent in the first quarter. At a meeting in northeastern Jilin province on April 10, Li blasted regional officials for... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Montenegro Vows Crackdown After Jihadist Threats Posted: 04 May 2015 05:08 PM PDT By Dusica Tomovic Senior Montenegrin officials have urged the prosecution to take action after the online threats against the three MPs and local religious leaders by the jihadist who claimed to be a member of ISIS, local media reported on Sunday. Dusko Markovic, deputy Prime Minister in charge of security, and Interior Minister Rasko Konjevic expressed concern that Montenegrins who join Islamist groups could endanger the state, so those who go to fight in foreign conflicts should be punished.... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Britain’s Boring Election Reaches Gripping Finale Posted: 04 May 2015 05:04 PM PDT (EurActiv) — After a sterile campaign that has turned many people off, Britons take to the polls on Thursday in a general election that could trigger an unprecedented bout of instability. The vote could help decide whether Britain stays in the European Union and whether Scotland remains in Britain, as well as putting some of Westminster’s biggest names out of work. “This is the tightest election in living memory,” said Professor Philip Cowley of Nottingham University.... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US State Department Responds To NR’s Report On Sister Diana Momeka – OpEd Posted: 04 May 2015 04:58 PM PDT By Nina Shea* The State Department is apparently trying to cover up an embarrassing, politically damaging, and possibly discriminatory act. In an e-mail sent to me on Thursday, Kathryn Fitrell, press-unit chief of the Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs with State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, requested that I revise the text of my National Review article on the denial of a visitor visa to Sister Diana Momeka. I refused, and then on Friday — as the Department honored World Press... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Spain-Morocco Hold Bilateral Meeting On Terrorism, Immigration And Crime Posted: 04 May 2015 04:50 PM PDT Spain’s Minister for Home Affairs, Jorge Fernández Díaz, and the Moroccan Home Affairs Minister, Mohamed Hassad, held a bilateral meeting Saturday night in Tangier, Morocco. This bilateral meeting stems from a commitment by the two ministers to maintain constant and regular contact in order to analyze the priority issues for the two countries, such as immigration, the fight against terrorism, the fight against drug trafficking and issues related to police training and Operation Strait of... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama Administration’s Relationship With Iran Has Echoes Of Schizophrenia – OpEd Posted: 04 May 2015 04:44 PM PDT By Linda S. Heard The Obama administration’s relationship with Iran has echoes of schizophrenia. US foreign policy as it relates to the Middle East has to be the most confusing, feckless and ineffective in living history. In just about every respect, Obama’s decisions, indecision and last-minute changes of mind have served to undermine America’s credibility as the world’s leading power — and unnerved those of his nation’s closest longtime allies, currently engaged in fathoming where his... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

EU Increases Financial Support To Nepal In Aftermath Of Earthquake Posted: 04 May 2015 04:35 PM PDT The European Commission approved Monday financial support worth €16.6 million to assist Nepal after the devastating earthquake that hit the country just over a week ago. The assistance will be provided directly to the Government of Nepal and will be available later this week. Following the joint EU-UN mission to Nepal, an additional €3 million of emergency aid has also been made available today, bringing the total of the European Commission’s support since the earthquake struck to €22.6... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Spain: PM Rajoy Says ‘Terrorism Is The Enemy Of Everyone’ Posted: 04 May 2015 11:37 AM PDT Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is on a trip to Mali and Senegal to visit Spanish troops on European missions in the region, where he is meeting with the main authorities in these countries.This is the third time that the President of the Government has visited the troops abroad, in December 2012 he went to Afghanistan and in December 2013 he travelled to Djibouti. Rajoy’s first destination was Mali, where Mariano Rajoy met with its president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. He then... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India: Rudderless Process, Aimless Violence In Nagaland – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 11:31 AM PDT By Giriraj Bhattacharjee* As the violent incidents of last few months suggest, NSCN-K’s decision to unilaterally call off the ceasefire, the split within its ranks, and the Union Government’s failure to make any progress with regard to talks with NSCN-IM, could lead to greater violence in Nagaland and neighboring northeastern states. SFs, who had enjoyed clear respite from terror, will, in particular, face the brunt of escalating violence, if these developments continue. Intelligence... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Pakistan: Shooting The Messenger In Balochistan – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 11:28 AM PDT By Tushar Ranjan Mohanty* One more messenger of peace fell prey to Pakistan’s Mullah-military nexus in the night of April 24, 2015, when unidentified assailants shot dead Sabeen Mahmud, a prominent Pakistani women’s rights activist, in the Phase-II area of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. According to reports, Sabeen, accompanied by her mother, was just returning home after organizing a discussion on ‘Unsilencing Balochistan’ at ‘The Second Floor’... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Kenya: Kerry In Nairobi To Help Fight Al Shabab Posted: 04 May 2015 11:25 AM PDT US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kenya on Sunday to discuss cooperation between the two nations in countering the Somali al Shabab militants, responsible for the recent attack against the University of Garissa that left 148 dead. “We think the Kenyans are doing their best. Fighting terrorism is tough, and particularly fighting it in this region is very tough. Kenya has been the victim of multiple attacks – the Garissa attack starkly illustrated the extent to which al Shabab can have... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Engaging With India: Will Australia Miss The Boat, Yet Again? – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 11:20 AM PDT By Amit Dasgupta* The back-to-back visits of Australian Ministers Julie Bishop and Andrew Robb to India auger well for bilateral relations. A historic shift in relations took place during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Australia tour. Body language and symbolism apart, Prime Ministers Modi and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott were emphatic that a substantive engagement was mutually beneficial and long overdue. This requires shifting mind sets. But that’s easier said than done. Australian... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Saudi Arabia Says New-Look Government To ‘Secure Nation’ Posted: 04 May 2015 11:07 AM PDT The new appointments to the Cabinet announced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman are aimed at ensuring a stable and secure country in the face of increasing threats in the region and elsewhere. This was the sentiment of ministers at their weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday, said Adel Al-Toraifi, minister of culture and information. He said the king welcomed the new Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Maldives: To Make A ‘Flawed’ And Fractured Democracy Work – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 11:04 AM PDT By N. Sathiya Moorthy* Continuing political impasse in democratised Maldives has been hurting the 2008 constitutional scheme and has raised questions about the basic flaws, if any, in the transition process at the time. Both the questions and the answers for rectification lie within the country and the existing scheme, but it requires genuine efforts and serious follow-up by all stakeholders for the country to pull out of the quagmire. The ‘flaws’ began with the pro-democracy (read:... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Good-Neighbour Bangladesh Acts Against Anti-India Insurgents – Analysis Posted: 04 May 2015 11:02 AM PDT By Rupak Bhattacharjee* In yet another instance of good neighbourliness, Bangladesh has held two northeastern militants responsible for abetting cross-border terrorism. In a landmark judgment on April 8, a court in northern Bangladesh’s Kishoreganj district sentenced two United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) activists, Ranjan Choudhury and his associate Pradip Marak, to life imprisonment for intrusion, illegal possession of weapons and involvement in terrorist acts. Bangladesh’s elite security... To continue reading this article, click on the headline.