Armed Conflicts

The Standoff in Ukraine (and in Washington)

By John Feffer
As the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance, U.S. politicians from both parties have been scrambling to take advantage of the crisis.

Russians Back Crimea Action, They’d Better

By Pavol Stracansky
Elena Smolenskaya doesn’t hesitate a second when asked what she thinks about the Russian military intervention in Crimea. The 23-year-old Moscow student is convinced that President Vladimir Putin had no choice but to order troops into the country.

U.N. Struggles for Relevancy in Ukraine Crisis

By Thalif Deen
When the crisis in Ukraine moved into the august chambers of the Security Council last week, it was virtually dead on arrival.

Crimea Faces a ‘Frozen Conflict’

By Pavol Stracansky
Crimea could remain under Russian control indefinitely as the current crisis - described by some politicians as Europe’s gravest since the end of the Cold War – threatens to turn into a “frozen conflict”, experts say.

U.S. Hawks Take Flight over Ukraine

By Jim Lobe
A familiar clutch of hawks have taken wing over the rapidly developing crisis in Ukraine, as neo-conservatives and other interventionists claim that President Barack Obama’s preference for diplomacy over military action  invited Russian aggression.

If a Two-State Solution Fails, What Next?

By Mitchell Plitnick
The failure of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians could lead to a significant shift in public opinion in the United States regarding Israel’s future, according to a new poll released Monday.

Political Wrangling Stymies CAR Peacekeeping Force

By Samuel Oakford
Budget constraints in Washington and obstinacy at the highest levels of the African Union (AU) have combined to dangerously delay a possible U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), according to sources close to negotiations currently underway in New York.

Hope for Justice Disappears With Victims

By Athar Parvaiz
Upon meeting an acquaintance after a long time, a young man at a Srinagar drug store asks: “Where did you disappear?” The innocuous question elicits an unexpected reply from the other: “Weigh your words. There are people whose loved ones have really disappeared.”

“Act of Killing” Director Hopes U.S. Will Admit Genocide Role

By Jasmin Ramsey
Watching former gangsters and paramilitary leaders proudly reenact scenes from Indonesia’s military-led mass killings of 1965-66 in the Oscar-nominated documentary, “The Act of Killing”, it’s easy to forget the role of outside countries.

An Equal Share of Wealth Equals Lasting Peace in CAR

By Matthew Newsome
While wrangling over Central African Republic’s (CAR) wealth in natural resources played a role in the country's crisis, its future peace and stability still partly depends on a solution that factors in how to equitably distribute its national wealth.

Burned, Bombed, Beaten – Education Under Attack Worldwide

By Kanya D'Almeida
There was a time when images from war zones featured only battlefields and barracks. As warfare moved into the 20th century, pictures of embattled urban centres and rural guerilla outposts began to make the rounds.

Somalia’s Sacked Soldiers Threaten Mogadishu’s Security

By Ahmed Osman
Residents of Mogadishu have raised concerns about their safety after the Somali army recently fired hundreds of disgruntled soldiers, many of whom are believed to still be in possession of their arms.

OP-ED: Washington’s Anemic Resolve on Egypt’s Human Rights

By Emile Nakhleh
The unexpected resignation of Hazem al-Biblawi, Egypt’s interim prime minister, and his government this week and the appointment of Ibrahim Mehlib, a Mubarak-era industrialist, as a new prime minister seem to pave the way for Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s anticipated presidential bid.

Economic Reforms Needed for Peace in South Sudan

By Charlton Doki
Gatmai Deng lost three family members in the violence that erupted in South Sudan on Dec. 15 and lasted until the end of January. And he blames their deaths on the government’s failure to use the country’s vast oil revenues to create a better life for its almost 11 million people.

North Korea Doing Fine Without the South

By Ahn Mi Young
If the North Korea of the 1990s was seen as a starving nation that produced an exodus of hungry people, then the picture should be even gloomier now – six years after it stopped receiving South Korea’s generous aid. But it’s not. The nation of 24 million people, widely said to be the most secretive in the world and a nuclear threat, appears to have weathered the years well.
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