Global Geopolitics

Talk of Presidential Run by Khatami Elicits Hope and Anger in Iran

By Yasaman Baji
With just over two months before the Jun. 14 presidential election, Iranians remain unclear about which candidates will be approved by the Guardian Council to compete, let alone who has the best chance of winning.

Libya Intervention More Questionable in Rear View Mirror

By Jim Lobe
While the tenth anniversary last month of Washington’s invasion of Iraq provoked overwhelmingly negative reviews of the adventure except among its most die-hard neo-conservative proponents, a more recent - albeit far less dramatic and costly - intervention has faded almost completely from public notice.

Will PKK Ceasefire Change Turkey’s Regional Role?

By Dorian Jones
The Mar. 21 ceasefire in the battle between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Turkish state offers Turkey not only the hope of peace after decades of bloodshed, but poses profound implications for the region at large.

Report Calls to Engage Iran’s People While Preventing Nuke

By Jasmin Ramsey
The U.S. should not only focus on the short-term goal of “suspending or delaying” Iran’s alleged quest for a nuclear weapons capability, but also on “curtailing Iran’s other worrisome activities in the region while encouraging - or at least, not derailing - a better relationship with the citizens of the pivotal state,” according to a report released Thursday by the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

BOOKS: Afpak Insider Dissects Obama’s Policy Missteps

By Robert E. Hunter
Publication this month of Vali Nasr’s "The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat" is well-timed.

Escalating Korea Crisis Dims Hopes for Denuclearisation

By Jim Lobe
With all sides seeming to climb further up the escalatory ladder over the last several days, defusing the ongoing crisis on the Korean Peninsula -- let alone persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal as it once promised to do -- looks daunting.

Venezuela’s Elections Crucial to Latin American Left

By Humberto Márquez
The São Paulo Forum, which groups leftist political parties and organisations of Latin America and the Caribbean, sees a victory by Venezuela’s acting President Nicolás Maduro in the Apr. 14 elections as key to the future of the left in the region, and to “containing the right”.

U.N. Greenlights Long-Awaited Arms Trade Treaty

By George Gao
For many in the international community, the iconic sculpture outside the U.N. Visitors’ Centre appears more prominent today, as the majority of member states tightened its knot by adopting the first ever Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Now for a Vacation in Gaza, Maybe

By Eva Bartlett
“We wanted to help foreigners in Gaza, so we created an English map of Gaza City,” says Amir Shurrab, one of the minds behind the foldable Gaza Tourist Map.

P5+1 Coalition Fraying on Eve of Second Almaty Talks with Iran

By Jim Lobe
On the eve of its second round of talks with Iran on curbing its nuclear programme in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the so-called P5+1 (U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia plus Germany) is showing signs of growing disunity, according to the European Union’s former top foreign policy official.

Border Control by Another Name

By Claudia Ciobanu
Crossing the Belgian-German border in the heart of Europe should be a smooth experience, with no border controls, since the Schengen free movement area came into existence. Yet identity checks at this border and others inside Schengen are not uncommon, despite the contorted logic applied to prove their legality.

Arab Spring Shifts Focus of World Social Forum

By Alberto Pradilla
The World Social Forum’s traditional focus on economic, political and social injustice caused by globalisation shifted towards the revolts and unrest of the Arab Spring, in the current edition of the global gathering in Tunisia.

Iranian People Caught in Crossfire of Dueling Messages

By Farideh Farhi
Since Barack Obama became president of the United States, messages marking the Iranian New Year – Norouz - celebrated at the onset of spring have become yearly affairs. So have responses given by Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from the city of Mashhad where he makes a yearly pilgrimage to visit the shrine of Shi’i Islam’s eighth imam, Imam Reza.

Now Gaza’s Ark Prepares to Dare Israel

By Eva Bartlett
“An ark is literally a large floating vessel designed to keep its passengers and cargo safe,” say the group preparing ‘Gaza’s Ark’. But their ark, they say, is “a vessel that embodies hope that the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip can soon live in peace without the threat of the Israeli blockade.”

Iran’s Nuclear Activities Go On Despite Sanctions

By Jasmin Ramsey
While the U.S.-led sanctions regime on Iran has produced substantial economic hardship, analysts here are increasingly pointing out that Tehran’s controversial nuclear activities have continued unabated.

OP-ED: The BRICS and the Rising South

By Helen Clark
On Tuesday, leaders of five large emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, known as the BRICS – will gather in Durban, South Africa to discuss harnessing their formidable resources on behalf of faster development progress in Africa and elsewhere.

Obama Visit Settles It a Little for Israel

By Pierre Klochendler
On his visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his vision for a revival of the long-stalled peace talks. Yet, it was clear from his statements that a settlement freeze is no longer an immediate requirement. And, he carefully avoided mentioning the pre-1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution, to the Israeli Prime Minister’s delight.

As Iraq Anniversary Fades, “Strategic Narcissism” Stands out

By Jim Lobe
After a week of retrospectives on the tenth anniversary of Washington’s ill-fated invasion of Iraq, the most compelling consisted of a retrospective of the retrospectives.

Obama Boosts Syria Support as Congress Pushes Military Intervention

By Samer Araabi
As the Syrian uprising enters its third year, the United States and its allies are preparing to materially increase their support of the armed opposition in Syria.

Conflicts of Interest Plague Arms Trade Treaty Talks

By George Gao
The U.N. organ tasked with maintaining international peace and security harbours a serious conflict at its core.

OP-ED: Genuine Constitutional Monarchy Is the Only Way Out for Al Khalifa

By Emile Nakhleh
As the Bahraini and international media continue to dissect the meaning of Crown Prince Salman’s appointment as first deputy prime minister, powerful factions within the ruling Al-Khalifa family must be pondering the future of their rule.
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