We have reported before that many developing countries are under strain due to interest and repayments of loans from the major powers. In the case of Cambodia, these loans were a last ditch effort for survival at the time of internal crisis. It ran up massive debts rebuilding its military capability in a post-Khmer Rouge era. Cambodia is now seeking debt relief from some of these past burdens. Cambodia is seeking forgiveness of $1.5 billion of Soviet era loans. It will be interesting to see h... Read Full Story

“Back in the laboratory, they are dissecting humanity…” Do you really know what nationality you are, and we mean in terms of your ethnicity? Did your mother maybe have a brief romantic fling with a romantic and dashing Hungarian prince on her hen’s night and unknowingly you are of Eastern European extract? Not likely, but with generations of inter-marriage, global mobility, sexual liberation and on, anything is possible. These factors make a new imitative in the UK , the ed... Read Full Story

Rama Yade, if you don’t know the name you have been living under a rock if you profess to  follow European politics, is the Senegalese-born, dynamic young French Cabinet Minister. She is a fascinating case study in political performance.  Late in 2008 we wrote her off as a star that burned too bright-too fast, The rise and fall of Rama Yade, the French Minister for Human Rights However she fought back, even escaping the intense focus of Carla Bruni’s suspicion as to her relationship with Sark... Read Full Story

The more we research Afghanistan and the current NATO strategy, the more we are convinced that the mission objectives are fatally flawed. The West is trying to hoist an ideal of a society – democratic, plurality possessed, centralized- on a nation at best loosely formed. Matthew Hoh, a political officer in the Foreign Service and a senior civilian officer in Zabul  who recently resigned his post over his frustration with the mission gave an enlightening example in a recent interview. He tell... Read Full Story

The US rejects many elements of balanced governance as we have discussed before in previous editorials.  It is an oddity of current US nationalism that also sees them attempting to cling to reserve currency status when a devalued dollar would serve them better by making their exports more competitive and diminishing demand for imports. Many think the same instinctive aversion over logic is at play there in relation to the health debate. It seems a particularly perverse rationale to hoist the... Read Full Story

We have developed a fair dose of pessimism of late in relation to the potential for any progress on the Israel-Palestine situation. The Netanyahu-Lieberman partnership is not one designed for flexibility; it is a human embodiment of the Fortress Israel mentality. The unwillingness of Israel to compromise on the settlements and East Jerusalem issues, the embarrassing flip-flop of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on the matter, and the intransigence of Lieberman and his Moldovan foreign policy... Read Full Story

A recent vocal comment made by a hawkish US commentator on a news site avowed that proposed sanctions against Iran by the West would bring Tehran to its knees.  It is indicative of a current mind-set that the US is the Atlas of superpowers still, and all must bend to its will. This “informed” insider stated that if the West denied Iran access to gas then it would only a matter of months before Tehran would come cap in hand to the West begging for relief. This sort of blunt and naïve approach ... Read Full Story

In addition to the human and psychological impacts produced by the blockade of the Gaza, there are environmental ramifications too. People denied access to basic foodstuffs will, as a necessity, search for options that surround them.  Traditional ethnic groups with a close tie to their environs are natural conservationists. They avoid over-harvesting and over use to make sure they preserve vital resources for the future. This sound environmental management is evident in many indigenous peopl... Read Full Story

The US has a dualism in its relations with Lebanon. While it continues to condemn Hezbollah, has a checkered military history there, it does still like to give Lebanon largesse gifts of arms from time to time. Of course, the US foreign policy of military sales and assistance to select partners is one of the most powerful tools in its armory. In provisioning arms to its friends, it can easily disturb delicate regional balances. By ill-considered transactions it can arm friends that later turn... Read Full Story

The mire in Afghanistan is causing unacceptable levels of casualties, both in terms of combat troops and levels of national fortitude; it looks as though some are losing the commitment for continued engagement there. A long-term and always dependable partner of the US is Australia. However, Australia is evaluating its continued troop commitment and is developing a strategy to complete its strategy and exit its troops. Such a potential drawdown of Australia’s 1,500 troops would be yet another... Read Full Story