International Relations
International Relations
North America
Kiss of Death from Fidel Castro – One Miami Woman’s Saga
Kissing Fidel Castro led to consequences for Miami woman from the BBC For Cuban-American lawyer Magda Montiel Davis, the thawing of Cuba/US relations invokes the past The meeting of US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro marked the start of a new era in Cuban-American diplomatic relations. For Miami resident and Cuban-American Magda […]
Read More
Asia
International Relations
Territorial Disputes in East Asia: Japan’s Military Buildup to Counter China’s Expansion
Russia Today: ‘Japan, US struggle to contain China at any cost’ Will Japan amend article 9 of its constitution to allow for military buildup to counter a rising People’s Republic of China? Shinzo Abe’s government argues peace, critics say it’s all about arms sales Tensions in southeast Asia have remained as territorial disputes over possessions […]
Read More
Asia
International Relations
Japan‘s Rearmament: Reawakened Nationalism or Neo-Realist Pragmatism?
Inside Japan’s Controversial Military Expansion Decades after World War II, Japan begins an aggressive rearmament program Implications for the stability of the greater Pacific region notwithstanding, what does Japan‘s aggressive expansion of the Self Defense Forces (SDF) projective/offensive military capability mean for Japan‘s place in the wider world? Is Japan merely responding to China‘s (People’s […]
Read More
International Relations
North America
Cuba Decries Decades-Old United States’ Economic Sanctions
Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, spoke at the United Nations 69th General Assembly on Saturday, slamming the United States for its unilateral application of economic sanctions as an implement of foreign policy, decrying the five decades-old embargo the United States has on Cuban goods. The extraterritorial implementation of the US laws […]
Read More
Europe
International Relations
What Europeans Think of Each Other
Greece seems to have an interesting opinion of itself, eh? [Graph from The Economist]
Read More
Europe
International Relations
Military Technology Transfer: Poland Sells Drones to Ukraine
In a speech in Kiev at the 11th Arms and Security Exhibition, Ukrainian Chairman of Parliament Oleksandr Turchynov announced the purchase of drone weaponry from Poland to help assist the Ukrainian military in stabilizing the situation in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk advised the United Nations General Assembly against dropping sanctions on Russia even though a ceasefire agreement and the creation of a […]
Read More
International Relations
Middle East
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani: ISIS Airstrikes Are ‘Psychological Warfare’
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Islamic Republic of Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called US airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (also known as ISIL – Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) ‘psychological warfare’ and said that a broader spectrum of action is needed to combat the terrorist organization whose territory […]
Read More
International Relations
Middle East
Gaza International Airport – A Symbol of a Decade of Hope
Once the site of an arrival by US President Bill Clinton in 1998, today the Gaza International Airport in Rafah is a derelict that reflects the shattered hopes for peace between Israel and Palestine: A runway littered with debris, concourses destroyed by artillery shelling, and a golden dome, home of the frequent flyer VIPs, smashed […]
Read More
Europe
International Relations
Scotland Rejects Independence, the Act of Union Survives
Scottish voters have rejected independence by a margin of 55% to 45% according to the BBC. The Act of Union binding England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, forming the United Kingdom, remains unchanged. A day of celebration for unionists, and a day of defeat and reflection for the independence movement. The Queen is expected to […]
Read More