Section: The Huffington Post (USA)
Realities of Russia, What Is West Missing?
Co-authored by William Witenberg a contemporary artist focused on abstract painting Western media appears surprised that President Putin’s latest approval rating was so high. After Russian military began bombing in Syria, Putin’s popularity skyrocketed to its all times high of 90%. There are some obvious reasons for this, and quite a...
Great Power Competition = Risky Status-Seeking
Why do we call some states, great powers? What does it really mean to have power?Big states like Brazil have lots of land. Does big acreage make them a great power? Rich states like Japan have a giant economy. Does wealth make them a great power?Crowded states like Bangladesh have teeming populations — but do overflowing societies, even in...
Why the Paris Climate Summit Will Be a Peace Conference
Averting a World of Failed States and Resource Wars Cross-posted with TomDispatch.comAt the end of November, delegations from nearly 200 countries will convene in Paris for what is billed as the most important climate meeting ever held. Officially known as the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP-21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on...
5 Things You Should Know About The Russian Plane Crash
Authorities are still investigating what happened to Kogalymavia Flight 9268, which broke up Saturday in midair over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people on board.Investigators are examining whether the disaster was the result of outside elements or an instrumental failure.As news continues to filter in from authorities and the...
Hard Talks: Moving Forward From Vienna
What Secretary of State John Kerry described as the ‘most promising opportunity’ for a political solution to the Syrian war, was an opportunity that could only be realized through compromise. Frustrated by Iranian positioning in the Vienna talks, the U.S. has stepped up the military side of their Syria strategy by committing special...
Information Transparency and No-Fly Zones in Conflict Areas
The crash of Metrojet flight 7K9268 from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg over the weekend has again raised question about the safety of flying anywhere near a war zone. However, the Sinai Desert is not technically a war zone, and early indications are that the plane was probably brought down by a bomb rather than a missile. The video released...
Technical Inspector Says Crashed Russian Plane Was In Good Condition
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — An Egyptian ground service official who carried out a pre-flight inspection of the Russian passenger plane that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula said Sunday that the Airbus A321-200 appeared to be in good condition.The Metrojet plane, bound for St. Petersburg in Russia, crashed 23 minutes after it took off from...
Russian Plane Carrying 224 People Crashes In Egypt
By Yusri Mohammed and Ahmed Mohamed HassanISMAILIA, Egypt/CAIRO, Oct 31 (Reuters) – A Russian airliner carrying 224 passengers and crew crashed in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula on Saturday after losing radar contact and plummeting from its cruising altitude, killing all aboard.The Airbus A321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia under...
Local Elections in Ukraine Bring Mixed Results
On October 25, 26.7 million Ukrainian voters were called to elect their 168,450 local and regional representatives in the first local elections since the Maidan. With a relatively low turnout of 46.62 percent, the elections represented a genuine test of popularity for the government as well as a barometer of popular discontent over the course of...
Karen Dawisha on Russia’s Middle East Strategy, Interview With Eminent Russia Expert and Author of Putin’s Kleptocracy Part II
Karen Dawisha is the Walter E Havighurst Professor of Political Science at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She is a world-renowned Russia expert who has written extensively about Soviet foreign policy, Russia-Middle East relations, and contemporary Russian politics. Her most recent book, published in 2014, is Putin’s Kleptocracy: Who Owns...
