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May 2012
University of California takes aim at human rights activists
By Stephen Zunes: From the Vietnam War to the Central American revolutions to apartheid South Africa to the East Timor occupation to the invasion of Iraq, university campuses have been an important venue for concerned scholars and activists to raise issues regarding human rights, international law and US foreign policy. However, in an effort to stifle this tradition, University of California President Mark Yudof has launched a campaign targeting human rights activists and others challenging the Israeli occupation and colonization of the West Bank and other policies of the right-wing US-backed Israeli government. Read More
Syria, why a Scandinavian general?
By Abdulateef Al-Mulhim: When a country starts sinking in the sand of political and social unrest, it is the people of the country who can save the country. No one else can, even a well-groomed Norwegian Major General. But, why are the Scandinavian politicians and generals always the ones who command peace missions and are they different from other generals? Read More
Pakistan: The Herculean job of defending a corrupt president
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: One need not be a sage to figure out as to what exactly the government of Pakistan is trying to do: it is simply defending the corruption proceeds. What the remote controlled government of Prime Minister Gilani (since Zardari holds the real political power in Pakistan) has decided to do is to rely on the only option left to him: just politicize the issue. Instead of implementing the Supreme Court order the Gilani regime cronies are ridiculing the apex court. Read More
Mali’s struggle: not simply of their own making
Stephen Zunes: Mali serves as yet another reminder of both the power of strategic nonviolent action and the consequences of foreign powers seeking to impose military solutions on complex political problems. In examining the political crises which have gripped Mali in recent months, it is important not to fall into simplistic analyses of dysfunctional or “failed” African states. Indeed, the Malian people have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to mobilize civil society and build stable democratic governance despite a history of enormous poverty, ethnic divisions, and foreign intervention. Read More
International Relations: Methods Concepts and Challenges - Part II
by Syed R. Mahmood: In this twenty first century, the seven billion people on this planet earth have enormous responsibilities and challenges for a peaceful co-existence among nations and civilizations. Today the world is very closely knitted with each other: economically, politically, socially and culturally. These seven billion people are living in a global village, where every nation knows everybody’s business. In this contemporary global society, every citizen of the United States, China, Russia, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the people from other parts of the globe are dependent upon each other for their commercial, industrial and security needs. Read More
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