Despite the deafening racket of the mass-media drums of war, neither President Obama nor the Pentagon has an appetite for a confrontation with Iran that could unleash havoc across the Middle East and would at best simply delay …
Global Briefing, Jan. 23 2012: Syria, Sendai and Sarkozy
Juvenile Injustice — The Guardian examines accusations that Israel’s military justice system mistreats Palestinian children. The special report, based on interviews and affidavits given by minors to an international human …
“The once all-powerful military is increasingly insecure.”
Nigeria’s Rulers Reap Rewards of Corruption with Sudden Descent Into Chaos
The killing of more than 178 people by Islamic militants in a series of attacks on state buildings in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, underlines how one of Africa’s most corrupt nations is reaping the rewards of decades of …
Dispatch from Sendai: Boom and Bust After Japan’s Tsunami
The first time I drove into Sendai, Japan, I thought I had arrived in a small town. It was March 13, two days after last year’s earthquake and tsunami killed up to 20,000 people and destroyed hundreds of miles of coastline in …
London’s Russian Tycoon Trial: How Boris Berezovsky Has Already Triumphed
Roman Abramovich recently threw an $8 million New Year’s Eve party. He once dropped $86 million on a Francis Bacon painting. And he owns a $90 million vacation home in St. Bart’s. That’s in addition to his chateau on the …
Sarkozy Considers Withdrawal from Afghanistan After Death of French Soldiers
Is the outraged French response to the shooting death of four of its forces in Afghanistan by a suspected Afghan soldier Friday a sign that Paris may speed the pull out of its troops from the NATO-led operation? Or is the …
Rushdie’s Lit Festival No-Show: A Defeat for Free Expression in India
Salman Rushdie cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Jaipur Literary Festival on Friday with an explanation worthy of one of his own improbable plotlines: “I have now been informed by intelligence sources in Maharashtra and …
Unsafe at Sea: Asia’s History of Deadly Ferry Disasters
The sinking of the Costa Concordia raises critical questions about maritime safety. The issue is particularly important in parts of South and East Asia, where millions of people rely on often poorly maintained ferries to get …
Global Briefing, Jan. 20, 2012: Falklands, France and a Failed Coup
Behind Bangladesh’s Failed Coup Plot: A History of Violence
The Bangladeshi military announced Jan. 19 it had foiled a coup plot to unseat the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina. An army spokesman pinned the “heinous conspiracy” on mid-ranking officers …
Obama to Brazil: Send Us Your Affluent, Money-Spending Masses
If I were a restaurant owner, I might cut back a bit on Coca-Cola and stock some Guaraná. That’s the favorite soft drink in Brazil, whose tourists, propelled by the emerging giant’s roaring economy, have been spending money …
Republic of Jamaica: Why Ditching the British Queen Isn’t Enough
Jamaicans don’t have a lot to celebrate as they mark their golden anniversary of independence this year. Their unemployment rate is almost twice that of the Caribbean region as a whole; their government is still reeling from a …