Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — “We showed weakness and weak people are beaten,” said President Vladimir Putin in September 2004, surveying the wreckage of the battle-scarred school in Beslan in Russia after Chechnyan terrorists had tried to hold children hostage and the army was sent in. Hundreds of children died, probably unnecessarily.
Diplomacy Challenges: Sri Lanka at 75 (Part 1)
By H.M.G.S. Palihakkara The writer is a former Foreign Secretary during Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s tenure in office, and one-time Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and New York. COLOMBO (IDN) — Sri Lanka at 75 is hopefully on course to a stable transition to recovery from a crippling crisis, and then to a […]
Why Kazakhstan is Hosting the Astana International Forum This Year
By Kassym-Jomart Tokayev The author is the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Astana Times published this OpEd, which is being republished with their permission. ASTANA (IDN) — In an increasingly polarized world, Kazakhstan often plays the role of a bridge between East and West, North and South. This is a product of our […]
New Evidence Against the War on Civilizations
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — War of civilizations? Violence-prone Muslims living out the inheritance of their prophet, Mohammed who, in marked contrast to Jesus Christ, established his creed on earth by a vigorous use of the sword. It’s all there in Princeton professor Bernard Lewis’ book, “From Babel to Dragomans”.
History Does Not Justify Either Israel or Palestine
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — To be blunt, there is no Israel and no Palestine. At least not in a continuous historical sense, as there is a France or an Egypt, a China or a Thailand or an Ethiopia. Without the British there would be neither a modern Israel nor Palestine. The […]
ASEAN Unity Continues to Crumble on Myanmar
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS (IDN) — On December 22, 2022, Thailand hosted a meeting in Bangkok to discuss the Myanmar crisis. This meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of the Myanmar junta, Laos and Cambodia, as well as the deputy foreign minister of Vietnam. Significantly, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore did not attend. […]
Biden Wielding DNC to Guard Against Progressive Challenge
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO (IDN) — When the Democratic National Committee convenes its winter meeting on February 2 in Philadelphia, a key agenda item will be rubber-stamping Joe Biden’s manipulation of next year’s presidential primaries. There’ll be speeches galore, including one by Biden as a prelude to his expected announcement that he’ll seek a […]
The Man Who Saved the World from a Nuclear War
By Glen Milner and Leonard Eiger The man who saved the world from thermonuclear annihilation in 1962 was born on January 30, 1926. Ground Zero Center published this article. POULSBO | WASHINGTON, USA (IDN) — At a time when the probability of nuclear war is as nearly as high as it was during the Cuban […]
A Unique Leader Quits Prime Minister’s Chair in New Zealand
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) — A leader like Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand doesn’t come in tens. Not even in twos. And so, it was such a bright day on October 26, 2017, when she took office as New Zealand’s […]
At the Global Top Table. Will 2023 Be India’s Year?
Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. Three developments contribute to the fact that 2023 could indeed become India’s global political year: India’s chairmanship of the G20 countries, interestingly its role in the war in Ukraine, and the increasingly widespread critical view […]