In The News

NPR: Venezuelan Refugees Flee, Facing Violence, Closed Borders

Shannon Van Sant August 21, 2018
Venezuela’s politics and economy spiral into chaos and thousands of try to flee for other countries, but face protests, border closures and even attacks including a refugee camp set on fire in northern Brazil. The country of 31 million people borders Colombia, Brazil and Guyana. “The United Nations says more than 7 percent – 2.3 million refugees – of Venezuela's population have fled to other...

New York Times: Trump’s Claims of No Collusion

John O. Brennan August 16, 2018
The US president whose campaign is under a special counsel investigation for Russian interference took steps to withdraw the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. “Before, during and after its now infamous meddling in our last presidential election, Russia practiced the art of shaping political events abroad through its well-honed active measures program, which employs an array...

Mail & Guardian: New Zimbabwe Is Not So Different

Simon Allison August 2, 2018
The internatonal community had hoped the end of Robert Mugabe’s rule in Zimbabwe would introduce a period of stability and prosperity. After fighting for Zimbabwe’s independence, Mugabe was the country’s president from 1987 until November 2017 when he was forced to resign. The country failed to deliver a peaceful or credible election on July 30, reports Simon Allison for the Mail & Guardian,...

Al Jazeera: Russia's Endgame in Syria

Marwan Kabalan July 31, 2018
Analysts can only conjecture what is in store for Syria, Ukraine and other parts of the world where Russia and the United States have an interest. The US and Russian presidents held a private summit and only the translators know what was really said. Syria was discussed. Both countries battled the Islamic State extremists, with Russia and Iran backing the Bashar al Assad regime and the United...

Times of India: Wooing by Weapons

Nayan Chanda July 30, 2018
The United States has approved the sale of unmanned combat drones known as Sea Guardians to India. Sales of these drones were once limited to NATO allies. “India has increasingly looked at drones to protect its borders and vast coast line,” explains Nayan Chanda, founding editor of YaleGlobal, in his column for the Times of India. “The threat from the sea has grown since with the increased...

The Atlantic: Fears of a Pakistani Strongman

Omar Waraich July 28, 2018
Imran Khan has declared victory as prime minister in an election in Pakistan marred by charges of corruption and military interference. Khan’s supporters hope he can soothe country’s many internal divisions. “Khan views himself as classic populist, a politician who opposes a corrupt, morally inferior class of elites,” writes Omar Waraich for the Atlantic. “But many doubt whether he can unite such...

Telegraph: Montenegro and US Blow to Key NATO Principle

July 19, 2018
With his series of meetings in Europe, Donald Trump was a diplomatic bulldozer. His attempts to defend disparaging comments about close allies and NATO, after displaying bizarre deference with Russia’s president during a press conference, fuel alarm about Trump’s understanding of the alliance. During a post-summit interview, Trump criticized Montenegro and appeared to agree with a question that...