Before the week closes a fresh suicide bomb explosion hits Istiklal – the famous pedestrian high street in the heart of Istanbul (Constantinople). Known to most historically aware European travelers as Rue du Pera, Istiklal is frequented by scores of world class tourists. The German and other European governments have…
Read MoreThe White House has repeatedly stated that Russia undermined U.S. efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria, supporting the Government of President Bashar al-Assad. The American administration further claims that Moscow continues to hinder opportunities to engage the moderate Syrian opposition in the discussion of political change, in which,…
Read MoreSeveral months passed since the U.S. formed a military coalition to fight the Islamic State (ISIS). However, the results have been rather insignificant. If anything the level of tension in Syria soars. By its stance of refusing to negotiate with Al Assad, the US cannot be absolved of bearing responsibility…
Read More‘Turkey is neither Occident nor Orient’ a Turkish colleague of mixed extraction with substantial Western exposure remarked poignantly in a recent private conversation in Istanbul. ‘Turkey is Turkey and no other power can put it in a single box’. This poignant remark encapsulates much of current Turkish foreign, security, energy…
Read MoreWritten by Brigadier General John H. Johns It is common for candidates in presidential primaries to use bellicose language to prove their toughness. This kind of rhetoric is especially useful in Republican primaries, where audiences have a firm belief in the use of military power to solve problems. But toughness…
Read MoreThe international talks on Iran’s nuclear program that got under way in Geneva in early December amid Iranian claims that the first consignment of locally produced raw uranium has been delivered to its enrichment facility in the central province of Isfahan have produced poor results and agreed to be resumed…
Read MoreAt the beginning of the second quarter of 2010, the danger of a “double dip” that is, a sudden second economic plunge seems to be looming. Some of the indicators that by now must be considered structural of the new economy have been a see-sawing in performance of the major…
Read MoreI. Introduction The European Union-China relationship is one of the most important and least understood relationships in the world today. Where there used to be cooperation between the Chinese and the Europeans, competition has now emerged, and new issues have appeared in areas which were not that relevant in the…
Read MoreThis paper argues that there remains substantial scope for emerging markets in general—and for India in particular—to make further commitments towards greater liberalization within the services sectors and within all modes of supply provided in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It will be demonstrated that, despite the…
Read MoreThe year 2009 was one of renaissance in Russia’s foreign policy. After the Georgian crisis of August 2008, Russia faced isolation in the international community. Russia’s relations with the United States, NATO and EU went into a freeze. Even the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) refrained from fully supporting domination…
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