Negotiations for peace
The situation between the United States and Russia over Ukraine is very dangerous. Russia is a capitalist country led by an authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin. Russia has increased its military…
A good soldier
On October 18, retired American general Colin Powell passed away due to complications from Covid. He was 84 years old and had been treated for blood cancer which had compromised…
Preparing for President Biden
“Pakistan is fifty times more important to the United States, than Afghanistan”, Joe Biden to former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, January 2009. How can Pakistan best prepare for a Biden…
New world disorder
After the demise of the Soviet Union and the US intervention that crushed Saddam Hussein’s attack on Kuwait in 1991, President George H W Bush pronounced a new world order.…
The Helsinki summit
On July 16, US President Donald Trump will meet in the Finnish capital Helsinki a triumphant Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has just secured another victory in the Syrian war…
Remaking the Middle East
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, is often perceived as one of the ‘good ones’ - the less hawkish of top American officials, who does not simply promote and defend…
Reaping a bitter harvest
This year has been very testing for France because, after the deadly January 7 attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo, on November 13, Paris witnessed the worst human tragedy…
Unbearably light treaties
As Sam Goldwyn famously said, “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” One could argue that this observation applies to international treaties as well. Indeed, unless the…
South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero
Three global black leaders-Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Colin Powell-were widely admired for their grace and natural authority. Three great politicians-Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Kim Dae-jung of South Korea…
Lessons for the US
There were significant moments in the 20th century when heightened awareness of major human values – freedom, justice, order, security etc – forced American, and other western thinkers and academics…
