Stories about International Relations from October, 2007
Afghanistan: Hungarian presence expansion
My State Failure Blog provides an update on the planned expansion of Hungarian troops presence in Afghanistan, saying that the official announcements about it are quite blurred.
Russia: Bloggers On George W. Bush and “Russian DNA”
The U.S. president's recent comments about "Russian DNA" did not cause as much of an uproar as did race comments by James Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA - but, they did not go completely unnoticed. Below is a selection of comments made by Russian bloggers and forum dwellers.
Iran:”Nuclear Bomb and Blackmail”
View from Iran shares her Iranian friend's opinon on Iranian nuclear crisis. This friend,Reza, says :“It’s not that I think that Iran will actually use a bomb.I think they’ll just use it as blackmail.” He goes on to tell me that anyone who thinks that the current government of Iran...
Iran:First step towards USA-Iran war
Hassan Agha says[Fa] that USA started to impose sanctions against Iranian Revolutionary Guards and considers it as a terrorist group.The blogger writes it is the first step towards a USA-Iran war.
Bulgaria: No Fear of Iran?
The Balkan Yankee thinks that, contrary to what George W. Bush may want to believe, “the last thing on anyone’s mind in Bulgaria is the looming fear of an Iranian attack.”
The Balkans: The Language Issue
Balkan Baby writes about the “language issue” in the Balkans: “What language do we speak when we are in the countries that once made up Yugoslavia? In Slovenia and Macedonia the answer is quite simple since these two countries both had their own languages which were recognised by the Yugoslav...
Poland: Civic Platform's Prospects
Dr. Sean's Diary discusses the prospects of Donald Tusk's Civic Platform.
Serbia: Milosevic's Propaganda
Srebrenica Genocide Blog explains why Slobodan Milosevic was “a clever mass murderer” whose “attempts to shift blame on the victims failed miserably” – but whose propaganda “is well and alive even today.”
Cuba: Of Speeches and Workshops
While The Cuban Triangle comments on US President George Bush's speech about democratic change in Cuba, Child of the Revolution almost “missed a big event currently under way in Havana. Believe it or not, the Castro regime is hosting something called the 2nd International Workshop on Financial Management.”
Armenia: Condoleezza Rice Against Genocide Bill
Oneworld Multimedia says that it comes as no surprise to discover that support for House Resolution 106 recognizing the Armenian Genocide is waning, with the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the latest high-ranking official to urge U.S. lawmakers to drop the bill.
Africa: Is China annexing Africa?
Is China annexing Africa?:”The latest project to hit the headlines is a $5 billion offer from the Chinese government to fund roads, railways, hospitals and clinics in the African Congo. Elsewhere, China is already “the biggest investor in the Sudan,” says the Seattle Times. In Freetown, the capital of Sierra...
Japan: Rape at Iwakuni
Turner at Keeping Pace in Japan comments on the alleged rape of a 19-year-old Japanese girl by four US Marines on the first night of the Sake Matsuri [Festival] in Higashi Hiroshima.
Ukraine: Post-Election Politics, Etc.
Lots of new posts at Orange Ukraine, including this overview of the post-election developments and other issues.
Cuba: US to Encourage Democratic Change?
“US President George W Bush will today announce a set of initiatives designed to encourage democratic change in Cuba,” writes Child of the Revolution – but he wonders if the measures will make any difference.
Iran: Power Struggle over Nuclear Crisis
The resignation on Saturday of Ali Larijani, the top Iranian nuclear negotiator, has led to speculation about the reasons for his decision, and how it will affect the nuclear crisis. About 200 members of Parliament protested against replacing Ali Larijani with Said Jalili, a close ally of President Ahmadinejad. Iranian...
Ukraine: “Hate at Hoverla”
Ukrainiana reports on the “Hate at Hoverla” incident: “At the top of Mt. Hoverla, Ukraine’s highest peak and President Yushchenko’s favorite mountaineering range, members of the Eurasian Youth Union have trashed the Ukrainian coat of arms, the trident, and its accompanying stone engravings.”
Europe: Roma Links
Lots of new content on TOL's Romantic, including a post on the official patron saint of Catholic Gypsies.
Poland: More on the Election
A few more links on the Polish election: the beatroot explains Kaczynski's defeat; Dr. Sean's Diary sums up the results and notes a “a complete slaughter of minor parties“; Edward Lucas declares that the “era of the ‘terrible twins’ is over”; Yascha Mounk‘s general summary at Harvard International Review; Europhobia...
Japan: Peace as a Global Language Conference
Debito forecasts a conference on Peace as global language in Kyoto University of foreign studies from Oct 27-28.
U.S., Russia: Aleksandr Shevchenko on Trial for Murder
Moscow Through Brown Eyes writes about Aleksandr Shevchenko the painter – and his namesake, currently on trial in Sacramento for his role in the murder of Satender Singh.
Iran:Showdown with Iran
Thanks to Parsarts,we read “on October 23rd, PBS will begin airing a Frontline examination of U.S.-Iranian relations, ominously called Showdown With Iran.”