My latest from the Guelph Mercury.
September 17, 2009
On Aug. 27, Polish media began reporting that the Obama administration would not pursue an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) shield for eastern Europe. Since that time, other media have confirmed Washington’s growing reluctance to see the initiative through.
An undertaking of Obama’s predecessor, president George W. Bush, the ABM [...]
Archive for the ‘International Affairs’ Category
Obama wrong to abandon ABM defence
Posted in International Affairs, Security & Defence on September 18, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The Waterloo Room
Posted in International Affairs, Uncategorized on June 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Friends,
I hope you’ve been keeping well and the Spring has been good to you.
As you know, I have been reserving this blog as an online archive for my columns with the Guelph Mercury. Having a few months ago been awarded a monthly column of my own – Arch Over Main Street – I continue to [...]
Obama Doctrine starting to take shape
Posted in International Affairs, Security & Defence, US Politics on March 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
My latest from the Guelph Mercury, printed today, 19 March.
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After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the George W. Bush administration embarked upon what many have called nothing less than a revolution in foreign policy. Counselled and encouraged by his inner cadre of hawkish, ideologically driven advisors, George W. Bush made US global military [...]
Obama as a Major Ideological Departure
Posted in International Affairs, US Politics on September 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Fouad Ajami had an interesting piece recently in the WSJ. He made the case that the prospect of an Obama presidency represents the most profound ideological shift in American foreign policy since WWII.
So the Obama candidacy must be judged on its own merits, and it can be reckoned as the sharpest break yet with the [...]
Gordon Brown on Russia
Posted in International Affairs on August 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Gordon Brown offers a firm but calm response to the Georgian problem, as reported at the BBC:
Mr Brown said: “When Russia has a grievance over an issue such as South Ossetia, it should act multilaterally by consent rather than unilaterally by force.”
He went on: “My message to Russia is simple. If you want to be [...]
Oh Puhleeze
Posted in International Affairs on August 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Uncle Vlad’s at it again.
Here’s NYT:
MOSCOW — As Russia struggled to rally international support for its military action in Georgia, Vladimir V. Putin, the country’s paramount leader, lashed out at the United States on Thursday, contending that the White House may have orchestrated the conflict to benefit one of the candidates in the American presidential [...]
More on the Russian Resurgence
Posted in International Affairs on August 28, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The Economist, anti-climactically, has a great write-up on the on-going Russian problem.
In particular, the article talks about the likely outcome of Russia recognising Abkhazia and S. Ossettia as independent states:
Russia likes to draw parallels with Kosovo—a state carved out of Serbia as a result of Western military intervention. But the parallel is superficial. Few embassies [...]
Delaying the End of History
Posted in International Affairs on August 23, 2008 | 3 Comments »
The NYT has a good piece on Russia’s mentality following the Georgian offensive.
MOSCOW — As the Russian Army withdrew most of its forces from Georgia, it was becoming ever more clear on Friday that Moscow had no intention of restoring what once was — either on the ground or diplomatically.
Not exactly a galloping shock.
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Oh, and [...]
Reflections on the Russian Problem
Posted in International Affairs on August 21, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Well that was fast.
A mere decade after the disintegration of Russia’s already deeply problematic economy, the quondam Soviet Empire is back in action.
Its recent incursion into Georgia, justified by Russia in terms of its peacekeeping responsibilities in the pro-independence and pro-Russian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, obviously marks an important step in post-Soviet [...]
