We understand that perspective is hard to come by at this stage of the race, and you are obsessively watching the polls and attempting to shape your image to a media ready to pounce on every slip. But the world is watching at a time of great uncertainty
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To the Future President of the United States
Posted April 8th, 2016 at 4:24 pm (UTC-4)
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Europe’s Migrants Face Struggles Anew With Deportations
Posted April 4th, 2016 at 2:55 pm (UTC-4)
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Just days before Greece began deporting migrants to Turkey under a deal to ease Europe’s migrant crisis, Amnesty International released a report alleging the forced return of Syrians in Turkey back to the very war zone they fled. Not all of the migrants stuck in temporary centers on the coast of Greece are Syrian, but they are migrants nonetheless — vulnerable, stateless and subject to abuse. Fears that terrorists (Syrian migrants are the most likely to be targeted as such) are among them have been stoked from Europe to the United States, while others are protesting what they say is an inhumane policy. Every single person who is now deemed a “migrant” has a story, a compelling reason for leaving their homes, often under dangerous circumstances that are hard to imagine. Migration is a fact of life, historically documented. More than 100 years ago, America was the destination point for those hoping for a better life. Now it’s Europe’s turn. After deadly terrorist attacks in the heart of Europe — Paris and Brussels — the basic human desire to create a better life is colliding head on with rising fears that terrorist groups like ISIS can attack at any time and in any place.
Obama’s Record on Foreign Policy Is Incomplete
Posted March 29th, 2016 at 12:55 am (UTC-4)
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Although Obama wants people to remember the new relationships he’s opened, like those with Cuba and Iran, his legacy will inescapably include Iraq and Syria too.
Tackling the Refugee Crisis
Posted March 21st, 2016 at 10:36 am (UTC-4)
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The State Department has been working on its new Innovation Forum, which encourages dialogue between senior policymakers and global innovators to spark fresh ideas
A Hollow Superpower
Posted March 18th, 2016 at 1:04 pm (UTC-4)
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Judging by the pictures on television, Vladimir Putin won a famous victory in Syria this week. After his unexpected declaration that the campaign is over, Mr Putin is claiming credit for a ceasefire and the start of peace talks…. Look closer, however, and Russia’s victory rings hollow.
The Politics of Polio Eradication
Posted March 15th, 2016 at 1:44 pm (UTC-4)
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During the past five years, polio cases have occurred almost exclusively in five conflict-affected countries: Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Syria. Because immunization programs are led by national governments and the WHO…it can be difficult to carry out vaccinations in areas where militants wage war against the state.
Putin’s Syria Surprise
Posted March 15th, 2016 at 1:30 pm (UTC-4)
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“I consider the objectives that have been set for the Defense Ministry to be generally accomplished.” The words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on Monday declared victory in Syria and announced his troops would withdraw. The unexpected decision coincided with the start of Syria peace talks in Geneva. Cagey as ever, it’s hard to read Putin’s motives. Was it getting too messy? Did he want to paint President Barack Obama as “weak?” Is he looking for support on the homefront? Or, was it all just to show the international community that Russia is, and will remain, a player? The only part of this that is known is that Putin has once again stunned his friends and foes.
The E.U.’s Deal on Migrants Is Immoral and Illegal
Posted March 15th, 2016 at 8:59 am (UTC-4)
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As it stands, the returns would contravene a number of European and international laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that a country must investigate each individual asylum case, and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention stating that no person be returned to a country where their life or freedom could be threatened.
Rationalizing Putin’s Syrian Victory
Posted March 15th, 2016 at 8:14 am (UTC-4)
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In review, it’s fair to say that the Syrian adventure has been a victory for Vladimir Putin. Today, Assad’s position is all but secure.
Will Israel Reach Age 100
The region in which Israel lives is melting down at a rate no one would have anticipated….if there are any state disappearing acts, these may be on the Arab side….even with all of their problems, the region’s three non-Arab states –Israel, Turkey, and Iran — are probably the most highly functioning polities in the region.