Monthly Archives: September 2015

Difficult Times for Saudi Arabia

Posted on September 28, 2015 by

September 28, 2015 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia passed away on January 23, 2015 and was immediately succeeded by his half-brother Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Later, in a major reshuffle, King Salman appointed his nephew Muhammed bir Nayef as … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Election Campaign and Europe’s Refugee Problem

Posted on September 25, 2015 by

September 25, 2015 In October 2012 President Assad said that Syria’s downfall would put the entire Middle East on fire. Now the heat from that fire, if not the flames, has reached Europe in the form of a refugee crisis. … Continue reading →

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UN General Assembly: An Opportunity to Overcome Divisions on Syria

Posted on September 20, 2015 by

20 September 21, 2015 I constantly stress the need for US-Russia cooperation in finding solutions to international conflicts, particularly those in the broad Middle East. I mention compartmentalization as a way out in the absence of a wide convergence of … Continue reading →

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2015: A Lost Year for Turkey

Posted on September 17, 2015 by

17 September 2015 We are only three-and-a-half months from New Year’s Eve. The end of a year is usually a time for stocktaking, reflection and hope. Unfortunately, ending the year on an optimistic note would be next to impossible in … Continue reading →

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Obligations of the Refugee

Posted on September 15, 2015 by

15 September 2015 The huge influx of refugees into Greece and from there into other EU countries has overshadowed all other international agenda items. Ukraine, Libya, Yemen and even battling the Islamic State are pushed into the background. All one … Continue reading →

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Time for Russia to Demonstrate Her Peacemaking Capacity

Posted on September 9, 2015 by

9 September 2015 Article 11 of the Minsk Agreement of February 12, 2015 reads as follows: “Carrying out constitutional reform in Ukraine with a new constitution entering into force by the end of 2015 providing for decentralization as a key … Continue reading →

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High Time to End the Syria Conflict

Posted on September 7, 2015 by

September 7, 2015 The key to resolving Europe’s refugee problem does not lie in Brussels. It lies in ending the Syria conflict. But even then, conditions prevailing in the wider Middle East will continue to compel people to seek a … Continue reading →

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From Arab Spring to Europe’s Autumn of Refugees

Posted on September 3, 2015 by

September 3, 2015 The West has misread and mismanaged the Arab Spring. The first glaring mistake was the Sarkozy-led Libya intervention (*). PM Cameron readily became his partner and President Obama felt that he had to join in. In introducing … Continue reading →

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