Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Day of Reckoning

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

June 15, 2020 The end of the Cold War raised hopes for a more peaceful and stable world with the “international community” collectively confronting global challenges. This proved a myth. After three decades, all we hear now is Cold War … Continue reading →

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Confrontation over Hong Kong

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

May 26, 2020 In April 2017, President Trump hosted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for a two-day summit at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. After their meeting, Mr. Trump spoke of “tremendous progress” in the U.S.-China relationship. A year later, … Continue reading →

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The Syrian Quagmire

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

May 18, 2020 Syria’s relations with Moscow have traditionally been close and steady. Russia operated a military base in Tartus for more than four decades. In the mid-1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. Secretary of State Warren … Continue reading →

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Fighting King Covid XIX

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

May 11, 2020 Two months ago, underlining the regrettable shallowness of the concept of “international community”, I said that the world now needs the kind cooperation  commensurate with the enormity of the coronavirus challenge, like emergency meetings at the UN … Continue reading →

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The Idlib Problem Still with Us

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

April 27, 2020 Coronavirus is seen as the greatest global challenge of modern times. Because, the death toll in some countries has reached tens of thousands. Just as important is the shock of unpreparedness, helplessness and vulnerability of a technologically … Continue reading →

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“International Community” and the UN System

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

April 20, 2020 Some say that after coronavirus passes “nothing will be the same”. Should that prove to be the case, hopefully the past will not dictate the future. Last week, President Trump announced he was halting funding to the … Continue reading →

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Sailing in Uncharted Waters

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

April 7, 2020 The Arab Spring threw the Middle East in chaos. Then came the Ukraine conflict and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. As the Syrian conflict moved up on the international agenda the former receded. Despite on and off official … Continue reading →

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Front Lines of the Battle Against Covid-19

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

March 27, 2020 “Operation Enduring Freedom”, “Operation Resolute Support”, “Operation New Dawn”, “Operation Unified Protector”, “Operation Decisive Storm”, to name a few, were recent decades’ ambitiously titled military interventions seeking to achieve narrow ends. Although diplomacy and multilateralism were sidelined, … Continue reading →

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The Moment of Truth for the “International Community”

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

March 14, 2020 Mr. Kofi Annan who served as the seventh Secretary General of the UN from January 1997 to December 2006 was a remarkable diplomat and a statesman. In September 1999, in a speech on “the meaning of international … Continue reading →

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Afghanistan: Beyond Titles

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

March 10, 2020 Some believe that first impression is the last impression. So, they say one never gets a second chance to make a first impression. For others, first impressions count but last impressions are forever. I had my first … Continue reading →

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