Analyses
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The Central African Republic may come to serve as a spark for what may yet become the "African Spring." Daniel Wagner and Giorgio Cafiero analyze the implications of political change in the country. As was the case in Mali, recent events in the Central African Republic (CAR) have the potential to profoundly impact the dynamics of political change in Africa, where the plethora of failed or failing states provides a ripe breeding ground for extremists to assume power. The CAR's location, being landlocked and surrounded by the failed states of Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan, make it vulnerable and beholden to its neighbors. Being mineral rich makes it ripe for...
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Is America inadvertently rearing another monster with its 'covert' support to al-Qaeda cadres in Syrian rebel ranks? During World War II, the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS), predecessor to the Green Berets and in turn US Special Forces, utilized members of a German dissident group who had fled to France as refugees for unconventional operations against the German Army in conjunction with the OSS. The philosophy of the then OSS Chief General Donovan had been: “Use them as long as they kill Nazis.” This is no surprise when you look at special operations over the years. Use of irregulars, especially natives, by Special Forces has been common practice considering the...
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By Atul SinghEditor-in-Chief Atul Singh argues that gun control is no panacea; American society itself will have to change for school killings to decrease. Wayne LaPierre is the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the most powerful lobbies in the US. After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, he described federal agents as "jack-booted thugs." This led former President George H. W. Bush to resign his NRA membership. This time LaPierre has surpassed himself. He has called for armed security in every school as a means to make the children of America safe. Even Fox News, hardly a lily livered liberal organization, questioned whether such a measure would be...
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Arab Spring / Arab Uprisings / Book / Politics / Focus Article / Middle East / AfricaAll of us at Fair Observer are delighted to announce the launch of our first book. There are days we mark out as significant in our lives. This is such a day for Fair Observer. After months of effort, we are proud to announce the publication of our first book, The Arab Uprisings: An Introduction. At times the ground beneath our feet shakes and the world as we know it changes forever. These are such times and the Arab Uprisings will mark the start of a new era in world history. For years, Arab regimes have expropriated power and wealth from their people. In the age of the Internet, exploding populations and greater aspirations, these regimes have been increasingly incongruous. People,...
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Christian / Iraq / Kurdistan / Politics / Focus Article / Middle EastOn December 5, 2012, the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America brought together scholars and policymakers to examine the history, challenges and prospects for Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan today. James Quirk provides a detailed description of the topics, panelists and attendees of the conference, entitled “The Status of the Christian Communities in Iraqi Kurdistan.” The complete program can be found on the university’s website, and a digital archive of the conference, including videos, photos, and supporting materials, will be available soon. "In the third millennium BC…" Conference presentations that start with such a phrase seem...
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Politics / United States / Europe / Focus Article / Middle East / Americas / Africa / AsiaFair Observer's five best articles for November. In the northern hemisphere winter has set in. Israel and Palestine are in the news again. In the US, President Obama and the Republicans are battling each other over rival visions of society as the fiscal cliff looms ever closer. China has a new set of leaders who face immense challenges. India is witnessing yet another corruption scandal; this time it involves the son-in-law of the dynasty that has largely ruled the country since 1947. In Europe, unemployment has hit a record high and the continent remains mired in economic crisis. Brazil’s economy is also slowing down to one of its lowest levels of growth in a decade. Clearly,...
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Ghandi / Hunger Strike / non-violence / Politics / resistance / Focus Article / BRIC / Middle East / Africa / AsiaVisualizing Palestine presents an infographic exploring hunger strikes. Throughout history, hunger strikes have been used as a form of non-violent resistance against injustice and oppression. Between December 2011 and April 2012, a cascade of hunger strikes among Palestinian political prisoners began as they protested their administrative detention. This policy, imposed by Israel, means that Palestinians can be detained in prisons without charge or trial for up to six months, a term that be renewed indefinitely. Since 1967, the equivalent of 40% of the Palestinian male population has been detained by Israel. Visualizing Palestine released “Hunger Strikes” in...
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Faced with a deadly and expensive diabetes epidemic, Gulf states are looking at innovative business marketing techniques to promote healthy behaviour and keep a cap on spiralling health costs. By Jane Williams Strong oil prices have bankrolled an affluent lifestyle in the Middle East’s Gulf region, with deadly consequences. Rich foods, decreased physical activity and high smoking rates have exacerbated a genetic predisposition to diabetes, fuelling an epidemic responsible for 10 percent of all adult deaths and sucking up a major chunk of the region’s healthcare budget. Five of the six Gulf countries are now listed among the top 10 worst afflicted places in the world, according...
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Politics / United States / Europe / Focus Article / Middle East / Americas / Africa / Asia / OceaniaFair Observer's five best articles for October. This is the season of festivals. Eid al-Adha was just celebrated, Halloween is today and Deepavali follows soon thereafter. In the northeast of the US where our hyper kinetic Editor-in-Chief is on tour, Hurricane Sandy has departed after devastating the daily lives of many millions. In Munich it is already snowing in October and winter seems to be setting in early in the northern hemisphere this year. Yet, despite all of nature’s power, the most important event on everyone’s mind is the US election. Two candidates, both Harvard graduates, are engaged in a bitter slugfest and the results are too close to call. A large section of...