Politics
Politics
Fair Observer's analysis of political issues, events and trends and their national, regional and international consequences.
-
360° Analysis / Gaza / Hamas / Israel / Palestine / Politics / United States / Middle EastDespite his promise of change, Obama´s approach to US-Israeli relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is influenced by a persisting American Orientalism, which has its roots in the rhetoric of the first settlers. This is the first of two parts. Before US President Barack Obama faces a tough election night, it is crucial to examine whether he has brought the “change we can believe in” to Americans and — to be scrutinized here — the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beyond a factual check, it is necessary to explain the implemented policies in their historical context. The Cairo Speech One of Obama´s promises as a candidate,...
-
360° Analysis / Barack Obama / Elections / Europe / Israel / Mitt Romney / NATO / obama / Politics / presidential elections / Romney / Russia / UN / United States / US / EuropeA Romney presidency will signal a re-evaluation of the relationship between Moscow and Washington, a strong commitment to Israel and a continuing push for the European powers to increase NATO’s defense spending. The final countdown to the US presidential election has started and with it has come the unthinkable for many Europeans: a potential victory for Mitt Romney. The Republican challenger is no longer his party’s hopeless second- or third-tier choice. He may remain that among Europeans, but their overwhelming support for Barack Obama cannot blind them from seeing reality. Instead, they need to consider the consequences of a Romney victory. Unfortunately, Romney’s...
-
360° Analysis / Bahrain / Egypt / Israel / Pakistan / Politics / United States / US elections / Middle East / Africa / AsiaMany approach the US presidential elections seeking to choose between the "lesser of two evils". But does voting the passive voice have serious implications for American foreign policy in the Arab and Muslim world? For liberal America, it is becoming harder and harder to sell the almost painfully trite and stale cliché that one must pick “the lesser of two evils.” The simple fact is that, for advocates of human rights and equality, a vote for Barack Obama requires a number of back-peddling explanations and heartfelt apologies, not least of which regarding the broader Arab and Muslim world. In a widely-praised address from Cairo in 2009, Obama stated that the...
-
360° Analysis / Israel / Palestine / Politics / United States / US elections / Middle EastShould Obama win re-election, the United States is likely to embark upon a new serious strategy to achieve peace in the Middle East. Rajai Masri illustrates a possible scenario to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Despite all appearances to the contrary, should Barack Obama get re-elected for a second term as president, the United States in tandem with Europe, is likely to embark upon a new serious initiative to impose a "a peaceful solution" to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.For some time, the European Union (EU) has appeared to have developed a consensus and a clear vision, or rather a blueprint to solve the so-called Middle East crisis. Indeed, the EU has long waited for...
-
360° Analysis / Arab / Israel / Palestine / Politics / Middle EastBy Gilead SherChoosing the route of negotiating on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative with an Arab world undergoing change, would prove to be a sensible strategy for Israel. For better or worse, the public discourse in Israel has recently focused exclusively on the nuclearization of Iran. However, precisely in light of the upheavals in the Arab world, it is now worth reexamining the relevance of the Arab Peace Initiative, which surfaced in Beirut in 2002 and was reaffirmed at subsequent Arab summits, most recently six months ago in Baghdad. The earthquake that shook the region, from the Maghreb to Yemen, from Libya through Egypt to Syria, obligates Israel to study the arena carefully while proceeding...
-
360° Analysis / Army / Democracy / Eisenhower / India / military / Navy / Politics / PSU / Sino-Indian War / TATRA / Global Security / AsiaGiven the mess India’s higher defence management is, the government must take steps to build an abiding civil-military relationship. The Context Much water has flown down the tributaries of mighty Brahmaputra since the fatal night of 19/20 October 1962 when the Sino-Indian war commenced. Yet, it has not washed away the shame of India’s humiliating defeat, caused by “unspeakably incompetent generals and the political leaders that had assigned them the commands for which they were unfit”, if the spate of recently published articles are to be believed. After five decades, one could see similarities in the present scenario. Civil-Military relationship was...
-
360° Analysis / Iraq / Jordan / Politics / Syria / Middle EastBy Siraj DavisSiraj Davis compares the lives of Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan in a report, which ultimately indicates that the UNHCR and IOM still have a lot of work to do. Download the full report here. Background The following is an executive summary from a report involving interviews with Iraqi refugees in Jaramana, Syria and Hashemi Shemali, Jordan. It is not inundated with data but instead presents personal insight into the real-life stories behind the didactic statistics that are normally accumulated to depict lives of refugees. The investigation provides a few personal accounts of the ineffable tragedy Iraqi refugees have endured while simultaneously providing a conduit for all refugees...
-
360° Analysis / Elections / obama / Politics / presidential elections / Putin / Romney / Russia / United States / WTO / EuropeA re-elected Barack Obama, despite his support for Russia's WTO membership, the signing of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and his overlooking of the Kremlin’s crackdown on the opposition, may not really be preferred by Russia's leaders over Mitt Romney. By Lilia Shevtsova and David J. Kramer In his speech accepting the Republican nomination for president, Mitt Romney vowed to take a hard line in dealing with Russia. “Under my administration,” he said, “our friends will see more loyalty, and Mr. Putin will see a little less flexibility and more backbone.” Earlier in the campaign, Romney had cited Russia as “our number one...
-
360° Analysis / Afghanistan / Iran / Israel / Libya / obama / Pakistan / Politics / Romney / United States / Middle EastIn the presidential campaign, American foreign policy towards the Middle East has overshadowed other regions by far – underlining considerable differences between each candidate’s approach to this part of the world. Issues in the Middle East with global significance are developing by the day. Recent events, like the violent protests in Libya and Egypt, Iran’s growing nuclear program and massacres in Syria have brought the US presidential candidates’ respective foreign policies, a fringe issue thus far in the 2012 election, to the forefront. In the presidential campaign and debate American foreign policy towards the Middle East has overshadowed other regions by far....