Politics
Politics
Fair Observer's analysis of political issues, events and trends and their national, regional and international consequences.
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Will the US help its Southeast Asian allies in the case of a serious military conflict with China over the South China Sea? With America's pivot towards Asia, are we expecting a new 'American Century'? During the first decade of the 21st century, international headlines were fixated on the growing clout of China in Southeast Asia. Since the beginning of this decade, however, China’s ‘charm offensive’ has been eclipsed by the story of America’s return to Asia. Widespread fear of Beijing’s uncertain strategic posturing has played a key role in this dramatic transition. Equally significant is the expedient convergence of some illusions on the part of...
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Brazilian agricultural policy exacerbates income inequality and is environmentally unsustainable. Brazil has been considered an emerging regional leader in the international scene. Eyes have been turned to Latin America’s fastest growing economy and there is a tendency to believe that it will become the biggest food provider in the near future. The responsibilities are big and so is the discontent among Brazilians that do not believe sustainable policies are being properly adopted. According to the Ministry of Environment, Brazil is home to the largest biodiversity in the world. 20% of the world’s species live in the tropical country, especially in the Amazon region....
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By Bilal AhmedThe Obama Administration and Western media outlets are presenting a narrative of Yemen as a hotbed of Al-Qaeda-brokered violence and terrorist plotting. However, problems of the Yemeni counterrevolution mesh with bitterness in the country’s southern provinces in a more subtle reality. In the paranoia surrounding Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the exact circumstances that have led to its growth have been ignored. Media coverage tends to center on Yemen as a breeding ground of tribal violence. However, these narratives state much more about the observer than the observed. The idea of Yemen as a “wild frontier” and the AQAP as a malicious group within it, speaks...
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This article addresses the deteriorating economic conditions in urban and rural areas of Yemen, which have led to increased local support for Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist militant group with apparent ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. This is the first of two parts. Yemen’s exacerbating economic and political crises are contributing to the spread of local support for Ansar al-Sharia (AAS), an Islamist militant group claiming allegiance to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Local analysts claim this support does not necessarily extend to ideological sympathies, but AAS' new tactic of providing public services to local communities grants them access to safe-havens...
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Myanmar needs to focus on civil security and extend its reforms into the ethnic minority areas. Expectations are high in Myanmar. Yangon is a booming city on its way to become the next Asian metropolis, as investors and NGO’s are busily exploring where to set up operations. According to Thein Sein’s government, ASEAN, the US, the EU, China and India, the present time is a window of opportunity for economic development, political reforms and human rights in Myanmar. The last year has shown vast political changes in Myanmar that have surpassed expectations of seasoned country experts. Yet, there has been little progress towards a long-term settlement of the conflicts in ethnic...
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By Atul SinghDear Reader, As many global news sources are reporting, Fair Observer’s Associate Editor for the Middle East, Natasha Smith, was sexually assaulted and physically abused by a mob in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. What happened was despicable and utterly unacceptable. Natasha was subjected to an inhuman ordeal that is part of a pattern in which women have been assaulted by mobs of men. Such incidents have to end. Natasha has written about her ordeal with dignity and courage on her blog. She has now returned to England. Our thoughts are with her and we wish her strength to recover from her terrible experience. Yours sincerely, Atul Singh Editor-in-Chief
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360° Analysis / Politics / BRIC / AsiaBy Lucio Blanco Pitlo III Vietnam’s burgeoning energy industry is helping to bolster its claim to disputed parts of the South China Sea, by getting foreign companies involved in its offshore exploration and production (E&P). Will this approach invite possible reprisals by China or other claimant states? Vietnam has made great strides in its energy industry since it opened up this sector to foreign investment in 1987. With the Hanoi government playing a leading role, Vietnam has gone beyond partnering the former USSR to engaging in joint cooperation with countries around the world. For a country wracked by decades of conflict, Vietnam’s achievements in its energy industry can...
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By Yaakov KatzWith the start of the summer, a possible Israeli military strike against Iran is a real possibility. Some Israelis think that a credible military threat posed to the Iranians could succeed in halting Tehran's nuclear program without the need for even a single airstrike. In 2003, as the United States was building up its military presence in the Persian Gulf ahead of the Iraq invasion, something interesting happened in another country – Iran. Fearing that they were next in line after the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, the Ayatollahs in Tehran decided to completely suspend all nuclear activity – the enrichment of uranium – at the Natanz underground facility, and the covert...
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The geopolitical temperature over the South China Sea is on the rise. Part I Clearly no stranger to regional rivalry, this vast sea has been the subject of long-standing territorial claims, in whole or in part, by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. More recently, the situation has taken a new turn, characterized by growing great power jostling, alliance realignment, and region-wide strategic manoeuvres. In a little over one year, there have been a spate of maritime standoffs between China on the one hand and Vietnam and the Philippines on the other. There have also been more open rifts between China and the United States over the issue. In July 2010, US...