Europe

DW: “Norway derives almost 100 percent of its energy from hydropower. For Germany’s planned transition to renewable energy, a close partnership is crucially important, because Norwegian pumped storage power stations could balance out variations in renewable energy sources. But do Norwegians actually want to their country to become Europe’s storage battery?” DW: ” Norway: Energy […]

Apartheid

As a Sakharov laureate and a mother, I call on the EU to help save Palestinians – and Israel

contributors

By Nurit Peled-Elhanan, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Via The Conversation Times are very rough for both Israeli and Palestinian families. The death toll in Gaza currently stands at around 620, 74 of whom are children. The death toll in Israel stands at 30, two of whom were civilians. Three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and murdered […]

Eastern Europe

Wagging the Dog: Gaza & MH17 Plane Deaths Stem from Netanyahu, Putin, Search for Popularity

contributors

By Martin Shaw Russia-Israel: domestic politics and serious blowback The Ukraine and Gaza crises alike demonstrate the risks of aggressive policy based on short-term calculations. Vladimir Putin and Binyamin Netanyahu’s war-as-politics invites damaging long-term consequences. The slaughters in Ukraine and Gaza have one thing in common. Both result from governments authorising violence which is overwhelmingly […]

Eastern Europe

Obama needs Europe in responding to MH17 Crash, but NSA Spying a Bar

contributors

By Simon Reich, Rutgers University The tragic circumstances surrounding the downing of Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH17 remain unclear. The three parties who might be responsible – the Ukrainians, the Russians and the rebels – all blame each other. All possess, or have the capacity to possess, the Buk surface-to-air missile system that reputedly brought the […]

Algeria

Algerian Soccer/ Football and the Black Box of French History

contributors

By Francis Ghilès Senior Research Fellow, CIDOB When Algeria qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup by winning against Russia, the Algerian press celebrated their team’s qualification as the greatest victory ever. In France large street celebrations were accompanied by the usual firecrackers and Algerian flags and were followed by clashes between groups […]

Featured

Is Russia Replacing US in Iraq?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday told BBC Arabic that he was buying used fighter jets from the Russian Federation and from Belorussia. He said it had been a huge mistake to depend on the US for arms purchases, since the US arms pipeline is extremely slow and F-16 fighter jets […]

Economy

How WW I, British Greed, and Oil Distorted Modern Iran

contributors

By Farhad Malekafzali With one hundredth anniversary of the start of WWI fast approaching, the consequences of the war for Iran deserves attention. When it comes to European role in shaping Middle East, the better-known story is what happened in the Arab parts of that region. There the Anglo-French machinations planted the seeds of instability […]

Bush

Blair-Bush & Iraq: It’s not just the quagmire but the Lawbreaking & Deception

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is complaining that he is unfairly blamed for causing the current mess in Iraq and that if Saddam had still been in power it would be just as unstable. He is, perhaps deliberately, missing the point. His invasion of Iraq was illegal and based on deception […]

Africa

On D-Day: Remembering the Muslim Troops who Fought the Axis

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole One of the frustrations for a world historian is the unyieldingly parochial vision of the North Atlantic common among journalists and even many historians, and consequently among the public. The 17 world leaders gathering for the D-Day commemoration should by all rights include Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Indian Prime Minister Narendra […]