Month: April 2019

Trump, Erdogan Seek Reset Of US-Turkey Ties

Even as the countdown has begun before the first batch of Russian-made S-400 missiles will arrive in Turkey — expected in coming ten weeks from now — a crisis situation envelops the Turkish-American relationship. No doubt, this crisis, unless resolved in the coming days or weeks, could have profound consequences […]

Pakistan-Iran Ties Set For Makeover (II)

CPEC lurches toward Iran Imran Khan’s visit to Iran on Sunday can be seen as vindicating Tehran’s nuanced approach to the relations with Pakistan. Surely, border security will top the agenda of the discussions in Tehran between the two leaderships. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be receiving Imran Khan. Tehran […]

Imran Khan Mohammad Javad Zarif

Pakistan-Iran Ties Set For Makeover (I)

The visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to Iran on April 21-22 will be a major event in regional politics. Whether it will be remembered as a landmark event, time only will tell. At its most obvious level, the visit signifies that Pakistan prioritises good relations with Iran. Indeed, […]

Julian Assange As Neuroses

Julian Assange As Neuroses

Julian Assange continues to ripple and roam as a cipher through the political and media scape of the world.  Detained in Belmarsh maximum security prison, the sort of stately abode only reserved for the most dangerous of criminals, many with indeterminate sentences, he electrifies and concerns. The US political classes […]

Milosevic, Tudjman, Izetbegovic

A Short History of Yugoslavia (V)

Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV Tito’s policy in the 1970s of the so-called “encourage and suppress” for the sake to struggle against politically undesirable and threatening ethnic nationalisms especially the Croat and the Serb ones appeared to be incoherent one. In another word, while some ethnic nationalisms and their […]

Burning Notre-Dame De Paris

Burning Gothic: Reflections On Notre-Dame De Paris

The Gothic concept was itself an act of daring on the part of Abbot Suger, who embraced lightness and light in his 1137 design for Saint-Denis.  Platonism, Christianity and religious architecture were wed.  The reconstruction of Notre-Dame might dare to be something different, but many expect a simulacrum of the original.

Ottawa Professor Paul Robinson

Putting The ‘New Cold War’ Into Proper Perspective

With the newly created “NewsGuard” in mind, there’s a tendency in some circles to inaccurately color a given situation with broad unsubstantiated and bias driven claims, as has been true with the coverage of Russian related issues. Shortly after my initial draft of this article, University of Ottawa Professor Paul Robinson posted a piece […]