Section: The Conversation (USA)
Status and security: how Russian media is spinning airstrikes in Syria
Putin talks, Russia listens. EPA/Yuri KochetovEven before the Russian air force launched its first strikes over Syria, there was already a Russian presence on the battleground. These were not the spetsnaz, Kremlin’s special forces, but war correspondents from the leading Russian media outlets. This was as clear a sign as any that the...
Just how dangerous are the skies over Syria?
Syria’s ambassasdor to Moscow, Riad Haddad REUTERS/Maxim ZmeyevWashington greeted reports of the Russian air force’s first wave of airstrikes on September 30 with fierce rhetoric. Moscow, said defence secretary Ash Carter, was “pouring gasoline on the fire” in Syria. The strikes reportedly hit rebels fighting pro-government forces in...
Why Putin gambled on airstrikes in Syria – and what might come next
Mikhail Klimentiev/Ria NovostiFor those watching closely, the signal for Russia’s first airstrikes came in a statement early on September 30 by Kremlin spokesman Sergei Ivanov, just after the upper house of the parliament authorised military operations: To observe international law, one of two conditions has to be met – either a UN Security...
Why Putin ended up gambling on airstrikes in Syria – and what might come next
Mikhail Klimentiev/Ria NovostiFor those watching closely, the signal for Russia’s first airstrikes came in a statement early on September 30 by Kremlin spokesman Sergei Ivanov, just after the upper house of the parliament authorised military operations: To observe international law, one of two conditions has to be met – either a UN Security...
Australia’s possible strategy shift on Syria is a nod to Russia’s influence
Julie Bishop says all options should be considered when it comes to Australia’s position on a post-civil war Syria. AAP/Amanda VoisardEarlier this week, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made some comments flagging a significant shift in Australia’s position on the Assad regime in Syria. According to Bishop, if the Assad regime were to be...
Australian foreign policy needs a shake-up after two decades of sclerotic decline
Under the assertive leadership of Xi Jinping, China won’t meekly accept the terms of closer engagement with Australia being determined by the US alliance. AAP/Lukas CochMalcolm Turnbull welcomes that Australia now lives in riskier, more exciting times. This is especially true of foreign policy. Malcolm Turnbull has stressed that Australians...
Banks will help ensure Iran keeps promises on nukes
Rouhani addresses the UN General Assembly, September 28 2015. Carlo Allegri/REUTERSIn a speech before the UN General Assembly on September 28, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani heralded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as a new chapter in Iran’s relations with the rest of the world. After a heated and largely politicized national...
Poland, long accustomed to emigration, must now confront immigration
Some Poles have been more welcoming than others. ReutersThere are countries from which people try to escape, and there are countries to which these people try to escape. And then there are countries like Poland. The current refugee crisis sweeping across Europe hints at just how much Poland has changed since the early 20th century, from an...
Explainer: what diplomatic power does a pope really have?
They see me rollin’… Reuters/Tony GentilePope Francis is part of the way through his much-anticipated visit to Cuba and the US, which he is visiting for the first time. He is following in the footsteps of his immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who visited Cuba in 2012 and expressed his opposition to the US trade embargo. Now...
La mémoire condamnée, ou le patrimoine mondial entre négligences et destructions
Janvier 2015, une vieille rue d’Alep, un des sites classés au Patrimoine Mondial. Hosam Katan/ReutersAu coeur des villes syriennes, le “tunnel-bombing” est l’une des tactiques de guerre urbaine utilisées par les milices jihadistes telles que Jabha Shamiya. Au-delà de son coût humain, cette stratégie participe également à la...
