Hello gentlemen, and welcome to Diplomatic Communication. This is a blog which compliments the in-class discussions we will have over the next month, with links to relevant articles and video clips. If you have a gmail account, you can post comments, but most likely, we will just be discussing these issues in class.
Leading off our discussion, some articles about Yemen, the first discussing the problems donors face when trying to ensure aid money is used for the intended reasons. Four years ago, over $5 billion in aid was pledged to Yemen at a conference in London; so far, only 10% of it has been used. The problem: corruption. The solution? "donor countries and organisations set up offices within Yemen to help direct the flow of money and services and ensure greater transparency."
The second Yemen article comes from the New York Times, and focuses on the increasing calls for separation in the south. One interesting aspect of this article is the contention that the Yemeni government is equating separatism with Al Qaeda, thus insuring support from the international community. Is this legitimate?
Also, some articles about Syria and Iran's relationship and what it means for the balance of power in the greater Middle East. The money quote:
"With Iran defiant in the face of international pressure, Israel – the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East – has said it would consider military strikes to stop Tehran obtaining atomic weapons.
Such threats will be costly to enforce if Iran is able to call on Syria, Hizbollah and Hamas to help retaliate. That is what Thursday’s Damascus summit between Hizbollah, Iran, Syria and Palestinian militant factions spelt out: if Iran is attacked, there will be a regional war. Not limited skirmishes, not a few unanswered air strikes – a Middle East war."
What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment