Mia Farrow at the international criminal court in The Hague today. Photograph: BBCThe Truth About Blood Diamonds -- Jack Jolis, Wall Street Journal
The international focus on "conflict minerals" is a self-serving charade.
Thanks to Naomi Campbell's clueless testimony before the U.N. Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, the manufactured non-scandal of "blood diamonds" is once again being trundled before the collected gullibility of the world.
The parallel occurrences of diamonds and internecine mayhem in Africa are in no way causative—certainly no more than by any other commercial commodity found in the continent. When was the last time we heard of "blood manganese," or "blood copper," or, for that matter, "blood bananas" or "blood cut flowers"?
Read more ....
The Aid Workers' Killings: Is An Afghan Civilian Surge Too Risky? -- Jason Motlagh, Time Magazine
‘This Mullah Omar Show’: No one’s heard from the Taliban leader in almost nine years. Now his absence is exposing dangerous fault lines within the insurgency. -- Sami Yousafzai and Ron MoreauAugust, Newsweek
Why US Can’t Drop Pakistan -- Mustafa Qadri, The Diplomat
Barely Friends, Few Benefits: Will Pakistan ever be the ally we need it to be? -- Nicholas Schmidle, The New Republic
Are China and America on a collision course? -- Peter Trubowitz, Yan Xuetong, Christian Science Monitor
India draws a line over Kashmir -- Sudha Ramachandran, Asia Times
The parallel occurrences of diamonds and internecine mayhem in Africa are in no way causative—certainly no more than by any other commercial commodity found in the continent. When was the last time we heard of "blood manganese," or "blood copper," or, for that matter, "blood bananas" or "blood cut flowers"?
Read more ....
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
The Aid Workers' Killings: Is An Afghan Civilian Surge Too Risky? -- Jason Motlagh, Time Magazine
‘This Mullah Omar Show’: No one’s heard from the Taliban leader in almost nine years. Now his absence is exposing dangerous fault lines within the insurgency. -- Sami Yousafzai and Ron MoreauAugust, Newsweek
Why US Can’t Drop Pakistan -- Mustafa Qadri, The Diplomat
Barely Friends, Few Benefits: Will Pakistan ever be the ally we need it to be? -- Nicholas Schmidle, The New Republic
Are China and America on a collision course? -- Peter Trubowitz, Yan Xuetong, Christian Science Monitor
India draws a line over Kashmir -- Sudha Ramachandran, Asia Times
‘This Mullah Omar Show’: No one’s heard from the Taliban leader in almost nine years. Now his absence is exposing dangerous fault lines within the insurgency. -- Sami Yousafzai and Ron MoreauAugust, Newsweek
Why US Can’t Drop Pakistan -- Mustafa Qadri, The Diplomat
Barely Friends, Few Benefits: Will Pakistan ever be the ally we need it to be? -- Nicholas Schmidle, The New Republic
Are China and America on a collision course? -- Peter Trubowitz, Yan Xuetong, Christian Science Monitor
India draws a line over Kashmir -- Sudha Ramachandran, Asia Times
What does ‘reform’ mean in Saudi Arabia? -- Neil patrick, Daily Star
Quashing rallies may not stave off discontent in Russia -- Masha Lipman, Washington Post
Can Raul Castro modernize and stabilize Cuba? -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
Why did Britain put a hold on U.N. sanctions against pirates? -- Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Policy
Why US Can’t Drop Pakistan -- Mustafa Qadri, The Diplomat
Barely Friends, Few Benefits: Will Pakistan ever be the ally we need it to be? -- Nicholas Schmidle, The New Republic
Are China and America on a collision course? -- Peter Trubowitz, Yan Xuetong, Christian Science Monitor
India draws a line over Kashmir -- Sudha Ramachandran, Asia Times
What does ‘reform’ mean in Saudi Arabia? -- Neil patrick, Daily Star
Quashing rallies may not stave off discontent in Russia -- Masha Lipman, Washington Post
Can Raul Castro modernize and stabilize Cuba? -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
Why did Britain put a hold on U.N. sanctions against pirates? -- Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Policy