What Mexico can teach Russia about responsibility toward its neighbors It is often argued that the Central Asian republics receive too much from Russia while offering little in return. From this perspective, some suggest Moscow should adopt a more pragmatic, even harsher, approach toward its southern neighbors. Something akin to the way the United States has treated Central America for the past two centuries. The dramatic events in Mexico following the killing of a major organized crime figure offer a useful, if unsettling, point of comparison. What they revealed was not merely a surge of violence, but the fragility of the Mexican state itself. More precisely, Mexico today barely functions as a state in the classical sense. That is, as the sole authority capable of exercising organized violence. This should not surprise students of international relations. States evolve by developing strategies shaped by the balance of power with their neighbors. The larger and stronger a country is...
Posts
The Jewish State and the US earlier started a “pre-emptive” attack on the Islamic Republic after nuclear talks failed to deliver a breakthrough The Iranian military has launched a wave of retaliatory strikes on Israel after the Jewish State and the US attacked the Islamic Republic, although the extent of the damage remains unclear. On Saturday morning, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the country had carried out a “preemptive strike” on Iran “to remove threats against the State of Israel.” US President Donald Trump later confirmed that American forces are participating, while vowing to dismantle the Iranian nuclear program, “raze [Iranian] missile industry,” and “annihilate their navy.” Tehran maintains it does not seek nuclear weapons, insisting its research program is for peaceful purposes only. Following the US-Israeli attack, the IDF reported several waves of missiles “launched from Iran toward the State of Israel.” The military said air defenses we...
The attack has reportedly been prepared in cooperation with the US The IDF has launched a “preemptive strike” on Iran, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced, citing national security reasons. Videos released by Iranian media show buildings in Tehran damaged by the strikes. The attack has been prepared in cooperation with the US, Israel’s Channel 12 has reported. from RT World News https://ift.tt/2eEXO4C
The government has proposed removing temporary collective protection for males aged from 18 to 60 Norway has announced plans to tighten the rules of stay for Ukrainian men of conscription age and restrict their access to temporary collective protection. The measure aims to reduce the disproportionately high number of men among incoming Ukrainian refugees. The Ukrainian military is struggling to replenish battlefield losses in the conflict with Russia, while Kiev’s controversial mobilization campaign has led to a large-scale exodus of Ukrainian men of fighting age from the country. According to a statement released on Thursday, a proposal stipulates that Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 years of age, with certain exceptions, will no longer receive temporary residence permits based on a group assessment, but will have to apply for asylum under the ordinary rules. “Norway has already received the highest number of Ukrainians in the Nordic region,” Minister of Justice and Public S...
A shootout between the Cuban coast guard and armed men in boat allegedly stolen in Florida resulted in four deaths this week The US has failed to curb militants on American soil seeking to overthrow the Cuban government, officials in Havana have said, commenting on a deadly shootout this week involving a boat allegedly stolen in Florida. According to Cuban accounts, a patrol vessel intercepted a boat carrying armed individuals, who opened fire on the coast guard, prompting return fire. Four people were killed and six injured. US press reports suggest the group may have been part of a Florida-based anti-Castro insurgency, possibly infiltrated by Cuban security forces and ambushed en route to the island. “This is not an isolated incident. Cuba has been the victim of attacks and countless terrorist acts for more than 60 years, most of which have been organized, financed, and carried out from the territory of the United States,” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio...
The delegations returned to Geneva for negotiations amid American military pressure in the Middle East American and Iranian delegations met in Geneva on Thursday for a new round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and the possible easing of sanctions, as Washington simultaneously amasses military assets in the Middle East to increase pressure on Iran. The talks are widely seen as a last opportunity for diplomacy after last year’s 12-day Israel-Iran war and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, joined the discussions in Switzerland as a technical observer, making verification central to any agreement structure. The talks are being mediated by Oman, which has long served as a discreet intermediary between Tehran and Western governments. Read more Trump’s Middle East buildup and Iran talks: How close is war? Third round since June war as Oman mediates The meeting came a day after...