Tehran has developed an advanced nuclear warhead

Posted by Matt in February 6th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Atomic Energy Agency, Diameter, Diplomats, English German, Extent, Google, IAEA, International Atomic Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency, Medium Range Missile, Nuclear Warhead, Nuclear Weapons Laboratory, Older Models, Scientist, Soviet Nuclear Weapons, Sueddeutsche De, SüDdeutsche Zeitung, tehran, Vienna, Western Intelligence Agencies

Iran has developed according to information from the Süddeutsche Zeitung with the help of a scientist from a former Soviet nuclear weapons laboratory, the design for an advanced nuclear warhead.
[I used Google Translate to translate from the original German to English]
Western intelligence agencies and diplomats confirmed with information from a paper that the knowledge of [...]

Top Risk No. 7: Brazil | The Call

Posted by Matt in January 13th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Brazil, Geopolitical, Brazil, Bump, Economic Abundance, Economic Policymaking, Extent, Investor Concern, Lead, Macro, Macroeconomic Policy, Presidential Election, Rebound, Risk, State Owned Enterprises

After years of being wildly bullish on Brazil, we’re in for a bump. The country stands to gain from a strong rebound in growth over the course of 2010, but Brazil’s newfound economic abundance will lead to a drop in the quality of economic policymaking — both on macroeconomic policy and, to a much greater [...]

For Obama, 2010 in the Middle East Looks More Like the Precipice of Doom than Achievement

Posted by Matt in December 25th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Middle East, Arab Israeli Conflict, Barack Obama, Barry Rubin, Cairo, Concessions, Diplomatic Breakthrough, Doom, Extent, Fun, Gloria, Israel, Israel Relations, Late September, Middle East, Palestinian Authority, Palestinians, Precipice, Predecessors, Quick Solution, Status Negotiations

By Barry Rubin*
December 25, 2009
http://www.gloria-center.org/Gloria/2009/12/for-obama-2010

The year 2010 is going to be interesting. Well, all years in the Middle East are interesting; many of them are far too interesting.
For the Obama Administration, I’m going to predict, it will not be a fun year. True, the best face will be put on things. Since it is [...]

The West has ‘lost’ Iran and Turkey, with an assist from Russia and to China’s benefit

Posted by Matt in December 7th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Turkey, Benefit, China, Clerical Power, Confidence, Energy Network, Extent, Fact That Iran, Factions, Isolation, Leadership, LOST, moscow, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, Turkey, Weapons Programs, Western Intervention

The fact that the West has “lost” Turkey and Iran (and the fact that Iran is now working closely with Turkey on a range of issues, but motivated mutually by the energy network controlled by Moscow) to some extent empowers the Iranian clerical leadership, but this may be insufficient to paper over the differences between [...]

Europe-a-Dope | The American Prospect

Posted by Matt in October 21st, 2009 | no comment

Published in Europe, American Prospect, Boring Subject, Dope, Economic Growth In China, European Union, European Union Institutions, Europeans, Extent, Fundamental Factors, India Europe, Institutional Reform, Irish Voters, Lisbon, Obstacle, Ratification, Referendum, Shaping The Future, Substantial Overhaul, United States, World Politics

The European Union is becoming ever stronger, and no one seems to care.
On Oct. 2, one of the year’s most important stories passed by with little notice in the United States: Irish voters supported ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon in a referendum that cleared the last major obstacle to a substantial overhaul of European [...]

Israel’s Secret War on Hezbollah – WSJ.com

Posted by Matt in October 15th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, Criterion, Extent, Harsh Criticism, hezbollah, Iran Nuclear, iranians, Israel, Israel Nuclear, Israel War, Launch, Met, Military Capabilities, Nuclear Facilities, Play Two, Retaliatory Attack, Secret War, Target, tehran, Unexpected Source, Wsj

Harsh criticism of Hezbollah also came from an unexpected source: Tehran. The Iranian strategy calls for Hezbollah to play two roles. One is to instigate minor border provocations. The other is to launch, on Tehran’s command, a full-scale retaliatory attack should Israel target Iran’s nuclear facilities. The 2006 war met neither criterion, and, as the [...]

How Moscow courts the Muslim world

Posted by Matt in December 29th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Islam, Russia, Al Jazeera, Arab World, Christianity, Extent, Foreign Minister, Islam, Mediator, moscow, Muslim World, Muslim Worlds, Muslims, Political Relationship, Russia, Russian Leaders, Russian Territory, Sergei Lavrov, Western Europe

Since then, Putin and other Russian leaders, including the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, claim that Russia “is, to some extent, a part of the Muslim world.” In an interview with Al Jazeera on Oct. 16, 2003, Putin stressed that, unlike Muslims living in Western Europe, those in Russia were indigenous, and that Islam had been [...]

Bad Economy Could Cause China Crackup

Posted by Matt in December 1st, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Economy, Challenges, Currency, Dollar, Economic Development, Economy China, Extent, Financial Crisis, Global Economic Growth, Global Financial Crisis, International Financial Crisis, Jintao Hu, Journalist, Momentum, Partner, Ruling Communist Party, Will Hutton, Writing On The Wall, Yuan

Don’t believe me? Here is what President Jintao Hu said over the weekend at a party meeting:
“In this coming period, we will starkly confront the effects of the sustained deepening of the international financial crisis and pressure as global economic growth clearly slows. … Whether we can turn this pressure into momentum, turn challenges into [...]

China’s one world?

Posted by Matt in August 23rd, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Military, 1970s, Beijing Olympics, China, Chinese Military Modernization, Element, Extent, Modernization Programs, Nuclear Submarines, Olympics, Pla Navy, Russia, Strategic Objectives, Truce

With all the world’s attention focused on the Beijing Olympics and to a lesser extent, the “truce” in Georgia, we should not underestimate the serious implications for U.S. strategic objectives posed by the Chinese military modernization programs, (Russia’s announced modernization programs is another element).
…
By 2010, the PLA Navy could have about 60 very modern to [...]

Paper Clips

Posted by Matt in July 17th, 2008 | no comment

Published in History, Crime Against Humanity, Documentary, Extent, Film Details, Holocaust, Holocaust Education, Holocaust Survivors, Holocaust Victims, Met, Tennessee

Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee is the setting for this documentary about an extraordinary experiment in Holocaust education. Struggling to grasp the concept of six-million Holocaust victims, the students decide to collect six-million paper clips to better understand the extent of this crime against humanity. The film details how the students met Holocaust survivors [...]