Uncategorized Archives - Foreign Policy In Focus

Would MLK Back Iran’s Protesters?

by John Feffer, Rostam Pourzal | Jul 16, 2009

Combine Iran’s post-election turmoil with the controversy over the nation’s nuclear advances, and few Americans are likely to be unsympathetic toward the opposition movement there. Some bloggers have even suggested that the reformist-led protests are inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. Several commentators have referred to the wave of anti-theocracy rallies as Iran’s "civil rights movement, perhaps implying that the social conservatives who rule the country resemble Mississippi fundamentalists.

The Cost of Empire

by John Feffer | Jul 14, 2009

Obama’s product — America — has taken a beating in the marketplace over the last eight years or so. The president has to do some serious rebranding.

Obama Visits Africa’s ‘Oil Gulf’

by Emira Woods | Jul 12, 2009

Oil was discovered in Ghana just in 2007. A wide swath of the Atlantic’s Western shores, the area stretching from Morocco to Angola is becoming Africa’s “Oil Gulf.” Oil-producing countries in Africa, including those in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, now provide 24% of U.S. oil imports. Africa has outstripped the Middle East as an oil supplier to America. Increasingly, Africa’s oil is being produced offshore.

Showdown in ‘Tegucigolpe’

by Emily Schwartz Greco, Stephen Zunes | Jul 10, 2009

One of the hemisphere’s most critical struggles for democracy in 20 years is now unfolding in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa (nicknamed "Tegucigolpe" for its long history of military coup d’états, which are called golpes de estado, in Spanish). Despite censorship and repression, popular anger over the June 28 military overthrow of democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya is growing. International condemnation has been near-unanimous, and the Organization of American States has suspended Honduras, the first time the hemisphere-wide body has taken so drastic an action since 1962.

60-Second Expert: A Tipping Point in the Niger Delta

by Noor Iqbal, Kia Mistilis | Jul 10, 2009

For the past two months, the Nigerian military has been engaged in a standoff with armed resistance groups in the Niger Delta. The full-scale offensive, launched by Nigerian forces on May 13 with fighter-planes and gunboats, has destroyed villages and displaced upwards of 30,000 people from the region.

Media Briefing Booklet: Obama’s Trip to Ghana

by Emira Woods | Jul 10, 2009

Over the past decade, Africa’s status in U.S. national security policy has risen dramatically, for three main reasons: America’s growing dependence on Africa’s oil exports, Africa’s importance as a major battlefield in America’s “Global War on Terrorism,” and Africa’s central position in the global competition between America and China for economic and political power.

Denouncing Dictatorship in Uganda

by John Feffer, Beth Tuckey | Jul 8, 2009

Three years ago, I would get into long discussions with a friend in Uganda about the United States, global political affairs, and the situations in African countries. On Ugandan politics, he delivered impassioned speeches about democracy and responsible governance, and I often thought I was looking at Africa’s next great leader. He knew the rules of Ugandan politics but refused to accept them. Instead, he advocated for a higher standard in government, one that put the interests of the country’s citizens ahead of political gain.

Japan-ROK Relations on the Rocks

by John Feffer | Jul 8, 2009

Japan and South Korea are allies. That means they are constrained from going to war with one another. Despite a long history of conflict — including Japan’s colonization of Korea during the first half of the 20th century — the two countries have had to make nice as part of their anti-communist alliance with the United States. For the better part of the Cold War, the two countries suppressed, or were forced to suppress, their mutual antagonisms.

AfPak Blowback

by John Feffer | Jul 7, 2009

Pakistan has one of the largest, most sophisticated militaries on the planet. Its army is as large as the U.S. Army. It’s among the top 25 largest military spenders in the world. On top of the billions of dollars of weapons provided to Pervez Musharraf’s authoritarian regime, Washington is promising another $3 billion a year in military assistance over the next five years. And, to top it off, Islamabad has nuclear weapons.

Time to Clamp Down on Vulture Funds

by Emily Schwartz Greco | Jul 6, 2009

A deadly and dangerous species of vulture is evolving. Policy experts are trying to trace the exact whereabouts of this new species because it has caused around $1 billion in damage to poor nations in recent years. These creatures have no feathers. They are predatory investors known as "vulture funds."