Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

'China's Left Behind Children' series nominated for Livingston Award

We are excited to announce that the FP series "China's Left Behind Children," by freelance journalists Deborah Jian Lee and Sushma Subramanian has been named a finalist in international reporting for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 3:15 PM by FP Passport

Why do authoritarian leaders give such long speeches?

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin sat for his nearly annual televised live-call-in show -- which, this year, went on for nearly five hours. In addition to tackling some weightier questions about the Russian economy and the country's hot...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 2:10 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Culture, Eastern Europe, Media, Fun Stuff

Russian paper tries to tie Tsarnaevs to Georgia and Zbigniew Brzezinski

Izvestia , one of Russia's largest broadsheets, has apparently joined the "false flag" conspiracy crowd with a very weird article ( translated here ) that suggests a link between Tamerlan Tsarnaev and U.S. intelligence agencies through a...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 1:20 PM by FP Passport

The three key words of Obama’s ‘red line’ on Syria

The White House has long insisted that President Barack Obama's "red line" that would trigger ... something ... on Syria is crystal clear. But as my Washington Post colleague Max Fisher notes , it's about as clear as mud. Obama first...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 11:53 AM by FP Passport

Strategically, why would Syria have used chemical weapons on a 'small scale'?

The United States now says it has evidence that Syria used chemical weapons on a "small scale" -- an announcement that follows similar declarations by the French , British , Israelis , and Qataris . But the question no one has been able to answer...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 10:00 AM by FP Passport

At Bush library, Condoleezza Rice to defend enhanced interrogation practices

Not sidestepping controversy, Condoleezza Rice will defend the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation and rendition program at the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on Thursday. The remarks will appear in a five...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 6:30 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: U.S. still investigating possible chemical weapons use in Syria

U.S. still investigating possible chemical weapons use in Syria Top news: The White House said Wednesday that it is still investigating allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against rebel forces, an escalation that President Barack...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 5:33 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Syrian opposition leader sends a message to Hezbollah

Former head of the Syrian opposition coalition Moaz al-Khatib directed a speech yesterday to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, urging him to withdraw Hezbollah's fighters from Syria or risk dragging the Middle East into decades of Sunni-Shia violence...

Published Thu, Apr 25 2013 4:17 AM by FP Passport

Qatari prime minister: Bashar used chemical weapons

Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday accused the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons on its own people, joining Britain, France, and Israel in determining that Bashar al-Assad's forces had used deadly poison gas in violation...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 6:34 PM by FP Passport

How countries are keeping their citizens from fighting in Syria

Europe has a romanticized history of lone figures joining "the cause" in war-torn foreign countries -- from Lord Byron's death fighting for Greek independence to George Orwell's storied participation in the Spanish Civil War. But tales...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 4:50 PM by FP Passport

A Venn diagram of Tamerlan Tsarnaev terror watch lists

If you're confused about the byzantine web of watch lists designed to stop terrorists in their tracks, you're not alone. Today, the FBI came under greater scrutiny with the revelation that suspected Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev was...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 1:45 PM by FP Passport

Could John McCain's roadmap for intervening in Syria work?

Amid international accusations of chemical weapons use by Assad government forces in Syria's civil war, Secretary of State John Kerry told NATO members on Tuesday that the alliance should consider contingency planning and prepare for possible threats...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 12:55 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Security, Politics, Middle East, Obama Administration, U.S. Foreign Policy, Military, International Relations, U.S. Congress, Syria

The Best of Bassem Youssef

It's been an exciting month for the funniest man in Egypt. Not only was Bassem Youssef, a heart surgeon-turned-satirical television host, briefly detained for "belittling" President Mohamed Morsy and "insulting" Islam, he was also...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 11:00 AM by FP Passport

The trouble with crowd sourcing America's tragedy response

Ever since two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Americans have asked a simple question: How can I help? In the immediate aftermath of the bombing, Good Samaritans reached out to stranded runners through a Google Docs form, offering...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 5:50 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Suspect in Boston Marathon bombing cites extremist Islam as motive

Suspect in Boston Marathon bombing cites extremist Islam as motive Top news: Statements made by Dzokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, to investigators indicate that he and his brother, Tamerlan, carried out the attacks...

Published Wed, Apr 24 2013 5:34 AM by FP Passport