Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

The media wakes up to Dagestan's silent war

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, the media and investigators quickly turned their attention to Dagestan, the Russian province where the two suspects -- Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev -- have deep family connections. In subsequent coverage...

Published Wed, May 01 2013 2:00 PM by FP Passport

Wait, the U.S. is making Mexican security officials take polygraph tests?

Fraying cooperation in the drug war will surely be top of mind as President Obama meets with his counterpart Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico this week. And perhaps nothing encapsulates Mexico's growing impatience with America's heavy-handed approach...

Published Wed, May 01 2013 4:30 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, Security, Drugs & Crime, Diplomacy, History, U.S. Foreign Policy, Military, Mexico, Borders, Barack Obama

Mapping the incredible spread of Mexican drug cartels in the U.S.

As Barack Obama heads to Mexico , U.S. involvement in Mexico's battle against drug cartels is getting a lot of press . But it's worth noting that Mexico's notorious narcotics trade isn't just Mexico's problem anymore. And Obama should...

Published Thu, May 02 2013 10:10 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, Security, Drugs & Crime, Mexico, Borders, Barack Obama

Russian drivers can now turn right on red (at some intersections)

The following is a guest post from Leon Aron , director of Russian studies at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Suddenly there is a tiny bright spot on the decidedly bleak social canvass of Vladimir Putin's Russia. For the first...

Published Thu, May 02 2013 3:02 PM by FP Passport

Thomas Friedman: I only deserve partial credit for coining the 'Chinese dream'

This week's Economist cover story is about Xi Jinping's catchphrase "Chinese dream," which symbolizes the aspirations of the Chinese people and nation. The magazine suggests, bizarrely but convincingly, that New York Times columnist...

Published Fri, May 03 2013 8:28 AM by FP Passport

Israel isn't happy about Google's decision to recognize Palestine

On Thursday, I wrote about Google's decision to change "Palestinian Territories" to "Palestine" on the Palestinian edition of its search engine -- a move that at the very least acknowledges the quest for Palestinian statehood....

Published Fri, May 03 2013 1:40 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Internet, Israel/Palestine

The Syrian charnel house

The above image is actually one of the less graphic photos coming out of the Syria today, where President Bashar al-Assad's forces stand accused of massacring Sunni families en masse. The more gruesome images and videos speak to a brutal campaign...

Published Sat, May 04 2013 1:41 PM by FP Passport

How Europe helped build the Syrian site Israel just bombed

On early Sunday morning, the skies over Damascus lit up with explosions as Israeli jets launched airstrikes near the capital. The target was reportedly the innocuously named Center of Scientific Studies and Research in the suburb of Jamraya, which goes...

Published Mon, May 06 2013 5:48 AM by FP Passport

The 'Onion' latest victim of Syrian Electronic Army's fat jokes

This afternoon, the Syrian Electronic Army, a group of hackers supportive of Bashar al-Assad's regime, appeared to briefly hack into the Onion 's Twitter feed. Over the course of about an hour, the SEA tweeted seven times from @TheOnion , and...

Published Mon, May 06 2013 1:50 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Internet, Syria

Ecuador's supermarket-brawling ambassador resigns

Peru and Ecuador agreed Tuesday to recall their respective ambassadors and name new individuals to the posts amid a diplomatic row that erupted after the Ecuadorean ambassador to Peru managed to get into a fight with two women in a supermarket checkout...

Published Tue, May 07 2013 9:00 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Diplomacy

Could regulatory agencies foil Gawker's Rob Ford 'Crackstarter' campaign?

On Thursday, Gawker's John Cook announced that the news site's Indiegogo campaign to buy a video allegedly showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack could be in trouble. Raising the necessary $200,000 isn't the problem -- with four days...

Published Fri, May 24 2013 10:44 AM by FP Passport

Did Turkey just become a little more like Texas?

What do Texas and Turkey have in common? Aside from sharing the same first letter, probably not too much. But starting today, they will be able to add something else to the list: similar alcohol policies. On Friday, after a marathon debate lasting well...

Published Fri, May 24 2013 5:53 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Culture, Politics, Turkey

Is Australia really the happiest country in the world?

Slow down, Aussies: Australia certainly has plenty to be happy about, but the OECD's new Better Life Index didn't just declare living in the Land Down Under the best lifestyle in the world. Still, you wouldn't know that from this week's...

Published Tue, May 28 2013 11:00 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Drone strike kills four men in Pakistani tribal region

Drone strike kills four men in Pakistani tribal region Top news: A drone strike early Wednesday in the tribal region of Pakistan killed four alleged militants, and according to Pakistani officials , one of those killed in the strike was the number two...

Published Wed, May 29 2013 5:31 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Even soccer can't escape the never-ending Persian/Arabian Gulf spat

What's in a name? When it comes to the body of water nestled between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula: a whole lot. For years, the Persian (to some) or Arabian (to others) Gulf has been a source of tension between Iran and its Arab neighbors. In 2010...

Published Wed, May 29 2013 1:50 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Culture, Politics, Middle East, History, Iran