Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Pakistan bans Facebook over "Everybody Draw Mohammed" page

Pakistan's government has ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook after protests against a page that encourages users to draw the Prophet Mohammed. The "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" page was set up in response to Comedy Central's...

Published Wed, May 19 2010 8:38 AM by FP Passport

Turkey: Obama wanted us to make a deal with Iran

The Turkish- and Brazilian-brokered nuclear enrichment deal with Iran earlier this week was widely seen as a setback for the Obama administration's nonproliferation agenda, and indeed the White House didn't exactly shower the agreement with praise...

Published Wed, May 19 2010 8:20 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Diplomacy, Middle East

Morning Brief: Bangkok burns after military launches all-out assault on Red Shirts

Bangkok burns after military launches all-out assault on Red Shirts Top story: The Thai military launched an all-out assault on the Red Shirt compound in central Bangkok today, arresting the movement's leaders but prompting rioters to turn the city's...

Published Wed, May 19 2010 5:47 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Detained militant describes World Cup plot

The timing of Iraq's announcement that an al Qaeda prisoner in its custory was plotting to attack the World Cup struck me as suspicious yesterday, but it looks like Abdullah Azam Saleh al-Qahtani did at least intend to attack the event. The AP reports...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 4:26 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, Iraq, World Cup

Pakistan's India obsession

Steve Coll's new magnum opus for the New Yorker on whether it's possible to negotiate with the Taliban has a wealth of interesting nuggets, but this was the most interesting bit to me (the entire article is not online, alas). Coll discusses a...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 9:34 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Pakistan, South Asia, India

Nuking the Gulf spill

Navy submarine vet and Columbia University nuclear policy scholar Christopher Brownfield has an odd post over at the Daily Beast on a potential solution for the Gulf oil spill. He begins: On Day 1 of the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, my gut instinct...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 9:01 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Nukes

Saudi religious police get beat up by a girl... again

This very amusing story has been making the rounds : When a Saudi religious policeman sauntered about an amusement park in the eastern Saudi Arabian city of Al-Mubarraz looking for unmarried couples illegally socializing, he probably wasn’t expecting...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 8:30 AM by FP Passport

Morning Brief: Kabul car bombing kills at least 18, including 5 U.S. troops

Kabul car bombing kills at least 18, including 5 U.S. troops In the worst attack in Kabul in recent weeks, a suicide bomber drove his car into a U.S. military convoy and detonated his payload on Tuesday morning. The attack killed at least 18 people -...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 5:42 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Can we have a grownup discussion about human rights?

Michael Posner, the Obama administration's top human rights official, has become the latest target of right-wing ire. At issue is Posner's recent remark about Arizona's controversial new immigration law, which he made during a press briefing...

Published Tue, May 18 2010 5:21 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Human Rights, China, State Department

Obama's aunt granted asylum

After a decade-long legal battle, President Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt, Zeituni Onyango -- remembered as "Auntie Zeituni" in Obama's Dreams From My Father , has won the right to remain in the United States. The basis for Onyango's...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 2:43 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Migration/Immigration

Nigerian politician arrested with bellyfull of cocaine

The anti-narcotics department at the Lagos, Nigeria international airport is not fancy. There is a waiting room where perpetrators sit in angst; there is a small backroom with dusty equipment. And then there is the stash room, where all the confiscated...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 1:15 PM by FP Passport

Pictures of Lula taking pictures

The above photo of Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva reminded me that the Brazilian president seems to really like taking pictures while his picture is being taken. Here he is at the inauguration of the pan-American games in 2006: At a meeting with South African...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 12:11 PM by FP Passport

North Korean ships enter Southern waters as Seoul prepares sinking report

This didn't get much attention yesterday, but there's been more tension along the Korean sea border: South Korean Navy vessels fired warning shots, turning back two North Korean patrol boats that had entered South Korean territory, military officials...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 11:34 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea

Iraq to World Cup: FYI, we saved you from al Qaeda

The timing and tone of this announcement do seem just a tad suspicious: Iraqi security forces have arrested a Saudi al-Qaeda member who an official said on Monday was involved in a plot to attack next month's World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 11:04 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Iraq, World Cup

Morning Brief: Iran agrees to ship uranium to Turkey

Iran agrees to ship uranium to Turkey Top news: In a surprise agreement negotiated by Brazil, Iran agreed to ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey. The deal is similar to one negotiated with Western countries last October, but could now complicate...

Published Mon, May 17 2010 5:55 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

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Pakistan bans Facebook over "Everybody Draw Mohammed" page

Turkey: Obama wanted us to make a deal with Iran

Morning Brief: Bangkok burns after military launches all-out assault on Red Shirts

Detained militant describes World Cup plot

Pakistan's India obsession

Nuking the Gulf spill

Saudi religious police get beat up by a girl... again

Morning Brief: Kabul car bombing kills at least 18, including 5 U.S. troops

Can we have a grownup discussion about human rights?

Obama's aunt granted asylum

Nigerian politician arrested with bellyfull of cocaine

Pictures of Lula taking pictures

North Korean ships enter Southern waters as Seoul prepares sinking report

Iraq to World Cup: FYI, we saved you from al Qaeda

Morning Brief: Iran agrees to ship uranium to Turkey