Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

U.S. has "modest" expectations for Pakistani offensive

I recently wrote a not altogether positive article about Pakistan's chief military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, for spinning everything in Pakistan from ISI sponsorship of the Taliban to U.S. drone strikes in the country. Today, General Abbas...

Published Wed, Oct 28 2009 10:15 AM by FP Passport

Will Afghanistan actually hurt the Democrats?

Tom Ricks shares an interesting theory from researcher Kyle Flynn about why the Obama administration is delaying a decision on a new Afghanistan strategy: Nov. 3, gubernatorial elections in both Virginia and New Jersey. The latter of which is my reasoning...

Published Thu, Oct 29 2009 11:28 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Politics, Elections, Afghanistan, Obama Administration

WikiLeaked: Drone Envy

After you read through enough of these WikiLeaks cables, you realize that most of it is fairly mundane. And then you stumble on a line like this : Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to CENTCOM Commander John Abizaid: "The...

Published Tue, Nov 30 2010 6:45 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Media, Somalia

Yanukovych Emerges From Hiding and Promptly Makes a Fool of Himself

If Marx, riffing on Hegel , is right that all world-historical persons appear twice -- first as tragedy, again as farce -- then on Friday ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych claimed his place among the world's pantheon of delusional and deranged...

Published Fri, Feb 28 2014 2:54 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Corruption, Politics, Democracy

Their Ears Are Burning

Chinese netizens love the new season of 'House of Cards' -- even though it makes their country look terrible. Read More...

Published Mon, Feb 17 2014 2:57 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia, China, Internet, Default, Free, Web Exclusive, TLN, Tea Leaf Nation

Jailbreak Season Continues as al Qaeda Issues Threat Against Gitmo

It's officially jailbreak season. In a little over a week, inmates in Iraq, Libya, and now Pakistan have escaped from what were supposed to be secure prisons (the phenomenon has even reached Arkansas ). Just this morning, al Qaeda leader Ayman al...

Published Wed, Jul 31 2013 9:50 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, al Qaeda, Pakistan, Taliban, Iraq, Libya, National Security

Colombian hostage released after 12 years

Pablo Emilio Moncayo, a soldier, was only 19 when he was kidnapped by the leftists Colombian rebel group FARC. Last night, at age 32, he was released. He looks to be in good health, with only a minor parasitic condition . It's pretty unimaginable...

Published Wed, Mar 31 2010 1:50 PM by FP Passport

Why does Ruth Bader Ginsburg like the South African constitution so much?

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is taking some heat from conservative blogs for this recent interview with Egypt's Al-Hayat TV, (skip to 9:30) in which she suggests that the U.S. constitution might not be the best model for post-revolutionary...

Published Mon, Feb 06 2012 10:07 AM by FP Passport

What are Russian prisons like?

Mikhail Khordokovsky, the ex-tycoon who was convicted in a Moscow courtroom Monday on embezzlement charges -- a development that surprised approximately zero observers -- faces a grim short-term future, judging from a cable released this weak that describes...

Published Tue, Dec 28 2010 5:20 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Russia

Al Qaeda Core Down, but Terrorist Attacks Up, Says State Department

The Obama administration has spent years arguing that the killings of Osama bin Laden and numerous al Qaeda lieutenants have defeated what it describes as the "core" of the terror group. On Wednesday, though, the State Department warned in its...

Published Wed, Apr 30 2014 4:39 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, al Qaeda, Middle East, Central Asia, Iran, North Africa, Syria

Did an Israeli Airstrike Just Kill These Adorable Newborn Lion Cubs?

The pair of lion cubs born on Monday in Gaza's Bissan Zoo were hailed as a triumph -- a rare optimistic sign in a region that has been devastated by militants within the Strip and a blockade along its borders. But that sudden spring of hope was quashed...

Published Fri, Nov 22 2013 12:41 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Middle East, Israel/Palestine, International Relations, Trade

Hey Justin Bieber, We Made You a Travel Itinerary!

Tattooed pop star Justin Bieber is a Canadian, but you'd be forgiven for assuming that he's a millennial version of the stereotypical "ugly American." In Brazil, he raised eyebrows by allegedly visiting a brothel and leaving with two...

Published Wed, Apr 23 2014 6:00 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Japan, East Asia, China

Israel-Palestine Isn't America's Top Mid-East Priority Anymore

The United States may be heavily engaged in shepherding peace talks between Israel and Palestine, but according to the Anne Patterson, who has been nominated as the State Department's next top Middle East official, the issue just isn't a top priority...

Published Wed, Dec 11 2013 1:36 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Diplomacy, Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Iran, Foreign Policy magazine, Egypt

Chinese Officials Ask Muslim Women to Unveil in the Name of Beauty

In the Chinese region of Xinjiang, home to a large population of the country's Muslim Uighur minority, government workers are encouraging women to cast off their headscarves in the name of good looks. Called "Project Beauty," the government...

Published Tue, Nov 26 2013 2:28 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: East Asia, China, Women, Islam, Race/Ethnicity, Religion

Merry Christmas from Passport

I'm officially shutting down the blog for the rest of the week starting now. We'll have some light posting next week depending on the news and return to full-service blogging and the Morning Brief on Jan. 3. Be sure to check in on the main site...

Published Thu, Dec 23 2010 10:22 AM by FP Passport