WASHINGTON D.C.

MONDAY
OCTOBER 28, 2014
VOLUME I
ISSUE 2

FOUR MORE FOR DILMA

Dilma Rousseff secures re-election in a

close runoff against Neves
By Shirley Zhan

The votes are in, and Brazil has

made a decision. After no candidate
manageed to win a majority of the
votes during the first round of general elections on October 5th, 2014,
Brazil took to the polls again this
past Sunday as a runoff took place
between the two candidates with the
highest number of votes. In one of the
tightest presidential races in Brazils
election history, Dilma Rousseff of
the Workers Party (PT) won re-election with 51.6 percent of the votes in
the second round runoff, defeating
her opponent, Minas Gerais Senator
Acio Neves of the Brazilian Social
Democracy Party (PSDB), who fell
short with 49.4 percent of the votes.
Marina Silva of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) finished a distant third
in the first round of elections, putting
her out of the race for the presidency. Polls conducted before the firstround vote suggested that 60 to 70
percent of Silvas supporters would
choose to back Neves in a runoff with

East Asia & Oceania

China and Vietnam Resolve Differences,
Temporary Peace or Permanent Change?
On October 17th, 2014, China and Vietnam were apparently
able to reach an agreement on developing bilateral military
relations, especially in regard to their maritime disputes.
In a meeting between the Chinese Defense Minister Chang
Wanquan and the Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung
Quang Thanh in Beijing, both sides agreed to increase cooperation and military exchanges between the two countries.
Both ministers advocated for the development of peace
and stability in disputed maritime regions, in addition to
enhancing political trust. This development signifies a temporary victory for China in regard to its strategic interests.

South & Southeast Asia

Malala- For Better or for Worse?

In June 2013, militants blew up a bus carrying female
university students in Quetta, the capital of Pakistans
southwestern Balochistan province. A nation where violence, repression, and gender inequity is uncommon, Pakistan is ranked by the World Economic Forum as the least
gender equitable nation in Asia and the Pacific region.
Women, not only live with discrimination, but are also occasionally attacked and killed on account of asserting their rights to
education, work and generally for choosing to have a say in key
decisions in their lives. A young girl who was brutally shot in the
head by the Taliban for her advocacy for girls education has taken
an international spotlight for Pakistans gender inequality issues.

Eastern Europe &

Central Asia

Rousseff. Neves received a crucial

boost in Brazils presidential election
when Silva publically announced her
support for Neves two weeks before
the runoff. Silvas announcement did
not come as much of a surprise given
the pro-market economic platform
she shared with Neves. In return for
her support, Silva demanded policy
commitments including land reform
measures and better protections for
indigenous communities. She also
requested for Neves to drop plans to
reduce the age at which minors can
be tried as adults for serious crime.
Neves showed flexibility on land
and indigenous issues but refused to
balk on the anti-crime measure that
had been backed by conservatives.
The economy was a key issue
throughout these presidential elections, and Nevesa centrist economistran a campaign promising to
restore growth in a slowing economy.
The economic coordinator for the
Neves campaign, Arminio Fraga, pro-

Middle East & North Africa

Survey Says: Russians See US as

Greater Threat than IS

As Unrest Spreads, Some Speculate

A Looming Intifada

In a recent poll in Russia concerning possible terrorist threats to

the country, carried out by the All-Russia Public Opinion Center, Russians answered that the United States was most likely
to be the source of a terrorist threat to Russia; coming above
Islamists insurgents in the North Caucasus or Islamic State.

Orwa Hammad, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American,

was buried Sunday in the West Bank village of Silwad,
northeast of Ramallah. The New Orleans-native was
killed during clashes between protesters and Israeli forces on Friday in which 12 others were reportedly injured.

A year ago, before the annexation of Crimea and the ensuing rebellion, Russians viewed Islamic terrorists as the most
plausible terrorist threat to the country. Several events have
led to this stark change in Russian public opinion, most
notably the development of the Ukrainian crisis, which has
seen Russo-American relations dip to their lowest point

Israeli officials assert that the military opened fire on someone

hurling Molotov cocktails, while witnesses claim Hammad
had only been throwing stones. The incident was the second
fatal shooting of a Palestinian minor in eight days, following
the death of 13-year-old Bahaa Sameer Mousa Bader, who
was killed in the West Bank village of Beit Liqya on Oct. 16.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Western Europe

Sudanese President of 25 Years to

Seek Re-election

Unidentified Underwater Object Hijacks

Swedish Headlines

Democracies have a myriad of essential characteristics. Among these are public elections, open access to
information, decent probability that the incumbent party could get voted out, smooth transition in leadership,
and the ability of elected officials to actually serve out
their times in office. Traditionally speaking, in democratic political systems like that in the United States, incumbents are more than twice as likely to win an election.

On October 17th, Swedish civilians reported multiple sightings

of a mysterious vessel sailing throughout the archipelago approximately 25 miles east of the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

Thus, it is easy to imagine the advantage that president Omar

Hassan al-Bashir now possesses in his reelection campaign
after 25 years in office. Given the nature of his largely

Pictures of this unidentified vessel surfaced throughout local

newspapers, and the Swedish military was promptly alerted to its existence. After an extensive search, the Swedish
navy claimed on October 20th that it had intercepted a Russian distress call from the vessel. The Navy also claimed
to have seen air bubbles rising from the surface of the water in close proximity to the vessels suspected location:

OCTOBER 21ST - OCTOBER 28TH

WATER AS A SOFT COMMODITY

By Nicole Carolin

Later this month, the second piece of

Chinas South-North Water Diversion
project is due to open. The new route
will push 13 billion cubic meters of
water more than 750 miles from the
Danjiangkou dam in south of China
to the capital, Beijing. The project
aims to address water shortages in
the north, which despite its size
compromises two-thirds of Chinas
farmland has little fresh water yet.
The south, contrary, holds about 80%
of the countrys water resources. In
recent years the disparity between
the north and south has been exacerbated due to rapid urban growth
and pollution of existing water supplies in the north. The severity of
the issue prompted the Chinese government to launch the South-North
Water Diversion project in 2002 despite the estimated $62 billion cost.
China does not face water scarcity
alone; the issue impacts countries
on every continent. The earth has
sufficient freshwater for its 7 billion
inhabitants. However, natural uneven
distribution combined with affects
of pollution and human wastefulness
aggravates the issue. Around one-fifth
of the world population faces water
scarcity, and that number stands to
increase because the rate of water
use has exceeded the rate of population increase in the past century.

Climate change has also played a role

in the water crisis. Last

year the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change
Research announced that
climate change is likely
to put 40% more people
at risk of absolute water
scarcity. In January of
this year, new data from
a pair of Nasa satellites
showed that countries
at northern latitudes and
in the tropics are getting
wetter, while countries at
mid-latitude are becoming drier. In other words,
wet regions are becoming
wetter as dry regions become drier,
effectively exasperating the existing
issue of uneven distribution. The
regions most at risk of increasing
water shortages include the Middle
East, north Africa and south Asia.

The growing prevalence of water

scarcity has earned it a place as a
global security concern. The 2014
National Intelligence Strategy of the
United States released last month
identified competition for natural
resources, including water, as one of
its national security priorities. Water
scarcity translates into a security issue because of its potential to destabilize and increase regional tensions.
The idea of water scarcity leading
to violent competition is far from

water. Tensions over

water scarcity are
likely to rise further
due to Prime Minister Narenda Modis
plan to construct
more dams as part of
a long-term project
to connect 30 rivers.

fantasy; the relationship between India and Pakistan has the potential to
become such a scenario. Pakistans
agriculture-intensive economy relies
on the Indus river system, over whos
upstream India has primary control.
In 1960, the governments signed the
Indus Water Treaty, which fixed and
delimited the rights and obligations of
each state concerning the use of waters. However, tensions have arisen in
recent years as India began constructing new dams to address domestic
water shortages and increase its hydroelectric power. Pakistan objected
to the construction the Baglihar Dam
in 2005 and the Kishanganga Dam in
2011 as violations of the Indus Water
Treaty. In the end, both judgments favored India, although Pakistan gained
limited rights to preserve its access to

Earlier this month,

fighting broke out in
the disputed region
of Kashmir. The violence resulted in nine
Pakistani and eight
Indian deaths, violating a border truce that has largely
held since 2003. The existing hostile
climate, in combination with rising
water resource tensions, could prompt
an escalation of violence between
the already antagonistic nations.
In Eastern Africa, water wars are
not an issue of the future. In Ethiopia and Kenya, temperatures have
risen about 2 F since 1960, causing dry seasons grow longer. Tribes
living in the area, particularly in the
Omo-Turkana basin in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia, depend
heavily on the land to raise crops
and nourish their livestock. Water
scarcity has pushed communities to
expand their range to search for water and arable land. As a result, competing tribes have resorted to killing,

raiding livestock, and torching huts.

Besides local competition, tribes also
face the imminent construction of two
hydroelectric dams on the upper Omo
River. The Ethiopian government
plans to use the dams to meet its increasing energy demands. The dam
will prevent the Omo Rivers annual
flood cycles, which supports an estimated 800,000 Ethiopian and Kenyan
tribesmen. However, the Ethiopian
government has denied claims that
the dams will impact these communities. The situation threatens to
increase refugee flows in the region,
leading to tensions between Kenya,
South Sudan and Ethiopia. In addition, the issue comes at a precarious
time of oil field and pipeline development in East Africa. Therefore, tribal
violence concerning water scarcity
has implications for the future of stability between East African nations.
Water scarcity has become an issue
worthy of international attention that
necessitates regional cooperation and
sharing of resources. Beyond widespread cooperation, experts support
pricing and payment mechanisms
that allow markets to improve management and reduce waste of water.
Large-scale infrastructure projects
may only provide temporary fixes,
as in China, or threaten others access to water, as in Eastern Africa.

A Second Look at Western Altruism

By Tarik Endale

In a world of instant communication, instant gratification, and

speedy travel, activism and altruism
has found new life and a new buzzword: awareness. But awareness
and goodwill alone are not enough.
The Kony 2012 campaign is a recent
and high profile example of this. The
Invisible Children brainchild attempted to raise awareness and funds with
the goal of stopping Joseph Kony,
the leader of Ugandan militant group
The Lords Resistance Army. The
video campaign went viral and Invisible Children raised almost $20
million dollars through donations and
awareness products such as t-shirts
and bracelets and brought attention
to the atrocities committed in Uganda by Joseph Kony and the LRA.
On the surface, the campaign seems
like a success. But as novelist
and Georgetown professor Dinaw
Mengistew wrote, Change has never
come with a click, or a tweet; lives are
not saved by bracelets. The fundamental flaw of Kony 2012, and many
other campaigns or organizations, is
one of simplification. The campaign
took the complex situation in Uganda, boiled it down to one man, then
asserted that the solution was a click
of a button or a small purchase. The
only reason Joseph Kony had not
been arrested and a 20 year conflict
has not been resolved was supposedly due to a lack of awareness in
the West, mainly the United States.

Even the name of the organization

has similar connotations to the colonists attitude towards the new
world: if we dont know about it, it
doesnt exist. However, to the families whose children were being kidnapped and the organizations already
trying to help in Northern Uganda,
these children were never invisible.
The infantilization of Africa, its many
dynamics and its complex issues is
what allows a campaign like this to be
so financially successful while simultaneously ignoring the years of UN,
Ugandan, and Sudanese efforts to
ameliorate the situation. Willful ignorance is just as pervasive in another altruism based industry: voluntourism.
Every year, well-off westerners decide to combine volunteer work with
a trip to an exotic locale, paying orga-

nizations to give them the opportunity

to work on projects such as building
houses, working in schools or taking
care of orphans. Its a rapidly growing industry; over 1.6 million tourists
spend about $2billion every year.
As noble as it sounds, there are quite a
few pitfalls. Many of the organizations
that facilitate these trips are focused
on the experience of the volunteer, not
on the actual communities involved.
For the organization, accommodations and staffing required for these
trips often come with high overhead
costs, resulting in an increased effort
to please the tourists for the additional revenue. In situations where the
organization works with schools or
orphanages, staff is often pulled away
from caring for those who need them
most to take care of the volunteers

needs. The trips are mostly short

term and consist of unsustainable,
low skill or quality work. They often
drive out local workers who could
get trained and paid for the service
being provided by outside volunteers,
and rarely asks or considers what
the local population wants or needs.
Heres another example. An American church partnered with a church
in Haiti and decided to build houses
for local residents. The volunteers
paid their fees, arrived, built the
houses and promptly left. The Haitian families moved in, but very
soon returned to begging for money
and food. The underlying issue for
this community was poverty, and
building houses did nothing to alleviate the lack of jobs, education or
professional skills endemic there.

In South Africa, a particularly popular travel option is volunteering as

a short-term caregiver to AIDS orphans. A report by the Human Sciences Research Council outlined a lot
of the issues surrounding the growing
niche market. Due to the large unemployment and poverty in the area,
there is a large number of local youth
that would be grateful for the opportunity to receive training and regular
meals and would provide a consistent and long term source of care.
Instead, tourists are paying to take
those spots for short periods of time.
This is potentially harmful to the children, having already lost their parents
and are now constantly making new
intimate bonds that are then terminated as soon as the volunteer leaves.
Of course, there are organizations that
get it right, donations that do in fact
make a difference and true merit in
building awareness around important
issues. But due diligence is key to
making the right choice in organizations and causes to support and dispelling what has been referred to as
the white-savior industrial complex.
The organizations that truly make
a difference work with the communities that they want to help. They
work through existing local infrastructure, avoid quick projects with
little long term impact, and focus on
finding and addressing the local needs
in cooperation with the community.

Rise of the Right: India and France

By Nicole Carolin

Both in France and India support for

nationalist parties has risen in the past
election. In France, Front National
(FN) had an incredibly successful
election turn out with almost 25% in
the French elections for the European
Parliament; in India, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) represents the largest party in the national parliament.
Both parties share religious overtones
added to their nationalist sentiments.
George Le Pen, founder of the FN,
held overtly racist views. Today, his
daughter Marine, while not overtly
racist, maintains an anti-immigration
policy to respond to what she views
as the Islamization of France. The
Muslim population of France has
been growing since the post-World
War II era; as of now, it accounts for
approximately 10% of the population.
Marine Le Pen skirts the issue of racism and maintains a secular platform
by not targeting Muslims or Islam
directly. Instead, she argues the crux
of the issue is that Muslims impose
their value system on the French.
Historically, the BJP has also been
hostile towards the Muslim community, although today pockets of
Muslims now turn to the BJP as a
result of political disillusionment.
The BJP shares ideological ties with
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

slowing economy and high inflation,

in addition to high-profile corruption
scandals. Indians have become tired
of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, and the Congress Party has failed
to revive itself with any new leaders.
Instead, it has looked to the fourth
generation to take up the mantle.
Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of the
Congress Party, led the 2014 general
election. In contrast to the charismatic
Modi, Gandhi gives the impression
that he is less eager for the spotlight.
Thus, the Congress Party experienced
a crushing defeat in the general elections this May, obtaining only 44
seats, less than 8% of the total. The
BJP won a majority and thus formed
the first non-Congress-party non-coalition government in Indian history.
In addition, the BJP delivered another
blow to the Congress Party last Sunday with state election victories in
both Maharashtra and Haryana. The
Congress Party had led Maharashtra
and Haryana governments for the
past 15 and 10 years, respectively.
Both the Front National and the BJP
have gained momentum as potential
saviors of failing economies; however, their leaders starkly contrast over
economic policy. The Front National is hostile towards globalization
and the European Union. It favors
protectionist economic policies and
abandoning the Euro as Frances
currency. On the other hand, Modis
prescription for Indias stagflation includes embracing the world economy.
Modi has used the Sanskrit phrase
vasudaiva kutumbakam, the world is
a family, and promoted India as prospective manufacturing center during
his recent U.S. visit. Voters have high

(RSS), a controversial national volunteer program 40 million strong

which espouses a nationalist and religious vision of India. Modi joined
a RSS youth group as a child, and
remained involved in the organization
through university life and then as an
activist. Modis victory has prompted
fears that the RSS will gain too much
clout and generate tension between
Hindu and Muslim communities.
In addition, Modis past is marred
by the Gujurat incident in February
2002, when Muslims in a Gujarati
town set fire to a train carrying Hindu pilgrims, killing fifty nine people.
Following the incident, Hindu groups
retaliated by attacking Muslims;
over 1,000 died and about 200,000
Muslims were displaced. However,
Modi, who held the position of chief
minister of Gujarat at the time, failed

expectations for Modi, who is credited for Gujarats economic success.

The future success of the Front National and the BJP is far from certain. The Front National, although
gaining momentum, has little chance
of victory in the upcoming 2017
presidential election. The Socialist
party and the UMP have indicated
that they would form a coalition in
the event that Marine Le Pen advances to the final round of voting.
The BJPs future success will likely
depend on economic performance,
in addition to Modis ability to lead
a diverse country. India comprises
many minority groups including the
Muslim community; to govern effectively, the BJP must to be careful
not to aggravate factional tensions.

to respond to the riots. As a result,

the United States revoked his visa in
2005. Nevertheless, Modi was never
found guilty of a crime nor admitted
to any wrongdoing. While the United
States has since restored his visa, the
shadow of Modis past remains. This
year, only seven of 482 BJP candidates were Muslim, none of whom
won, resulting in a Parliament with
fewer Muslims than any since 1952.
In addition, Modi has articulated
anti-immigration rhetoric similar to
that of Marine Le Pen. During a rally
in Feburary, Modi called for Hindu
migrants from Bangladesh to move
back to India and for non-Hindus to
be sent back to their home nations.

The appeal of the Front National

and the BJP has grown exponentially as voters become disillusioned
with political parties whose promises of change have borne little fruit.
In France, both the UMP and the
Socialist Party have faltered. According to the French Institute of
Public Opinion, President Franois
Hollandes popularity fell to a record low in September: only 13%
of French people express satisfaction with his performance. President
Hollandes approval rating reflects
the dissatisfaction with his economic policy, which focuses on cutting
state expenditures and tax breaks
for companies. His desire to simul-

to revive the UMP and address the

threat of the Front National. However,
his return was met with a lukewarm
welcome; polls suggest about half of
the French are unhappy with his return. This is partly due to the fact that
some associate Sarkozy with elitists
who support the increasingly unpopular European Union. The failures of
the ruling Socialist party and the chaos of the UMP provide an ideal growing ground for the Front National.

taneously continue his reform while

stimulating growth prompted an internal crisis in August when Economy
Minister Arnaud Montebourg publically called for a major overhaul of
economic policy. Hollande has since
formed a new government. However,
the French remain frustrated with a
stubbornly high unemployment rate,
which reached 10.2% in Q2 of 2014.
The central rival to Hollandes Socialist Party, the Union for a Popular
Movement (UMP), has not been reinvigorated despite the failures of its
competition. In May, the UMP was
accused of illegal funding of Nicolas
Sarkozys 2012 election campaign.
The scandal reignited internal strife
over UMP leadership and cast doubt
on Sarkozys chances in the 2017
presidential election. Nicholas Sarkozy recently returned to political life

Aside from the failures of the Socialist Party and the UMP, the Front
National has gained prominence due
to its platform. Francois Hollande
connected the rise of the FN to the
fear of decline and relations with
Islam. The anti-European Union and
anti-immigration policies of the FN
appeal to voters concerned by these
issues. While the platform may have
appeal, many still hold back because
of the stigma attached to the Front
Nationals extremist and racist history. Marine Le Pen has attempted to
counter this stigma through a policy
of ddiabolisation (de-demonization)
and has threatened to sue anyone
who calls the FN a far-right party.
Indians, too, have shifted to the right
as an alternative to the shortcomings
of other parties, particularly the Congress Party. The Congress Party has
fallen out of favor largely due to a

E. ASIA & OCEANIA

EAST ASIA & OCEANIA
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

Editors Column
JJ Phang and
Tomoyuki Shikata

East Asia and Oceania remains the

worlds growth engine despite a
challenging external environment.
The vital region embodies explosive
economic growth, vibrant societies,
modernizing militaries, rich cultural
traditions amid globalization, and
strategic competition among major
powers. As a result, there is rising
media coverage of the region recently. Countries in the region range from
China, the worlds second largest
economy, to the Pacific Island countries, some of the worlds smallest and
most remote. This section of The Caravel will strive to not only report the
major political and economic news,
but also introduce the readers to the
rich cultural palette of the region.
Tomo is a rising junior in School of
Foreign Service, majoring in International Political Economy. Born and
raised in Tokyo, he has also lived in
Paris and Mexico City. On campus,
Tomo is also involved in the Japan
Network and Hoya Break Squad. With
its rich and complex histories, and the
distinctive traditional and modern
cultures of each country, East Asia
continues to fascinate him everyday.
JJ is a senior in the School of Foreign
Service, pursuing a major in International Politics with a concentration in
Foreign Policy and Policy Processes
and a certificate in Asian Studies.
Born and raised in Singapore, he has
a keen academic interest in East Asia
and strong affinity with the region
the food, music, languages, culture, history, politics you name it!
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research
and writing to editing and administration. Our project strives, first,
to bring under-reported news into
the limelight of international affairs.
Second, to enhance cross-cultural understanding through a
unique emphasis on regional perspective and contextual analysis.
Finally, to nurture regional specialists
by providing a platform for undergraduate students to write and accumulate knowledge on specific regions.

CHINA AND VIETNAM AGREEMENTS

move can be read in two ways. First,
the Obama administration has not
abandoned its much-vaunted pivot
to Asia policy. Second, the lifting
of weapon sales shows that the U.S.
wants to continue to exert its influence
among Asian countries, and buffer
other states to balance against China.

By Kevin Chen

Maritime disputes between China

and Vietnam have been going over
on for centuries. Since the Qing
Dynasty, both countries have laid
claim to the Paracel Islands, a chain
of archipelago islands located in the
South China Sea. In the past, control over the islands was largely of
symbolic importance, and had little
practical consequence. But, now in
an increasingly energy scarce world,
whoever controls the islands will
have access to important natural resources. Recent Chinese expeditions
have discovered vast maritime oil
reserves near these disputed islands,
thus raising the stakes of ownership.
In the past several months, tensions
have steadily increased between China and Vietnam regarding the South
China Sea and the territories that China claimed. Though obviously both
countries have had a longstanding
disagreement over sovereignty, recent
tensions can largely be traced back to
the location of a Chinese oil rig. This
past summer, China installed an oil
rig near the Paracel Islands, in waters
that were also claimed by Vietnam.
Afterwards, a Vietnamese fishing boat
collided with a Chinese vessel. When
the video of the incident was released,
the ensuing political backlash sparked
vicious riots in Vietnam, targeting
mostly Chinese nationals. Although
China has since dismantled the oil rig
and relocated it farther away, there
is still significant anti-Chinese senti-

ment among the Vietnamese people.

Furthermore, these protests severely
damaged the relationship between
these two countries. In the aftermath,
both countries blamed each other for
being responsible for the wrongdoing.
The recent China-Vietnam agreement
appears to have closed this chapter
and put this crisis to rest. Significantly, China has also appeared to
resolve this problem without interference from the United States. It is
noteworthy that China has been able
to prevent Vietnam from bringing
the U.S. into its affairs, by utilizing
bilateral instead of multilateral talks.
More importantly, this move affords
China more flexibility in dealing
with its neighboring countries and

LEaDing the Way to Energy

Efficient Light Sources

This year, three Japanese names

were added to the list of Nobel Prize
laureates, Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi
Amano, and Shuji Nakamura awarded the Nobel Prize of Physics. The
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which selects the Nobel laureates
every year in the fields of Physics
and Chemistry, awarded the prize
to the three for the invention of blue
light-emitting diodes (LEDs), an
energy-saving method of lighting.

By Andrea Moneton

The invention of blue LEDs was crucial to the development of LED lighting in general. The basic concept of
an LED lamp is that it emits extremely narrow waves of different colored
lights, which mix together in order
to create white light. The principle
is similar to that of spinning a wheel
painted in all three primary colors: if
you spin it fast enough, it will appear
to become white. LEDs take this a
step further and turn these colors of
light into white light. However, the
creation of blue LED had remained a
challenge for three decades and hindered the development of LED technology; the issue was described as the
biggest hurdle in the field and impossible because it did not respond to
the same chemical that red and green
lights required. This is where the three
Japanese physicists and now Nobel
Prize Laureates made a breakthrough.

In 1989, Isamu Akasaki was a professor at Nagoya University and had

been doing research with one of his
graduate students, Hiroshi Amano
since the early 1970s. Together, the
two discovered the chemical that was
needed to create blue LED lights, and
paved the way for the practical application of the technology. This last
step was finally accomplished in 1993
by the third laureate, Shuji Nakamu-

prevents the U.S. from asserting its

own influence in the region. While
the exact terms of the agreement have
not been released, one can presume
that China was able to cut a deal that
was amenable to both parties. From
Chinas perspective, this is a double
victory it has kept the U.S. out of
its sphere of influence, and illustrated
its ability to peacefully resolve crises.
However, this victory may only be
a temporary one. In an unprecedented move, the U.S. recently lifted its
forty-year arms embargo on Vietnam.
Though weapons may only be given
to Vietnam if they have implications
for maritime security, it is unlikely
that this is a coincidence, given the
timing of the oil rig incident. This

This recent move by the U.S. does

not bode well for China, who will undoubtedly view this renewed military
trade as another move in geopolitical
encirclement. Already, Japan, South
Korea, and the Philippines have significant military ties with the U.S. The
inclusion of Vietnam in that agreement will mean that much of Chinas territorial disputes will be with
American-backed or allied countries.
As a result, China may have moved
to resolve its dispute with Vietnam in
order to prevent further American actions. By cutting a deal, China could
prevent the sale of additional military
weapons to Vietnam, which would
help in securing Chinas claims in
its maritime disputes and bolstering
its negotiating position. Of course,
nobody knows what concessions or
side payments China may have been
forced to make in order to secure
such an agreement. In any case, it is
clear that the lifting of the U.S. arms
embargo on Vietnam has had a clear
impact on accelerating Chinas move
to a peaceful resolution and dampening its bellicosity.There is hope, then,
for small countries to hold out against
the behemoth that is rising China.

ra, who now teaches at University of California, Santa Barbara.

The invention, however, was
welcomed with controversy.
At the time, Nakamura worked
for Nichia Corp, and because
the patent for his discovery was
registered under his companys
name and not his, he received a
bonus of only 20,000 Japanese
Yen a frightening 180 dollars.
Later, Nakamura sued the company and demanded proper compensation for his work; he finally
settled on a payment of 844 million
Yen, which was still inadequate to
compensate for what he brought about.

recognize the intellectual property of its citizens instead of awarding that property to corporations.

Such occurrences, unfortunately, are

common in the field of science and
technology in Japan because of the
nature of a law elaborated by the Japanese government called the Patent
Law. This law stipulates that companies are to be awarded patents for
inventions by their employees, and
can then decide on the reward to offer the individual inventors. However,
the implications of the Patent Law go
beyond financial rewards. This law
creates an entrepreneurial climate
hostile to researchers, in which individuals can be scared that they will
not receive proper credit for their
inventions. Nakamura has heavily
criticized the Japanese government
for its stance on the issue, and rightly so; the origins of patent laws go
back to the 17th century, so a highly
developed country like Japan should

Because of this law, Japan has experienced a brain drain in recent years
with highly educated individuals
countries more welcoming of entrepreneurship and research like the
United States. Indeed, not only does
Nakamura now teach at the University of California, Santa Barbara but he
is also a naturalized American citizen,
citing in an interview how much easier it is to receive funding for research
in the United States compared to Japan as one of the motivations behind
his departure. However, no matter
how bitter he may be about the state
of Japans research climate, Nakamura remains committed to the results of
his discovery; in the same interview,
he emphasized that he wanted to focus on the good that his invention
has brought about, a noble intention
after a tough path to the Nobel Prize.

EAST ASIA & OCEANIA

OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

US-CHINA CYBER SECURITY DISPUTE

By Eun-Sun Cho

Since the disclosure by Edward

Snowden of the National Security Agencys online surveillance
on Americans citizens and foreign
nationals, cyber security emerged
as the center of attention in international relations. Amidst this global
trend, cyber security continues to
be a key contention point between
China and the US. Recently, Apples
iCloud storage of users in China was
attacked. The familiar pattern of suspicion towards Beijing for backing
the attack and the strong denial of
the Chinese government shows that
the two superpowers are having a
hard time in establishing their authenticity in the fields of cyber security.
Cyber attack is nothing new in the
US-China relationship. US has already suffered numerous attacks
from Chinese hackers, some of whom
were suspected to have been backed
by the Chinese government. Major
incidents include Titan Rain, a series
of attacks by Chinese hackers since
2003 that successfully shut down
and gained access to the British and
the US government networks. So far,
china has been the greatest suspect of
attempts to steal US industrial secrets.
In 2013, a report that Chinese hackers gained access to new US weapon
designs had generated another serious
confrontation. China flatly rejected
the accusation and argued that it had
information about US cyber attacks

against China. This exchange of accusations pushed cyber security to a

key agenda of the US-China Summit
in 2013. At the summit, Obama expressed concerns that Chinese cyber
attacks will have negative effects
on the two countries economic relation. Xi seemed to have agreed on
the importance of cyber security and
expressed commitment for future
cooperation, but the issue did not
die away. In May 2014, Washington
accused five Chinese military officers of stealing commercial secrets
from US firms. China answered that
any behavior of undermining cyber
security is strictly forbidden under
Chinese laws, and criticized the US
as [fabricating] stories and deliberate mudslinging toward China.

In October, the Chinese government

announced that it will suspend the
cyber security talks with the US
due to mistaken US practices.
It seems that the past misbehaviors of
the two countries pose a big obstacle
in the bilateral cooperation. Washingtons engagement of cyber operations against foreign nationals and
networks is providing the base for
Chinese criticism that attacks the US
as being hypocritical. For any cyber
attacks launched by Chinese nationals or using Chinese proxy servers,
suspecting Chinese governments
support has almost become natural
for the US. Due to this lack of mutual trust, the future of the two countries cooperation remains unclear.

Premier Lis Focus on Building Eurasia

Chinas Premier Li Keqiang landed in
Beijing on Oct.18th, concluding his
nine-day trip to Europe after visiting
Germany, Russia, Italy, and attending
the tenth annual Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM). It was Lis second European trip this year and fourth since he
officially became Premier, signaling
Chinas increasing interest in building
partnerships with European countries.
Amid global concerns of economic
slowdown, Lis visit injected new
vitality into China-Europe relations,
according to Peoples Daily, Chinas
state-run media outlet. During his
first stop, Germany, Li co-chaired
the third round of China-German
Governmental Consultations with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
and the two heads of state agreed to
lift the two countries strategic partnership to a higher level. Both leaders
vowed to maintain global competitiveness through the promotion of
innovation, joint research initiatives,
and mutual understanding of each
countrys unique system. With
similar focus on real economy and
manufacturing, China could benefit a
lot by learning from Germany, said
Yang Cheng, Vice Director of Russian Studies at East China Normal
University. Intensive talks accompanied the statements, with the two
countries striking over $18 billion
in deals to strengthen trade investment and technological cooperation.
Episodes from this trip also demonstrated closer relationships between

the Chancellor and the Premier on a

personal level. Earlier in March, when
Chairman Xi and his wife visited the
country, Merkel hosted the couple at
her residence with a well-crafted, but
traditional German meal. During Lis
visit, Chancellor Merkel also played
host, only this time with the addition
of German roast duck, a nod to the
popular Chinese dish, Peking Roast
Duck. After the Consultations, the
Chancellor also heeded Lis request
to visit a local supermarket. Merkel
chose to take Li to a market she had
been frequenting for over twenty
years, purchasing multiple gifts out of
her own pocket for Li and his wife.
In an interview with Chinese media,
Germanys Ambassador to China Mr.
Michael Clauss claimed that Lis successful trip represented a new historical height of Sino-German relations.
After Germany, the Premier continued on to visit Moscow where he
emphasized the importance of enhancing mutual cooperation in the
current volatile global environment.
Transportation and energy stood at
the heart of the talks. Aiming to build
a Eurasian economic network, Li stated that China was ready to advance a
rail corridor that would connect Beijing with Moscow, beginning with the
current high-speed railway project to
join Moscow and Kazan, the Russian
capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Affirmation of this ambitious pilot
project signals Chinas desire to reconstruct a modern Silk Road that
would extend across the largest conti-

By Harry Xu

nent in the world. Seeking new supply

of energy for domestic consumption,
the Premier also stated that China will
increase its cooperation with Russia
in nuclear energy in an integrated
manner that covers upstream, midstream and downstream industries.
While talking with Russian Prime
Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Li also
pointed out that China would like to
further improve its relationship with
Russia in industries including mining,
chemicals, agriculture, and infrastructure construction. The leaders
signed 40 agreements, including a
$24.4 billion currency swap to facilitate Sino-Russian trade. Lis visit to
Moscow directly after spending time
in Berlin signals the Premiers willingness to work with both sides amid
EU-Russian tensions over Ukraine.
Lis visit to Russia directly after a
Western European country like Germany is unprecedented. Yang commented, It reflects the strategic considerations in Chinas foreign policy
to integrate the Eurasian continent.
In Rome, the Premier met with a
Chinese-Italian committee of entrepreneurs to discuss future bilateral
relations within the business community regarding, investment, technology and financial cooperation.
Making reference to Marco Polo,
the Italian traveler who visited China from Italy eight centuries ago, Li
encouraged the local Italian business
owners to join forces with China in
the competitive global environment
today. As the highlight of the trip,

Another challenge in addressing

cyber security issue lies in accountability. The complex technology used
by hackers makes it very difficult to
identify the perpetrator and to assess
the extent of the damage. While governments may be involved in cyber
crimes, attacks may also be launched
by patriotic hackers, ordinary citizens hacking governments or firms
in enemies of their countries. This
is why the perpetrators of cyber attacks, including the recent iCloud
attack and major attacks such as Titan
Rain, have not been identified. Such
unclarity gives enough room for governments to reject accusations against
them. Due to this elusive nature, cyber security issues is even more likely to generate long-lasting distrust.
While governments cannot completely prevent cyber crimes, it is possible
to take strong domestic measures to
discourage cyber attacks. On top of
publicly advocating cyber security,
establishing and enforcing strict domestic laws would be a way to show
commitment against cyber crimes.
Fortunately, both the US and China have assured that civilians and
systems directly linked to civilian
livessuch as energy systemare
not targeted by cyber attacks. Even
though the low level of trust may not
be easily restored, such step-by-step
approach to expand safety zones from
cyber attacks would be another way
to help cooperation between them.

Chinese and Italian companies signed

deals worth more than $10 billion.
To conclude his trip, the Chinese Premiere spoke at ASEM and addressed
his vision for a more connected Eurasian community and eventually a
common market. In his speech, Li
traced the shared heritage between
Asia and Europe back to the First
and Second World Wars and urged
nations to preserve the peace through
mutual respect and cooperation in
the fields of international security,
trade and cultural exchange. This is
Lis first time to attend ASEM since
becoming Premiere. Commented
Cui Hongjian, director of the Department for European Studies of
the China Institute of International
Studies, The summit has offered a
good opportunity to bring the Silk
Road Economic Zone and the 21st
Century Maritime Silk Road conceptions into Asia-Europe cooperation.
The Eurasian region currently account for 55% of worlds total GDP
and 60% of gross global trade volume. However, trade between EU and
non-European countries only makes
up 44% of Europes total imports and
30% of total exports, leaving space
for potential trade increase with Asian
countries. There is still room for further integration within the region,
said Cui, and thats why Premier
Lis address at ASEM is meaningful. It pointed out the common interest between Europe and Asia and
directions for future cooperation.

NEWS THIS
WEEK
China, India - Oct 21

Senior diplomatic and military officials from China and India met
on Thursday and Friday to discuss
border issues. China and India have
both taken steps in recent years to
diffuse border tension. With this latest
meeting, officials agreed to establish
regular meetings between military
officials as well as a telephone hotline. Diffusing border tension is
imperative to peace and stability
in the region as well as improving
cooperation and bilateral relations.

China - Oct 21

China is currently undergoing its

Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and on Monday
began a meeting focused on advancing the rule of law so that China can
progress further in developing into
a prosperous well rounded society.
The CCP hopes to transform China
truly into a state under the law, in
which the partys role is to set legislation, enforce legislation, and set an
example by also abiding by the law.

Japan - Oct 19

The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo

Abe introduced the reinterpretation
of the Article 9 of pacifist Constitution on Tuesday, Oct.21, in which
he allowed Self Defense Forces to
play an assertive role especially
over the two important seas. Despite the concerns with growing
tensions between Japan and China,
Abe explains the reinterpretation as
part of normalizing Japan to match
its role as a major economic power.

Hong Kong - Oct 18

After almost a month of protests, the

Hong Kong government has finally
agreed to meet with student leaders
on political reform next Tuesday. The
talks will be broadcast live. The government has emphasized that the talks
will be an honest dialogue, though
has stressed that it must proceed
under the framework of the Basic
Law, Hong Kongs constitution, and
the agreement of the National Peoples Congress on Aug. 31 that has
disappointed the 30-year old pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Vietnam, China - Oct 17

China and Vietnam were apparently able to reach an agreement on

developing bilateral military relations, especially in regards to their
maritime disputes. In a meeting between the Chinese Defense Minister
Chang Wanquan and the Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang
Thanh in Beijing, they agreed to
increase cooperation and military
exchanges between the two countries. Both sides advocated for the
development of peace and stability
in disputed maritime regions in addition to enhancing political trust.

E. EUROPE & C. ASIA

EASTERN EUROPE

& CENTRAL ASIA

OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

Editors Column
Morgan Forde

Eastern Europe and Central Asia is

comprised of four major sub-regions:
Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia
and the Caucasus. While this massive geographical space encompasses many complex political, cultural,
economic and social themes, there
are elements of a shared history between these nations that makes it
unique from any other region in the
world. Despite this, news from this
part of the globe is severely underreported. What coverage does exist focuses almost entirely on the
American perspective of post-Cold
War US-Russia relations, eclipsing
important trends in the wider area.
Morgan is a junior in the School of
Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics with a concentration in International Security. Originally from Seattle, she developed
an interest in the region during high
school and is continuing to study its
politics and history while at Georgetown. As an editor, she is excited to
bring news from this complex and
often overlooked region to light.
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research
and writing to editing and administration. Our project strives, first,
to bring under-reported news into
the limelight of international affairs.
Second, to enhance cross-cultural understanding through a
unique emphasis on regional perspective and contextual analysis.
Finally, to nurture regional specialists
by providing a platform for undergraduate students to write and accumulate knowledge on specific regions.

Russians See US as Greater Threat than IS

By Luis Joy

ever since the Cold War. Credibly, it

is hard to see the United States as a
sponsor of terrorism, but this is indicative of an overarching trend in
which Russia and the United States
become more adversarial and begin to have increasingly irreconcilable misperceptions of one another.
One year ago, in the same poll, 4%
of Russians viewed the United States
as the biggest terrorist threat to their
national security, while 20% regarded Islamist extremists as the largest
threat. This year, Islamists received
13% of the vote, and the United States
climbed up to 22%; Ukraine received
seven percent. The drop in the threat
level vis-a-vis Islamic terrorism is
also due to a rise in the confidence in
the governments ability to mitigate
the insurgents. This month, 60% of
the respondents indicated that they
trusted the government to protect
them from terrorist threats, opposed
to only twenty-three, after the January Volgograd bombings. A former
security official hypothesized that
this was in part due to the successful
Sochi Olympic Games. On the other
hand, this could also be indicative
of a reassessment of priorities for a
plurality of Russians. The Russian
portrayal of the Ukrainian crisis has
revolved mainly around tying the
government in Kiev and the West
with ultranationalist fascists seeking
to destroy Russians in the country.

Since the United States

has backed the Ukrainian
government since the fall
of Yanukovych and been at
odds with Russia over the
future of the country, their
relations have chilled, anti-Americanism has increased in Russia considerably. Ramzan Kadyrov, the
Governor of Chechnya, accused the United States of
sponsoring IS devils and
claiming that the militants
leader is a CIA employee.
By presenting the United
States as the underlying
problem with Islamist insurgency in the Middle
East, and its spread into the
youth of the North Cauca-

sus, the Russian peoples perceptions

of the United States continues to widen the gap between the two countries.
Although an overwhelming majority of Russians did not identify the
United States as the largest threat to
their security, the striking rise in that
opinion might lead Russia as a whole
to continue to move in that direction.
This poll is a demonstration of the
continuing deterioration in East-West
relations. A decade ago, Russo-American collaboration against Islamic
extremists was commonplace Russia being one of the main parts of the
American military distribution net-

Putins New World Order

As the sun finally sets on the Ukrainian Civil War, the new dawn is rising revealing
the uncomfortable realities of a new world
order that has formed in the wake of the
conflict. Stretching back to the first protests
in November of 2013, the Ukrainian Civil
War served as both backdrop to and catalyst for a series of political clashes between
Russia and the West, including Russias
annexation of Crimea, Western imposition
of extensive economic sanctions, and waging of a cutthroat information war on both
sides. It is clear that these experiences
have served to radically alter the existing
political order there can be no return to
business as usual or simple reversal to
normalized relations between Russia and

by April Gordon

the West. However much we might wish it,

there is no reset button to save us this time.
The first aspect of this new world order that
must be reckoned with is the soaring domestic political popularity of President Vladimir
Putin. Recent polls show that Putins popularity rating currently stands at a whopping
84%, up a full twenty percentage points from
a poll taken just weeks before the outbreak
of the Ukrainian crisis back in October. This
boost in popularity is reflected at all levels
of Russian society including among the
youth and urban populations, which have
traditionally been most skeptical of the Presidents politics. The recent, nationwide celebrations of Putins 62nd birthday have revealed telltale signs that the development of
a cult of personality is underway, as fanfare
for the president ranged from mass rallies
in Chechnya to extravagant art shows and
exhibitions which glorified the Presidents
life and achievements. One such exhibition
included artistic portrayals of Putin clothed
in Herculean garb as he single-handedly
fought off a multi-headed, monstrous viper
that represented the US, EU and Canada.
The reasons for this upturn in popularity are
not hard to unriddle. While the immediate
importance of the annexation of Crimea and
the alleged humanitarian intervention of
Russia in Ukraine in winning over Russians
to the Putinist cause is hard to understate, it
is clear that other long-term factors are also
at work. Putins strong and dignified opposition to the West strikes a powerful chord
in a nation that endured the bitter defeat of
the Cold War and the subsequent fall from
a position of great power status. In the
present day, a growing number of Russians
pine for a return of the perceived glories of
Soviet days, when their society commanded

EASTERN EUROPE

OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

Turkish Domestic Reform Package?

By Ana Rosic

Speaking at a meeting of Turkeys

Justice and Development Party on
October 21, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutolu explained the
details of a domestic security reform package meant to enhance the
civilian and democratic identity of
the state and demonstrate the governments confidence in the people.
One of the bill packages goals is to
create a more practical and efficient
civil system for Turkish citizens, increasing the ease with which they
interact with the state. The reform
plans to give more power to law enforcement agencies, and it involves
a restructuring of both the Turkish
police department and the Interior
Ministry. It gives authority over the
personnel and records of the Turkish
Gendarmerie and Coast Guard to the
Interior Ministry, additionally outlining new guidelines for appointments
and uniforms of the group members.

work in Afghanistan and it would

serve both of the countries interests to
collaborate once more against Islamic extremism in the form of Islamic
State. However, the wedge between
the two countries fundamental visions
of the world has been growing for
years now, and since February, it has
exploded. A separate poll in Russia
asked who Russians thought was their
countrys biggest enemy, and 73%
answered the United States opposed
to 25% in 2008. In parallel, the American public views in record numbers
Russia unfavorably. The standoff
between the two countries has embittered their publics against one anoth-

er, and while the United States is not

credibly expected to engage in a terrorist struggle in Russia in any point
in time, the fact that a considerable
size of the Russian population does
is a testament to the damage Russo-American relations have suffered
in 2014. Unfortunately, at the heart of
this divergence is the ongoing crisis
in Ukraine, in which Russia and the
United States are seemingly worlds
apart and will probably continue
to be so in the foreseeable future.

respect and influence in the international

community. Himself a product of this typical Russian psychology, Putin has worked
for years to build up his reputation as the
dignified father of the homeland who
is capable of reclaiming that respect from
the international community. In a further
move to bolster his image at home, Putin
has striven actively to paint the West as a
morally corrupt adversary whose meddling
threatens the purity of the Russian nation.
All of these factors reached a catalyst during
the Ukrainian conflict, when Putin was finally given a crisis under which he could
fully embrace his carefully prepared role of
protector. In this case, Western sanctions
were the last nail in the coffin, cementing
the solidarity of Russian interests in a patriotic frenzy against the antagonistic other.
Whatever their origin, the consequences
of Putins domestic popularity for the new
world order are very real, and very dangerous. Buoyed by his high ratings and unfettered by any meaningful domestic legal opposition, the President has effectively been
given a green light to follow his own ambitious political vision for the future of Russia.
The most recent pet project of Putin a law
aimed at restricting internet freedoms was
pushed through the Duma with almost no
opposition whatsoever, demonstrating the
limitlessness of the Presidents newfound
lease of power. Through their own ineffectual use of sanctions, the international community has similarly sent the message of
their unwillingness to take steps that could
check Russias actions in a meaningful way.

its own benefit and imposes its double standards on the world community of nations. In
a declaration of unveiled anti-Americanism,
Putin was bold in his criticism of US hegemony in the post-Cold War order, describing
how failed US leadership has led to a situation of increasingly widespread global anarchy. And, it seems, Putin has no qualms
about manipulating this worldwide anarchy
to his countrys benefit. The Russian Bear,
he states, will not even bother to ask permission of the international community
to act in the taiga a region in which it is
master. While Putin holds that Russia has
no aggressive or expansive intentions, he
makes it clear that Russia has no plans to
compromise in areas where it has perceived
interests and will not hesitate to reclaim the
respect that it feels it deserves. We have
no need of getting involved in things, of
ordering others around, but we want others
to stay out of our affairs and to stop pretending they rule the world. That is all.

Faced with overwhelming support at home

and weak resistance abroad, Putin has decided to move forward in the final stage of his
consolidation of power. In a recent speech
at the Valdai Conference in Sochi, Putin effectively declared war on the international
system decrying it as a unipolar dictatorship that manipulates international law for

As political punches continue to fly back and

forth between Russia and the West, it is unclear as to how this all will end. The rules of
the political chess game have fundamentally
changed, but the players are still only setting
up their boards. What comes next is anyones
guess, but we can be sure that there is no going back to the pre-Maidan world order. In
this new game, both sides are in it to win.

& CENTRAL ASIA

The bill specifically addresses protest practices in detail. According to

Davutolu, the new law will prevent
attacks against peaceful demonstrations, but it will also treat demonstrations that become violent as crimes.
Protesters covering their faces will be
seen as potential criminals and will
be removed from demonstrations,
as the act constitutes a declaration
that the person will commit a crime
by hiding his identity, according
to Davutolu. The bill outlaws the
possession of Molotov cocktails,

which were previously legal, calling them instrument[s] of assault,

and points to the heavy penalties
associated with having them in the
Unites States and United Kingdom.
The reform package has sparked
outrage from the opposition, which
claims that it threatens citizens right
to protest and that it will turn Turkey
into a police state. Davutolu warned
foreign media outlets against characterizing the reform as authoritarian
while the same types of measures
exist in their countries, telling them
to engage in self-criticism first.
The segment of the reform package
concerning demonstrations is a direct
response to the protests earlier this
month that took place in cities across
Turkey. The protesters were angry
at the states lack of support for the
Syrian border town of Kobane, which
was and still is under attack from
Islamic State (IS) jihadists. Some

worry that this crisis is rekindling

the flames of civil war in the region,
once more creating tension between
Turkey and the Kurds living there.
The protests were led by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group
that has fought a decades-long insurgency for self-determination in
southeastern Turkey and that has been
labeled by the Turkish government
and the European Union as a terrorist
organization. At least 34 people were
killed and 360 wounded during the
demonstration, while schools and libraries were attacked and ambulances
were burnt down. The Turkish police
received widespread criticism for
their response, which included the
use of tear gas and water cannons.
A week before the protests, Turkey
had promised to prevent Kobane from
being taken by IS, and the Turkish
Parliament had even authorized military operations against militants in

Tajikistan and Azerbaijan Brought Closer by

Common Stance on Nagorno-Karabakh
and
consists
the
major point of contention between the
two countries. Sporadic clashes have
occurred since the
ceasefire of 1994
which ended a sixyear war responsi-

As part of a three-day official visit to

Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Azerbaijans
president Ilham Aliyev signed a Joint
Declaration with Tajikistans president Emomali Rahmon. A formal
welcoming ceremony was held at the
Palace of Nations in the Tajik capital, with a guard of honor arranged
for the head of state. The declaration
emphasized the inadmissibility of
changing internationally recognized
borders as a way to counter potential
threats to their territorial integrity, a
hint to the difficult relations Azerbaijan has with its southwestern neighbor, Armenia. They also stressed an
urgent necessity to peacefully settle
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory located in Azerbaijan
but mainly populated by Armenians.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a
frozen war between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over a territory the size
of Delaware located in Azerbaijan
but mainly populated by Armenians

ble for 30,000 deaths. However, in

August of this year, fifteen soldiers
were killed, twelve of which Azeri,
raising the prospect of further destabilization in the Caucasus. NATO has
reaffirmed its support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Armenia
also has a portion of its territory,
the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, mainly populated by Azeris.
Support was also given to the development of mutual economic, trade,
transportation, and military cooperation. The two countries already cooperate in the fields of law enforcement,
counterterrorism as well as drug and
weapon trafficking. Initiatives in the
transport sector include the opening
of a new international sea port in
Azerbaijan as well as the construction of the railway Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
to be completed in 2015. They also
expressed the willingness to resume
direct flights between Dushanbe and
Baku. In addition, the two countries
signed an agreement on cooper-

By David Attia

ation in the field of healthcare, as

well as an agreement on scientific
cooperation between the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
and the Tajik Academy of Sciences.
Tajikistan hopes for increased Azeri
investments in the construction of
hydropower facilities and in the natural resources industry of Tajikistan.
Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, both former
Soviet republics, established diplomatic relations on 29 May 1992. They
are both members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
formed in 1991 but are not part to the
related free trade agreement (CISFTA)
of 2011. Currently, the Tajik-Azeri legal base consists of more than thirty
agreements and treaties, where the
Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation of March 2007 is most fundamental. The trade between Azerbaijan
and Tajikistan equaled $11 million in
the first half of 2014, with Tajikistan
purchasing aluminum oxide, coke and
other raw materials. In 2012, Azerbaijans Azeraluminium and Tajikistans
TALCO signed a cooperation agreement. Both countries are interested
in the revival of the Great Silk Way
within the TRACECA (Transport
Corridor
Europe-Caucasus-Asia)
project. TRACECA is an international
transport programme, established in
1993, involving the European Union
and 14 States of Eastern Europe,
the Caucasus and Central Asia. The

Syria and Iraq. However, the Turkish

border police had stopped groups of
Kurds reportedly crossing the Turkish
border so that they may go to Kobane
and fight. Some protesters went so
far as accusing the Turkish government of being in cohorts with IS, but
it is more likely that Turkey feared
aiding the Kurds in Syria would fuel
Kurd nationalism and self-determination in Turkey. It wasnt until last
week that Turkey, under heavy US
pressure, announced that it would
allow the Iraqi Peshmerga, armed
Kurdish fighters, to cross its territory and join the fight in Kobane.
Davutolus legislation attempts to
cover a lot of ground, but its mainly concerned with human rights issues in an obvious attempt to cater
to the European Union during Turkeys continued accession campaign.
Davutolu explicitly stated that all
of the proposed reforms must first
be approved by the European Union
Harmonization Committee, a body
established in 2003 that makes certain
new Turkish legislation is in sync with
that of the EU. The outgoing head of
the European Union Delegation to
Turkey, EU Ambassador Stefano
Manservisi, has remarked that the
restructuring of the Gendarmerie is a
positive step towards demilitarization, but Turkey still has a long way
to go before the EU considers changing its opinion on Turkeys accession.

Permanent Secretariat of Intergovernmental Commission of TRACECA is located in Baku, Azerbaijan.

This Joint Declaration in October
comes at a point when Tajikistan is
stepping up its partnerships with different regional actors: it signed ten
agreements with Iran in September
as well as a defense agreement with
Kazakhstan, a cooperation agreement
with Kyrgyzstan and seventeen agreements with China in that same month,
a cooperation agreement with Russia
in October. Less active than Tajikistan, Azerbaijan has been reaching
out to actors outside of Central Asia
in the last few months, a research
agreement with Argentina as well as
a cooperation agreement in the energy field with Malaysia in September
and two security cooperation agreements signed with Qatar in October.
The two countries have appealed to
powers in the region in order to defend their position. While Azerbaijan has turned to Georgia, Turkey,
Israel and the US, Armenia registered the support of Iran and Russia.
The conflict was also a key element
in designing the routes of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline
and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE)
gas pipeline, both circumventing
Armenia in bringing Caspian energy
resources to Europe. On its end, Tajikistan has boundary disputes with
two of its neighbors, Uzbekistan
and Kyrgyzstan. The development
of strong ties with Tajikistan is another step taken by Azerbaijan in its
long-standing opposition to Armenia.

NEWS THIS
WEEK
Poland - Oct 24

The CIAs Extraordinary Rendition

program is the current target of a European Court of Human Rights case.
The Court has ruled that the Polish
government transferred suspected
Arab terrorists to a CIA black site
where the two individuals were subjected to torture. Poland is accused
of not cooperating with the court
while the government insists that the
issue is a matter of national security.

Armenia - Oct 24

The Armenian Law of Wildlife,

passed on April 12th of this year, allows citizens to own wild animals,
including endangered species. While
the law states that constant supervision is required and that animals
may not be imported from the wild,
many instances of wild animals injuring citizens and the import of
endangered species from zoos are
prevalent in the country. Armenias
wealthiest and most powerful political players allegedly keep wild lions
and tigers, making it difficult for the
government to prevent these imports.

Ukraine - Oct 16

Its no secret that with winter approaching and Russian gas supplies
cut off to Ukraine that Kiev is beginning to become desperate for a
solution. A number of negotiations
have been held with EU countries
with multiple instances of backflow
and Norways Statoil promising
energy supply. While better than
nothing, Ukraine is still in massive debt to Russia and worse, still
needs gas supply from the nation
in order to ensure energy stability.
Talks are expected between Putin
and Poroshenko in Milan this week
with the Ukrainian president claiming the two are close to a deal.

Turkmenistan - Oct 16

With the approaching decrease in U.S.

soldiers in Afghanistan from 41,000
to 15,000, Turkmenistan is preparing
for worst, hoping for the best. While
the Central Asian country has had
neutral relations with their tulmultous
neighbor, the fear of the spread of radical Islam is present. While it doesnt
seem that the Taliban sees Turkmenistan as a possible location for expansion, defensive structures are being
put in place at Turkmen borders.

Russia - Oct 16

At a time of major economic contraction in Russia with low oil prices,

inflation and sanctions, the nation has
increased its defense budget by twenty billion dollars just this year. This
increase in defense spending is expected to continue over the next several years, with 4.2% of the 2015 budget being dedicated to the sector ($81
billion in total). While most countries
defense spending is below 3% and the
United States at 3.8%, the Russian
Federation proves to be taking its
military prowess to the highest level.

LATIN AMERICA

L AT I N A M E R I C A & T H E C A R R I B E A N
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

L AT I N A M E R I C A & T H E C A R R I B E A N
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

NEWS THIS
WEEK
Panama - Oct 30

Panama considers it premature to

adhere to an international agreement
to exchange financial information
and cooperation to combat tax evasion, which would take effect in
2017. The Panamanian government
said, however, that it is re-evaluating its policies in this area to meet
international
requirements,
but
without affecting their interests.

Haiti - Oct 28

Haitians marched in Port-au-Prince

over the goverments decision to delay
legislative and municipial elections,
which were due in 2012. The country
has struggled to hold regular elections since the 2010 earthquake. The
elections, which were scheduled for
Sunday, were ostensibly delayed due
to a stalemate between the government and opposition senators, but the
opposition claims that President Michel Martelly plans to delay the elections long enough to rule by decree.

Peru - Oct 28

For several days, a group of indigenous activists has occupied an airport

near Andoas. They complain that the
oil company working on their land
has not included them in dialogue.

Nicaragua - Oct 22

Small-scale farmers from communities in Nicaraguas southern

Caribbean zone protested Tuesday
against planed land expropriations
orchestrated by the government
of Daniel Ortega and the Chinese company HKND in order to
build a massive interoceanic canal.

Mexico - Oct 22

The masacre of Tlatlaya, in which

22 alleged drug traffickers were
killed by the army, is now under deep
scrutiny after the CNDH concluded
that in the morning of June 30 eight
officers killed 15 civilians who had
surrendered after an armed clash
that had left seven others dead. Once
killed, the militants manipulated the
crime scene to make it seem that
they had all died during the crossfire.

Mexican Military Human Rights Violations

serve as effective bulwarks against

the cartels violence and influence.

by Brendan Keenan

Last Tuesday, the Human Rights

Commission released a report summarizing the results of its investigation on a June 2014 shoot out between the Mexican Army and gang
suspects in Tlatlaya in the State of
Mexico that left twenty-two people dead. The Commissions report
indicated that between twelve and
fifteen of the deaths were carried out
by six soldiers following the firefight. The shooting began following
an assault on a military patrol on
the morning of June 30th while investigating a guarded warehouse.
The assault left twenty-two gang suspects dead and one soldier injured,
making it one of the bloodiest military-gang battles in recent history. The
event itself, however, did not warrant
significant attention given Tlatlayas
proximity to Guerrero, a Mexican
state with high violence rates and cartel activity. The event only received
media coverage once the Human
Rights Commission began an independent investigation on federal involvement following accusations from the
mother of one of the battles victims.
The investigation uncovered evidence
suggesting that the military took measures to cover up its involvement in
what the commission calls extrajudicial killings of alleged gang members. The resulting report claimed
that the majority of the bodies were
moved into more aggressive positions, and weapons were laid next to
all the corpses. It further claims that
one of the captured gang members
neck was twisted beyond its breaking
point, four members were severely
beaten with blunt instruments, and
three had been shot execution style in

the back of the head while unarmed.

Further outrage occurred when the
Commission determined that the
civilian prosecutors for the State
of Mexico responsible for investigating the killings waited months
before beginning the investigation
and used substandard evidence in
compiling their report. The Human
Rights Commission also determined that three of the women who
had survived the assault were
physically assaulted and intimidated while in state custody.
The extent of the brutality and
authoritative
mismanagement
lead Human Rights Commission
president Ral Plascensia to denounce the killings as one of the
most serious human rights violations that can be committed.
This is not the first instance of the
Mexican military incurring international ire for the mistreatment of
civilians and unarmed prisoners.

FOUR MORE FOR DILMA

posed tightening the budget and lowering the governments inflation target
in order to restore foreign investors
trust in Brazils economic policymaking. Neves and Fraga also wanted to
give the Central Bank more political independence to practice sound,
unbiased monetary policcy. Their
critics claimed that this would make
the Central Bank more willing to sacrifice employment, poverty reduction
and industrial policy to the interests of
the financial sector in pursuing a lower inflation rate. In addition, Neves
promised to cut government bureaucracy, make Congress more accountable, and reform Brazils tax system.
Branded as a pro-growth, market-friendly candidate Neves had
won over many investors and business leaders, attracting large amounts
of campaign contributions from the
industries that were unhappy over
what they perceived as Rousseffs
heavy-handed policies. Ethanol producers, for example, have protested
for years for being unable to compete against gasoline at the pump
because Rousseffs government has

By Shirley Zhan

kept official fuel prices artificially

low and scrapped a traditional gas
tax to control inflation. In fact, on
October 22nd, business barons and financiers took to the streets to support
Neves, participating in what had been
dubbed the cashmere revolution.
As for Rousseff, much of her campaign was centered on reminding
the Brazilian people of the Workers
Partys successes in poverty reduction and promising to continue social
programs that have achieved real
results. She also cited several of her
presidencys contributions to Brazils
poor, such the expansion of the Bolsa
Famlia program from 16.2 million to
57.8 million people, a real increase in
the minimum wage, and near-record
low unemployment rate. In effect,
Rousseff won widespread support
among the poor, who make up the
majority of the population in Brazil.
Wealthy Brazilians, on the other hand,
were against Rousseffs interventionist economic policies such as petrol
price controls and high taxes. In all
the debates, Neves accused Rousseff
of leading the country into recession,

After a decade in Michoacn, the

soldiers have proven ineffective
at thwarting the cartels, allowing
them to become more entrenched
and numerous. The armys lack
of effectiveness in combating the
cartels such as Knights Templar,
encouraged civilians throughout
Michoacn to take up arms against
organized crime. The self-defense
militias have enjoyed a surprising
rate of success in pushing cartel
forces out of rural towns and farms
and have begun coordinating with
government soldiers in the state.
The Felipe Calderon presidency
justified the deaths of nearly three
thousand civilian deaths by claiming they occurred during attacks
against military personnel. These
attacks, however, only accounted for the deaths of less than two
hundred soldiers. Since Enrique
Pea Nieto assumed the presidency in 2012, over six-hundred
cases of civilian deaths have been
attributed to military personnel.
These high levels of violence placed
on the military are symptoms of
the larger crisis Mexico faces from
relying on its military for police actions. In 2006, then president Felipe
Caldern sent thousands of soldiers
from the Mexican army into Michoacn, a state in southwestern Mexico, to root out drug cartels that had
became entrenched in the state. The
use of soldiers in domestic territory
began the practice of the sending
military personal to combat cartels
in places where the police where either unequipped or too corrupted to
as annual growth in GDP has plunged
from 7.5 percent to near zero. Inflation became a dangerous distraction
and industrial production didnt grow
as much as it should have. Rousseff
defended her position by noting
that Brazil had been one of the few
countries that still managed to create
jobs and lift people out of poverty
despite adverse international conditions. Few efforts, however, have
been made to tackle Brazils structural problems, including its poor
infrastructure, high costs, punitive
tax system, and a rigid labor code.
In addition, a corruption scandal at
Brazilian oil company Petrobras had
further tainted Rousseffs image.
If the mass protests at the FIFA World
Cup this past summer were of any indication, it is that there is an appetite
for change among the Brazilian people with the governments policies.
While Rousseffs victory in these
elections reflects the Worker Partys
success in advancing its social agenda, it is uncertain whether Rousseff
will be able to achieve the structural
reforms necessary to put Brazil on a
sustainable growth path in the coming
years. In addition to facing a troubled economy and financial market,

Unfortunately, the rise of the citizen

militia has done little to stem the high
civilian casualty rate in the Mexican
war on drugs, which is estimated
to have exceeded 60,000 people.
Public trust in the Mexican military
continues to erode as it charged for
a growing number of human rights
violations. A strong parallel can
be drawn with public trust in the
police forces, which recently suffered a significant drop following
accusations that cartel-paid police officers kidnapped over forty
students in the state of Guerrero.
As public faith in the Mexican military and police forces drops, more
citizens could be incentivized to
join the self-defense militias that
have become increasingly common
in rural areas. Should the militias
numbers swell, or should public
faith in Mexicos public forces fall
any further, Mexico could find itself
primed for large scale civil unrest.

Uribe for Re-election? Santos says No.

By Peter Tran

Colombian president Juan Manuel

Santos administration platform has
focused on bringing about institutional reform. He led an effort for government to formally acknowledge the victims of Colombias internal conflict,
and two years ago he started peace
negotiations with FARC, Colombias infamous guerilla movement,
in Havana, Cuba. These past weeks,
Santos has concentrated on reforming
reelection law in an effort to revoke
changes in legislation performed by
his predecessor, once closest ally,
and now greatest critic, lvaro Uribe.
Uribe made a large impact in Colombian politics when he passed a law
that allowed him to present himself
for re-election, a measure previously
prohibited by the Colombian Constitution. Although he was expected
to encounter some resistance, Uribe
was able to pass the law because of
his public personality, thanks to increased measures against FARC and
an economic boom. Uribe even tried
to present himself for a third term in
2010, but the legal reform required
for yet another reelection was deemed
unconstitutional and was therefore
rejected. As such, the Uribe era of
Colombia lasted from 2002 to 2010.
Uribes successor, Juan Manuel Santos, originally enjoyed warm relations
with the previous president, having
appointed him as Minister of Defense
and backing his election campaign

in 2010. However, tensions between

the two political heads rose shortly
after Santos election in 2010, and
by 2012 the two had a public fallout. This was the result of Santos
taking measures that Uribe did not
agree upon, such as discussing offering judicial leniency to FARC in
exchange for their disarmament, or
warming up relations with Venezuelas then president Hugo Chavez. In
the years that followed, Uribe started
spiritedly criticizing his successor.
Santos was once again elected president in June of this year, beating
Uribes choice candidate, Oscar Ivan
Zuluaga. Santos proved on September
that he is intent in separating himself
from Uribe when he presented a bill
that would eliminate the possibility
of re-elections. During this years
campaign, Santos suggested that he
would extend the length of public
office to five or six years, howev-

er he has since backed off from the

idea. The bill also proposes changes
to government oversight mechanisms and provincial representation in congress. The bill was to be
debated in eight sessions in Congress, between Santos and Uribes
respective parties, as well as with
the leftist party Polo Democratico.
After just two of the eight planned
sessions, Senate approved of the
bills article that eliminates the possibility of re-election. Despite Uribes
participation and influence in senate,
the bill has been processed smoothly and has received little opposition.
Congress also closed the door to the
possibility of calling for re-elections,
making it only possible through a referendum or through Constituent Assembly. The bills remaining points
on government oversight and provincial representation will still be debated in Congress for six more sessions.

Santos latest move will have a great

impact in Colombian politics. Santos
successor will have less time to create
lasting policies, if they even desire to do
so. It can be expected that there will be
a greater clash between the ruling party
trying to keep their policies and opposing parties trying to change it. Whether
this will have an impact on the Colombian economy is unclear, however it is
doubtful that anyone would try to fix
what is not broken. Regardless, Santos
has proven that he has completely separated himself from Uribe, and retains
his dominant role in Colombian politics.

disclose information on tax jurisdiction to the Colombian government is

a red flag that signals it as a potential
tax haven. Given the Colombia and
Panamas historically positive relations, this crisis is a clear alert for Panama to change its financial legislation.
In further efforts to raise revenue from
tax evasion, Colombia has also signed
tax information agreements with Barbados, the UAE and Monaco, officially taking them off its tax haven list,
as well. Future double taxation treaties with these countries, especially
with Panama, are also in discussion.

Panama: Tax Haven for a Week

Rousseff will also have to deal with

the scandal at Petrobras, which has
eroded confidence in the Workers
Party in a country all too familiar
with corruption scandals. In terms
of both population and economy,
Brazil is the largest nation in Latin
America, and Rousseffs policies in
her upcoming term will have an impact for the region as a whole. With
Brazil looking at another four years
under the leadership of Rousseff, only
time will tell whether or not the nation will be able to move forward with
both its economic and social agenda.

Re-elections are currently a hot topic all

over Latin America. Recently, Bolivias
Evo Morales was re-elected president
for the third time. Similarly to Santos,
Morales changed the countrys constitution to achieve realection. However,
unlike Santos, Morales was successful
in remaining in power, his logic being
that since he changed the countrys
constitution during his first term, the
next elections would fall under the
new constitution, which allows for
two consecutive presidencies. Cristina
Fernndez de Kirchner from Argentina
also attempted to change the countrys
constitution to allow for her re-election,
however her partys diminished presence in Congress made such change a
dream, which means that Mrs. Kirchner
will have to look for a successor of her
policies. Finally, Brazils Dilma Rousseff is having trouble being re-elected.

Last week, Colombias recent issues

with Panama have been temporarily
resolved after Colombia took Panama off its list of tax havens, leading
both countries to agree on an information-sharing agreement. When Panama failed to meet the deadline for the
original agreement two weeks ago,
Colombia placed Panama on its tax
haven list, causing Panama to raise
retaliatory threats. The sudden crisis
in the countries economic relations
was caused by the Colombian governments recent efforts to raise more
revenue by monitoring tax evaders
with bank accounts in Panama. This
new information-sharing agreement
is valid until September 2015, and is

by Sylvia Cesar

the base for a future double taxation

treaty which will conform to OECD
(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) standards.

The Colombian president Juan Manuel Santosknown for his efforts

in improving diplomatic relations
with Venezuela and Ecuador, and
for advancing the peace processes
with FARChas been called out
for this sudden crisis in Colombo-Panamanian relations. However,
his governments efforts to obtain
revenue from tax evaders are not
unfounded. Last year alone, Colombian investments in Panama added

up to $3.2 billion and represented

42% of all Colombian foreign investment. Conversely, taxing foreign
evaders could raise $10 billion, a little under half of what the recent tax
reform bill seeks to raise in the next
four years of Santos administration.
This is not the first time Panama has
been accused of poor transparency,
and it has only recently been considered a more cooperative tax haven,
under OECD and FATF (Financial
Action Task Force) standards. For
years, the Latin American press has
denounced Panama as a money laundering and tax evasion destination.
Furthermore, Panamas reluctance to

Editors Column
Daniel Sandoval

While Latin America is a highly

dynamic region with much to look
forward to, it currently faces several
concerning issues: drug trade, guerrilla groups, urban violence, and economic stagnation, just to name a few.
Certain countries in the region are
also experimenting with several innovative economic and political models,
which will surely produce exciting
outcomes over the course of the next
few years. This section hopes to monitor how such a promising region develops, how it deals with its problems
and how it exploits its great potential.
Daniel is a junior in the School of
Foreign Service. He is an International Economics major with a concentration in International Finance
and Commerce. From Bogot, Colombia, he grew up traveling around
South America. Although inclined to
focus on the economics in the region,
he is also interested in several of the
regions security and social issues.
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research
and writing to editing and administration. Our project strives, first,
to bring under-reported news into
the limelight of international affairs.
Second, to enhance cross-cultural understanding through a
unique emphasis on regional perspective and contextual analysis.
Finally, to nurture regional specialists
by providing a platform for undergraduate students to write and accumulate knowledge on specific regions.

AUGUST 11TH - AUGUST 17TH

AUGUST 11TH - AUGUST 17TH

MIDDLE EAST & N. AFRICA

M I D D L E E A S T & N O RT H A F R I C A
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

Editors Column
Connor Swank
Shaiesha Moore

In accordance with The Caravels

stated mission of publishing under-reported news, the MENA section will draw on both English- and
foreign-language sources to highlight
little-known trends in the Middle East
and North Africa region. While there
is no consensus on the sub-regional
makeup of the Middle East, The Caravel will divide the region into four
sectionsNorth Africa, the Levant,
the Gulf, and Iranfor ease of analysis. This section will report on such
important trends as sectarianism, the
interplay between religion and politics, and the international rivalries
between regional powers. We at the
MENA section will endeavor to use
all the resources at our disposal to
report on developments both well
known and obscure in an intelligent, timely, and interesting manner.
Connor is a junior in the School of
Foreign Service, majoring in Regional and Comparative Studies. A
Virginia native, he now identifies
as a Washingtonian. Connor is primarily interested in the interplay between rival sects and political actors
in the MENA region. He has studied
abroad in Morocco and hopes to travel to the Gulf region in the future.
Shaiesha is a senior in the School
of Foreign Service. She is a Middle
East Regional Studies major with a
concentration in democratic transitions and economic development.
She is a Pickering Fellow and will
enter the Foreign Service in 2017.
Her interest in the Middle East
and North Africa (MENA) stems
from her travels to Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, and Morocco.
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research and
writing to editing and administration.

Unrest is Spreading: A Looming Intifada?

by Amin Gharad

Orwas funeral was delayed until

Sunday to allow Hammads father, a Louisiana resident, and his
mother, who had been visiting relatives in Jordan, to arrive in Silwad.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel would
not seek to change the status quo with
respect to policies governing the al-Aqsa Mosque, right-wing legislators from
his party are said to be intent on introducing legislation permitting Jewish
prayer in, and visitation to, the Temple Mount compound. Tensions have
been further exacerbated by visits by
far-right Israelis, accompanied by Israeli police to the al-Aqsa grounds.

State Department spokeswoman,

Jen Psaki, stated that the United
States expresses its deepest condolences to the Hammad family, and
called for a speedy and transparent
investigation into his death. Psaki also urged all parties to restore
calm and avoid escalating tensions.
The death comes amid a number
of similar events in recent days. On
Wednesday, a car plowed into a crowd
standing at the Ammunition Hill light
rail station in Jerusalem, killing three
month-old Chaya Zissel Braunshe
and her parents, also injured in the
incident, are U.S. citizens. The driver, a 20-year-old Palestinian man
from the East Jerusalem village of
Silwan, Abdel-Rehman al-Shaloudi,
was shot by police as he attempted
to flee the scene on foot. He died a
few hours later from his wounds.
Eight others were injured at the
scene, and one, a 22-year-old Ecuadorean tourist, has since died. Israeli
officials allege that the driver had
ties to Hamas, and had spent time in
Israeli custody for security offenses.
Al-Shaludis family expressed certainty, however, that the incident was
accidental, and that Abdel-Rahman
suffered from worsening psychological issues since having been released
from Israeli custodyeven visiting

a physician the day of the incident.

The light rail incident comes just days
after the death of a five-year-old Palestinian girl, Inas Dar Khalil, who was
struck by an Israeli settler on Oct. 20
after she and a schoolmate had gotten
off a school bus and were making their
way across the street to their mothers.
The second girl, Nilin Asfour, sustained severe injuries and remains in
critical condition. The driver fled the
scene, claiming he feared for his life,
and reported the incident to the police
who ruled the hit-and-run an accident.
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, lodged
a complaint with the UN Security
Council in a letter that, among other
grievances, cited similar hit-and-run
incidents in recent weeks. Mansour
referenced an Aug. 7 incident when
an Israeli settler struck and injured an
eight-year-old Palestinian girl, Aug.

14 when a Palestinian man was hit by

a settlers car, the death of another Palestinian man who was struck on Aug.
17, and the injury of a 10-year-old girl
in Silwan at the end of September.
Turmoil Upon Temple Mount
Since the brokering of an Aug. 26
agreement to indefinitely cease hostilities after 50 days of fighting,
tension and violence in the region
appears to have reached a fever pitch.
Since this summers hostilities, the
area around the al-Aqsa mosque
has witnessed a sustained pattern
of unrest, with clashes and protests
becoming especially frequent over
the last few weeks. Despite Israeli forces having conducted mass
arrests in an attempt to contain
demonstrations, unrest persists in the
city, due in large part to perceived
threats to the integrity of the al-Aqsa
Mosque and East Jerusalem at large.

Deconstructing the Rise of ISIS

by Rohan Advani

Although ISIS and its recent developments are at the centre of attention throughout the mainstream
media, by and large, they have
failed to analytically assess the rise
of ISIS within the Iraqi context.
Funding
It is a known secret that, in its nascent
stages, ISIS was heavily dependent
upon support from wealthy individuals in the Arab Gulf States of Kuwait,
Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Although the
Saudi government formally outlawed

private donations to ISIS in March, it

is noteworthy that one of Saudi Arabias most astute counter-terrorism
tactics is its ability to monitor the formal financial sector to block suspect
donations implying tacit support of
support to ISIS-like groups in Syria
and Iraq. In fact, relative instability
in the region (Libya, Syria, Iraq) actually benefits the oil producing Gulf
states, as evidenced by the spike in oil
prices as Brent oil reached $114.02 a
barrel whilst they remain committed to meeting oil market demand.
Moreover, as the Gulfs geopolitical
competitors Syria, Iraq and Iran
are weakened by conflict and sanctions, the Gulf (and Gulf capital) is
able to retain its regional economic
and political supremacy. However,
Gulf states are not throwing their full
weight behind a volatile group such
as ISIS for various reasons: long-term
security, U.S. pressure and Gulf capitals need to expand into areas that
implement stable, neoliberal policies
(eg. Saudi Arabias support for Sisi).
In light of recent events, private donations to ISIS have clearly diminished in importance as their revenue
is generated by activities such as the
smuggling of oil and weapons, extortion, and loot from conquest $420
million from Mosuls central bank.

Aside from the ideological and religious rhetoric, ISIS is focussing on

reinforcing their independent revenue
stream, evidenced by its determination to capture the Baiji refinery
(Iraqs biggest refinery), the Haditha
refinery, the Qaiyarah and Hamrah oilfields, and the Turkey-Iraq Pipeline.
ISIS within the Iraqi context
Although material support was and
remains crucial to the rise of ISIS, we
must look beyond this, towards the
structural forces at play within Iraq
that allowed this group to flourish.
After the US invasion of 2003, Iraqs
economy was completely restructured
along neoliberal lines: foreign investors were given equal rights with
Iraqis in the domestic market, a flat
tax system was imposed alongside
cuts in food and fuel subsidies, and
arguably most importantly, the removal of the Iraqi peoples collective
ownership of Iraqs oil. The new oil
laws were based on the constitution,
which reinforces sectarian lines by
permitting provinces to form autonomous regions. Unemployment
rose to 60% and more than 5 million
people were living in poverty. Naturally, there was a movement away
from the state and towards religious
communities for welfare and protection. As Al-Malikis government systematically normalized sectarianism
into Iraqi politics to deflect economic

Ongoing Israeli settlement expansion into regions of the West Bank

and East Jerusalem are also blamed
for setting off unrest in a number of
flashpoints in the region. Expanding
settlements in the area are perceived
as provocative and being intended to strengthen and realize Israels
claim to the entirety of Jerusalem as
its eternal and indivisible capital.
The Second and most recent Intifida, or
Palestinian uprising, was preceded by
failed peace talks in 2000, followed by
a visit to the Temple Mount by then-opposition candidate, Ariel Sharon, sparking explosive demonstrations and setting into motion the second widespread
uprising. Examining this precedent, it
is not difficult to imagine why many
from disgruntled Palestinian teenagers
in the streets of Ramallah to Israeli and
Palestinian officialsare increasingly
worried that current unrest could very
quickly devolve into more widespread
violence, or even a Third Intifada.
and social tensions, he marginalized
Sunnis as Shiites dominated government jobs, he refused to share vast oil
revenues with Sunni constituents, and
the largely Shiite military often humiliated Sunnis by putting up Shia insignia and frisking them at checkpoints.
In essence, many Sunnis felt they
were living under Shiite occupation.
Hence, ISIS, in the midst of all this
turmoil were able to capitalize on this
discontent, and not according to
mainstream media appear out of nowhere. In fact, from 20122014, Iraq
experienced large-scale mass protests
from mostly Sunni groups demanding
social justice against corruption and
discrimination. However, Al-Malikis
government brutally cracked down on
these largely peaceful protests, which
naturally led the marginalized to turn
to more radical, violent, and ultimately, sectarian tactics. That being said,
ISIS does not have popular support
(the overwhelming majority of Sunnis support inclusive secular politics),
and were only able to capture certain
cities with the aid of Sunni tribes, and
ironically, ex-Baathists. In some instances, local Sunni groups have actually helped the Iraqi army reassert itself
and celebrated the departure of ISIS.
Despite the media frenzy surrounding
ISIS, we must resist the temptation to
focus on the static Sunni-Shiite sectarian dichotomy and emphasis on

M I D D L E E A S T & N O RT H A F R I C A
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

TUNISIA PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

by Rohan Advani

pledging to protect marginalized residents and improve the countrys human rights record, it is not expected
to gain many seats in this election.

On Sunday morning, Tunisians began

voting in parliamentary elections to
elect a five-year legislative assembly.
This vote will elect the first parliament in Tunisia since the ouster of
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, who
ruled the country for almost 24 years.
Many polling stations recorded a
high turnout, with estimates at approximately 60% of the 5.2 million
registered voters. To put that into
perspective, voter turnout at the
2012 U.S. elections were 57.5%.
The historic importance of this
election was emphasized by Prime
Minister Mehdi Jomaa, stating that,
the spotlight is on us and the success of this vote is a guarantee for
the future. Even President Barack
Obama described the election as an
important milestone in the countrys historic political transition.
Tunisia has been considered one of
the few, if only, success stories of
the Arab Spring, undergoing a liberalization of the political landscape,
participation of new political forces,
a rise in the level of civil and political rights, and the adoption of a new
constitution. Moreover, independent
actors at the social level, such as
the Tunisian General Labour Union
(UGTT), have been playing a crucial
role in shaping political developments
and engaging in national dialogue.
However, the situation in Tunisia is

not as promising as many commentators paint it out to be. The political

landscape is largely polarized between
the main Islamist party, Ennahda, and
the secularist party Nidaa Tounes,
which has many elements tied to the
Ben Ali regime. Although the secular-political Islam divide is clear between the two parties, their economic
policies are largely similar with both
parties debating over who can implement such policies more effectively.
Unlike the first election in 2011,
where the role of Islam dominated political discourse, the state of
the economy is at the forefront of
this election. Investment is heavily
concentrated in urban centres at the
expense of the development of rural
areas, and the unemployment rate averages 15% nationally bur reaches as
high as 30% in non-coastal regions.
Access to water is 97% in the capital,
Tunis, but drops to 40% in rural areas
in the north-west of the country. On a

more general level, the Tunisian government signed a deal with the IMF
last year to obtain a two-year $1.78
billion loan program with certain
conditions. The government cut fuel
subsidies in July, imposed new taxes,
and devalued the currency, leading to
an increase in the price of imports
disproportionately hitting the poor.
The importance of the economy
is so prominent that according to
a research conducted by the Pew
Research Center, 73% of Tunisians think that a strong economy
is the most important thing for a
country, whereas only 25% believe
that it is a democratic government.
With both parties pursuing similar
policies, many Tunisians do not see
any viable economic alternative.
While the left-wing Popular Front
coalition presents itself as an alternative to the political polarization,

In addition to concerns about the

economy, in recent years, security
concerns have captured the political
arena. The coordinator of the Popular Front coalition, Chokri Belaid,
was assassinated by Islamist militants in February 2013, followed by
his successor Mohamed Brahmi the
following July. This caused a national outrage, with many blaming the
ruling Ennahda party for either tacit
involvement in or incompetence for
ensuring security of political figureheads. Moreover, there have been arbitrary arrests of political opponents,
which raises questions concerns about
the state of human rights in Tunisia,
and its similarities to the Ben Ali
days. In conjunction with political
assassinations by hardline Islamist
groups, radical Islamism and jihadism is on the rise to a certain extent
within the country. Groups such as
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and
Ansar al-Sharia have gained traction
in the region, and the instability in
Libya threatens to seep into Tunisia.
With the deteriorating situation regarding the economy and general
security, this election could not come
at a more important time in Tunisias
history. However, given such a polarized political atmosphere, Tunisias
status as a success story of the Arab
Spring may yet be called into question.

UK Recognition of Palestine Highlights Statehood Debate

by Matt Gregory

The United Kingdom House of Commons passed a motion on October 14

to recognize the territories of Gaza and
the West Bank as a Palestinian state, a
move that came amidst worldwide criticism of Israel following its summer
military offensive in Gaza. The bill,
which passed the House of Commons
by a vote of 274 to 12, expressed the
British governments desire to recognise the state of Palestine alongside the
state of Israel, as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution.
The British legislatures decision
comes after recent declarations of support by Swedish and French leaders,
with Swedens Prime Minister Stefan
Lofven announcing its recognition of
Palestine on October 3 and French
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius acknowledging the necessity of Palestinian autonomy in an effort to implement
a two-state solution on October 14.
And while other major European countries, including Germany, are hesitating to take this step prior to the implementation of a comprehensive peace
agreement, Israeli leaders worry that
this trend will continue as pro-Palestinian sentiment grows in Europe. There
are clear signs among many European
Union countries, said a senior Israeli official. Their goal is to pressure
Israel, even though they are ignoring
the reality that Mahmoud Abbas
is the one who is always refusing.

The recent UK vote elicited approval from Palestinian leadership, with

key officials applauding
the step. According to
Palestinian Liberation
Organization (PLO) Secretary-General Yasser
Abed Rabbo, Britain was
obliged more than any other country
to vote in favor of a Palestinian state
because of its responsibility for the
continued suffering of the Palestinian
people since the notorious Balfour
Declaration. Moreover, Fatah representative Azzam al-Ahmed expressed
hope that Britains decision would
spur other nations to consider similar
action, characterizing the vote as the
beginning of the awakening of the
British and international conscience.
While drawing Palestinian appreciation, however, the Swedish British
announcements provoked a markedly different response from Israel
and the United States. We believe
international recognition of a Palestinian state is premature, State
Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki
said following Swedens announcement. We certainly support Palestinian statehood, but it can only
come through a negotiated outcome,
a resolution of final status issues, and
mutual recognition by both parties.
Israel was more vocal in its condemnation of the recent decisions.

Premature international recognition

sends a troubling message to the
Palestinian leadership that they can
evade the tough choices that both
sides have to make, and actually
undermines the chances to reach a
real peace, said the Israeli Embassy in London of the British motion.
Yet while the vote itself was non-binding and likely will not alter British
policy towards Israel significantly, if
at all, it does highlight the controversial issue of Palestines international
status and its role in the United Nations. PLO President Mahmoud Abbas applied for UN membership in
2011, but withdrew the claim after US
President Barack Obama declared his
intent to veto this endeavor in the UN
Security Council. Palestine did gain
non-member observer status through
a General Assembly vote in 2012,
with Israel and the United States
in opposing the new designation
and 138 other states voting in favor.
While US veto power renders the possibility of Palestine gaining official
UN recognition for statehood in the

near future unlikely, the institution has

been critical of recent Israeli policies.
On October 16, UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon condemned Israel for
the civilian casualties and mass destruction that resulted from Operation
Protective Edge, its fifty-day military
offensive in Gaza. I fully understand the security threat from rockets above and tunnels below, Ban
said. At the same time, the scale of
the destruction in Gaza has left deep
questions about proportionality.
Although international pro-recognition sentiment has thus far had a
limited effect on policy, the PLO is
continuing to push for recognition
at a higher level. According to PLO
Secretary-General Rabbo, the PLO
is urging the UN Security Council
to pass a resolution ending the Israeli occupation of its territories.
Do the Americans have a realistic alternative to Israeli intransigence and
settlements? Rabbo asked. We will
continue our political battle and wont
be deterred by Israeli statements.
While the text of the proposed PLO
resolution is currently unknown, it
would likely establish a three-month
deadline for Israel to declare borders
based on the pre-1967 lines, and subsequently set a standard for the creation of a Palestinian state based upon
these borders. The resolution is slated
to be revealed in early November.

NEWS THIS
WEEK
Bahrain - Oct 28

A court in Bahrain has suspended

leading Shia opposition group al-Wefaqs activities for three months. Parliamentary elections are next month.
The group, founded in 2002, had
planned to boycott the November
22 elections because they claimed
the results would be controlled by
the ruling authority. Protestors have
been demanding an end to the discrimination of the Shia majority
by the Sunny royal family. Thousands have been arrested and dozens
killed since protests began in 2011.

Egypt - Oct 28

Egyptian authorities have cleared

residents along its eastern border
with Gaza and plans to make a 500
m wide buffer zone to combat militant activity. The most recent attack,
which killed at least 31 soldiers,
prompted a state of emergency and
the indefinite closing of the Gaza
crossing, the only non-Israeli passage for the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian
army has waged a broad offensive in
the Northern Sinai against Islamic
militants, many of whom travel to
and from Gaza using tunnels. The
closure of the Strip will add additional hardship to members of the Gazan
enclave, still recovering from the
50-day summer conflict with Israel.

Iran - Oct 28

A rise in executions have led to increasing condemnations of the human rights situation within Iran. At
least 852 individuals were reportedly executed between July 2013 and
June 2014, representing an alarming
increase above the already frequent
use of capital punishment for offenses
varying from adultery, drug and alcohol use, illicit political and economic
activity, and more. A recent execution
of a woman who was hanged for killing a man she had accused of sexually
abusing her particularly shocked the
international community and the U.N.
which raised the issue with the Iranian
government but received no response.

Lebanon - Oct 28

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri

said on Tuesday that Lebanon should
disengage from the current Syrian
civil war and that, the itinerant incidents occurring throughout Lebanon
are spillover from the war in Syria. He
stated that a Sunni revolution is far removed from the aspirations and goals
of the sect and encouraged a monopoly of force on behalf of the Lebanese
army for protecting the border with
Syria to prevent Hezbollah from gaining, a new pretext to intervene in the
Syrian war and to expand its security and military action in Lebanon.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

NEWS THIS
WEEK
Nigeria - Oct 24

Nigerias Minister of Education,

Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, plans to
roll out student agribusiness clubs in
secondary schools to promote agriculture and reduce unemployment for
the future. Minister Shekarau says
that students who cant gain admission to higher education institutions
become a nuisance because they
dont have the skills to pursue an
alternative. Additionally, the minister
said I appreciate the various aspects
of the agribusiness as it will build a
sense of enterprise, nation-building
and patriotism in children. This
initiative has the potential to make
positive gains in the arenas of
community and youth development
in Nigeria.

Mozambique - Oct 24

After the results of the recent election,

the leader of the opposition party and
former rebel group, RENAMO, has
called for the negotiation of a unity
government. Afonso Dhaklama, the
leader of RENAMO, has made this
call after the disputed election victory
of FRELIMO, the ruling party since
the end of the civil war. Dhaklama
has stated that the election results are
not valid and other nations with diplomatic relations with Mozambique
must not accept them. This election
is a test for peace in the country, and
if Mozambique can avoid violence
through a coalition government, other African states may use coalition
governments as a means of preventing violence after disputed elections.

South Africa - Oct 24

In accordance with a team from the

South African Development Community sent to deal with the political
crisis in Lesotho, three top Basotho
security chiefs have stepped down.
Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli
and Police Commissioner Khothatso
Tsooana are both taking a leave of
absence in order to discourage hostilities or confrontations between the
government and the military. South
African deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, who also negotiated South
Africas transition to democracy, has
been the SADCs chief negotiator on
the matter. South Africa is taking proactive steps in ensuring the security
of Lesotho, a state which it surrounds
completely. A successful transition
of power back to PM Thabane could
be a victory for the effectiveness of
the SADC as a regional organization.

South Sudan - Oct 24

Activists in South Sudan are urging

women to deny sex to their husbands in an effort to force the men
of the country to seek an end to the
violence that has been plaguing the
country since December. A group
of more than 90 women activists,
including several MPs, in Juba put
this idea together, influenced by a
similar sex strike in Liberia in 2003.

Sudanese 25-Year President Seeks Reelection

by Airton Kamdem

move to justify President Bashirs

decision to run for reelection. Additionally, in the midst of a potential
arrest by the International Criminal
Court, some believe that Bashirs
reelection campaign could also be
an attempt to maintain his freedom.

autocratic style of governance, and

the amount of assets, resources and
connections that he has amassed in
office, his announcement to run for
reelection can practically be seen as
his own inauguration for a sixth term
in office, rendering these elections
and really, any other attempt at a
democratic process, a faade. Given
that the average Sudanese citizen
has a good idea of what the outcome
of these elections will be, should
the international community and
the Sudanese people in particular
be outraged by the prospect of
another term with al-Bashir?
Three years ago, in a New York
Times article published on February
21, 2011, President Bashir put out a
statement through spokesman Rabie Abdel Attie, that he would not
seek out reelection at the end of his
fifth term. According to Mr. Abdel
Attie, the president believed that
the chance should be given to the
next generation and that he will
work to establish a real democratic
system in the country, perhaps realizing that the system of governance
that he had led was largely undemocratic. Although it caught many
by surprise, members of opposing
parties in Sudan in no way saw this
as an opportunity to celebrate, but
(correctly) as a political move instead. Contextually, it is important
to understand that when this message
was put out in 2011, President Bashir

was under serious investigation by

the International Criminal Court for
charges of genocide and other crimes
against humanity. The country was
also in the midst of huge protests
and rebellions, leading students like
22-year-old Mouysar Hassan to see
this statement as nothing more than
an attempt to anesthetize the streets.
Today, as his presidential term comes
to an end, it is interesting to see the
new set of reasons for which President Bashir and his confidants feel
that his reelection would be the most
beneficial outcome for the country.
For example, Minister of Culture
and Information Ahmed Bilal Osman believes that his [Bashirs] re-

election next year would make all

parties feel at ease to participate in
the national debate that Bashir has
promoted, especially since Sudan
is now in a place where national
dialogue is crucial towards solving
the nations divisive issues. Bilal
believes that given his experience
and connections, all will feel satisfied in this unifying effort and
they will all be on one note.
However, politicians like Mariam
al-Sadig al-Mahdi, the first female
vice president of the opposition
Uma Party are unconvinced. She
believes that in a repressive regime,
everyone, including President
Bashir himself, understand that this
is once again just another political

In the wake of this election, one issue

that has become particularly salient
once again is the vastly undemocratic
regime that Bashir has implemented
in his time in office. Given the low
possibility that Bashir will lose, parties like the Popular Congress Party
have already chosen to not participate
in the 2015 elections simply because
they believe that the elections will not
be fair. Yet, regardless of whether or
not this will be the case, Bashir and
his party bring up a good point: that
Bashir has been in office for over
two decades, and that having experienced the division and strife that
his country has endured, he is perhaps the most knowledgeable, most
experienced, and most connected
person to lead peace talks, stability,
and progress in the Sudan. However,
when it comes to modes of governance, especially in a hybrid regime
like Sudans, some questions remain:
Is there such a thing as too much political experience? And, will stability
in leadership truly lead to progress
for a nation with age-old struggles?

Chinas Role in the Fight Against Ebola

by Nicolas Alonso

opportunity to play a role in finding a

cure for Ebola because it will improve
its image in the eyes of the international community, particularly African nations. In short, Chinas role in
fighting Ebola can be seen as another
strategy of soft power geared towards
increasing its presence and influence
in the region and realizing larger profits and international political capital.

On October 24, China announced that

it would donate $82 million to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to contribute to the fight against Ebola. This
will be Chinas fourth round of aid and
its largest donation so far, to the fight
against the virus. Additionally, over
the past months, China has supplied
aid workers and doctors to the affected regions. Although Chinas unprecedented generosity may be founded
in economic and political interests,
its efforts should not be downplayed.
Since mid-August, China has stepped
up its contribution to fight Ebola by
sending aid and medical teams to the
most affected region in West Africa.
While the European powers and the
US and Japanese governments began
evacuating their own health personnel at the beginning of the outbreak,
China sent three teams of infectious
disease experts and five million dollars of medical supply. Since then,
China has kept its upscale commitment to the Ebola issue and currently
has 115 medical staff on the ground.
Last week, it sent a laboratory team
of 59 to Sierra Leone. Between medical and monetary aid, China has
provided a total of $120 million to
the affected countries. The WHO has
applauded Chinese efforts and de-

scribed their commitment as a huge

boost morally and operationally.

does not have the capacity to do basic research on the Ebola virus either.

Chinas contributions, however, have

not been without controversy. Some
scholars have questioned the degree
to which China can contribute to a
disease such as this one. China has
failed to analyze, control and correctly monitor widespread diseases within its own borders the avian influenza virus stands as a perfect example of
this. China still has not finished constructing facilities dedicated to the research and study of these diseases, and
according to Chinese scientists, China

In addition, it is well known that China has great economic and political
interests in its involvement in fighting
Ebola. China has large investments
in the West African region that it
wants to keep protected, and is also
concerned for the lives of the 10,000
chinese nationals that live in this part
of Africa. It is in their best economic
interest to resolve this disease so that
the region becomes stable and more
economic ties can be developed in the
future. Moreover, China is seizing the

The Chinese role in assisting African

countries to fight Ebola should not be
undermined. On one hand, Chinas
goals might not be the most transparent in the views of many international commentators; on the other, its
capability to offer technical analysis
and control capacities for the disease
might not be the best either. Nevertheless, it cannot be disputed that
the aid Beijing has contributed to the
fight against Ebola has had a positive
impact and has been recognized by
national governments and the WHO.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

SOUTH AFRICAS NUCLEAR FUTURE

during President Franois Hollandes

visit last year, which resulted in the
signing of critical energy deals to build
solar and thermal plants. The countrys
wide variety of negotiations illustrate
its newfound ambitions for expansion of its nuclear power capacity.

by Anirudha Vaddadi

South Africas nuclear energy program took a great leap forward this
past week, as the countrys government came to a USD 50 billion
agreement with the French stateowned firm, Areva, to build eight
new nuclear reactors. This comes on
the heels of a major deal with the
Russian government back in September that also promised eight reactors. On top of this, South Africa
is reportedly expected to sign another
accord with China, and has also been
pursuing a nuclear deal with Japan.
These negotiations will prove to be
fruitful for Africas most industrialized nation, which currently has
the continents only nuclear power
plant. Heavy dependence on coal and
stressed power grids have compelled
South Africa to aggressively pursue
alternative forms of energy in recent
years. This is a drastic turn of events
for a country that gave up its nuclear
weapons program just 25 years ago.
South Africas nuclear program can
be traced back to the 1950s, when
the government began to experiment
with nuclear material for peaceful
purposes. Tapping into its vast uranium reserves, the government began to
develop alternative ways to satisfy the
countrys electricity demands. A nuclear plant was built in Koeberg, near
Cape Town, and the first reactor was
commissioned in 1984. Around the
same time, however, the nation also
established a path towards nuclear

weapon proliferation. In 1974, Prime

Minister John Vorster approved the
development of nuclear explosives
for peaceful applications, and the first
device was completed five years later.
But in 1979, the apartheid government
made a critical decision to focus its
nuclear program for military purposes. This was due to its rapidly declining international standing: its participation in the UN General Assembly
was suspended and the UN Security
Council declared a mandatory oil and
weapons arms embargo. Furthermore,
the white-minority regime feared encirclement from the black-dominated
governments in neighboring countries
such as Angola and Zimbabwe. As a
result, during the 1980s, South Africa
utilized a nuclear deterrence strategy to develop six devices in total.
By the end of the decade, however,
the government found that this plan
was only an obstacle to reintegration
into global politics. F.W. de Klerk,
who was elected Prime Minister
in 1989, put South Africa on a path
back to normalization of internation-

al relations. De Klerk approved the

termination of the nuclear weapons
program and oversaw the disassembly of all weapons, making South
Africa the only nation to ever fully
retract from nuclear proliferation.
Since then, South Africas nuclear capacity has remained limited,
as the two reactors in the Koeberg
plant have continued to be the countrys only source of nuclear power
(just five percent of all electricity
production). In the 2010 Integrated
Electricity Resource Plan, the government made nuclear energy a high
priority for future energy supply.
Since then, it has focused on efforts
to diversify from coal in order to keep
up with growing electricity demand.
Today, France seems like a natural
nuclear trade partner for South Africa. In fact, Areva was responsible for
building the first two reactors 30 years
ago. The two nations have a strong
economic relationship France is
the ninth-biggest supplier to South
Africa and 16th-biggest consumer of
its goods. Relations also strengthened

Moreover, South Africa is not alone

in the region in this pursuit of nuclear
power. Africas recent growth and rising electricity demand has motivated
several governments to explore the nuclear option in the near futurea telling
sign of the potential market for nuclear energy on the continent. The traditional forms of energy supply, coal
and hydropower, may not be enough
to satisfy skyrocketing electricity demands in many of Africas expanding
economies. Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda have all expressed serious interest
in developing their nuclear programs.
Finally, while nuclear power does
have a great amount of benefits, it is
not without costs: high infrastructure
support, proper regulatory oversight,
and of course, the price. For Africa,
which currently only has sufficient
electricity supply for 10 percent of its
population, one of the most pressing
obstacles for supporting sustainable
growth will be developing an electricity network that is available for a
greater amount of people. South Africas recent and continuous success in
soliciting contracts and maintaining
a peaceful nuclear program ought to
offer hope to other ambitious African
governments that are looking to bring
their countries into the 21st century.

With Global Pressure, Nigerian Government Acts Quickly to

Free Foreign Hostages
by Airton Kamdem

One of the often unintended side effects of an increasingly globalized

world is that, even as local cultures
and ideologies become globalized,
they are accompanied inherently
by their respective problems. Since
2009, but particularly in the past eight
months, Boko Haram has become
notorious for their continuing attacks
in Nigeria and Northern Cameroon,
starting with the famous kidnapping
of over 270 schoolgirls from Chibok on April 14, 2014. On July 27,
Boko Haram struck again, this time
kidnapping 27 hostages, ten of which
were Chinese, from the village of
Kolofata, and killing several others.
Many are surprised at the expediency
with which both the Cameroonian
and Nigerian governments recovered
these hostages, as opposed to the 200
plus school girls who still remain
captive more than six months later.
What could have motivated the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments to mobilize sufficient military
and diplomatic resources to make
the recovery of these hostages so
quickly, while so many others remain unaccounted for months later?
This could be due to varying forms
of domestic, or perhaps more importantly, international pressures.
Boko Harams choice to kidnap ten
Chinese hostages is a strong indication of Chinas increasing presence in

sub-Saharan Africa. Chinas influence

in the region over the past ten years
has been increasing steadily along
with its investment in it. The bulk of
Chinese aid and investments in West
Africa has been allocated towards
energy generation, communications,
and transportation; it therefore came
as no surprise that ten of the 27 hostages captured in this raid happened
to be Chinese road construction workers. This incident prompted the immediate response of numerous Chinese
foreign officials, including Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong
Lei, who specifically requested that
the relevant countrys government
earnestly ensure the safety of Chinese
personnel in the area, and protect
Chinese investments in the region.

Chinas direct involvement with local issues and politics is inevitable.

Due to Boko Harams threatening
activities, the Chinese are steadily
being encouraged to act, not just as
foreign investors in the region but
also in the interest of their citizens.
Furthermore, the different nationalities represented within this group
of hostages proves the way in which
Boko Harams actions have begun
to, and will likely continue to, affect
more than just the local Nigerians.
The fight against Boko Haram has
also been a daily reality for most
Northern Cameroonians since early

2010, when Boko Harams insurgent

activities began taking place in Northern Cameroon. This caused local
governments to dispatch hundreds of
troops to secure the Nigerian border.
What seemed to be one of the swiftest hostage-recovery military operations in this area so far, followed,
the kidnapping of Franoise Agnes
Moukouri, wife of the Vice Prime
Minister of Cameroon, Amadou Ali.
After being released by Boko Haram,
Seini Boukar, a Muslim cleric, mayor,
and traditional ruler of the Cameroonian town of Kolofata, argued that
such an experience can be psychologically paralyzing for the victims, their
families and friends. This rings true
particularly when community leaders
like himself are involved: In African
Culture, when a leader is kidnapped,
so is the whole community. This is
because, beyond controlling access
to resources necessary for significant
military and political action, community leaders (especially traditional ones like Seini Boukar) are also
placed at the center of a communitys culture. This perhaps motivated
Cameroonian and Nigerian officials
to recover Boukar much quicker.
Presently, not much has been said
about the irony that Nigerian and
Cameroonian governments located
and recovered 27 hostages within four

months, but are still unable to communicate a concrete plan to recover

the school girls who remain hostage
more than six months later. The recovered hostages, as opposed to the
many unrecovered girls captured
on the night of April 14, just happened to include people who were
privileged to have close ties with
either local politicians or powerful
foreign investors; this distinction
between the two groups, perhaps,
has created the discrepancy in the
outcomes of the recovery efforts
separately geared towards them.

Editors Column
Alexandra Ma
Naa Adjeley Kome-Mensah

Sub-Saharan Africa is a region that

is increasingly dominating conversations in the international arena. The
United States, the EU and major Asian
countries such as China have been becoming more and more involved in
Sub-Saharan African affairs, such as
politics, economics, and human rights.
Here are a few questions, among
many others, that the Sub-Saharan
Africa team aims to address: What
are the larger themes that dominate
Sub-Saharan African news and conversations? Are certain themes or
currents more prominent in certain
sub-regions than others, and why?
Alex is a senior in the School of
Foreign Service, majoring in International History. She comes from
Hong Kong and went to high school
in the UK before coming to Georgetown for university. She is interested in a career in journalism and is
excited to write and explore more
about the Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that is becoming more and more
important in the international arena.
Naa Adjeley is a junior in the School
of Foreign Service majoring in Science, Technology and International
Affairs with a concentration in Business, Growth and International Development. Born and raised in Accra,
Ghana and having travelled widely
around Sub-Saharan Africa, she has a
burning passion for Africa its culture, people and potential and has
grown increasingly concerned about
the age-old issues that plague Africa,
while trying to figure out what role
she can play to solve its many problems. This mixture of passion and curiosity has contributed to her decision
to join the Caravel as Associate Editor
for the Sub-Saharan Africa section.
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research and
writing to editing and administration.

SOUTH & S.E. ASIA

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

Editors Column

MALALA - FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE?

by Yuzana Khine Zaw

Geeva Gopalkrishnan

Southeast Asia hardly hits the international news if not for its embroilment in territorial disputes or
being affected by natural disasters.
Reporting only incidents deemed
significant sometimes results in
a news perspective that parallels a
deficit narrative. Bhutan is more
than just Gross National Happiness;
Bangladesh is more than just sweatshops; Singapore is more than just an
illiberal democracy. Stereotypes harm
dignity. Lets challenge perspectives.
The South Asian and Southeast Asian
regions boast myriad cultures and
this section of The Caravel seeks to
present the various facets of Asian
societies going beyond just economic and political coverage to present societal and even cultural news.
Geeva is a junior in the School of
Foreign Service, pursuing a major
in International Political Economy
with a certificate in International Development. An ethnic Indian hailing
from Singapore, Geeva is impassioned about politics in ASEAN as
well as military and economic security issues pertaining to South Asia.
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research
and writing to editing and administration. Our project strives, first,
to bring under-reported news into
the limelight of international affairs.
Second, to enhance cross-cultural understanding through a
unique emphasis on regional perspective and contextual analysis.
Finally, to nurture regional specialists
by providing a platform for undergraduate students to write and accumulate knowledge on specific regions.

Malala is currently the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.

A Young Girl Dreams

On 10 October 2014, Malala received the 2014 Nobel Peace
Prize for her struggle for the right
of education for all children.
At the age of 14, she received a death
threat from one of the worlds most
extremist fundamental groups the
Taliban. At age 15, a bullet entered
her skull and she faced the brink of
death. Malala Yousafzai began her
activism in 2008 after the Talibans
attacks on girls schools in Swat. She
gave a speech titled How dare the
Taliban take away my basic right to
education? and began blogging for
BBC in 2009. She was nominated
for the International Childrens Peace
Prize and was awarded the Pakistans
National youth Peace Prize in 2011.
On October 9, 2012, Malala was returning home on her school bus when
a man boarded the bus, demanded
to know which girl Malala was, and
fired at her. Malala was hit in the left
side of her head. The bullet travelled
down her neck leaving her in a critical
condition. Two other girls were also
injured in the attack. She had multiple
surgeries, including repair of a facial
nerve, to fix the paralyzed side of her
face that received the bullet. Fortunately, Malala suffered no major brain
damage and has now fully recovered.

A Rising Beacon of Hope for

better or for worse?
For many, Malala is a rising beacon
of hope for changes and equality in
nations like Pakistan. She is the light
for those who have been suppressed
by fundamentalism, extremism, and
terrorism. She gives hope to other
girls like herself who faced difficulties trying to obtain an education.
She brought international attention
onto the issue and instigated many
to speak up against suppression
and the right to basic education.

The incident, however, captured the

international communitys attention.
The global community convened
to support Malalas cause. Petitions
of over one million names were
submitted to the United Nations in
nearly 100 countries on every continent asking for the basic right to
education in Pakistan. Mass media
was also centered on Malalas cause,
broadcasting for worldwide access
to education. Celebrities ranging
from Justin Bieber to Usher spoke
up for Malala in social media such as
Facebook, Twitter, and other blogs.

After the Talibans brutal assassination attempt on Malala, parents were at first afraid to send their
children to school education in
Pakistan for young girls remained on
a tightrope. The anxiety kept many
primary schools empty for a month.
However, with Malalas recovery and
the global support she received, many
have been inspired to reach out and
demand for their educational rights.
Before Malala was shot we didnt
think we should go to school, says
10-year old Tasleem. My Mum
saw what happened on TV. That
made her think. After this she decided her girls should also be in school

A Vestige from the Past Resurrected: Sri

Lankan Northern Railway
After thirty years of inactivity, the
Northern Railway line will resume
carrying traffic between Colombo
and Jaffna, resurrected by aid and
financial assistance from India. The
Northern Railway was a key link
between Northern and Southern
Sri Lanka, a island nation that had
been torn by terrorist separatist, the
Tamil Tigers, in the last thirty years.
The Northern Railway was a target
for the Tamil Tigers, who wish to establish a separate, Tamil ethnic country in Northern Sri Lanka. The Rail-

With Aid workers and teachers beginning to fight back and lobbying
parents about the need to educate
their daughters, enrollment has begun
to steadily rise. Pakistan has the second highest number of children out
of school in the world, mainly girls.
Educating the women of Pakistan
would bring more qualified individuals into the society who could work
towards the nations development.
However, Malala also receives much
hate from extremists and conservative
Pakistanis, mainly from the nations
middle classes. Some are against
bringing in international attention
onto Pakistans issues in fear of damaging the nations image. There are
also others who see Malala as a Western conspiracy, staged for the purpose
of decrying Islam and promoting
Western ideals. The hatred towards
Malala stems mainly from conservatives who are against female empowerment, some being women themselves. Some women are even seen
posting photos of Pakistani girls going
to school to counter Malalas lies.
Many fear change and uncertainty. A
nation having lived amidst violence
and oppression for decades, struggles to strive for changes with the
fear of diving into a worsening state.

OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

The Curious Case of Afghan Poppies

by Madeline Sposato

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)

John Sopko admitted that despite
over $7.6 billion spent by the United
States on counter-narcotics efforts
in Afghanistan, poppy cultivation
reached an all time high in 2013.
An all time high of over 209,000
hectacres (about 806 miles) of newly arable land has been used to grow
poppies, resulting in a 36% increase
in Afghanistans poppy cultivation
by the end of 2013. This news undermines US counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan. Poppy yields
are directly sold to insurgents, who
use the poppy products like opium
to finance their missions. Although
the United Nations first reported
these figures in a 2013 Summary
Report, the report from the Special
Inspector General marked official
recognition of the growing problem.
Why Poppies?
Poppies, specifically poppy products including opium, morphine, and
heroin, have had a long and complicated history in foreign affairs.
Opium was a staple of Sino-British
trade in the early 17th century, over
which both nations fought the Opium Wars. US merchants, including
John Jacob Astor, were also involved
in the smuggling of opium. The majority of production in the Golden
Triangle of Southeast Asia addictions maintained markets, both legal and illegal. By the 20th Century
opium, heroin, and morphine were
all regulated or banned in the Unit-

estimated 1.6 million people. Few international donors have committed to

treatment of addiction in Afghanistan.

ed States and the United Kingdom.

Trade for poppy products, however,
did not subside. The Afghan market
first produced opium in 1932. During
the Vietnam War, US military and intelligence made alliances with local
opium lords in order to gain allies
against the communist threat. After
losing the war, US markets turned
to other sources. Since 1978, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, have
been the primary centers of opium
trade. Today, Afghanistan produces
more than 80% of the worlds opium.
Previous Measures in Afghanistan
Previous efforts to stem the poppys
popularity in Afghanistan have been
futile. US aid programs awarded
grants to farmers who switched to
wheat, but wheat yields are consistently lower than poppy yields, which
made the switch less profitable. In
2001, when the Taliban was in power, poppy cultivation reached an all
time low with 99% eradication, as
the practice was banned because
drugs were seen as violating Islam.
With US deposition of the Taliban,
poppy growth blossomed largely
due to the power vacuum. Growth
of poppies, the UN noted in their
report, remained largest in unstable
regions like Helmand and Kandahar.
Similarly, international attempts to
quash the poppy trade have been
marked by discord. In 2008, the New
York Times wrote that intra-NATO
squabbling rendered counter-narcotics operations ineffective due to limit-

ed ground enforcement of commands.

Some NATO allies told their soldiers
that national policies prohibited them
from engaging in counter-narcotics
efforts abroad. Similarly, NATO has
been careful to avoid undermining the
income of Afghan farmers. In 2010,
Russia asked for the Afghan poppies to be sprayed in order to combat rising addiction at home, only to
have its proposal rejected by NATO.
Market for Afghan Poppies
Poppies sell for around $130 per
kilo and cultivation is a highly profitable industry for both farmers of
poppies and organized insurgents.
Poppy production makes up 4% of
Afghanistans GDP. With growth
largest in the Southern and Western
provinces, Afghanistans poppy cultivation has been valued at around
$3 billion. Addiction to poppy products is a growing problem, and in
2010 the United Nations reported
that 60% of all heroin demand came
from Afghanistan and its neighboring
countries, with the exclusion of China. Afghanistans addicts comprise
nearly 5.3% of its total population, an

US stake in the poppy industry

In Afghanistan, poppy growth is observed to correlate with instability.
With respect to counterterrorism measures, fighting poppy production in
Afghanistan has been key to stemming
nearly $155 million in funds to insurgents, including the Taliban. Despite
the signature of the most recent deal
to extend US-troop presence, poppy
production could increase if farmers
are left without support or protection.
The failure of US funds to counter
drug trafficking come as the NATO
turns over control of the country to
Afghan forces. To spray the fields
would undermine the livelihoods of
Afghan farmers, but without eradication of poppy production, funds will
continue to support insurgent groups.
While the promotion of alternative
crops could be a viable alternative,
the lack of infrastructure, stability,
and the failure of US programs to address the issue with Afghanistan-focused solutions are key hindrances.
Lack of government support from
Afghanistan, according to the SIGAR
report, is largely to blame for failure
of US programs, although Afghanistans new leadership under President Ashraf Ghani could change this.
Regardless, US acknowledgement
of failure is a key first step, and
the future of its counterterrorism
programs depend on whether or
not its second steps are adequate.

Brunei to Launch Second Phase of Educational Improvements

by Belinda Lei

by Mitchell Tu

way first suffered decades ago when

the Tamil Tigers tore apart the farthest
most northern stretch of the railway
and used the rail tracks to build underground bunkers. The Railway
was finally shutdown three decades
ago due to a bombing by the Tigers
in Kokavil on January 18th, 1985,
killing 34 people and essentially destroying all north-south rail transport.

viously Sri Lanka had lacked a clear

land rail between Jaffna, the largest
city in the North, and Colombo. With
modes of transportation and connection between the previously separatist
north and the rest of Sri Lanka reviving, one can expect business and
travel between these two formerly
disparate regions of the country to become closer politically and socially.

With the ending of the civil war in

May 2009, the railway has slowly
began inching northward and has
finally resurrected fully to provide
services between Jaffna and Colombo. The Railways resurrection is
only possible due to substantial investment by the India Railway Construction International Ltd. (IRCON),
which provided aid from India.

Indias continuing aid in developing

and uniting Sri Lanka is indicative of
the role India has played in Sri Lanka
for centuries, ever since its introduction of Buddhism into Sri Lanka in
the third century. Today, a significant
amount of development aid and investment into Sri Lanka comes from
Indian firms or the Indian government. India also played a substantial
role in the Sri Lankan Civil War.

The Railway serves as a powerful

symbol of the unity of the country,
as rail is the most common mode of
land transport in the country, and pre-

and should get a good education.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

Sri Lankas Northern Tamil majority

area has the same ethnic group, the
Tamils, as Indias populous Tamil

Nadu province. Accusations during

the 1970s and 80s have been floated
that the state governments in Indias
south had provided substantial aid
to the Tamil Tigers and other Tamil
separatist groups. India, in efforts
to curb growing unrest in its own
Tamil population at the violence and
the flood of refugees, in 1987 intervened in the Sri Lankan Civil War,
setting in motion continuing Indian
involvement to stop the violence of
the war. Eventually, the Tamil separatist groups were cowed and settled
a peace agreement with the aid and
troops of the Indian government.
India has become, with the settlement
of the Sri Lankan Civil War, among
the largest trade partners with Sri
Lanka, especially with the passage
of free trade agreements between
the two companies. With the Indian
government and companies planning
to establish hospitals, railways, and
other essential infrastructure in recent
years, one can only expect ties and
business between the two countries
to strengthen in years to come. In
addition, the continuing ties between
northern and southern Sri Lanka and
the establishment of the Northern
Railway are signs of stability to come.
The Northern Railway represents
a return to normalcy and peace after thirty years of ethnic civil war.

During the launching ceremony

of the Second Phase of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metric
(SEA-PLM) on October 21st, 2014,
Brunei announced that it will be increasing the productivity of early
child education by designing educational tutorials to aid teachers in
creating quality learning experiences.
The launching ceremony was held
in collaboration with the Southeast
Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and the United Nations Childrens Fund Regional Office
East Asia and the Pacific (UNICEF
EAPRO). Over 450 policy-makers,
academics, and stakeholders from
Southeast Asia were in attendance.
Dr. Witaya Jeradechakul, Director of
SEAMEO Secretariat stated during
the opening ceremony that the SEAPLM will monitor student achievements ranging from numeracy, literacy, and 21st century global citizenship
skills. Brunei will be furthering this
goal through the execution of the
e-Hiraj Whole School Approach to
ICT Development (WISD) project.
According to the Minister of Education, Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang
Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr)
Hj Awg Abu Bakar Hj Apong, the
WISD project was designed to develop teachers capacity to engage in dif-

ferent approaches to teaching which

includes knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing, and developing knowledge communities. In addition, a
strong ICT skill set is crucial to identifying a teachers capacity to teach
and transfer knowledge to students.
ICT is an index published by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union that measures information and technology indicators.
Brunei has been using the ICT index
to measure and compare the technical and digital skills of the countrys
students. If the program is successful, the tools will be shared amongst
SEAMO members, increasing the
transfer of information and learning
skills in the South East Asian region.
Under the new metric system of
the WISD project, Brunei hopes
to more accurately measure a students educational progress and to
encourage teachers to become designers of learning. Innovative
teaching strategies, the development
of ICT skills and critical thinking, and collaboration in particular
will be highlighted in the system.
Brunei selected 20 schools in the fall
of last year to participate in the WISD
project. The schools were chosen
based upon rigorous reviews by experienced education officers. Their
readiness for change was included

as an important part of qualifying

WISD criteria. Since the selection
process, the chosen schools, ranging
from sports, technical, and vocational schools, have implemented a
wide range of tools to expose their
students to ICT skills. One such example is of students performing collaborative research in smaller sized
classes. Schools are expected to
combine the successes of traditional
approaches with that of the digital
age and 21st century pedagogies.
SEA-PLM, an initiative established
in early 2013, is aimed at supporting the educational development of
SEAMEO member countries. Based
on shared Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) values, the
initiative improves the quality of education through system level monitoring while applying culturally appropriate metrics. Bruneis focus on
regional educational monitoring will
strengthen the technical collaboration amongst ASEAN member states.
The first phase of the SEA-PLM,
which consisted of research reviews
to assess the educational system of
South East Asia, was presented at the
37th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting in February 2014. In this meeting,
SEAMEO participating countries,
including Brunei, Thailand, and Malaysia, were identified to participate
in the second phase. The goal of the

second phase is to develop a working

plan for implementing educational
frameworks throughout the South
East Asian region. Bruneis creation
of teacher tutorials is under the framework of SEA-PLMs second phase.
In addition, the creation of a strong
Steering Committee will be crucial
to the success of SEA-PLM Phase 2.
To make this successful, we have to
ensure that the participating countries
have strong leadership to involve in
this programme, said YB Pehin Dato
(Dr) Hj Awg Abu Bakar. The Steering Committee will include members
from Ministry of Education officials
from SEAMEO Member countries.
After Phase 2 of SEA-PLM has been
completed, draft protocols and tools
will be translated into national languages to be distributed amongst
member countries in Phase 3. The
completion of Phase 3 will make
SEA-PLM the first learning metric
to be normed and referenced with
Southeast Asian children, marking a huge milestone in South East
Asian
collaborative
capabilities.

NEWS THIS
WEEK
Thailand - Oct 21

Koh Tau murder suspects from Myanmar have officially retracted their
murder confessions, on the basis of
having been coerced through assault
by their translator during questioning.
Their interpreter had also wrongly
stated their religions in his interpretation. The two suspects have signed
a statement committing their innocence, and their lawyer has filed a petition seeking a just and fair decision.

Indonesia - Oct 21

As of October 20th, Indonesia has a

new president. Joko Widodo Jokowi,
formerly a furniture maker, mayor,
and governor, is widely popular in Indonesia and his inauguration, the seventh in Indonesias history, was well
attended by foreign dignitaries and opposition leaders alike. During his first
speech as president, he announced an
emphasis on national unity and Indonesias potential as a maritime power.

India - Oct 21

New estimates show that only 1%

of marital rape and 6% of extramarital rapes are reported to the police
in India. Severe physical violence is
also equally under-reported. Nevertheless, states associated with gener
equality (the North-Eastern States,
Tamil Nadua, and Karnataka) show
lower levels of actual incidence
of violence and higher levels of
reporting, though the extent of reporting is still single digit percentage. The National Family Health
Survey (NFHS) remains the only
victimization study of the country.

Nepal - Oct 21

While Nepals legislative branch argues over a new constitution, Rajendra Kishorr Chhetri, energy secretary,
recently signed a bilateral energy
agreement. Since 2008, Nepal has suffered severeload shedding and electricity leakage, and last winter some
regions only received eight hours of
power a day. The new agreement will
increase Indias energy exports to
Nepal and includes the construction
of a new transmission line in order
to ameliorate Nepals power crisis.

Cambodia - Oct 21

Nearly 100 protesters asking for better representation in land deals and
contracts marched in Phnom Penh to
present petitions to the Prime Minister. Security guards and protesters
clashed with each other and 18 protesters were reported injured. This
is the most recent protest in Phnom
Penh after over 200 individuals protested against the possible loss of
their land due to rail construction.

WESTERN EUROPE
WESTERN EUROPE
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28

NEWS THIS
WEEK

Unidentified Underwater Object in Sweden

Italy - Oct 24

due to unfounded prosecution..

Instead, the latter suggested that the

vessel was a Dutch submarine conducting military exercises in the water, but the Netherlands was quick to
deny these allegations. For over a
week, over 200 naval troops and helicopters scoured Swedish waters in
Ingaro Bay, but ultimately the search
was called off on October 24th after
the Swedish navy failed to uncover
any substantive information about
the nature or origins of the vessel.

Italys supreme court has cleared

Dolce & Gabbana founders, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, of
charges of tax evasion. Originally
convicted in June 2013, an appeals
court upheld the original guilty
verdict for failing to declare 200
million in tax through the use of a
shell company based in Luxembourg
during 2004 and 2005. The Italian
court annulled the original conviction
for a jail sentence of up to two years

EU - Oct 24

Chief of the European Central Bank,

Mario Draghi, issued a warning to
Eurozone leaders about the risk of
relapse into recession. Member
state leaders were cautioned to not
rely solely on the ECB, but to take
initiative through implementing
reforms and boosting investment.
Draghi alluded to Germany, commenting on the need for countries
to boost internal demand to help out
the rest of Europe, while at the same
time emphasized the need for further
steps towards shared sovereignty.

UK - Oct 24

The EU demands an extra $2.7 billion

from the UK by December 1, following a change in the EUs accounting
system to include underground economy. EU officials stated that as the recalculated data demonstrates that British economy performed better than
expectations, the UK has to pay more
into the EU budget. UKs David Cameron, in the midst of an electoral battle against the Populist Party, rejected
the demand as totally unacceptable,
calling it a punishment for UKs relative economic prosperity compared to
its neighbors. If re-elected, Cameron
promises to negotiate and hold a referendum in 2017 to decide whether
the UK will remain in the EU. Among
those also requested to pay surcharges include The Netherlands and Italy,
while France and Germany will be
entitled to rebates for worse-than-expected
economic
performance.

EU - Oct 24

After a summit in Brussels, EU leaders have agreed to cut greenhouse

gas emissions to 40% of 1990 level
by the year 2030. Many countries
hoped for even more ambitious goals,
as scientists claim that worldwide
emissions will need to be cut by up
to 80% by the year 2050. However,
heavily coal-reliant countries were
reluctant to agree to a higher target.

defense budget represents just 1.2%

of national GDP, and its maritime military technology has undoubtedly been
neglected. General Sverker Goransson
of Sweden described this situation as
very serious, and asked for a change
in Swedish military policy. Fortunately, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan
Lofven did announce his intention to
increase defense spending, specifically in maritime technology, to counter
any future threats against Sweden.

by Brandon Greenblatt

These two pieces of evidence suggested the presence of a Russian

submarine, but Russia promptly
denied
such
accusations.

This entire encounter between the

Russian and Swedish militaries- one in
which tensions flared and quickly subsided- is particularly confusing due to
the overwhelming lack of factual information on all sides of the situation.
First, the initial civilian reports of the
vessel were extraordinarily unclear.
Pictures taken by those who claimed
having seen anything were often
grainy and distorted. They failed to
provide any substantial information
that could aid Swedish authorities in
locating the allegedly Russian marauders. Furthermore, the number
of reported sightings was absolutely
staggering. Philip Simon, head of
the Swedish Armed Forces, stated
that over 250 tips and observations
were submitted to the military for

review making it extremely difficult to provide individual analysis.

Second, Swedish military officials
were often unclear about the situation themselves. At the beginning
of the search, Rear Admiral Anders
Grenstad of the Royal Swedish Navy
posited a variety of theories about
the unidentified vessel, describing
how it could be a diver, submarine,
or perhaps even a moped-like vehicle. Even when Sweden theorized
that a Russian oil tanker sailing in
the region could be waiting to aid
the Russian submarine, Russia immediately denied such accusations,
calling them baseless. In light of
such resistance, Swedish military officials were often left without strong

footing on which to conduct their

search. They often struggled to offer
theories about the vessel that would
not be immediately negated by those
accused or distorted by the public.
Still, the most fundamental factor that
hindered Swedens search was their
surprisingly limited maritime military
technology. Despite being the worlds
third largest exporter of arms per capita, Sweden has minimal anti-submarine warfare technology. During the
Cold War, Sweden manufactured an
abundance of equipment to counter
constant threats from Russia and other Nordic states, yet such research and
development has definitely waned
since the 1990s. Today, Swedens

Pick and Choose: The UKs Relationship with

the European Union
by Brandon Greenblatt

Debate in the United Kingdom intensified this week as government

officials and citizens considered one
of the greatest questions of contemporary British politics: Should the United Kingdom reconsider being in the
European Union? Leading the charge
on this matter on the pro-secessionist side were Prime Minister David
Cameron and his majority party, the
Conservatives. The Tories, as the
latter are known, made their case on
the basis of two key issues which
they claim are under fire by European
technocratic legislation: human rights
laws and immigration regulation.
The protection of human rights in the
United Kingdom is a complicated
issue, since they abide by both European Union law and British legislation. In 1949, the United Kingdom
joined the European Union Court of
Human Rights, a judicial element of
the Council of Europe that is tasked
with enforcing the European Convention on Human Rights. 47 nations are
members of this agreement which outlines basic principles of human liberty such as prohibitions on torture, the
death penalty, slavery, and terrorism.

At times, many of these international laws come into conflict with those
outlined by the British Parliament,

and such discrepancies have prompted the Conservative Party to consider

withdrawing from the Court. Prime
Minister Cameron had initially proposed that such action be voted upon
in a 2017 referendum, but Secretary
of State for Justice Chris Grayling
set it ablaze this Friday, October 3rd
when he called for an ultimatum to
be delivered to the European Union
Court of Human Rights requesting
that the United Kingdom be allowed
to disregard some of the Courts judgments when desired, or else risk the
formers withdrawal from the legal
jurisdiction of Brussels. Grayling
cited how the Court has extended its
reach to legal realms beyond its original goal outlined in 1950: that of combatting totalitarian rule. Tories view
the 65,900 cases which have been
filed against the Court in 2013 as indicative of this overstep. They are especially displeased with recent rulings
on homeland security, primarily those
laws which restrict the United Kingdoms ability to extradite terrorists.
As previously mentioned, the second
issue prompting the United Kingdom to consider withdrawal from
the European Union is the question
of immigration regulation, specifically in regards to the control of excessive migration into the Queens

borders. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has recently
described how increasing migration
into the United Kingdom causes
tensions between ethnic communities, leading to greater civil unrest
and resentment. Moreover, Smith
noted that immigrants tend to come
from much poorer European countries. The resulting influx of workers
offers minimal economic advantage
to the United Kingdom and thus
potentially jeopardizes economic growth and recovery, he argued.

The most recent economic reports

by the Office for National Statistics show that 2nd quarter growth
in the United Kingdom was 0.9%,
for an annual growth rate of 3.7%.
Such growth was primarily due to
booms in the business investment,
construction, and service sectors of
the economy, yet recovery from the
2008 financial crisis is still not complete. Conservatives recognize that
consumer price growth has exceeded wage growth, and an influx of
poor immigrants, they believe, only
perpetuates this cycle. Since immigrants can be paid at a lower wage,
they often edge British nationals out
of jobs and substantiate wage limitations nationally. As a result, Smith
concludes, control over immigration
throughout Europe needs to be in
the hands of individual nations.

When the search for the unidentified vessel was called off on October
24th, Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad
calmly stated that those who violated
Swedens territorial waters sovereignty had left. Unfortunately, the
situations aftermath evokes anything
but calmness. Swedens failure to
identify the vessel reveals a critical
point about its precarious position in
national security. As a nation which
is generally predisposed towards
peaceful discourse, Sweden appears
remarkably unprepared for acts of international aggression. Not only does
it lack the military capabilities to engage in combat against advanced foreign adversaries, but it also lacks the
necessary infrastructure to accurately
determine the nature of such threats.
Hopefully, with greater investment in
its defense sector and a heightened
realization of vulnerability to foreign
aggression, Sweden will be poised
to adequately deal with much-needed reforms in the near future.

It is with these two issues in mind,

immigration reform and human rights
law, that certain political players in
the United Kingdom are considering
withdrawing from their commitment
to pan-European legislation. It is
crucial to highlight that states adherence to the European Convention
on Human is a central tenet required
for membership admittance into the
United Nations, and more locally, the
European Union itself. However, regardless of the issues rhetoric, would
the United Kingdoms exit from the
ECHR even be considered as legal?
Secretary Grayling, a supporter of the
move, adamantly stated that the United
Kingdom has a treaty right to withdraw from the European Convention
on Human Rights. Others disagree,
as Kings College London lawyer Matt
Qvortrup notes that Leaving an international convention is pretty much
impossible. Indeed, Qvortrup may
be correct, as a United Kingdom exit
from the Convention would violate the
1998 Good Friday Agreement. This
treaty, concerning peace in the once
tumultuous Northern Ireland, was created with the promise of protecting human rights via the ECHR. Therefore,
if the United Kingdom were to neglect
the convention and withdraw from
the European Union Court of Human
Rights, it would be doing so illegally
by being violation of the agreement.

WESTERN EUROPE

WHOSE UNION?
by Jonathan Thrall

The results of the European parliamentary elections held on May 25th

resounded in France with a bang,
as Marine Le Pens National Front
achieved its most substantial political victory in years. Gaining a quarter of the vote, the far-right party
secured 24 of the countrys 74 seats
in Strasbourg. On May 26th, words
like Carnage, Earthquake, and
The Big Bang flooded the French
press vocabulary while commentators and politicians alike decried
the downfall of the republic. Despite the events significance, the
growth of Europhobic sentiment
responsible for Le Pens success can
be largely attributed to the actions
of Frances establishment parties.
The unprecedented nature of the event
can be explained by understanding
the role the National Front has traditionally occupied in the French
political sphere. The Front National
is a conservative, economically protectionist political formation characterized by a strong nationalist and
anti-immigration sentiment. Derided
as a fringe group, the party gained
political relevance in 2002, when
founder and then-leader Jean-Marie Le Pen unexpectedly came in
second in the presidential election.
In spite of the high voter abstention
rate, le 21 avril spurred much of
the same shock that was experienced this past May and left its mark
on Frances political conscience.
Notorious for making offhanded,
xenophobic comments and for his
public spurts of fury, Jean-Marie effectively kept the party from gaining

the support of the common voter.

However, since Le Pens daughter, Marine, succeeded him as party
president in 2011, the Front has undergone a process of ddiabolisation (or de-demonization) which
has sought to shake off its infamous
reputation and enter the world of
mainstream politics. The outcome
of this years European elections has
thus proved the success of this initiative, and also presents a rather worrisome reality to those who perceive
the looming triumph of nationalism
over democratic values in France.
The French election results reflect a
larger continental trend of distrust of
technocratic Brussels, commonly referred as to as Euroscepticism. Le
Pen capitalized on this feeling and
has collected the votes to show it. A
survey conducted two weeks prior to
the election by French polling agency
CSA showed that only 20% of French

OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 28
electorate expressed confidence at
the thought of continued political
growth of the European Union versus 48% who were worried about it.
By contrast, the entirety of the mainstream French political establishment campaigned on a pro-European
platform, offering very limited appeal to quell Eurosceptic concerns.
The National Front, however, is
opposed to the very existence of the
EU. Le Pen put much effort into a
campaign to convince voters of its
threat to French interests and of
the benefits of its termination (with
particular emphasis on the burden
of the euro to Frances economy).
The foremost expression of Euroscepticism, however, is indifference.
French voters, like their counterparts
in other EU member-states, have increasingly shown little interest in
European elections. Although 2014
was the first year that saw a decline
in voter abstention rates for European Parliament, at 56% it still remains
considerably higher than what it is
in most national elections (around
20% of voters abstained from the
2012 French presidential election).
However, when they do cast their
ballots, voters typically do so less
out of concern for the future of European politics, but rather to send a
message to the sitting government.
Such was the case of the 2005
referendum on the adoption of a
European constitution, in which a
resounding No vote was largely
cast to express discontent about
the national economic and social
situation and prompted then-president Jacques Chirac to reshuffle his
government. In fact, another survey
conducted by CSA following the
May 2014 election showed that even
amongst Le Pens partisans, 69%

Irish Tax Shelter Comes Under Fire from

European Commission

that Corporate taxes in Ireland have

by Ty Greenberg increased more than 10 times since the

The luck of the Irish may be running out

in light of the European Commissions
pending investigation into Apple Inc.s
allegedly preferential tax deals. In an incriminating 21-page report released last
Tuesday, the Commission revealed that
tax discrepancies were found in government contracts made with foreign companies. Special deals like this are a violation of European Union tax policies and
other European Union member countries
worry that they give Ireland an unfair
advantage in attracting foreign business.

Ireland boasts one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe at 12.5 percent.
According to Irish officials, the low
rate was necessary for Ireland to attract
industry and boost the economy in the
aftermath of the recent financial crisis.
As every country in the E.U. has the
right to set its own tax rates, Irelands
low [nominal] tax rate does not infringe
upon European Union regulations. However, at less than 2%, Apples tax rate
appears suspect of abnormally generous aid from the statewhich could
constitute a serious transgression under
existing European Union mandates.
According to the New York Times,
even Apple acknowledged that there
was no scientific basis for the figures.
Rather, Apples tax bill was essentially
reverse-engineered during the negotiation process with Irish officials (in
1991 and 2007 respectively) to match

the size of the profit that company

representatives wanted. If foul play is
proven, then Apple will potentially owe
billions in back taxes to the European
Union. That being said, the case is expected to take many years to unfold, and
even the largest estimates of Apples
financial obligation (approximately $6
billion if derived from Irelands full
statutory rate) are relatively insignificant compared to Apples recent profits.

It is currently unclear how Ireland has

benefited from Apples presence. The
European Commission report details that
Apple enjoyed a 400 percent increase in
sales revenue from 2009 to 2012. Yet,
the operating costs used to calculate taxable income in Ireland reportedly grew
only [by] 10 to 20 percent. This discrepancy is what initially attracted suspicion from Brussels, and indicates that
the amount of money Ireland received
from Apple was negligible. This raises
questions as to why Ireland would agree
to such taxing leniency in the first place.
In response to these allegations, Apple has denied any involvement in socalled sweetheart deals. Apple CEO
Tim Cook claims the company did not
rely on tax gimmicks, and has paid every dollar it owedboth in the U.S.
(where the Senate is also investigating
Apple subsidiaries) and abroad. This
defensive sentiment was also echoed by
an Apple finance chief, stating recently

introduction of the iPhone in 2007.

Regardless of determining culpability,

it is important to note that Apple is not
the only company under investigation
within the European Union. The Commission is also looking into suspicious
tax deals made between Fiat and Luxembourg along with Starbucks and
the Netherlands. These investigations
represent a larger international effort
by governments to curb businesses
attempts to evade tax payments. The
G20 has been calling for years to
force big multinationals to pay their
fair share, and the European Commissions recent flurry of activity may be
part of a larger movement to harmonize
corporate tax regimes across the E.U.
In the past, taxation regulation has
been met with staunch resistance from
national governments that sought to
maintain as much autonomy as possible. However, with the expansion
of authority in Brussels, governments
are increasingly being forcefully subjected to implementing and enacting
more uniform tax policies (or at least
they are deterred from offering similar bargain-basement tax breaks).
Many E.U. nations rely on their tax
code to make them internationally competitive and thus incentivize
companies to take residence inside
their borders despite high costs for

of those who voted did so to express

disapproval of president Hollande.
If French voters feel increasingly detached from Brussels, it is in large part
thanks to the ruling political class.
Although the political establishment
has always held a pro-EU stance, European parliamentary campaigns have
received minimal effort and platforms
have been invariably vague and given
little account for work accomplished
by incumbent MEPs. In parallel, the
French media also allocates far less
coverage to the European elections
than to other national ballots. It is to
be expected then that French people
have scant understanding of European institutions and their impact on
daily life. Perceived by the French as
a well-guarded secret, the actions of
the European Commission, and therefore its implications on the European
Union, will perhaps never attract
their attention unless it affects them
directly. Since France and the Eurozone were hit by the 2008 financial
crisis, the establishment has however
made it a habit of using Brussels as
a scapegoat for its own shortcomings, but then it also takes credit for
the formers accomplishments. It is
unsurprising then that a sustained
pro-EU stance appeared as questionable and contradictory to voters.
French politicians of the right and
left may be correct in fearing Le
Pens ascension, but the Eurosceptic wave that she rode to victory
was ultimately a product of their
own creation. Until the French political class can successfully make
the famed projet europen more
relatable to French voters, the latter will continue to care more about
their national conscience over the
tale of a shared European identity.
labor and physical capital. While this
strategy has achieved some success,
critics have described it as conducive
towards a race to the bottoma
form of trade warfarein which
governments, infatuated by the possibility of attracting foreign investment, engage in counterproductive
practices that might do more harm
than good to the national economy.
At least in the short term, Ireland
seems to have suffered from its tax
policies. The meager growth in jobs
resulting from the presence of foreign multinationals, although beneficial to local communities, has
not justified all the hardship Ireland
has encountered because of them.

Editors Column
Juan Daniel Gonalves

Western Europe has always been at

the forefront of international news and
breakthroughs ever since it emerged
ahead from what Samuel Huntington
coined as The Great Divergence.
Today, the region is dabbling in the
greatest project of geopolitical integration known in our history, but the
European Union is also coming closer
to its end with the rise of nationalistic
and autonomist currents which seek to
break away from regulations imposed
by technocrats in Brussels. Jean Monnet, recognized as the father of European integration, once said: People
only accept change when they are
faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon
them. This section will aim to explore whether the necessity for European integration is no longer present
or whether, in fact, Europeans need
stronger bonds now more than ever.
Juan Daniel is a rising senior studying
International Political Economy in the
School of Foreign Service. He hails
from Caracas, Venezuela but was
born into a family of Portuguese origin. This unique bi-cultural dynamic,
in addition to his experience living in
the United States, has allowed him to
develop an understanding and interest
for the many regions of the world.
The Caravel is a weekly international
newspaper that engages the undergraduate student body in the entire
production process, from research
and writing to editing and administration. Our project strives, first,
to bring under-reported news into
the limelight of international affairs.
Second, to enhance cross-cultural understanding through a
unique emphasis on regional perspective and contextual analysis.
Finally, to nurture regional specialists
by providing a platform for undergraduate students to write and accumulate knowledge on specific regions.

Additional Contributions
Jihadists Rout Kurds in
North

lets of water and meals-ready-to-eat

were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead sur-

Jihadists Rout Kurds in

North

ish religious minority, were taking

refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets
of water and meals-ready-to-eat were
dropped into the mountains were the
Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking refuge.
Pentagon officials watched video the
airdrops, conducted by both C-17 and
C-130 cargo planes, recorded from
an overhead surveillance plane. The
cargo planes were escorted by American fighter jets.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane. The cargo planes were
escorted by American fighter jets.

Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war

wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pal-

Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war

wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurd-

Jihadists Rout Kurds in

North

Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war

wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurd-

Jihadists Rout Kurds in

North

Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war

wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat

were dropped into the mountains

were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.
Mr. Obama, acknowledging the war
wary public, said the U.S. wont deploy any American ground troops
or be drawn into another Iraq war.
A U.S. official said roughly 70 pallets of water and meals-ready-to-eat
were dropped into the mountains
were the Yazidis, an ethnically Kurdish religious minority, were taking
refuge. Pentagon officials watched
video the airdrops, conducted by
both C-17 and C-130 cargo planes,
recorded from an overhead surveillance plane.