Tag: Wars&Disputes

Australia-Indonesia border tensions resurface

Canberra's settlement with Timor Leste on the Greater Sunrise gas field is making waves for other maritime boundary disputes By Alan Boyd Indonesia’s long-held resentment over Australia’s sprawling maritime claims along their ill-defined border have spilled into the diplomatic arena following a recent settlement of a parallel dispute in neighboring Timor Leste, also known as … Continue reading Australia-Indonesia border tensions resurface

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Afrin marks the point of collapse for American influence in Syria

Washington's abandonment of the Kurds left them with no other choice but to turn to the Assad government and its Russian backers. It's Moscow's chessboard now By David P. Goldman Abandoned by Washington and under bombardment by the Turkish army, the beleaguered Kurdish forces in the northern Syrian town of Afrin asked for, and received, … Continue reading Afrin marks the point of collapse for American influence in Syria

America’s Syrian humiliation is worse than it looks

Turkey’s attack on US-backed Kurds this week comes as a new set of economic relationships emerges to bankroll Ankara's regional ambitions By David P. Goldman   Turkey’s “Olive Branch” incursion against Kurdish positions in Northern Syria looked bad for Washington. It’s worse than it looks: Turkey cemented a new set of strategic and economic relationships … Continue reading America’s Syrian humiliation is worse than it looks

Inside view of Myanmar’s Rohingya insurgency

An Asia Times investigation into Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh shows the insurgent Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army relies on religion and coercion to recruit its sometimes reluctant members By Carlos Sardiña Galache Four months ago, while walking to his house from the mosque in his village in Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Rasheed Ali was … Continue reading Inside view of Myanmar’s Rohingya insurgency

Unravelling the riddle of the Kurds’ Iraqi pipe-dream

Masoud Barzani has overplayed his hand – no regional powers are going to assent to partition of Iraq By Pepe Escobar Wily clannish capo Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has announced that “Yes” won non-binding independence referendum. Now that index fingers in indelible indigo ink are out of the way, the real … Continue reading Unravelling the riddle of the Kurds’ Iraqi pipe-dream