Topic: The Balkans
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
-
Diplomacy or military intervention in Syria? 7 opinions from around the globe.
After 15 months of violence in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad announced yesterday that the country was facing a full-on civil war, a conflict he would do everything in his power to win.This adds increased pressure to the ongoing international question du jour: Is the answer to Syria’s conflict diplomacy or military intervention? Or something else entirely? From Thailand to Jordan, here are some opinions around the globe.
-
15 spring 2012 novels we think you'll like
A preview of new novels coming this spring.
-
5 National Book Award 2011 fiction finalists
-
Bestselling books the week of 6/30/11, according to IndieBound*
-
Top 10 books of 2011, according to Amazon's editors
All Content
-
Heed Balkan lessons for a fragmenting Syria and revise Kofi Annan plan
Kofi Annan's peace plan is failing to stop violence and ensure a political dialogue in Syria. To avoid a Balkans-like tragedy, an updated plan must include negotiations between Bashar al-Assad's regime and the opposition and deploy armed UN peacekeepers.
-
Ethnic violence belies Balkans peace
Peace agreements brought the last Balkan conflict to an end more than two decades ago, but they didn't resolve ethnic tensions, which are rising to the surface again.
-
Terrorism & Security Syria violence raises concerns Assad is only buying time with UN cease-fire deal
The day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reportedly agreed to UN envoy Kofi Annan's cease-fire plan, fighting continued in several cities.
-
Toulouse gunman puts spotlight on France's growing illegal gun trade
France's strict gun laws sharply limit legal ownership. But illegal trafficking is on the rise – at prices that people like Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah can afford.
-
15 spring 2012 novels we think you'll like
A preview of new novels coming this spring.
-
Backchannels Senator McCain calls for war in Syria
Senator John McCain took to the senate floor and made an impassioned plea for a US-led war effort. He's probably not going to get what he's asking for.
-
Syrian forces continue shelling rebel stronghold
Soldiers loyal to President Assad have been bombarding Homs, a prominent rebel stronghold, despite Red Cross appeals.
-
For Serbia, membership in troubled EU still a prize
The European Union will make Serbia an official candidate for EU membership this week. It's a positive development for a country that wants to show it's in line with democratic ideals.
-
WikiLeaks publishes Stratfor e-mails. What's in them?
An initial survey of the Stratfor e-mails published so far on the WikiLeaks website reveals not so much a corporate CIA as a geopolitical version of the comedy 'The Office.'
-
Change Agent Crisis Action makes a big noise using quiet citizen diplomacy
Crisis Action acts like a coach or talent scout for humanitarian and other citizen groups – but always behind the scenes.
-
Could talks over Iran nuclear crisis work? Turkish diplomat offers hints.
Turkey's foreign minister, in the US to discuss Syria and the Iran nuclear program, insists that the time for negotiations with Iran is not passed – and says Iran is willing to talk.
-
Global News Blog As snow falls in Britain, Heathrow upholds reputation as travelers' 'black hole' (+video)
London's Heathrow airport is once again the target of criticism after a preemptive shutdown hours before a light snowfall in the United Kingdom.
-
The Monitor's View: Arabs, like others, don't buy into abuse of historic grievances
The Arab Spring reflects a trend away from people accepting leaders who try to exploit the ancient wrongs of other countries for their own political or violent ends.
-
Opinion: Vaclav Havel and Kim Jong-il – moral opposites
Former Czech President Vaclav Havel was a victim of communist dictatorship; North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was a communist dictator. It is time to correct a historic injustice and award Havel the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously for his lifetime achievements.
-
Did Iran hijack the 'beast'? US experts cautious about bold claims. (Video)
To hijack the lost US drone, Iran would have to have overcome major technical hurdles. None are impossible, but US experts question Iran's capabilities in such high-end cyberwarfare.
-
Cover Story Occupy Europe: How a generation went from indifferent to indignant
Occupy Europe? From Madrid to Athens, young people facing a bleak future are casting doubt on European identity.
-
Opinion: Obama must learn from past mistakes in fight against Uganda's LRA
Obama’s deployment of 100 American military advisers to Uganda could help defeat Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army. But things could also go horribly wrong. That's what happened before. Still, the factors that led to past failure can be clearly identified – and hopefully avoided.
-
5 National Book Award 2011 fiction finalists
The 2011 National Book Award fiction winner will be announced on Nov. 16. Which of these five novels will be the winner?
-
Protests underscore Bulgarians' fear of Roma, organized crime
Protests in Bulgaria started after a teenager was run down on Sept. 23, allegedly at the order of a Roma underworld boss, and highlight the worst ethnic tension there since 1990.
-
Young Palestinian sows seeds of peace where peace seems impossible
Mahmoud Jabari, who attended a Seeds of Peace camp, has learned to better understand both sides of the deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
-
Could NATO's Libya mission be its last hurrah?
With the austerity gripping Europe and a new generation of leaders not shaped by cold-war politics, NATO's future is increasingly in question.
-
The Monitor's View: Obama's rationale for Libya war may still stand
A moral imperative to protect civilians led President Obama to seek support for NATO air support of Libyan rebels. In post-Qaddafi Libya, a similar 'responsibility to protect" may be required.
-
Opinion: Redub Gen Y as The Humbled Generation
The last decade has been rough on my generation. We've been taken down several notches by economic bubbles, wars, and debt. Let's call ourselves The Humbled Generation. And if we're smart, we can tackle today's problems with humility.
-
Opinion: Look to the cold war to chill fresh calls for American isolationism
Several Democrats and Republicans are calling for a fresh -- and dangerous -- isolationism. But just as Europe needed US leadership after the cold war, so does the Arab world now.
-
Opinion: How to avoid a replay of the long Balkan wars in Libya
Lessons from Sniper Alley in Sarajevo: It takes the military and resources to topple a dictator.
Previous
Become part of the Monitor community