After almost a century the United States has finally taken a definitive stand on the Armenian Genocide committed by the Turks. Many in the Independent Media are discussing the “why now” standpoint of this issue, but it is actually far more important to deal with the “what next” question, as any confirmation of genocide by the world’s only hyperpower is going to have long-term consequences.
Dr Can Erimtan
21st Century Wire
Now that Donald Trump is inhabiting the White House, the waning of the U.S. as a global power is all but accelerating. Some countries though still seem to attach a lot of importance to American words and actions. The Republic of Turkey, currently ruled by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (or the Prez) and his Justice and Development Party (or AKP) appears to be a case in point.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Sarah Abed, independent journalist, analyst…
Over a century ago, the systematic mass extermination and expulsion of 1.5 million ethnic Armenians from the Ottoman Empire took place between 1914 and 1923 (some accounts state 1915-1922). For decades, Turkish and Israeli lobbies in Washington have successfully prevented the United States from recognizing the Armenian Genocide, despite thirty-one other nations having already done so.
Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in an overwhelming bipartisan majority to officially recognize the Armenian genocide more than a century after the atrocities were committed. The motion was a departure from decades of U.S. government refusal because of its realpolitik considerations of regional ally and fellow NATO member, the Republic of Turkey.
Since a new government came to power last year in Armenia, the tiny South Caucasus nation has embarked on a non-aligned international policy. It has maintained strong historic ties with Russia but also says it wants to develop important relations with the European Union and the United States.
For centuries, the Caucasus, which was part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, has been an arena of interaction and struggle between various, often opposing, political and economic interests. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the region is a convenient base for the expansion of the US and the EU in the Middle East, as well as in the basins of the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean Seas. At the same time, it is a link between these regions.
The Awesome Power of Non-violent Action
by Ian Sinclair
Morning Star
5 June 2019
Speaking on the Arab Tyrant Manual podcast recently, Jamila Raqib discussed the widespread ignorance that surrounds non-violent struggle.
