Peter Singhatey

U.S. and Iran Unlikely Allies in Iraq Battle – NYTimes.com

September 1, 2014

Peter Singhatey Uncategorized Conflict, International Security, Iran, Iraq, ISIS, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, US Leave a comment

U.S. and Iran Unlikely Allies in Iraq Battle – NYTimes.com.

BAGHDAD — With American bombs raining down from the sky, Shiite militia fighters aligned with Iran battled Sunni extremists over the weekend, punching through their defenses to break the weekslong siege of Amerli, a cluster of farming villages whose Shiite residents faced possible slaughter.

The fight in northern Iraq appeared to be the first time American warplanes and militias backed by Iran had worked with a common purpose on a battlefield against militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, even though the Obama administration said there was no direct coordination with the militias.

Should such military actions continue, they could signal a dramatic shift for the United States and Iran, which have long vied for control in Iraq. They could also align the interests of the Americans with their longtime sworn enemies in the Shiite militias, whose fighters killed many United States soldiers during the long occupation of Iraq…

Backdrop to an Intervention: Sources of Egyptian-Libyan Border Tension – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

August 31, 2014

Peter Singhatey Uncategorized Conflict, International Security, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Research Leave a comment

Backdrop to an Intervention: Sources of Egyptian-Libyan Border Tension – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The airstrikes that Emirati forces with Egyptian support conducted against militia positions in Libya in late August 2014 were sparked by an anti-Islamist military campaign in eastern Libya. The campaign, led by retired General Khalifa Hifter and a breakaway faction of the Libyan military, has profoundly altered Egyptian-Libyan relations. But the roots of Egyptian meddling in Libya run deeper than Hifter’s current operation.

Among Libya’s many afflictions, none is more threatening to Egypt than the two states’ nearly 700-mile-long shared border. Border policing in Libya has always been weak and ill-defined—even under Muammar Qaddafi—but it has suffered a catastrophic decline following the dictator’s overthrow in 2011. Oversight of borders has devolved to a constellation of eastern militias that are only tenuously connected to the government and that, in many cases, are colluding in the very smuggling they are meant to combat. The border is now North Africa’s eastern thoroughfare for weapons, fighters, illegal migrants, and illicit goods flowing into the Levant, with profoundly destabilizing effects on the Sinai, Gaza, and Syria…

Photo – What do VFR and IFR Mean? | AviationClub

August 26, 2014

Peter Singhatey Aviation Aviation, Flying, Madox, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

Photo – What do VFR and IFR Mean? | AviationClub.

As a prospective student, you probably hear about instrument training from more experienced students, and you might wonder what exactly “instrument” flying entails.

Instrument flying can seem like an elusive or abstract term if you’re not familiar with flying, but it quickly becomes clear as you learn the difference between VFR and IFR, or VMC and IMC. Even seasoned pilots tend to use these terms incorrectly, so don’t feel too bad if you don’t know exactly what they mean. Let’s take a look at what all of this means…

Is the World Falling Apart? – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

August 18, 2014

Peter Singhatey International Security Conflict, International Security, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, politics Leave a comment

Is the World Falling Apart? – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The world can be an awfully dangerous and unpredictable place. As news was breaking that the United States initiated airstrikes against militants in Iraq, fears were mounting about the Russian troops amassed near the border with Ukraine, momentarily eclipsing headlines of the war in Gaza, the insurgency in Syria, tensions in Asia, and other global concerns. And every day seems to bring more bad news as instability rages on.

But is the level of turmoil really unique? Or does it just feel like it?

Carnegie experts from around the world assess the situation and today’s foremost geopolitical hotspots. It’s some much-needed sober analysis during heady times…

By Sea and by Ladder, Africans Seek Entry to Spain – NYTimes.com

August 16, 2014

Peter Singhatey African Center for Strategic Studies Africa, Gambia, Immigration, Migrants, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

By Sea and by Ladder, Africans Seek Entry to Spain – NYTimes.com.

Migrants from Africa continued to pour across the Mediterranean this week, and Spain’s sea rescue service picked up 681 people traveling in 70 small boats across the Strait of Gibraltar. Above, a Red Cross worker helped with a feeding at a sports center in the Spanish port of Tarifa. Below, new arrivals stormed border fences with ladders to try to enter Spain’s northwest African enclave of Melilla from Morocco. Around 50 stayed on one of the fences for hours…

Can women make the world more peaceful? | Global Development Professionals Network | Guardian Professional

August 12, 2014

Peter Singhatey African Center for Strategic Studies Africa, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Development, Gambia, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

Can women make the world more peaceful? | Global Development Professionals Network | Guardian Professional.

Do women hold the key to a peaceful society? Much is known about the victimisation of women through rape, trafficking, and early marriages, but much is yet to be discovered about how women can be empowered in conflict settings to bridge the gap towards peace.

I recently conducted research analysing female peacemaking and found that women do hold a significant role in the peace process. However, this role is not always long-term, unless gender equality is institutionalised through quotas. A better understanding of how women can transform conflict situations, and how to create space for them to do so, will be vital for the UN and other concerned actors in the coming years.

Billions promised to Africa – here’s how it would be spent | Africa | Africa | Mail & Guardian

August 8, 2014

Peter Singhatey African Center for Strategic Studies Africa, Development, Gambia, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

Billions promised to Africa – here’s how it would be spent | Africa | Africa | Mail & Guardian.

“IT is summit season in Africa. The US-Africa Leaders Summit is the second major meeting this year, following the EU-Africa summit in March, and comes hot on the heels of similar summits with France, Japan and Arab nations last year.

Later this year India will hold its second triennial summit with African leaders, as Beijing’s flagship Forum on China-Africa Co-operation waits in the wings for next year.

These summits have recently been similar in that they are carefully wrapped in varying degrees of “co-operation” and “equal partnership” talk, but despite this the headlines are usually around the money and investment promised.

We take a look at the numbers announced so far: (Quoted exchange rates reflect the time the deal was announced.)

1: United States, ($33-billion), August 2014

President Barack Obama has become the first American leader to convene a summit of such magnitude with African heads of state, with the US-Africa summit themed around investment, security and rights issues.

On Tuesday, Obama announced $33-billion in commitments, with American companies planning $14-billion worth of investments in Africa, and his Power Africa drawing an additional $12-billion in commitments to go with the initial $7-billion it had attracted…”

What the Gaza War Means for the Middle East – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

August 8, 2014

Peter Singhatey Middle East Conflict, International Security, Middle East, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

What the Gaza War Means for the Middle East – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

With intensifying international pressure to end hostilities, a brief lull in fighting currently prevails in Gaza. But a formal ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has proven elusive and the death toll continues to mount following sporadic attacks.

Carnegie experts assess how the crisis will impact Palestinians, Israelis, and the rest of the Middle East.

What are the immediate implications for both Israelis and Palestinians?

How can Gaza be rebuilt after this latest round of fighting?

How will the conflict with Israel impact the Palestinian leadership and relations between Hamas and Fatah?

What are the implications of the turmoil in Gaza for Egypt?

How will the conflict in Gaza influence regional dynamics?