Grexit Option Looms with Bailout Expiry

By Asad Ismi In a stunning victory on January 25, the leftist Syriza party won Greece’s national elections by a wide margin, earning just short of a majority of seats in parliament. Syriza campaigned on a promise to end the austerity measures (privatization, wage constraints, public service layoffs, etc.) that were a condition on 240 […]

U.S. and China’s Rivalry Over Africa’s Riches Intensifies: China Gains African Goods With Loans, the U.S. With Guns

By Asad Ismi In my report on France’s invasion of Mali published in the March issue of The Monitor, I wrote that, “According to U.K. journalist John Pilger, ‘A full-scale invasion of Africa is under way. The United States is deploying troops in 35 African countries, beginning with Libya, Sudan, Algeria, and Niger. The invasion […]

Correa’s Re-election Solidifies Socialist State in Ecuador: Ecuador’s Indigenous Groups Oppose Mining Firms’ Incursions

By Asad Ismi The Latin American Revolution scored another victory on February 17 when Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s socialist leader, won his third successive election as President. Correa amassed close to 58% of the vote, leaving his closest rival 34 percentage points behind. Alianza Pais, Correa’s political party, also won two-thirds of the seats in Ecuador’s […]

Invasion of Mali is a Resource Grab, Not a War on Terrorists–U.S. Leads Western Powers’ Plunder of Africa

By Asad Ismi France invaded the West African nation of Mali on January 11, with 4,000 troops, jet fighters, and attack helicopters — supposedly to drive out Islamic fundamentalists identified as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), who Paris claims were well on their way to taking over the country. These fundamentalists, however, based in […]