Special Features

Written by Col. R. Hariharan
February, 2010
How is the year 2010 going to be for Sri Lanka and what are the likely trends? The year 2009 was a remarkable year of achievement for Sri Lanka. By May 2009 President Mahinda Rajapaksa managed to lead the country to eliminate the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Tigers (LTTE) founder leader Prabhakaran and its entire leadership. But significantly, he failed to carry the nation as a united entity to handle post war problems of economic woes of the poor, human rights and humanitarian aberrations and ethnic distrust. Read more Add comment (0)

Written by Irfan Husain
February, 2010
Unchallenged so far as the world's sole superpower, America carries on regardless. However, there are factors that could put the brakes on. Two decades after the first Gulf War, we can look back and see this as an unbroken era of American supremacy. The country's status as the world's only superpower was confirmed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 when its fleets, troops and aircraft pounded Iraq's might into oblivion within days. Its earlier rapid invasion of Afghanistan and its easy victory over the Taliban were reminders that no nation on earth could withstand American military power. Read more Add comment (0)

Written by J. Enver
February, 2010
Iran seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place. Its people want quick economic progress while those in power insist on pursuing the controversial nuclear program. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is now serving a second term in office. The former mayor of Tehran became the first non-cleric to be elected president after defeating former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in 2005. Much as the world then expected a liberal to occupy the country's presidential office, it turned out that he represented Iran's hardline face as he did not see the development or reform of political institutions with a favorable eye, he was certainly not pro-West and held a strongly aggressive view on the country's nuclear program. A vast majority of Iranians supported him then. Read more Add comment (0)

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