Tag Archives: complex emergencies
The Horror of Chemical Weapons
The alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria last month should sicken all of us. What exactly is a chemical weapon, and why are they universally condemned? Chemical agents are “weapons of mass destruction” along with radiological and biological agents. WMDs cause great social upheaval, and usually the psychological effect is greater than the physical effect. Briefly, […]
Complex Emergencies R Us. (Part 2)
I call the 1980s the “naïve decade”. The cold war was ceasing. The East – West, USSR – USA struggle was ending. The Berlin Wall was tumbling down. No more nuclear arms race. Disarmament talks. Superpower chess game over. Peace at last! Nothing could be further from the truth. Seething, pent-up animosities between various ethnic groups in […]
Complex Emergencies R Us (Part 1)
The recent deadly riots in Cairo. Egypt during August have been shocking. Equally alarming have been other conflicts, such as Syria, with the alleged use of nerve gas on civilians. It is debatable whether the greater tragedy is the killing itself or the paralysis of the international community to stop the carnage. The world seems […]
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