Diplomacy & Crisis News

M. Donald Trump ne revient pas à la Maison Blanche tel un homme seul débarquant sur la scène politique sans trop savoir où il va. Huit ans après sa première victoire, sa base électorale est plus large, sa majorité parlementaire plus assurée. Et il s'est entouré d'une équipe de fidèles qui ne chercheront (...) / États-Unis, Élections, Personnalités, Politique - 2024/12

Ne rien méconnaître de la réalité sociale que décrit un film implique-t-il qu'il faille s'en détourner ? Sauf à ignorer le rôle politique de la mise en chair du savoir, non. Comme le suggère le visionnage de « L'Histoire de Souleymane ». - (...) - 2024/12

Se lever, avaler un café, s'engouffrer dans une voiture, un métro ou un train. Embaucher, faire sa journée, rentrer, recommencer… Pourquoi ? Pour qui ? Et si le désarroi que suscite le travail traduisait en réalité un espoir ? Celui d'une activité humaine émancipatrice. / Travail, Santé - (...) / Travail, Santé - 2024/12

En être privé, une malédiction ; en avoir, trop souvent un supplice quand le travail donne le sentiment de se noyer dans un océan de tâches abrutissantes, surnuméraires, pénibles, dépourvues de sens. Depuis les années 1980, les gouvernants français contribuent à faire du salariat une expérience de (...) / Inégalités, Travail, Protection sociale, Politique, Entreprise - 2024/12

Le 20 novembre, la recrudescence des violences perpétrées par les gangs et les forces de l'ordre contraint Médecins sans frontières (MSF) à suspendre ses activités dans la zone métropolitaine de Port-au-Prince. À peine arrivée en Haïti, la Mission multinationale d'appui à la sécurité, pilotée par le (...) / Haïti, Kenya, Conflit - 2024/12

Longtemps marginal dans l'Hexagone, l'évangélisme y est aujourd'hui bien plus présent. Nourri par plusieurs influences, notamment celle des missionnaires anglo-saxons mais aussi celle de fidèles originaires d'Afrique subsaharienne, ce courant du protestantisme se structure peu à peu. Plusieurs de (...) / Religion - 2024/12

Russian ICBM and IRBM Missile Systems

The War in Ukraine has done more to deplete Cold War military stockpiles than any other event during and since the Cold War, including weather and rust. The dwindling numbers of tanks, troop carriers and artillery pieces litter the woods and fields of Ukraine, being disabled and destroyed by new simple drones and old artillery shells. If the war will not end by negotiation and diplomacy, it will likely be mired in more bloodshed from using ally equipment and a small number of newly made modern equipment, still costing many more lives than either side is willing to admit. With conventional land forces and sea forces reaching their limits, air forces being deterred by modern air defense systems, and missile systems being altered for purposes they are not designed for, the remaining strength of Russian forces are still preserved in their long range tactical missile forces.

A recent strike by an unconfirmed ballistic missile system by Russian forces in Ukraine appeared to use a type of SS-27 or SS-29 ICBM in the strike. While it was not a nuclear armed version of those types of missiles, it performed as a Multiple Launch Warhead missile, or MIRV, hitting the target with multiple warheads from one missile system. While it appears to be a smaller RS-26 Rubezh type Regional ranged missile version, or IRBM, it was likely one based on the SS-27 MIRV type. This non-nuclear version was altered to send a message to Ukraine’s allies without escalating tensions past a point of no return by using nuclear warheads in the field.

The rationale Russia used in deploying the SS-27 type missile was a response to ever increasing allowances by Ukraine’s allies in using longer range artillery against targets in Russia. Russian air defenses do not seem capable of stopping many of these munitions, and Russia has suffered internal losses due to these systems. Russia’s intact long range ballistic missile forces have rarely been used in a war, and is a fully equipped nuclear deterrent maintained over generations. With few options available with conventional arms, and a message of strength wanted to be demonstrated by Russia, the mystery ballistic missile has been re-introduced onto the battlefield. While inventory and a show of strength enabled the use of the SS-27 variant, diplomacy is likely still the best option by both sides over the future use of any ballistic IRBM systems.

New conflicts in the Middle East might bring another situation where these regional missiles may be used by Russia. With Russia’s most important ally in the Middle East being on their last legs recently, Russia may decide to use whatever systems they have left in helping maintain their ally’s regime. In the most recent scenario, the opposing forces do not have any modern systems to respond to Russia, and it is likely the case that adversaries in the Middle East may ignore the use of such weapons in certain circumstance as long as it is not nuclear armed, and does not create a big disadvantage to the US or their allies in the region. Diplomacy may make for strange bedfellows, and could alter the power dynamic in the region in ways previously unheard of due to the recent crisis. Diplomacy in one area may also provide the opportunity to end the conflict in Ukraine, and refocus on common threats to both the East and West. Only time will tell, but these days things seem to always escalate quickly and unpredictably.

La France vient d'admettre sa responsabilité dans l'assassinat, en mars 1957, du chef indépendantiste Larbi Ben M'hidi lors de la bataille d'Alger. Si cette reconnaissance lève le voile sur certains non-dits de la guerre d'Algérie, il reste aussi à explorer d'autres épisodes, dont celui du conflit (...) / France, Algérie, Guerre d'Algérie 1954-1962 - 2024/12

La France est le deuxième pays européen enregistrant le plus grand nombre d'accidents du travail mortels. De tels chiffres ne sont peut-être pas sans rapport avec la mansuétude qui caractérise le système judiciaire dès lors que des patrons sont assis sur le banc des accusés. / France, Travail - (...) / France, Travail - 2024/12

En 1957, le traité de Rome posait les bases d'une conception élargie de l'égalité salariale. Levier majeur pour les salaires féminins, ce principe est combattu par le patronat. Pour les syndicats, la bataille se mène alors calculette à la main. / Inégalités, Travail, Droits des femmes - (...) / Inégalités, Travail, Droits des femmes - 2024/12

Sous perfusion d'argent public, les multimillionnaires du travail temporaire prospèrent, avec un recours aux intérimaires qui n'a cessé de progresser depuis quarante ans. / Travail - 2024/12 / Travail - 2024/12

Une usine ferme, les ouvriers manifestent, l'État dit son impuissance. Les larmes coulent et, bientôt, la poussière s'accumule. « Ainsi va la vie », expliquent les médias, toujours disposés à taire la nature politique des choix du pouvoir. Comme celui de saper le travail et de briser les bastions (...) / Italie, Travail, Inégalités - 2024/12

Échapper au salariat — qui épuise, abrutit, ennuie — en créant sa propre activité ? L'idée séduit, notamment chez les cadres, dont une partie se reconvertissent… dans la « reconversion professionnelle ». Un marché porteur, mais fragile. / Travail, Idées - (...) / Travail, Idées - 2024/12

« Princesse et saltimbanque… sorcière ? Voyante ? » Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966), figure majeure de la poésie russe, grande novatrice, aura connu un destin traversé par les tragédies de l'époque stalinienne, et créé une œuvre unique. Le portrait littéraire qu'en offre la romancière Geneviève Brisac est une (...) / Russie, Art, Littérature, Fiction, Personnalités - 2024/12

La démocratie va mal. Ce serait la faute des institutions, des réseaux sociaux, de l'individualisme. De la « radicalité des extrêmes », voire de l'impuissance devant la violence économique, qu'il faudrait adoucir. Or le capitalisme se fonde sur la division entre l'économique et le politique, ce qui le (...) / Capitalisme, Droit, Démocratie - 2024/12

Capitalisme « éthique » ? La contradiction dans les termes reflète la volonté de l'ordre économique d'incorporer les questions environnementales dans une matrice marchande, à la fois pour se relégitimer et pour faire des affaires. Aux yeux des alchimistes du marché, le désastre social et écologique (...) / Capitalisme, Écologie, Entreprise - 2024/12

Faire front, faire face ou simplement dire quelque chose du monde tel qu'il est subi — accablant, grotesque et violent : c'est un combat à mener. Zerocalcare (pseudonyme de Michele Rech), héros italien de la bande dessinée militante, sort cette année son septième recueil. On retrouve le même (...) / Littérature, Fiction - 2024/12

Le parcours de l'intellectuel martiniquais Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) est multiple. Psychiatre, il fut aussi essayiste, anticolonialiste, tiers-mondiste, et épousa la cause indépendantiste algérienne aux côtés du Front de libération nationale (FLN). L'ouvrage du journaliste américain Adam Shatz vient (...) / Personnalités - 2024/12

Né en 1963, trois ans avant la Révolution culturelle, Liu Cixin vient d'avoir le rare honneur de se voir consacrer un musée, à Yangquan, dans la province du Shanxi (nord de la Chine), où il vit. Un musée tout entier, mettant en lumière son parcours, son œuvre, les adaptations qui en ont été faites. Ses (...) / Chine, Fiction, Art - 2024/12

In recent days, the Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George Deek gave an interview to the Azerbaijani media, where he proclaimed that the friendship between Israel and Azerbaijan is blossoming: “Israel was among the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan; I think we were seventh. Since that day, we’ve had 32 years of a very close relationship that has developed into what we can today assess as a strategic partnership between our countries. This partnership has ranged across various areas in line with the development of this country and our relations with it, including energy, security, agriculture, water, and others.”

He continued: “Now, we see that this relationship has matured in such a way that, while in the past, relations were mostly government-to-government, today they are people-to-people, business-to-business, and civil society-to-civil society. We see booming tourism, a thriving trade relationship, and, above all, a very close political relationship between our leaders and executive powers. We should also remember that the relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan did not start only 30-some years ago. It began many centuries ago, with one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish diasporas living in this country alongside the rest of the population for at least 800 years, if not longer.”

Ambassador Deek added, “Unlike in other parts of the world, Jews in Azerbaijan have lived in harmony and tolerance with the rest of society for centuries. That, I believe, was the solid and healthy basis upon which the relationship I have described was able to thrive and evolve. We look forward to these relations growing and this strategic partnership strengthening further because we share many common interests, values, and cultural characteristics that make our people so close.”

“Last year’s trade between Israel and Azerbaijan amounted to about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, including the oil and gas sectors,” Ambassador Deek noted. “While that may sound substantial, it’s well below the potential we could achieve in our relationship. We must be honest; until a few years ago, the economic relations between our countries were not very developed for various reasons. However, we’ve seen a breakthrough in recent years. This progress began with the opening of Azerbaijan’s trade office in Israel in 2021, which culminated in the opening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Israel in 2023. These developments have injected significant energy into our country’s business sector.”

He stressed, “I understand Azerbaijan plans to appoint a commercial attaché to its embassy in Israel, and we may consider doing the same here. I believe this is a testament to the importance both countries place on our economic relations. Israeli companies are now recognizing the strategic importance of Azerbaijan, not only as a partner but also as a crossroads between East and West—the Middle Corridor—serving as a gateway to Central Asia, extending eastward to China, westward to Europe, and north to south. Azerbaijan’s ability to maintain balanced, positive relations with nearly every country gives it a unique position as a valuable partner.”

Ambassador Deek concluded, “Imagine if Azerbaijan were a partner to Israel in the economic sphere, not only for projects within Azerbaijan but also for joint economic ventures outside Azerbaijan. We could use Azerbaijan as a window into the broader potential of what our cooperation can achieve. Currently, our economic engagement with Azerbaijan spans various sectors. In recent years, for instance, Azerbaijan’s space agency Azerkosmos signed an agreement for an Israeli company to build a satellite, and there may be more such collaborations on the horizon. We also see extensive cooperation in agriculture, water management, dairy production, and high-tech. We are confident that our cooperation will continue to grow soon. I won’t deny that, since October 7th, Israel’s economy has been impacted by the ongoing war and the trauma it has caused. This year, the trade trend has not been as positive as we had hoped. However, I believe that as we overcome these challenges and move past the effects of the war, the economic sector—alongside all other sectors in Israel—will return to the momentum we previously enjoyed.”