Foreign investors almost inevitably arouse animosity over time, and the Chinese seem to be experiencing the anti-imperialist backlash common to raw materials investment. In Zambia, a Chinese supervisor was killed in a coal mine dispute over wages. China’s push into Africa has been substantial, and many of its investments are beginning to elicit similar reactions.
The Palestinians have renewed their effort to obtain non-member observer status at the United Nations. A meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement scheduled to be held in the West Bank was disrupted by the Israeli refusal to allow certain members of the movement, representing countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, to enter the West Bank. The Israeli action is not fully consistent with the obligations it agreed to in the Oslo Accords of 1993. We will have to see how this action affects the Palestinian campaign to receive UN recognition.
The Russian press is reporting on US-Israeli plans to attack Iran. The Russians have good relations with Iran and Syria and are therefore paying a great deal of attention to the possibility of an attack on Iran given the current focus on instability in Syria. So it is difficult to assess how accurate the report actually is. On the other hand, the Russians have very good intelligence services, so it is not appropriate to dismiss the report out of hand. Pressures to attack Iran before November are increasing on almost a daily basis, and there are many forces in play right now. We should pay close attention to all bits of evidence.
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