As the Olympics are celebrated in Sochi, we would do well to remember the history of Russian control over that region. It was once part of the Ottoman Empire, and Russian expansion to the Black Sea generated significant tensions, not only between the adherents of Islam and Russian Orthodox Christianity, but also among the great powers. Sochi itself was the site of an atrocity as Russian troops pushed for the expulsion of what were then termed the Circassian peoples. The hostility that we witness today between the separatists from Chechnya and Dagestan and Russian control from Moscow has its roots in that struggle.
In a stunning vote, Swiss voters narrowly approved tougher limits on immigration. Nearly 20% of the 8 million Swiss are immigrants, and major corporations fought hard against the proposed restrictions. But the Swiss People’s Party was able to mobilize enough voters to pass the measure. It is too soon to see how the restrictions will be implemented, but the decision places the Swiss in stark opposition to the policies of the European Union. Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but a very large percentage of its exports go to the EU and there likely will be some retaliation against the measure. The vote, however, does measure the degree of anti-immigrant hostility in the world today.
Iran has reached an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that has far-reaching consequences for the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has agreed to allow the IAEA to explore non-nuclear dimensions of Iranian military policy, specifically Iran’s research on non-nuclear detonation devices. The move will go far to allay some of the fears about Iran’s ambitions and its willingness to allow inspections of this sort suggests its strong interest in reaching some accommodation with the United Nations.
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