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Human Rights Court Favors Venezuela Opposition Leader

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5 October 2011 Leopoldo Lopez talks to media outlets. Dow Jones Newswires (CARACAS) – The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ( IACHR ) ruled in favor of opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez on 17 September, allowing him to run in Venezuela ’s upcoming 2012 presidential elections. Venezuelan officials barred Lopez from seeking public office in 2005 through 2014 under allegations of mishandling public funds and corruption. Supporters of Lopez argue the charges are a ploy to prevent him and other opposition politicians from running for office. General elections are slated for 7 October 2012 amid questions regarding President Hugo Chavez’s health. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110916-712977.html (Reliability: 9) Comment: Despite the IACHR’s ruling in favor of Lopez, Venezuelan officials under President Chavez have ignored the court’s rulings in the past and banned presidential hopefuls from running for office. Lopez is emerging as one of the top con...
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NATO Pushes For Cooperation with Pakistan

By Angela H. -
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The Financial Times (Islamabad) - Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato’s secretary-general, encouraged the West to continue work closely with Pakistan. Rasmussen’s statements follow recent claims by the US that Pakistan’s intelligence agency is assisting Islamist insurgents fighting allied troops in Afghanistan. According to Rasmussen, cooperation with Pakistan is the only way to combat the Haqqani network. US expectations of Pakistani forces taking a stance against the Haqqani network based in North Waziristan remain low. According to the Pakistani army, existing efforts to clear militants along the Afghanistan border will not allow them to launch new and domestically unpopular operations. Pakistan claimed that the US has failed to understand the complexity of the alliances and threats in the tribal region. Analyst view the Haqqani network as a key proxy for Pakistan in its attempt to control the territory in the Pashtun belt of southern Afghanistan. Source : http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/...
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Turkey Breaks With Assad

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Turkey surprised international observers when it supported rebels in recent uprising in Syria. Turkey is harboring insurgents and political opponents of the Assad's regime as it readies unilateral sanctions against Syria . This signals in shift in supporting the various democratic Arab awakenings throughout the Middle East. Turkey’s chasm with Syria reaffirms its commitment to NATO , who had began to question Turkeys role in the alliance. In the face of the Arab Spring , Turkey is reassess its place in the new realities of the Middle East . Turkey had sought to ought new open new markets  and expand its influence in the region through a policy of non-confrontation with its neighbors. It disavowed democratic preconditions with economic partners like Syria and Iran in the past and this caused friction with NATO. Source :http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/1103/Turkey-s-bold-about-face-on-Syria Reliability (9) Comments: Turkey’s break from its policy of “zero prob...
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