Dear Friends:
During the last few
days, the main issue of the headlines of the American and European newspapers
was the advance of the ISIS militants in the north of Iraq persecuting minority groups and forcing the
others to pay extortionate taxes.
About this subject,
the consensus is high. The bloggers are against the brutality of the Sunni
extremists led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, some Americans and other
Western citizens don’t want a new military intervention in Iraq.
Other news from the Middle East that continues in the first pages of the
newspapers is the Gaza chaotic situation and the different truces between Israel and Hamas that were violated. The bloggers
are divided about the responsibilities of one and the other part.
The Ebola epidemic
is not more an exclusive problem of Africa.
Citizens of the rest of the world who work in different African countries are
among the patients of this strange sickness. Dr. Miguel Pajares, a Spanish
priest who was helping sick people in Africa,
died in Spain, his home country, in the last few days. As I wrote in Twitter: “He
died as martyr of his vocation of help others.”
One of the good news
of the last few days was about the Rosetta spatial mission. Rosetta is the first spacecraft to orbit a
comet nucleus. It reached the 67P Comet. The mission was organized by the
European Space Agency (ESA) with the collaboration of European and American
contractors. As I wrote in the blog of
Journal Community: “The international cooperation in scientific missions
stimulates friendships among different countries and the exchange of knowledge
for the best of the Humanity.”
Now I would like to
share with you a series of comments posted by myself in the WSJ Journal
Community during the last few days about important headlines.
The comments are
about politics, economy, business, education, technology and other subjects
linked with: United States, Europe and
other lands. Enjoy them!
Domingo Trassens
Analyst
World-Rethink
August 11, 2014
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BLOG
COMMENTS: 2014/08/03
– 2014/08/11
U.S. Giving Military Aid to Kurds in Fight
Against Insurgents
CIA Providing
Small Arms, Ammunition as U.S. Asks Other Nations to Help - By Dion Nissenbaum And Joe Parkinson
My Comment: Among the different bad reports that come
from northern Iraq,
it is good to know that U.S.
is giving military aid to the Kurdish people in their fight against the Sunni
militants.
If the Kurdish troops can defend their positions and recover
the ground they lost recently, the refugees will be safety in Kurdistan
and the ambition of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to extend the Islamic State will stop.
As we saw till now, Kurdistan could
be a “barrier” for the expansion plans of the ISIS. 3
Recommendations 08/11/2014 03:13:44 PM
Calm in Gaza as Israel, Hamas Truce Holds
Israel Reports No New Rocket Fire From Gaza - By Asa Fitch in Gaza City, Joshua Mitnick in Tel Aviv and Amina Ismail
in Cairo
My Comment: The news says “Calm in Gaza
as Israel,
Hamas truce holds.”
The question is: “For how many days or hours the calm will
reign in Gaza?”
The current status is very fragile and both sides didn’t
show till now a spirit of pacification. 08/11/2014
02:55:38 PM
Biden Signals
Potential for Deeper U.S. Involvement in Iraq
Vice President
Says U.S. Is Ready to Help New Iraqi Government
Against Islamic Militants -
By Jeffrey Sparshott
My Comment: This story titled: “Biden Signals
Potential for Deeper U.S. Involvement in Iraq”
starts with the call of Vice President Joe Biden to Iraqi President Fuad Masum
and ends with vacation agenda of President Obama calling Ukrainian President
Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy.
Really, the phone calls of President Obama with Petro
Poroshenko and Matteo Renzi don’t have connection with the current Iraqi
political mess. Ukraine
and Italy are
other different messes. 1 Recommendation 08/11/2014 02:47:26 PM
Big Data's High-Priests of Algorithms
'Data Scientists' Meld Statistics and Software for Find
Lucrative High-Tech Jobs - By Elizabeth Dwoskin
My Comment: From my point of view, the “data
scientists” have to discover relationships that frequently are not visible for
the classic analysts of databases and/or 3D spreadsheets.
After they find the “patterns”, they have to learn how to
use these models in the way that the big-data brings positive results and helps
other disciplines to solve difficult problems. 2 Recommendations 08/10/2014 12:35:33 PM
Baghdad's Political Rifts Lurk Ahead of Deadline to Select Prime Minister
Parliamentary
Divisions Could Keep Iraq in Nouri al-Maliki's Hands, to the Chagrin
of the U.S. - By Matt Bradley And Nour Malas
My Comment: The picture of the political environment
of Baghdad is deplorable. They know
that the people who live in the north of the country are under the threat of
the Sunni militants, but they continue divided by political rifts instead of
work together to form a new government. 08/10/2014 12:05:26 PM
Turkey Casts Votes in Presidential Election, With
Erdogan Primed for Win
Latest Polls Give
Recep Tayyip Erdogan 57% of Vote - By Joe Parkinson
My Comment: When a politician has a lot of ambition
and is authoritarian in his way of thinking and acting, the power that he receives
from the voters is like an alcohol that intoxicates him.
If Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues intoxicating with the
power that he is receiving from the crowds, all will end badly. 6
Recommendations 08/10/2014 07:11:58 AM
Israel, Palestinians Again Trade Fire, as Gaza Death Toll Mounts
Nine People
Killed in Israeli Strikes -
By Rory Jones in Jerusalem, Asa Fitch in Gaza City and Joshua Mitnick in Tel Aviv
My Comment: In the Gaza
conflict, nothing is settled till now. 08/09/2014
02:45:13 PM
Obama Signals
Lengthy U.S. Role in Iraq
President Says
Crisis Won't Be Resolved Within Weeks - By Jeffrey Sparshott in Washington and Nour Malas in Erbil, Iraq
My Comment: Till now it is not clear if the US
operation in Iraq
will be a new war or only a partial support to the Kurdish troops in the north
of Iraq. 08/09/2014 02:28:32 PM
Germans Back
Tougher Stance Toward Russia Over Ukraine -- Poll
Survey Says 82%
of Germans Believe Russia Can't Be Trusted - By Harriet Torry
My Comment: In other words, this news says that Germany
is taking distance from Russia.
Is this true or only an official report of the media? 08/08/2014 03:31:36
PM
Oil Companies
Evacuate Staff From Iraqi Kurdistan
Operations
Suspended at Some Fields as U.S. Begins Airstrikes to Halt Advance of
Islamist Militants - By
Sarah Kent
My Comment: The oil is an important economic resource
of Kurdistan. We have to hope the suspension of the
production will be short. In other case, it will be a serious damage for this
region that is pushing for its independence from the Iraqi regime. 08/08/2014 03:21:22 PM
U.S. Planes Start Airstrikes on Iraq Militants
Two Jet Fighters
Drop 500-Pound, Laser-Guided Bombs - By Dion Nissenbaum And Julian E. Barnes
My Comment: We have to pray that in this operation the
U.S. jet
fighters don't hit innocent people.
Everybody agrees that these people need help. The problem is
the women, men and children who flee are walking across the field and in
between the mountains without any protection and assistance, in small groups.
It is a massive escape of individuals with panic. It is really a huge drama.
For this reason, the air-strikes on the Islamic extremists are risky. The air
bombing has to be precise to avoid massacres of innocent people. 2
Recommendations 08/08/2014 01:47:20 PM
Argentina Sues U.S. in International Court of Justice Over Debt
Dispute
Court Can Hear
the Case Only If the U.S. Consents - By Ken Parks
My Comment: The attitude of the current Argentine
authorities is arrogant and simply crazy. They want to continue looking for
trouble. They look like children in the school who don’t want to end the brawl.
By the way, during the last days, again the Frankfurter
Allgemeine, important newspaper of the financial capital of the European Union,
remarked that who act like Ms. Kirchner and her economic team are not honest
people because when somebody makes financial compromises, after that they have
to respect them. They are dangerous for the European banks.
In summary, if Argentina
continues for this insane way, they will close all the important doors of the United
States and also Europe.
What is the real benefit? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! 3 Recommendations 08/07/2014
03:50:47 PM
U.S. Weighs Airstrikes in Iraq
Washington Wants to Aid Religious Minority Besieged by
Insurgents - By Nour Malas
and Ali A. Nabhan in Baghdad and Julian E. Barnes in Washington
My Comment: Some weeks ago,the advance of the Sunni
militant group named the Islamic State forced a massive escape of the Christian
people living in Mosul and other
cities of the north of Iraq.
According to personal calls from some of the people that
fled from Mosul to Erbil,
this city under the control of the Kurds was safe.
Now, the news says that the Sunni insurgents took over
Sinjar and they threaten Erbil.
Erbil is the capital of the Kurdistan
region and the largest city of the area with approximately 1.5 million
inhabitants, a city rich in culture and history and with important
infrastructure. It is located 55 miles east of Mosul.
If Washington
decides any action in Iraq,
I believe that the protection of Erbil and the Kurdistan
territory has priority.
Today in this northern sector of Iraq
there are a lot of refugees. They are members of Christian minorities and
Yazudi. Both groups don’t have option to flee by ground to other safe places.
They are civil population who lost all. Some of families of this people
suffered terrible punishment from the extremists. The ISIS
militants behead or crucify the men and capture all the stuff of victims. 2
Recommendations 08/07/2014 03:12:53 PM
Boko Haram Overruns Nigerian Town, Killing Dozens
Gwoza Had Been
Bastion of Opposition to Islamist Insurgents - By Drew Hinshaw in Accra, Ghana And Gbenga Akingbule in Abuja, Nigeria
My Comment: During the last few months, a lot of news
came from Nigeria
about the attacks and atrocities of Boko Haram.
From the other side, the Nigerian army did not find the kidnapped girls and
didn't stop the slaughter.
Rethinking the events, we see that the Nigerian military forces are not
effective in the defense of the civil population.
Meanwhile, the government of the country looks impotent in front the actions of
the Islamist insurgents.
Perhaps, this situation is the result of the corruption of the authorities
and/or military leaders, or maybe Boko Haram has infiltration in the some
levels of the power of the country. 1 Recommendation 08/07/2014 02:20:19 PM
Mexico's Auto Industry Overtakes Brazil's
Long-standing
Policies Helped Cement Varying Performance - By Dudley Althaus And Rogerio Jelmayer
My Comment: Mexico
produces cars and industrial products for the American market that is stronger
than all the international customers of the Brazilians. 08/07/2014 01:09:46 AM
Putin Limits Some
Products From Countries That Sanctioned Russia
Order Lasts One
Year; Doesn't Spell Out Specific Goods or Countries - By Greg White
My Comment: In the war of the sanctions, everybody
will lose commercial transactions.
But it is important to remark that several weeks ago,
Russian President Putin traveled across South American countries – Brazil,
Argentina…- that are important producers of agricultural and food products. Mr.
Putin prepared the ground to survive the “bombing” of European and American
sanctions. 4 Recommendations 08/06/2014
03:12:41 PM
Rosetta Mission
Reaches Comet in First for Space Travel
Rosetta Probe and
67P Comet Locked in Common Orbit Around the Sun - By Gautam Naik
My Comment: This is an important achievement of the
European Space Agency but it is good to remark that in Rosetta mission also
American contractors are involved.
The international cooperation in scientific missions stimulates friendships
among different countries and the exchange of knowledge for the best of the
Humanity. Congratulations! 1 Recommendation 08/06/2014 02:50:44 PM
Italy Slips Back Into Recession in Second Quarter
Disappointing
Growth Data Add Pressure on Prime Minister Matteo Renzi - By Marcus Walker And Giada Zampano
My Comment: Matteo Renzi took the Italian government
with a lot of energy and convinced that he will put Italy
in its golden days. But after a period again the problems returned.
In summary, nobody has a magic formula to fix the Italian
economy. 1 Recommendation 08/06/2014
02:33:57 PM
Why Oppose an
Independent Kurdistan?
The Middle East is being remade, and the U.S. needs all the friends it can get. - By William A. Galston
My Comment: We
cannot continue tied to old political patterns of the past. Saddam Hussein is
dead and the reunification of all the sectarian groups of Iraq is quasi impossible today.
For this reason, it
doesn't make sense to oppose to the independence of Kurdistan.
Kurdistan as an independent country could be a good
ally of the United States if we work together with them in a
respectful relationship.
Definitely, we
cannot force that other countries have to be a “mirror” of the United States. However we can gain better allies than in
the past if we act according to a smart foreign politics. 4
Recommendations 08/06/2014 05:41:04 AM
British Airways
Temporarily Suspends Liberia, Sierra Leone Flights
Carrier Cites
'Deteriorating Public Health Situation' Due to Ebola Outbreak - By Robert Wall
My Comment: If the situation continues like now, all Africa
will be in quarantine soon. 08/05/2014
02:49:25 PM
U.S. General
Killed in Afghanistan Attack
Person in Afghan
Uniform Also Shoots 14 Other Foreign Soldiers, Including German - By Nathan Hodge and Dion Nissenbaum
My Comment: When an American soldier kills an Afghan,
President Hamid Karzai makes a huge scandal.
Now he didn’t apologize for the life of the US
general and the other officers.
Really, people like Mr. Karzai don’t deserve all that the
allied troops made for his country. 10 Recommendations 08/05/2014 02:19:46
PM
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SOURCES:
1)
External Sources: Wall
Street Journal, The New York Times and PBS NewsHour
2)
Own Sources: My
own research for previous publishing projects: TTT of Comlab Corp, Spanish
English Club online.
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