How the CIA Staged Sham Academic Conferences to defect Scientists

ProPublica A decade ago, the CIA secretly funded conferences to lure Iranian scientists to defect. If President Trump scuttles the Iranian nuclear agreement, the agency may seek more defectors — and orchestrate more such “conferences.” by Daniel Golden Lee Martin/Guardian Design This is an edited excerpt from “Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence…

How to Remain Poor-Devaluation of Birr

By Kebour Ghenna Today I want to write one or two words about the surprise devaluation of the Birr. But first… Last week a dear reader from the government information office wrote to tell me how wrong I was to argue, that the Ethiopian ethnic based federal system has failed. Let me just say again,…

How Do Terrorists Measure Success?

Stratfor   (Getty Images) Highlights Terrorist attacks are strategically most significant when they put pressure on fault lines and have a relatively narrow objective. A combination of tactical proficiency in terrorist skills and strategic vision is rare — and extremely dangerous when effective. The role of counterterrorism is not only to stem the damage to…

Death of the Nile

By Peter Schwartzstein BBC The world’s longest river is sick – and getting sicker Booming populations have dirtied and drained it, while climate change threatens to cut its flow. And some fear that competition over its dwindling waters could trigger a regional conflict. The rains The rot starts at the source. For as long as the…

What Studies in Spatial Development Show in Ethiopia-Part II

SUBMITTED BY PRIYANKA KANTH CO-AUTHORS: MICHAEL GEIGER In Part I of our blog —based on a background note we wrote for the World Bank’s 2017–2022 Country Partnership Framework for Ethiopia—we presented our key findings on the spatial or regional distribution of poverty and child malnutrition in Ethiopia. In Part II of our blog, we look at changes in…

Reflecting on ‘The Amhara Psychology’

By  yalmazborsa Recently, a piece was posted online written by Befeqadu, a blogger, an activist, interested in and usually posting findings, thoughts and ‘feelings’ on issues that strike the average cyber-Ethiopians’ attention. I have a few things to say, and I present some findings that may add some depth to the author’s writing, if in fact…