Zabid resonates in the minds of some given its history as not just the former capital of Yemen (from the 13th to the 15th century), but also a center of learning (particularly the famous university in Zabid) and culture with more than 230 schools and mosques at its peak around the 14th century. In addition, … Continue reading
As I have described in previous posts on Nubia/Sudan, a Kushite army (in what is Sudan today), led by King (Pharaoh ) Piye, launched a successful invasion of Egypt around 727 BC, creating what became known as the Twenty-fifth dynasty of Egypt. Following the death of King Piye, his son, Taharqa, assumed the throne. However, … Continue reading
There are a lot of wild rumors about North Korea. In one of the weirdest countries of the world, this is understandable. However, the rumors about the Pyongyang Metro stand out even in the crowd of North Korean rumors. Rumors that the subway system is a facade, functioning only for the purpose of impressing visitors … Continue reading
Article by Bernie Debusmann While largely forgotten by Americans today, between 1979 and 1992 America was transfixed by the brutal, vicious war between the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) and the U.S.-backed military government. Even now, more than twenty years after the Chapultepec Peace Agreement brought an end to the fighting, the war … Continue reading
Taiz is at something of a crossroads in Yemen. It is close enough to the south to be touched by the separatist sentiments found there. It is close enough to the north to be caught up in the intrigues in the capital. It is close enough to the wilderness of Yemen to have Al Qaeda … Continue reading
If one were to try to pick the exact date that the contemporary conflict in the North Caucasus turned dramatically in favor of the Russians, it would be September 1, 2004. However, it was not, as many have suggested, that the Chechens lost as much as the Russians won – despite the incredibly high casualty … Continue reading
As Ramzan Kadyrov and the Kremlin seek to legitimize their control of Chechnya, there is a steady rewriting and glossing over of history underway. One dramtic example of this is found in the strenuous effort to promote Akhmad Kadyrov as the father of modern Chechnya. Indeed, Grozny’s stadium has been named after him. And the … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 