Today's meeting between Syrian and Russian presidents Bashar al-Asad and Dmitri Medvedev in the Black Sea port of Sochi have some fearing that the old battle-lines of the cold war era are once again reemerging in the Middle East. Al-Jazeera's coverage touched upon the most potentially sensitive aspect of any reinvigorated partnership; the prospect of […]
While on vacation, we spent, not surprisingly, a ton of time in the water. There were some perfectly lovely rock reefs right off the beach from where we were staying and that was a great way to get my daughter (7½) going on snorkeling. Here's the thing: When John Muir started the Sierra Club in […]
Water is something we rarely think about; we get up in the morning and turn on our taps to brush our teeth, hop in a nice hot shower and pour ourselves a glass of ice water on a hot summers day, all without a thought about how clean it is or where it came from. […]
At least 60 people were killed north of Islamabad when two suicide bombers detonated explosives at Pakistan's largest weapons manufacturing facility. The attackers were on foot and struck during the work shift change to inflict maximum casualties. The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. “Our bombers carried out today's attack. It is in […]
The United States is now officially in the business of protecting Poland from missile attack (The Wall Street Journal – U.S.-Poland Deal on Missile Base Riles Russia): The U.S. signed a pledge to protect Poland as part of a missile-shield deal, cementing the former East bloc country's ties with Washington but thrusting it into the […]
Luis Moreno Ocampo, the chief prosecutor for the international court at The Hague, said Wednesday his office is assessing allegations of war crimes in Georgia. Ocampo met with Russian and Georgia officials to go over claims of attacks on non-combatants in the conflict over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. “My office considers carefully all […]
The president of Pakistan has resigned and his departure threatens to throw Pakistan into political chaos (The New York Times – Pakistani Parties Clash Over Reinstating Judge): Political order in Pakistan frayed further on Tuesday, the day after President Pervez Musharraf resigned, raising questions about who in the deeply divided civilian government would be […]
Pregnancy and birth should be happy times for women and their families, however in many countries they are cause for grave concern as high levels of mortality follow both. While both maternal and infant mortality are easily preventable, there numbers remain at shocking highs in many countries around the world. In recent news some countries […]
Catching up on some reading, this Chronicle of Philanthropy article sparked my interest – and goes back to my musings on counterterrorism laws and the sector. “Donors who want to provide aid in areas of the world threatened by terrorism should consider forming partnerships with the U.S. government to distribute their money, a top federal […]
The Center for American Progress and Foreign Policy magazine released their fourth annual Terrorism Index yesterday. An article about the study has been published in the Sept/Oct issue of Foreign Policy Magazine, it can also can be read here. View the complete topline results here. The study surveyed American foreign policy experts on a slew […]
Have you read any good books lately? If you are looking for the next book (or three) to add to your reading list, the State Department has some suggestions (AFSA Reading List): The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and the President of the American Foreign Service Association have co-sponsored the creation of a […]
This past week SpiegelOnline published an interview with Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist, who drew a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005 (the simplistic one with the bomb placed on his head). The interview was based around the new development in the saga that the prosecutor general in Jordan has issued a subpoena against Westergaard. […]
I’ve been searching for an authoritative review of U.S. options in the Russia-Georgia Crisis, but so far I’ve not found one. The blogosphere is filled with wild speculation and suggestions from both the left and the right, and I share the dismay voiced by Michael Cohen of Democracy Arsenal, that commentators seem quick to […]
The Democratic Party just released its party platform titled “Renewing America's Promise.” It will officially be released at the Democratic national Convention in Denver next week. This report encompasses the party's approach to a whole slew of issues affecting the nation. Watch a party representative discuss the report at an event held at the New […]
Most Afghan women prisoners jailed for being victims of rape Two-thirds of women imprisoned in Afghanistan were jailed for illegal sexual relations, a category that includes infidelity and premarital sex but also punishes the victims of rape. A newly formed consultant council, the Women and Children's Justice Shura, hopes to draw attention to their plight […]