As you all well know, Senator Obama traveled to the Middle East and Europe in July as part of his Presidential campaign. His tour may not have given him much of a bump in the polls at home, but what did his host publics think about his visits to their respective countries? Here are some highlights from the […]
Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held a hearing last week on an important topic in American foreign policy. In Biden's words the hearing was called to explore the following question: “In expanding the role of our armed forces, have we diminished our civilian capabilities – our diplomatic and development assistance institutions‚ and […]
Today, Al-Qaeda confirmed on an Islamic militant website that Abu Khabab al-Masri, was indeed killed in the missile strike of July 28th. Al-Masri was known as Al Qaeda's top bomb maker and he actively sought to gain a WMD capability for the group as well. There is still a question about the fate of Al Qaeda #2. […]
Ex-Oprah school matron pleads not guilty in South Africa on Tuesday, July 29, 2008. Virginia Mokgobo, 27, arrested in November and out on bail, is facing charges relating to common assault, harassment and soliciting a minor to perform indecent acts and verbal abuse. Pillay confirmed as human rights chief The UN General Assembly unanimously confirmed […]
“In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first. It corresponds to the call-and-response pattern in human communication and is found in many traditions.” Last night just outside DC in […]
The Times reports that the Pakistani Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a powerful intelligence service which fueled the Taliban's rise to power, aided a terrorist bombing at the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan last month. The bombing killed 54 people, one of whom was an Indian diplomat. In part because of the historical connection between […]
People say that you can’t rely on solar because it doesn’t run at night, besides how are you going to store energy that you don’t need at a given time? Well the folks at MIT seem to have come up with what amounts to all the answers. “With today’s announcement,” reads the press release, “MIT […]
The defense rested for the first war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay concerning the driver for Osama bin Laden, Salim Hamdan. The U.S. government charges Hamdan with collaborating with al-Qaida during its zenith prior to the Sept. 11 attacks. He stands accused of providing material support to a terrorist organization, namely al-Qaida. He is also […]
“I implore you to see with a child's eyes, to hear with a child's ears, and to feel with a child's heart.” – Antonio Novello, Doctor (1944- ) In order for us to see the world, and see it clearly one must see it from the view of a child. The perceived innocence of a […]
Right up there with algae, I'm loving electric cars these days. See several recent posts here, here, here, here, and here. Now let's get a look at some news from Spain and France. Spain Sees 1 Mln Electric Cars in Energy Plan is the arresting headline from Reuters' PlanetArk service. When? By 2014! See also […]
Obamania never ceases to stimulate musical innovation. This time, cue the smoke machines and get out your glowsticks! German news site Bild.de is holding a contest for the best techno remix of Obama's Berlin speech. Some of the songs are pretty catchy; Dj Moon and Stefan Schmidt's rendition (numbers 2 and 9) really got my foot tapping. Number […]
Looks like Defence Secretary Gates’ call for more support for US “soft power” tools is a view also shared by those under his command. A new poll of US military officers conducted by the US Global Leadership Campaign shows that they overwhelmingly support diplomatic tools to addressing the variety of security challenges the US faces. A majority of […]
Memories continue to haunt those who suffered under the brutality of war. Children who witnessed atrocities and were themselves subjected to war crimes will struggle to cope with everyday life. Most live in abject poverty and face a future without prospect. The war these children faced is far from over. Plan International released a study […]
Karadzic had his first appearance before ICTY today. Aside from asserting irregularities in his arrest, Karadzic reiterated allegations – published last year – that American diplomat (and chief architect of the Dayton accords) Richard Holbrooke had cut a deal with him to give him money and security in return for his forgoing participation in Bosnian […]
Let's turn now away from issues of high politics towards something more humanitarian. As I mentioned in my first post, I hope to highlight the ways in which the U.S. is working to make this a better world through the strategic use of U.S. aid. Let's face it, when we think of the U.S. […]