The Security Council demanded that all sides to armed conflicts around the world stop using violence against women as a tactic of war and take much tougher steps to protect women and girls from such attacks. In a resolution adopted unanimously after a day-long debate on women, peace and security, Council members said women and […]
To follow up on yesterday's post, I happened to stumble across a group of illegal immigrants in Paris protesting for their rights. The following is an interview conducted on a street corner in the 19th arrondissement (quarter or neighborhood). A dozen or so illegal immigrants were flying banners in front of a restaurant where some […]
"We call a child's mind “small” simply by habit; perhaps it is larger than ours is, for it can take in almost anything without effort" – Christopher Morley So often we over shadow our children, and fail to hear their thoughts and perspectives. By looking at a child as small minded serves only to underestimate […]
Some 84 juvenile offenders in Iran currently await execution, however the true number may be much higher. Iran remains one of the only countries in the world which continues to execute children, all in violation of its commitments to international treaties, such as Under Article 37(a) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the […]
I have to admit, back in December I didn't think that Barack Obama would be the nominee of the Democratic Party. I predicted then, in my year in review, that either Hillary Clinton or John Edwards would be the nominee, and the eventual next President. (I also predicted that Bill Richardson, a very good man […]
For the past few years, Europe has gravitated towards nationalism and government policy initiatives geared against immigration and asylum seekers. In France, the situation is hardly promising for illegal immigrants currently working hotels, construction, restoration, and most any other low-wage jobs considered too menial for majority of the French. Faced with the precious nature of […]
Anna Badkhen, writing in Baghdad for ISN Security Watch, wrote a commentary this week expressing her view that "the most lingering threat to stability in Iraq is the psychological fallout of the sectarian violence of 2006 and 2007." She discusses the long-term threat that is now emerging from the severe segregation of Sunnis and Shias. […]
The motorcade of the US State Department's Charges d’Affaires in Lebanon Michele Sison was pelted with stones on Wednesday by townspeople in the south Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh. Sison was visiting USAID and US-sponsored projects in the area, but reportedly had to make an unexpected lunch stop in Nabatiyeh after one of the cars in […]
WARNING: THE “SLAUGHTER” LINK CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES A case before a Dutch court will determine whether Dutch peacekeepers operating under the flag of the United Nations are liable for the 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslims in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. In July 1995, forces from the paramilitary group The Scorpions, oversaw the detention […]
As I mentioned last week, the Pew Global Attitudes Project released a new global poll on a variety of issues. Most useful for our purposes is the poll's findings on global views of the US and US Presidential candidates. Here's a brief summary of their findings on these two issues: “Favorable views of the United States […]
(US Embassy photo) The US Center for Global Engagement reports that Congress has been making headway in a discussion about how improving how to improve the process by which the US doles out aid money to foreign countries. The Center recently published this review noting Congress's recent action. The review states: “A wide range of national security and foreign […]
This month, the Center for Security Studies (Zurich) published an excellent analysis of Switzerland's Middle East policy. The article first reminds readers that Switzerland follows a policy of engagement on the basis of three principles: neutrality, universality, and recognition of states rather than governments. The last element can be specifically contrasted with the foreign policy of […]
In Eastern Burma the atrocities against ethnic minorities has continued, according to a recent report by the Free Burma Rangers. The government has continued it's campaign against civilians as attacks on Karen villages have caused more than 1,000 civilians to flee their homes. In a report, “Crimes Against Humanity In Eastern Myanmar.”, issued by Amnesty […]
We’ve rightly been focused on the Boumediene decision for the last few days, but the good people at the Enough Project were before the UN Security Council today. Co-Chair John Prendergast's testimony is here. In a column Prendergast wrote on Huffington Post, he emphasized the continuing spillover of the Darfur conflict into neighboring Chad. In […]
The Diane Rehm show Tuesday hosted a round-table discussion on the latest decision from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the rights of detainees held at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Thursday the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to deny Guantanamo prisoners the right to challenge their detention. Implications of the ruling, and […]