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Western Sahara human rights activist Aminatou Haidar will be receiving the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award today at a ceremony in Washington D.C. "For me, as an individual, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award represents a great honor. As a Sahrawi human rights activist, I consider it recognition that the cause of the […]

In a report, Human Rights Agenda for the New Administration, issued this month Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlights four crucial initiatives that the new US president, Obama, should take once he takes office in January: 1. Ensure that US Counter-terrorism Efforts Comply with International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. 2. Make Human Rights a Central Pillar of US […]

I thought that John McCain gave a gracious and meaningful concession speech. What I didn't know was that Sarah Palin wanted to throw protocol to the wind and give a speech of her own. For more, here's a transcript of Palin's interview with NBC's Matt Lauer: LAUER: According to a recent article in Newsweek and […]

This is a follow-up to the previous post about the Russian decision to place short-range missiles in Kaliningrad. In this analsysis for ISN Security Watch, Sergei Blagov suggests that the Russian decision is not an attempt to challenge the new U.S. president (suggested by the timing of the announcement) but instead can properly been seen […]

The November/December issue of Moment Magazine, where I practice my editorial magic, is out on newsstands. My five picks for the foreign policy crowd are: *In her first Moment column, Fania Oz-Salzberger, director of the Posen Research Forum for Political Thought at the University of Haifa (and yes, daughter of the Israeli novelist Amos Oz), […]

It's ultimately a chicken vs. egg debate – do you set up democracy first, then build a hospital; or do you build a hospital and hope it helps democracy to grow? U.S. foreign policy loves spreading democracy and freedom.  How this is done* varies by current political climate, prevailing economic theories, and a country's friendliness factor.  U.S. public opinion […]

Poland , The major international climate change meetings of the year are taking place in Poznan, December 1 through 12.  This is the last "Conference of the Parties" (COP) to the UNFCCC before the critical COP in Copenhagen in December of 2009.  (Here is Poland's website for the conference as well.) In the wake of […]

As you read through the United Nations Resolution 1514(XV) you begin to get a feel of its prose, of its ideals, and the people who put it to paper and for all those who benefit and have yet to benefit.  This was in 1960, an era of European decolonization and where nations, particularly in Africa, […]

After increased Syrian military activity along its border with Lebanon, and a string of bombings in recent months, the two countries have voiced their interest in increased security cooperation. In a meeting Monday, Lebanese Interior Minister Ziad Baroud agreed with his Syrian counterpart to form a joint-commission charged with improving cooperation on matters of terrorism […]

Today we honor our country's veterans, for it was in 1918, at the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, that the fighting ceased in World War I with the German signing of the Armistice. Initially the day was known as Armistice Day, for which it remains known in many European countries. […]

The Inter Press Service News Agency published last week an article on religion in India, titled "Secular Fabric Under Threat." The author , Praful Bidwai , discusses a Hindu-chauvinist terrorist network, which police are now starting to understand better after two months of investigations. Bidwai writes that there are organizations and individuals "tied together by […]

  I will be off tomorrow for the holiday, so I wanted to wish you a happy Veterans Day. As I previously mentioned, I grew up as a military brat (those who have one or both parents serving in the military) and this is a holiday that we tend to take seriously, as we have […]