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Russia has long seen itself as the designated protector of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, however the relative quite cease-fire was broken last Thursday as Russian troops once again asserted their might and hold on the region, catching innocent civilians in the wake. It is estimated that some 100,000 people have been displaced since the […]

While 9/11 sits nearly seven years behind us, the consequences of new laws and unintended effects are still coming to light.  The public continues to debate the intricacies and politics of U.S. counterterrorism laws under the Patriot Act – from the ambiguity over what constitutes reasonable suspicion to whether electronic surveillance without a warrant is an acceptable policy of a democratic government.  Last month, OMB […]

One of the more irritating habits of some journalists is to describe a recent event as “little noticed.” By this they mean that they alone appreciate its significance and can exclusively reveal it to the world. Frequently, however, the event has in fact been reported elsewhere but these reports have gone “unnoticed” by the egocentric […]

Last week, Mazen Asbahi, stepped down as Barack Obama's Muslim outreach adviser. He held the position from July 26 until August 6, at which point he resigned from the volunteer position. The Wall Street Journal reported that there were questions about Mr. Absahi's "involvement in an Islamic investment fund and various Islamic groups." A CNN […]

Let me take a moment to recommend two resources for background information on the Georgia crisis. Professor Stefan Wolff, the Director of the Center for International Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution at the University of Nottingham, offers this timely backgrounder on the Georgia – Russia crisis, as well as optimism for an eventual resolution to […]

New York Times veteran columnist Nicholas Kristof weighed in this weekend on what he calls a “cancer in American foreign policy.” He lists the symptoms: “1) The United States has more musicians in its military bands than it has diplomats. 2) This year alone, the United States Army will add about 7,000 soldiers to its […]

As everyone reading this almost certainly knows, Russia invaded Georgia on Friday in support of separatists in the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia – the locations of the so-called “frozen conflicts.” Pravda accuses the President of Georgia, Mikhal Saakashvili, of “war crimes against humanity” as a result of Georgia's attempts to pacify South […]

  As Russian and Georgian forces continue to fight each other far beyond the confines of South Ossetia the diplomatic action has moved to the U.N. Security Council (Voice of America – US, Russia Trade Accusations at Security Council Over Georgia ): At the rare Sunday session of the council, called jointly by the United […]

Last week, the Saudi reformist daily Al-Watan featured an article criticizing Iran's recent threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as 'suicide’.  The threat was reportedly voiced by Muhammad Ali Jaafari, the head of Iran's Republican Guard Corps (RGC), after the US warned Iran to respond in a positive manner to an ultimatum […]

Europride 2008 took place from July 25 to August 3 in Stockholm, Sweden. This past week, EUObserver.com published an article titled, "Anti-gay Bigotry Spans European Cultures," which looked at the contrast between gay-friendly societies and governments in Europe and the "frequent reports of violent, homophobic attacks" that nevertheless still take place. The article points out that […]

This post will conclude this blog's three-part discussion of Senator Obama's trip overseas. Rather than look at the foreign reaction, let's consider what effect the trip had here at home. Here's what the Senator said he took away from his travels upon arriving back to the US: “One of the key insights that I come […]

France, who assumed the six-month European Presidency on July 1st, is pushing its own strict immigration agenda onto Europe. Amnesty International, alarmed at some of France's proposals, is calling on the European Parliament to respect its human rights mandate.  Meanwhile French President Nicolas Sarkozy's historically low home approval ratings and less than stunning attempts at […]