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DISPATCH TWEETSMorning Coffee
Morning Coffee - 20 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
EU PICKS PREZ - The European Union selected Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the EU's first president yesterday. Van Rompuy has pledged to tackle unemployment and the environment during his term, which begins on January 1, 2010. The EU also named Catherine Ashton, the UK's trade commissioner, as its chief of foreign policy.
Link
GOLPISTA TAKES FIVE - The leader of Honduras's coup regime announced that he was stepping down temporarily to allow voters to "concentrate" on the upcoming election. Roberto Micheletti promised to step aide through the November 29 vote, until at least December 2 when the Honduran congress will vote on whether to reinstate ousted president Mel Zelaya. This is really a moot point since his term will all but elapsed by the time congress votes. Micheletti did not say who would be in charge of Honduras during his furlough.
Link
ALLEGED FAT KILLERS BUSTED - Four people have been arrested in Peru on suspicion of murdering people to steal their body fat and sell it to European cosmetics manufacturers. The alleged killers are said to have lured their victims with phony job offers. Police say that the gang could be responsible for up to 60 disappearances.
Link
Provocateurs
Annie Lowery in FOREIGN POLICY
"The book, as one might have predicted, provides little evidence of any awareness of foreign policy, let alone serious thought about the world and America’s place in it. Take, for instance, Palin’s description of her first meeting with McCain, when he hoisted her onto his ticket and foisted her onto the unsuspecting world. “[He] wanted to know whether I understood the origin of the conflict [in Iraq], the history of the Middle East, and how thirteenth- and fourteenth-century differences had evolved into today’s murderous rivalry,” Palin writes. She tells us she did — but she shows us she did not, defensively pushing back on Schmidt for being undercutting and cranky (she later criticizes his diet and describes him, delightfully, as slumping like a “pile of laundry”). She provides no description of any answers she gave to his questions, which I doubt were always so historical in nature. "
"The book, as one might have predicted, provides little evidence of any awareness of foreign policy, let alone serious thought about the world and America’s place in it. Take, for instance, Palin’s description of her first meeting with McCain, when he hoisted her onto his ticket and foisted her onto the unsuspecting world. “[He] wanted to know whether I understood the origin of the conflict [in Iraq], the history of the Middle East, and how thirteenth- and fourteenth-century differences had evolved into today’s murderous rivalry,” Palin writes. She tells us she did — but she shows us she did not, defensively pushing back on Schmidt for being undercutting and cranky (she later criticizes his diet and describes him, delightfully, as slumping like a “pile of laundry”). She provides no description of any answers she gave to his questions, which I doubt were always so historical in nature. "
Phil Levy in SHADOW GOVERNMENT
"A prerequisite for a serious U.S. trade policy would be new trade negotiating authority for the president, which the Obama administration has not even requested from the Congress. For any of these trade initiatives to advance would require persistent and detailed effort of a sort we have yet to see. Obama may be a Pacific president, but he has not been a very specific president. Asian leaders last week were asking for more than platitudes. "
"A prerequisite for a serious U.S. trade policy would be new trade negotiating authority for the president, which the Obama administration has not even requested from the Congress. For any of these trade initiatives to advance would require persistent and detailed effort of a sort we have yet to see. Obama may be a Pacific president, but he has not been a very specific president. Asian leaders last week were asking for more than platitudes. "
Jeremy Gantz in IN THESE TIMES
"Honduras hasn't exactly been full of good news since June, when President Mel Zelaya was ousted from power and ushered abroad, throwing the country into political chaos. But a huge victory was scored [Tuesday] for 1,200 workers in the country who were fired by Russell Athletics early this year after unionizing. The apparel company, which has fought off unions for years, shut down the factory...Better yet, Russell has pledged not to fight the organizing efforts of employees at its seven existing factories in Honduras—a major victory for the U.S. anti-sweatshop student movement, which has been fiercely and creatively pressuring Russell to reverse its anti-union stance since the factory closed in January. "
"Honduras hasn't exactly been full of good news since June, when President Mel Zelaya was ousted from power and ushered abroad, throwing the country into political chaos. But a huge victory was scored [Tuesday] for 1,200 workers in the country who were fired by Russell Athletics early this year after unionizing. The apparel company, which has fought off unions for years, shut down the factory...Better yet, Russell has pledged not to fight the organizing efforts of employees at its seven existing factories in Honduras—a major victory for the U.S. anti-sweatshop student movement, which has been fiercely and creatively pressuring Russell to reverse its anti-union stance since the factory closed in January. "
Water Cooler
As Hamid Karzai begins his second term, President Obama is depending on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to maintain ties with the erratic and allegedly corrupt president of Afghanistan. Clinton has built an unlikely rapport with Karzai, administration officials say.
Morning Coffee - 19 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
- UN DEBATES PIRACY STRATEGY
The UN Security Council met yesterday to discuss the piracy crisis off the coast of Somalia. Over the past few weeks vessels from the U.S., North Korea, and Spain have been attacked or seized by pirates. Two weeks ago, the International Maritime Organization announced plans to help Somalia combat piracy by assisting it in the creation of a legitimate coast guard. In addition to their more predatory activities, the pirates gain the support of local people by acting as a kind of informal militia that protects the coast from foreign overfishing and toxic waste dumping.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/11/18/somalia-pirates-un-security.html?ref=rss
Link
- IPOD BLAMED FOR SUB CRASH
A new report says that "complancency" and poor leadership were responsible for a nuclear submarine crash that injured 15 submariners. The USS Hartford, a nuclear powered sub, plowed into a Navy ship in March of 2009. A report found that the ship's navigator was taking an exam while listening to his iPod. "Sleeping, slouching and a radio room with music speakers were tolerated on board the submarine," according to the report. No word on how poor posture may have contributed to the accident.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8367564.stm
Link
- BLACKWATER FACES STIFF FINES OVER GUNS
The private security firm formerly known as Blackwater could face stiff fines for gun running in Iraq. Company executives are reportedly in high stakes talks with government regulators to determine how big a fine Blackwater will have to pay for violating arms export laws. Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry has said the violations "went beyond weapons for personal use."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/world/middleeast/19blackwater.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Link
Provocateurs
Mark Leon Goldberg in UN DISPATCH
"Well, today, a new group launched that could be a big step toward helping the United States meet its international responsibilies on climate. At the United States Capital a coalition of lawmakers, business leaders and NGOs brought together by the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the Energy Future Coalition* launched an initiative to promote the retrofitting for energy efficiency of 50 million residential and commercial buildings by 2020. "
"Well, today, a new group launched that could be a big step toward helping the United States meet its international responsibilies on climate. At the United States Capital a coalition of lawmakers, business leaders and NGOs brought together by the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the Energy Future Coalition* launched an initiative to promote the retrofitting for energy efficiency of 50 million residential and commercial buildings by 2020. "
in THE ONION
"Obama weights options in Afghanistan: Pressure is mounting on President Obama to make a decision on the future of Afghanistan. Here are the options currently being considered: Not only learn the lessons of Vietnam, but apply them as well; Visit; act fascinated by their rugs; Remove every American soldier; see if fighting continues; Legalize gambling, as that's worked well domestically; Thunderdome-style battle to the death between Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal and Afghanistan Taliban leader Mullah Omar [...] "
"Obama weights options in Afghanistan: Pressure is mounting on President Obama to make a decision on the future of Afghanistan. Here are the options currently being considered: Not only learn the lessons of Vietnam, but apply them as well; Visit; act fascinated by their rugs; Remove every American soldier; see if fighting continues; Legalize gambling, as that's worked well domestically; Thunderdome-style battle to the death between Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal and Afghanistan Taliban leader Mullah Omar [...] "
Matthew Yglesias in NEWSWEEK
"There is no real hold rule. When a senator places a hold on some piece of business it's a signal that unless the majority leader respects the wish to keep the item bottled up, the senator will start objecting to the unanimous consent motions by which the Senate conducts its routine business. That would make it difficult to proceed on any issue before the Senate, so the leader customarily gives way. Because breaking a hold is possible, albeit time-consuming, senators rarely attempt it on major legislation. But on second-tier nominees and issues holds can last indefinitely. "
"There is no real hold rule. When a senator places a hold on some piece of business it's a signal that unless the majority leader respects the wish to keep the item bottled up, the senator will start objecting to the unanimous consent motions by which the Senate conducts its routine business. That would make it difficult to proceed on any issue before the Senate, so the leader customarily gives way. Because breaking a hold is possible, albeit time-consuming, senators rarely attempt it on major legislation. But on second-tier nominees and issues holds can last indefinitely. "
Water Cooler
Just when the U.S. finally caught up on its UN dues, as President Obama promised to do, someone had to pull a stupid stunt. Sen Tom Coburn is agitating to divert the money that the U.S. normally spends on UN dues to veterans benefits. Veterans benefits are a worthy cause to be sure, which makes you wonder why Coburn was also identified on November 4 as the senator behind the hold of S. 1963, the Veterans’ Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009. To make up the shortfall for veterans, Coburn suggested taking unspent money from the stimulus.
Morning Coffee -18 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
SIX DEGREES OF INUNDATION - A new study of global CO2 levels by the British Antarctic Society has revealed that temperatures could rise up to 6 degrees if action is not taken to curb emissions. CO2 emissions have risen 29% in the last decade alone. And a new report by the UN Family Planning Agency (UNFPA) shows that poor women will bear the brunt of climate change.
Link
IRAQI VEEP VETOES ELECTION LAW - Joe Biden must be so envious: Iraq's vice president has the power to veto bills. Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi announced today that he had vetoed Iraq's election law. His decision could postpone Iraq's election, which had been scheduled for January 16. Hashemi, a Sunni, objected to a provision giving only 5% of the seats in parliament to minorities and Iraqi refugees abroad. He insists that the Iraqi parliament can easily fix the bill and allow the election to move forward on schedule. Delaying the election could delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Link
GOLD MINERS GOT THE SHAFT - Former gold miners in South Africa are suing the mining giant Anglo American over occupationally induced lung disease. The 24 plaintiffs, who suffer from incurable lung disease caused by silica dust, worked in the mine between 1970 and 1998. They say the company knew that the dust was dangerous and failed to protect them.
Link
Provocateurs
Ramona Vijeyarasa in RH REALITY CHECK
"As far back as 2001, women living with HIV/AIDS were being sterilized in Namibian hospitals, without their autonomous consent. Shockingly, these women, whose cases the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS began documenting in 2008, continue to wait for redress. Now, a group of NGOs are petitioning the Government of Namibia to stop these coerced sterilizations and are seeking compensation for the 15 women who have thus far come forward with their stories which involve three public hospitals. "
"As far back as 2001, women living with HIV/AIDS were being sterilized in Namibian hospitals, without their autonomous consent. Shockingly, these women, whose cases the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS began documenting in 2008, continue to wait for redress. Now, a group of NGOs are petitioning the Government of Namibia to stop these coerced sterilizations and are seeking compensation for the 15 women who have thus far come forward with their stories which involve three public hospitals. "
Mark Leon Goldberg in UN DISPATCH
"Does the UK have a public diplomacy problem? I ask because on his blog, the UK Ambassador to the United States Nigel Sheinwald identifies a sinister trend of bloodsucking Brits on American television screens [...] "
"Does the UK have a public diplomacy problem? I ask because on his blog, the UK Ambassador to the United States Nigel Sheinwald identifies a sinister trend of bloodsucking Brits on American television screens [...] "
Ingrid D Rowland in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS
"It is a measure of the ineptitude—or is it a death wish?—of Italy's major opposition party, the Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), that it has spent the entire season of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's discontent wrangling over the election of its own party secretary—only to be caught, on the eve of the October 25 vote (its winner was Pier Luigi Bersani, a sensible former minister in several left-wing administrations), by a veritable Vesuvius of erupting bimbos. "
"It is a measure of the ineptitude—or is it a death wish?—of Italy's major opposition party, the Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), that it has spent the entire season of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's discontent wrangling over the election of its own party secretary—only to be caught, on the eve of the October 25 vote (its winner was Pier Luigi Bersani, a sensible former minister in several left-wing administrations), by a veritable Vesuvius of erupting bimbos. "
Water Cooler
The UN is launching an online "Billion for a Billion" campaign against world hunger. The "billions" in this case are the nearly 1 billion hungry people in the world and about 1 billion Internet users. The World Food Program hopes to bridge the gap between the two. “Food security is not only a matter of humanitarian assistance and agricultural development; it is a matter of national security, peace and stability,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran at the World Food Security Summit in Rome.
Morning Coffee - 17 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
OBAMA IN CHINA - U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao met privately today near Tienanmen Square in Bejing. Top items on their agenda included trade, climate change, and the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea. After the meeting, the two leaders held a press conference where they took no questions. Each pledged that the two countries would work together to stabilize the global economy, grapple with climate change, and control nuclear proliferation.
Link
GADHAFI PITCHES ISLAM TO MODELS - While in Rome for the UN food summit, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi took time out to encourage 200 young Italian women to convert to Islam. A modeling agency paid the women $78 dollars to attend Gadhafi's soiree, according to an Italian reporter who infiltrated the gathering. Women who weren't tall enough or dressed modestly enough were left behind while Gadhafi and the remaining women went to a villa where he lectured them about women's rights and Islam.
Link
YOU MAY KISS THE GROOM - An Argentine couple is preparing for what might be the first same-sex marriage in Latin America. José María Di Bello and Alex Freyre won the right to marry last week after a judge ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage violated Argentina's constitution. The city of Buenos Aires accepted the court's ruling and issued the men a marriage license. “On December 1st we will become man and man,” said Di Bello.
Link
Provocateurs
Mark Leon Goldberg in UN DISPATCH/UN PLAZA
"In this edition of UN Plaza, I chat with Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue about what has happened in Honduras since the coup. In the clip below, Hakim outlines what he describes as a few American-missteps in handling this crisis. "
"In this edition of UN Plaza, I chat with Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue about what has happened in Honduras since the coup. In the clip below, Hakim outlines what he describes as a few American-missteps in handling this crisis. "
Paul Krugman in THE NEW YORK TIMES
"But let’s hope that when the cameras aren’t rolling Mr. Obama and his hosts engage in some frank talk about currency policy. For the problem of international trade imbalances is about to get substantially worse. And there’s a potentially ugly confrontation looming unless China mends its ways. "
"But let’s hope that when the cameras aren’t rolling Mr. Obama and his hosts engage in some frank talk about currency policy. For the problem of international trade imbalances is about to get substantially worse. And there’s a potentially ugly confrontation looming unless China mends its ways. "
Ken Ellingwood in THE LA TIMES
"Reporting from San Luis Potosi, Mexico - The lie-detector team brought in by Mexico's top cop was supposed to help clean up the country's long-troubled police. There was just one problem: Most of its members themselves didn't pass, and a supervisor was rigging results to make sure others did. When public safety chief Genaro Garcia Luna found out, he canned the team, all 50 to 60 members. "
"Reporting from San Luis Potosi, Mexico - The lie-detector team brought in by Mexico's top cop was supposed to help clean up the country's long-troubled police. There was just one problem: Most of its members themselves didn't pass, and a supervisor was rigging results to make sure others did. When public safety chief Genaro Garcia Luna found out, he canned the team, all 50 to 60 members. "
Water Cooler
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will go ahead and mark up the Kerry-Lugar foreign aid bill, whether the State Department likes it or not. State wants the committee to hold off until State's Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) is complete. Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) stalled as long as he could, but he was eventually forced to move ahead because Senator Dick Lugar threatened to pull his support for the bill (R-IN).
Morning Coffee - 16 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
DEAD IN THE RISING WATER - President Obama acknowledged today at a summit in Singapore that a full binding climate deal will not happen in Copenhagen this December. He also expressed support for a Danish plan to restructure the negotiations into a two-stage process, aiming for a political deal in Copenhagen and binding emissions agreements at least a year later, most likely in Mexico City. Link
CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE - Mexico has shuttered is embassy in Pakistan for budgetary reasons, after only having been open for two years. Mexico, in the throes of an economic crisis, is expected to close more embassies around the world and downsize other diplomatic outposts.
Link
JUNK-FILLED PONDS POISON MILLIONS OF BANGLADESHIS - Millions of Bangladeshis are suffering from arsenic poisoning, and scientists aren't entirely sure why. Twenty-five million people have been exposed to excessive arsenic, and two million have symptoms of arsenic poisoning. Experts call it the worst mass poisoning of a population in history. A new study in journal "Nature Geoscience" may have solved the tragic mystery. The authors point the finger at junk-filled ponds. Poison leaches out of the garbage and into the water table.
Link
Provocateurs
Diodora Bucur in CBC WORLD
"Gabriela was 14 and dreaming of becoming a schoolteacher when her life took a different turn upon learning she was expecting a baby. Currently living in a women's shelter in Aguascalientes, a central Mexican city of about a million people, Gabriela is one of a growing number of young teenage mothers whose plight is forcing this very Catholic country to take stock of some of its most cherished values. "We receive girls we refer to as adult teenagers," says Roxana D'Escobar López-Arellano who runs the shelter in Aguascalientes. "They are girls who become mothers at 13, 14 and 15 years of age, something we did not see five or 10 years ago." According to D'Escobar, her shelter helps about two child mothers each month. "
"Gabriela was 14 and dreaming of becoming a schoolteacher when her life took a different turn upon learning she was expecting a baby. Currently living in a women's shelter in Aguascalientes, a central Mexican city of about a million people, Gabriela is one of a growing number of young teenage mothers whose plight is forcing this very Catholic country to take stock of some of its most cherished values. "We receive girls we refer to as adult teenagers," says Roxana D'Escobar López-Arellano who runs the shelter in Aguascalientes. "They are girls who become mothers at 13, 14 and 15 years of age, something we did not see five or 10 years ago." According to D'Escobar, her shelter helps about two child mothers each month. "
Alicia Godsberg in FAS STRATEGIC SECURITY BLOG
"The First Committee of this year’s 64th United Nations General Assembly (GA) just wrapped up a month of meetings. The GA breaks up its work into six main committees, and the First Committee deals with disarmament and international security issues. During the month-long meetings, member states give general statements, debate on such issues as nuclear and conventional weapons, and submit draft resolutions that are then voted on at the end of the session. Comparing the statements and positions of the U.S. on certain votes from one year to the next can help gauge how an administration relates to the broader international community and multilateralism in general. Similarly, comparing how other member states talk about the U.S. and its policies can give insight into how likely states may be to support a given administration’s international priorities. "
"The First Committee of this year’s 64th United Nations General Assembly (GA) just wrapped up a month of meetings. The GA breaks up its work into six main committees, and the First Committee deals with disarmament and international security issues. During the month-long meetings, member states give general statements, debate on such issues as nuclear and conventional weapons, and submit draft resolutions that are then voted on at the end of the session. Comparing the statements and positions of the U.S. on certain votes from one year to the next can help gauge how an administration relates to the broader international community and multilateralism in general. Similarly, comparing how other member states talk about the U.S. and its policies can give insight into how likely states may be to support a given administration’s international priorities. "
Aaron Wiener in UN DISPATCH
"While the move will surely disappoint some environmentalists who had seen Copenhagen as a one-shot deal, it will also take some of the pressure off of U.S. lawmakers, who had been scrambling to show demonstrable progress on a national climate bill before the December conference. It was unlikely, though, that a bill would be passed by next month, and this morning's announcement could increase the chances that the American delegation will arrive at the next round of international climate talks with cap-and-trade legislation on the books. "
"While the move will surely disappoint some environmentalists who had seen Copenhagen as a one-shot deal, it will also take some of the pressure off of U.S. lawmakers, who had been scrambling to show demonstrable progress on a national climate bill before the December conference. It was unlikely, though, that a bill would be passed by next month, and this morning's announcement could increase the chances that the American delegation will arrive at the next round of international climate talks with cap-and-trade legislation on the books. "
Water Cooler
Washington is buzzing about Daniel Craig's decision to step down as White House Counsel. Craig was the point man on the administration's controversial plan to close Guantanamo. Obama promised to close GITMO within his first year in office and, at this point, that deadline is unlikely to be met. Some speculate that Craig is taking the fall for the delay. A counternarrative is that Craig was undermined by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel. An unnamed White House official told The Cable that Craig was only expected to serve for a year anyway. One thing we do know: Craig will be replaced by Bob Bauer, the husband of the outgoing White House communications director Anita Dunn.
Morning Coffee -13 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
KHALID SHEIK MOHAMMED TO BE TRIED BY U.S. COURT - President Obama pledged that alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed will receive due process when he goes on trial in New York. "I am absolutely convinced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be subject to the most exacting demands of justice. The American people insist on it. My administration insists on it," Obama said. Khalid Sheik Mohammed is currently held at Guantanamo. CIA documents revealed that he was waterboarded dozens of times. It's unclear how much of the evidence against Mohammed will be admissible in court, given how it was collected.
Link
UN INVESTIGATOR CALLS OUT U.S. NEGLECT OF HOMELESS - A UN investigator has accused the U.S. of neglecting the homeless while pouring billions of dollars into plans to save banks. RaquelRolnik, the UN special rapporteur for the right to adequate housing, visited seven U.S. cities on a fact-finding mission. Rolnik wasn't allowed into the United States during the Bush administration. "The housing crisis is invisible for many in the US," Rolnik said. "I learned through this visit that real affordable housing and poverty is something that hasn't been dealt with as an issue."
Link
MASSACRE AT PHILIPPINE LOGGING COMPANY - Communist guerrillas killed at least 11 people in a raid on a logging company in the Philippines. At least 12 guerrillas were also killed in the shootout. The Maoist New People's Army has been waging guerrilla war against the central government for over 40 years. Peace talks between the government and the political wing of the NPA recently broke down, and violence is once again on the upswing.
Link
Provocateurs
Mark Leon Goldberg in UN DISPATCH
"Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton and Heritage Foundation fellow Brett Schaefer have a new book out. It's called ConUNdrum (get it?!): The Limits of the United Nations and the Search for Alternatives. I confess to not having read the book yet, so I hesitate to pass judgment. But you know who does have an opinion? Fiji's UN Ambassador, Berenado Vunibobo. He hosted a book launch for Bolton and Shaefer at the end of October."
"Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton and Heritage Foundation fellow Brett Schaefer have a new book out. It's called ConUNdrum (get it?!): The Limits of the United Nations and the Search for Alternatives. I confess to not having read the book yet, so I hesitate to pass judgment. But you know who does have an opinion? Fiji's UN Ambassador, Berenado Vunibobo. He hosted a book launch for Bolton and Shaefer at the end of October."
Paul Magno in IN THESE TIMES
"Early on a Friday morning, I switched on my radio to listen to the news as I slowly woke up. What a peculiar dream … President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Then I realized. I was awake. He actually was this year’s recipient for his “vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.” I’m acquainted with folks who have labored for such a vision for quite a while. Twenty-five years ago, several friends and I entered a weapons factory in Orlando, Fla., on Easter morning. We disarmed elements of a Pershing II missile, then being deployed in Europe and became known as the Pershing Plowshares. By midsummer the eight of us were on our way to federal prison, sentenced to three years."
"Early on a Friday morning, I switched on my radio to listen to the news as I slowly woke up. What a peculiar dream … President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Then I realized. I was awake. He actually was this year’s recipient for his “vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.” I’m acquainted with folks who have labored for such a vision for quite a while. Twenty-five years ago, several friends and I entered a weapons factory in Orlando, Fla., on Easter morning. We disarmed elements of a Pershing II missile, then being deployed in Europe and became known as the Pershing Plowshares. By midsummer the eight of us were on our way to federal prison, sentenced to three years."
Robert Huebert in THE GLOBE AND MAIL
"In what could be seen as evidence the Russian military has a sense of humour, it has announced it is about to begin construction of its new nuclear-missile-carrying submarine, the Saint Nicolas. If based in Murmansk, as is the norm, it will spend some time at the North Pole, although I doubt anyone will want to receive the presents this “St. Nick” can deliver. "
"In what could be seen as evidence the Russian military has a sense of humour, it has announced it is about to begin construction of its new nuclear-missile-carrying submarine, the Saint Nicolas. If based in Murmansk, as is the norm, it will spend some time at the North Pole, although I doubt anyone will want to receive the presents this “St. Nick” can deliver. "
Water Cooler
Former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and retired diplomat Peter Galbraith is taking heat for previously undisclosed business dealings in Iraqi Kurdistan. Galbraith holds a stake in an oil project worth up to $100 million dollars. Galbraith has been an outspoken advocate of an independent Kurdistan for many years. He reportedly took up the cause before he bought into the oil scheme.
Morning Coffee - 12 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
NONE OF THE ABOVE - President Obama reportedly plans to reject all the options for Afghanistan presented to him by his national security advisers. Unnamed officials told the CBC that Obama would instead push for "clarifications" about how and when the U.S. would turn power over to the Afghan government. Obama's unexpected decision comes after U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, expressed grave doubts about sending more troops.
Link
WHEN THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD - Chinese police have raided a counterfeit condom factory in Hunan province. They burst into the workshop to find shirtless workers lubricating unsterile condoms with vegetable oil before wrapping them in branded packages. Officials say the knockoff condoms had already been distributed nationwide. They warned that the fakes provide little protection against pregnancy or disease.
Link
UN DECLARES NELSON MANDELA DAY - The UN announced that, henceforth, July 18 would be known as "Nelson Mandela International Day" in honor of South Africa's famous anti-apartheid leader and former prime minister. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has described the 92-year-old Nobel laureate as " the embodiment of the highest values of the United Nations.”
Link
Provocateurs
Katherine Butler in THE INDEPENDENT
"A rash of military coups could be triggered across Latin America if the world fails to stand up to the illegal regime in Honduras a close aide of the ousted president ManuelZelaya warned yesterday. "The fate of Honduras is not just the fate of Honduras, but of the Latin American continent," Mr Zelaya's special adviser Allan Fajaro told The Independent. "Dark forces," he said, were watching to see how the crisis ends. "If we resolve this constitutionally they will know they too have to respect democracy. If not, these dark forces will know they have a green light and the continent will become an erupting volcano. That will be a very bad outcome, not only for our continent, but for Europe and the world." "
"A rash of military coups could be triggered across Latin America if the world fails to stand up to the illegal regime in Honduras a close aide of the ousted president ManuelZelaya warned yesterday. "The fate of Honduras is not just the fate of Honduras, but of the Latin American continent," Mr Zelaya's special adviser Allan Fajaro told The Independent. "Dark forces," he said, were watching to see how the crisis ends. "If we resolve this constitutionally they will know they too have to respect democracy. If not, these dark forces will know they have a green light and the continent will become an erupting volcano. That will be a very bad outcome, not only for our continent, but for Europe and the world." "
Hussein Agha and Robert Malley in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS
"The idea of Israeli–Palestinian partition, of a two-state solution, has a singular pedigree. It has been proposed for at least eight decades. Jews first accepted it as Palestinians recoiled; by the time Palestinians warmed to the notion in the late 1980s, Israelis had turned their backs. Still, its proponents manage to portray it as fresh, new, and capable of leading to peace. International consensus on a two-state agreement is, today, stronger than ever. Meanwhile, interest among the two parties most directly concerned wanes and prospects for achieving it diminish. "
"The idea of Israeli–Palestinian partition, of a two-state solution, has a singular pedigree. It has been proposed for at least eight decades. Jews first accepted it as Palestinians recoiled; by the time Palestinians warmed to the notion in the late 1980s, Israelis had turned their backs. Still, its proponents manage to portray it as fresh, new, and capable of leading to peace. International consensus on a two-state agreement is, today, stronger than ever. Meanwhile, interest among the two parties most directly concerned wanes and prospects for achieving it diminish. "
Aram Roston in THE NATION
"On October 29, 2001, while the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan was under assault, the regime's ambassador in Islamabad gave a chaotic press conference in front of several dozen reporters sitting on the grass. On the Taliban diplomat's right sat his interpreter, AhmadRateb Popal, a man with an imposing presence. Like the ambassador, Popal wore a black turban, and he had a huge bushy beard. He had a black patch over his right eye socket, a prosthetic left arm and a deformed right hand, the result of injuries from an explosives mishap during an old operation against the Soviets in Kabul. "
"On October 29, 2001, while the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan was under assault, the regime's ambassador in Islamabad gave a chaotic press conference in front of several dozen reporters sitting on the grass. On the Taliban diplomat's right sat his interpreter, AhmadRateb Popal, a man with an imposing presence. Like the ambassador, Popal wore a black turban, and he had a huge bushy beard. He had a black patch over his right eye socket, a prosthetic left arm and a deformed right hand, the result of injuries from an explosives mishap during an old operation against the Soviets in Kabul. "
Water Cooler
After a prolonged search, President Obama announced that Dr. Rajiv Shah would be the next head of USAID. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair John Kerry promised a swift confirmation for Shah. Humanitarian and public health activist Paul Farmer was shortlisted for the position, but his application stalled out, in part because he was unable to list every foreigner he'd ever met, as per application criteria. Shah currently serves under the title of USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and Chief Scientist.
Morning Coffee - 11 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
BUYING FRIENDS - Four former Blackwater executives told the New York Times that the private security company authorized over $1 million in bribes to Iraqi officials in the wake of the 2007 Nissour Square massacre. Blackwater decided to pay off officials because it was afraid of losing its license to operate in Iraq. The former executives said they didn't know whether the money was ultimately delivered to the officials, only that then-president Gary Jackson authorized the payout.
Link
SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 24 IN PAKISTAN - A suicide car bomber killed 24 people and wounded 64 others in a busy market near Peshawar in northeast Pakistan. The Taliban is suspected of orchestrating the attack, their fourth this month in Peshawar with a total death toll of roughly 200.
Link
A SHOT IN THE ARM - The World Health Organization is set to receive 50 million doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine to distribute in 95 poor countries. The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is donating the shots. WHO hopes to receive enough vaccine to immunize 10% of the population of these nations. The first shipment of vaccine is expected to arrive later this month.
Link
Provocateurs
Elizabeth Kolbert in THE NEW YORKER
"This story—call it the Parable of Horsesh[**]—has been told many times, with varying aims. The latest iteration is offered by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, in their new book, “SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance” (William Morrow; $29.99). According to Levitt and Dubner, the story’s message is a simple one: if, at any particular moment, things look bleak, it’s because people are seeing them the wrong way. “When the solution to a given problem doesn’t lie right before our eyes, it is easy to assume that no solution exists,” they write. “But history has shown again and again that such assumptions are wrong.”"
"This story—call it the Parable of Horsesh[**]—has been told many times, with varying aims. The latest iteration is offered by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, in their new book, “SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance” (William Morrow; $29.99). According to Levitt and Dubner, the story’s message is a simple one: if, at any particular moment, things look bleak, it’s because people are seeing them the wrong way. “When the solution to a given problem doesn’t lie right before our eyes, it is easy to assume that no solution exists,” they write. “But history has shown again and again that such assumptions are wrong.”"
Timothy Garton Ash in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS
"In the autumn of 1989, the term "velvet revolution" was coined to describe a peaceful, theatrical, negotiated regime change in a small Central European state that no longer exists. So far as I have been able to establish, the phrase was first used by Western journalists and subsequently taken up by Václav Havel and other Czech and Slovak opposition leaders.[1] This seductive label was then applied retrospectively, by writers including myself, to the cumulatively epochal events that had unfolded in Poland, Hungary, and East Germany, as in "the velvet revolutions of 1989." "
"In the autumn of 1989, the term "velvet revolution" was coined to describe a peaceful, theatrical, negotiated regime change in a small Central European state that no longer exists. So far as I have been able to establish, the phrase was first used by Western journalists and subsequently taken up by Václav Havel and other Czech and Slovak opposition leaders.[1] This seductive label was then applied retrospectively, by writers including myself, to the cumulatively epochal events that had unfolded in Poland, Hungary, and East Germany, as in "the velvet revolutions of 1989." "
Robert Haddick in SMALL WARS JOURNAL
"Will vigilantes in Mexico succeed where the police and army have failed? Will it take a Mexican “Los Pepes” movement to effectively battle Mexico’s drug cartels? Two recent stories from Mexico hint that Mexico’s “Los Pepes” may have arrived. The “Los Pepes” I refer to was the shadowy vigilante group that in the early 1990s methodically reduced Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar from a Latin American emperor to a cornered animal. "
"Will vigilantes in Mexico succeed where the police and army have failed? Will it take a Mexican “Los Pepes” movement to effectively battle Mexico’s drug cartels? Two recent stories from Mexico hint that Mexico’s “Los Pepes” may have arrived. The “Los Pepes” I refer to was the shadowy vigilante group that in the early 1990s methodically reduced Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar from a Latin American emperor to a cornered animal. "
Water Cooler
North and South Korean ships exchanged fire on Tuesday over a border dispute, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that it would not delay the planned visit of U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth to North Korea. Bosworth's mission is to persuade the North to rejoin disarmament talks. The North withdrew from the talks earlier this year.
Morning Coffee - 10 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
AIDS IS A LEADING KILLER OF WOMEN - HIV/AIDS is the leading killer of women between the ages of 15 and 44, a new report by the World Health Organization shows. The WHO's first-ever global survey of women's health revealed that women in developing countries were most likely to catch HIV through unsafe sex. Poor access to contraception, lack of sex ed, and iron deficiency were found to be contributing factors. The WHO sees a direct link between discrimination against women and ill-health. "We will not see a significant improvement in the health of women until they are no longer recognized as second-class citizens in many parts of the world," WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan said.
Link
HE MIGHT BE ONTO SOMETHING - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon suggested that humanity might be better off if we spent more on peace and development and less on war. Global military spending now tops $1 trillion a year. “The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded,” Mr. Ban told said at a conference on religion and disarmament in Costa Rica last week. Ban said he sees a new wave of disarmament activism rising to counter out-of-control military spending and rampant violence.
Link
CAN YOU SAY "BARGAINING CHIPS"? - Three U.S. journalists have been charged with espionage. The three reporters were arrested by Iranian border guards this summer while hiking in the wilderness of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. They had been held without charge for months. Now, as international negotiations over Iran's nuclear program enter a critical phase, the three have been charged as spies. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the charges against the three are baseless and called on Iran to set them free.
Link
Provocateurs
Patrick Corcoran in WORLD POLITICS REVIEW
"But despite some improvements in Mexico's institutional capacity to fight crime, [Mexican President Felipe] Calderón's security gamble has largely backfired. The present levels of drug-related violence are worse than ever before, and Ciudad Juárez, across the Rio Grande from El Paso, has become the hemisphere's most violent city -- if the not the world's. Meanwhile, Mexico remains one of the worst countries in the world on kidnapping. So while Calderón remains personally popular, crime is a major reason why his party looks like a spent force, having been soundly trounced in the July midterms. "
"But despite some improvements in Mexico's institutional capacity to fight crime, [Mexican President Felipe] Calderón's security gamble has largely backfired. The present levels of drug-related violence are worse than ever before, and Ciudad Juárez, across the Rio Grande from El Paso, has become the hemisphere's most violent city -- if the not the world's. Meanwhile, Mexico remains one of the worst countries in the world on kidnapping. So while Calderón remains personally popular, crime is a major reason why his party looks like a spent force, having been soundly trounced in the July midterms. "
Luis Carlos Montalvan in WOMEN'S VOICES FOR CHANGE
"Pulling on her size 4 1/2 combat boots to meet her driver who sped through wartime Italy’s treacherous streets, Sgt. Myrtle Vacirca had no time to reflect on how her own unlikely history of peril and promise had brought her to this point. That day in 1943, she was just another member of the OSS: Office of Strategic Services, an elite, global force of intelligence agents created by President Franklin Roosevelt, and had been summoned to the villa of the American head of the OSS in Italy, Raymond Rocca. "
"Pulling on her size 4 1/2 combat boots to meet her driver who sped through wartime Italy’s treacherous streets, Sgt. Myrtle Vacirca had no time to reflect on how her own unlikely history of peril and promise had brought her to this point. That day in 1943, she was just another member of the OSS: Office of Strategic Services, an elite, global force of intelligence agents created by President Franklin Roosevelt, and had been summoned to the villa of the American head of the OSS in Italy, Raymond Rocca. "
Davis Mac-Iyala in THE GUARDIAN
"The anti-homosexuality legislation proposed and enacted in Uganda and many other former British colonies has caused misery for many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, many of whom are forced to flee their countries due to this persecution. Religion is often cited as a justification for state and non-state violence against LGBT people. As a gay refugee from Nigeria who has faced this persecution, I am well aware of the misery LGBT people can go through in Africa. As a practising Anglican Christian, I believe it is crucial that the Anglican Communion unites to prevent the killing of people on the grounds of sexuality. "
"The anti-homosexuality legislation proposed and enacted in Uganda and many other former British colonies has caused misery for many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, many of whom are forced to flee their countries due to this persecution. Religion is often cited as a justification for state and non-state violence against LGBT people. As a gay refugee from Nigeria who has faced this persecution, I am well aware of the misery LGBT people can go through in Africa. As a practising Anglican Christian, I believe it is crucial that the Anglican Communion unites to prevent the killing of people on the grounds of sexuality. "
Water Cooler
The Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction (SIGIR) has saved the U.S. government $82 million in direct payments and $49 million in seizures and restitution payments. The agency has also spotted $224 million in funds that were ultimately put to better use. Its investigations have led to 31 criminal indictments and 25 convictions. Yet SIGIR is nearly broke. There's only $6 billion dollars left of the $52 billion the U.S. Congress appropriated to rebuild Iraq. When that money runs out, so does SIGIR's mandate. The head of SIGIR is scrambling to keep his agency going in the face of a budget crisis.
Morning Coffee - 9 November 2009
Welcome to Morning Coffee, brought to you by Lindsay Beyerstein with additional links from the UN Dispatch team. Every morning we survey foreign affairs and foreign policy news so you don't have to. We begin with the "Starting Five" items of the day -- these may not always appear on A-1, but they *are* the kinds of stories that will be buzzing in foreign capitals, the UN and wherever foreign policy minds roam.
Starting Five
IRAQ PASSES ELECTION LAW - On Sunday Iraq's parliament passed an election law that paves the way for elections in late January. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and U.S. President Barack Obama praised the bill as a landmark achievement. The United Nations and the United States had both urged Iraq to pass the election law. The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Chris Hill said that the bill's passage keeps the U.S. "within the parameters" of its plan to draw down U.S. troop levels in Iraq to 50,000 by next August and leave the country entirely by 2011.
Link
H1N1 FLU HITS AFGHANISTAN - The Afghan government has declared a state of emergency in response to H1N1 influenza, which has already killed 10 people in Kabul in under two weeks. Schools, universities, wedding halls and other public places have been shuttered for three weeks to slow the spread of the bug. Street vendors in Kabul are doing a brisk business in surgical masks.
Link
HEAVY WATER - Seismologists are wondering if a massive reservoir helped trigger an earthquake that killed 80,000 people in China last year. Before the earthquake struck, the reservoir behind the Zipingpu Dam had filled with several hundred million tons of water in just a few years' time. A new analysis suggests that either water seepage or the sheer weight of the water could have destabilized a nearby fault and set off the quake.
Link
Provocateurs
Daniel McGroarty in INVESTORS BUSINESS DAILY
"Twenty years ago, late on a Thursday evening in Berlin, the cement and concertina-wire symbol of the Cold War was breached, inadvertently opened by a botched answer of a flustered East German Communist Party apparatchik.Announcing a loosening in border-crossing policy, he was peppered with questions on when the change would take effect."Immediately," he said, shuffling his notes. "Without delay." "Also in Berlin?" presses a reporter. "Yes, yes," comes the response. "
"Twenty years ago, late on a Thursday evening in Berlin, the cement and concertina-wire symbol of the Cold War was breached, inadvertently opened by a botched answer of a flustered East German Communist Party apparatchik.Announcing a loosening in border-crossing policy, he was peppered with questions on when the change would take effect."Immediately," he said, shuffling his notes. "Without delay." "Also in Berlin?" presses a reporter. "Yes, yes," comes the response. "
Ethan Katz in COUNCIL ON HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS
"Apparently the U.S. plan under discussion was never meant to be implemented, and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti’s alleged agreement was probably little more than a hoax. While the new deal was feted as ending the conflict, such celebration may have proved to be premature as progress has since reached a standstill, which perhaps was the intended outcome all along. On Tuesday, Honduran Congressional leaders postponed calling the legislative body out of recess in order to verify the accords, and it remains to be seen whether they will even bother to endorse the agreement, especially after the State Department so effectively sabotaged the peace process. "
"Apparently the U.S. plan under discussion was never meant to be implemented, and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti’s alleged agreement was probably little more than a hoax. While the new deal was feted as ending the conflict, such celebration may have proved to be premature as progress has since reached a standstill, which perhaps was the intended outcome all along. On Tuesday, Honduran Congressional leaders postponed calling the legislative body out of recess in order to verify the accords, and it remains to be seen whether they will even bother to endorse the agreement, especially after the State Department so effectively sabotaged the peace process. "
Maurice Chittenden and Steven Swinford in TIMES ONLINE
"American newspapers and magazines may stop selling copies in Britain and block access to their websites because of our draconian libel laws. An article that would be regarded as free speech in America under its constitution’s first amendment becomes actionable in the High Court in London once it is deemed to have been published here, however small the readership. "
"American newspapers and magazines may stop selling copies in Britain and block access to their websites because of our draconian libel laws. An article that would be regarded as free speech in America under its constitution’s first amendment becomes actionable in the High Court in London once it is deemed to have been published here, however small the readership. "
Water Cooler
The chief counsel of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is stepping down to lead the Washington office of Humanity United, a Silicon Valley-based NGO. During his nine years as a senior committee staffer, David Abramowitz worked on several pieces of legislation designed to fight human trafficking. He will continue that fight at Humanity United.
China and the US sign deal on monitoring emissions http://bit.ly/4lboEF #cop15 #climate
from COP15
Leaders of Rwandan rebel militia arrested for atrocities committed in DR Congo http://is.gd/4YRAF #UN #news
from UN
Hedegaard: Half an agreement is no agreement http://bit.ly/2BNQGg #cop15 #climate
from COP15
Final Durban Thoughts
John Boonstra - April 24, 2009 - 2:06 pm
The Coup Caucus
Mark Leon Goldberg - July 7, 2009 - 11:05 am
One Laptop Per Child - The Dream is Over
Alanna Shaikh - September 9, 2009 - 8:06 am
A Congressional Coup Caucus emerges
Mark Leon Goldberg - July 7, 2009 - 2:21 pm
