Author: Julian Ku

The race to succeed Kofi Annan can begin as the Security Council moves to begin consulations on the question in June. The Washington Times interviews one openly declared candidate, Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka. Other candidate mentioned include Finland's current President . The race is far too early to call (if there is indeed a race). This...

As we've noted, the U.S. Navy has become the ocean's main anti-piracy force, especially off the dangerous Somali coast. These pirates appear undeterred, however, and recently captured a South Korean fishing vessel in international waters. U.S. and Dutch warships gave chase, but had to back off when the pirates threatened to shoot their hostages. The pirates then...

Is the Palestinian Authority a sovereign state? When Palestinians bomb an Israeli bus, is that an act of war? Or is it an act of international terrorism? The U.S. District Court in D.C. has issued an opinion partially answering these weighty questions in a lawsuit brought by a U.S. victim of a bus bombing in Israel against the Palestinian...

China and Australia announced yesterday that they have agreed to a new deal for sales of Australian uranium to supply China's growing nuclear power needs. "These agreements establish strict safeguards, arrangements and conditions to ensure Australian uranium supplied to China, and any collaborative programs in applications of nuclear technology, is used exclusively for peaceful purposes," says Australia's foreign minister. Interestingly, Secretary...

Nominations began Monday for seats on the new U.N. Human Rights Council. According to Reuters, 17 nations have already nominated themselves including Germany, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Ukraine, Latvia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Nicaragua. The U.S. has not yet acted. 47 seats are available with seven from Western Europe and...

Way back during the Cold War, an international or foreign policy blog like this one would be obsessed with arms control, especially nuclear arms control. Today, the major nuclear powers continue to reduce or even eliminate their strategic nuclear arsenals (see this press release and report) and, pursuant to international treaties, they disclose exact numbers of strategic nuclear assets....

In another weird twist to the already odd Charles Taylor saga, the former Liberian President is claiming that Nigerian security services first helped him escape, then re-captured him before sending him to Liberia to stand trial. Taylor is not the most credible person, but there was something fishy going on here. In any case, Taylor is already plotting his defense. He...

I mis-blogged yesterday when I suggested the Security Council had agreed on a "resolution" threatening Iran about its nuclear program. Technically, the Council's President (currently held by Argentina's U.N. Rep) issued a presidential "statement." I assume the Council's statement took this kind of odd form to remove any lingering concerns that it would be seen as legal authorization...

In a strange game of "pass the war criminal", the Sierra Leone Special Court is now requesting that the International Criminal Court in the Hague provide a venue for the trial of alleged war criminal Charles Taylor. This request comes one day after the Sierra Leone Court acquired custody of Mr. Taylor from Liberia, which had only minutes before...