Opinio Juris » Weekday News Wrap w17/12

Weekday News Wrap: Friday, April 27, 2012

by Jessica Dorsey

ECOWAS will dispatch troops to both Mali and Guinea-Bissau in order to swiftly reinstate civilian rule after recent coups.
In a Reuters exclusive, the US Senate, after a three-year investigation, is expected to find that the “enhanced interrogation techniques” used failed to yield counterterrorism breakthroughs.
As a result of ongoing clashes between Sudan and South Sudan, the United States has circulated a draft resolution through the UN Security Council outlining sanctions if the two nations do not cease their strikes and resolve their many disputes.
The US will move 9000 marines from Okinawa to a base in Guam and other bases in Asia-Pacific to ease the burden on local residents, many of whom oppose the military presence on their island.
The World Bank is looking positively at relations with Myanmar, though the institution states that controlling debt and providing accurate economic data will be key to “moving [the] relationship forward.”
Human Rights Watch criticized the US’ expansion of its drone strategy in Yemen.
AP outlines another instance of an Afghan special forces soldier shooting an American ally in Afghanistan, the latest in a series of these attacks.
As the Philippines has not accepted the ICJ’s jurisdiction over territorial issues, it would have to remove its reservation before it could bring a case regarding the ongoing dispute with China case regarding the ongoing dispute with China on the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
Former ICJ Judge Al-Khasawneh has resigned as Jordanian Prime Minister merely six months into the job in a move that may increase pressure on the King for further reforms. It is unclear whether he’ll return to the ICJ; a successor had not yet been elected.
In Syria, the government and rebels are trading blame over a huge explosion that killed 16.
Foreign Policy has a piece outlining whether Americans “still hate the United Nations” and an op-ed about how Germany is the only nation that can save the Euro.

April 27th, 2012 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2012/04/27/weekday-news-wrap-friday-april-27-2012/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, April 26, 2012

by Jessica Dorsey

The Special Court for Sierra Leone gave its verdict today in the Charles Taylor case. The Court found Taylor criminally responsible for aiding and abetting on all 11 counts in the indictment. The Court found that the prosecution failed to prove individual criminal responsibility (no effective control over the RUF) and joint criminal enterprise. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30th. Our Kevin Jon Heller has preliminary thoughts here and the blog IntLawGrrls will be running a series of posts about the decision; you can find more information about that here.
Professor Paul Lemmens, a Belgian professor of international human rights law at the University of Leuven, was elected as a Judge for the European Court of Human Rights.
The African Union has demanded an end to the Sudan border conflict. South Sudan has released a number of prisoners to ease tensions.
Reuters offers an analysis of the effects the lifting of sanctions has had in Myanmar.
Israel’s top general has stated that an Iraninan atomic bomb is unlikely.
Violence in Syria rages on and France has put pressure on the UN to hurry up, discussing the possibilities of Chapter VII measures if the cease-fire plan does not work.
Mexico has begun an investigation into allegations that Wal-Mart bribed officials in order to expand business.
China has rejected a bid put forth by the Philippines to come before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea regarding the dispute over a shoal.
Pakistan is adamant that the US is not listening to its demands to stop drone strikes, and the US is seeking to expand its Yemen drone program.

April 26th, 2012 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2012/04/26/weekday-news-wrap-thursday-april-26-2012/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

by Jessica Dorsey

US authorities have arrested the first suspect in the BP oil spill case for allegedly destroying evidence linked to the 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Pakistan has successfully tested a nuclear-capable intermediate range ballistic missile, approximately a week after India did the same.
The International Criminal Court is closely monitoring the situation in Mali, following the surge in violence since January.
While the stalemate about the NLD members’ parliamentary oath is on-going, the Myanmar military strengthens its position, replacing military affiliated members with higher ranking officials.
Amnesty International criticizes Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland for discriminatory treatment of Muslims.
The US is skeptical of Iran’s claims that it is re-creating a captured drone.
Following suit of other nations, Canada has suspended most of its sanctions against Myanmar.
Japan fears that one of its nuclear plants sits atop a geological fault, raising the risk it may never resume power.
The Philippines and the US have staged a war games exercise despite China’s warning that such action would raise the risk of an armed conflict.
In addition to Peter Spiro’s discussion of Arizona’s SB 1070, with arguments slated to begin before the Supreme Court today, other law professors have weighed in on the issues. A collection of links can be found here.
Kofi Annan has declared the ongoing violence in Syria to be unacceptable, especially in light of the April 12th ceasefire agreement.
Reuters has an analysis piece about the violence between Sudan and South Sudan, pointing to old wounds and ethnic rivalries as the causes of escalating war rhetoric.
US warns North Korea not to engage in hostile acts and China also issued a veiled warning.
Israel retroactively legalizes West Bank Settlements.

April 25th, 2012 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2012/04/25/weekday-news-wrap-wednesday-april-25-2012/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, April 24, 2012

by Jessica Dorsey

South Sudan has recognized a market bombing allegedly carried out by Sudan as an “act of war.” Meanwhile, Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir has ruled out peace talks that have been urged by the UN with its neigbor to the south, with plans to only recognize the language of “guns and bullets” instead.
The ECHR Blog has a roundup of the outcomes from last weekend’s Brighton Conference on the future of the European Court of Human Rights.
Japan struggles with radioactive contamination, creating a situation where refugees may not be able to return to their homes for a decade.
In a bit of good news, the number of global piracy incidents is down by almost a third in the first quarter of 2012; however, the risk in Nigeria grows.
Bosnia has charged three men with terrorism for the attacks on the US Embassy in Sarajevo last year.
UN Office on Drugs and Crime head, Yury Fedotov, said that global crime is one of the world’s “top-20 economies.”
At least one source is reporting that North Korea will be ready “soon” to perform its nuclear test.
Reports are emerging of women being raped in Northern Mali by Tuareg rebels.
The UN Security Council has called for constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, following the April 12th military coup.
Turkey says Israel is not welcome at the NATO summit.
Myanmar activists are critical of the EU’s decision to suspend sanctions and are urging the US to press for more reforms before suspending or lifting its sanctions.
The US Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization is sceptical that ICAO’s Assembly will be able to reach an agreement on emissions trading at its next meeting in 2013.
Following Argentina’s nationalization of YFP from Spain’s Repsol, the EU is raising the spectre of a WTO complaint over the separate issue of Argentina’s import licensing regime
Russia is displeased by an effort in US Congress to attach human rights conditions to a bill granting Russia normal trade status.
The former Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde was acquitted on most charges relating to the country’s 2008 financial crisis. He was convicted on one charge of not keeping his Cabinet sufficiently informed before and during the crisis, but received no punishment. Haarde is considering taking his conviction to the European Court of Human Rights.
The UN Environment Program reports that climate change will exacerbate problems with fresh water access in Pacific Islands such as Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
The US released a new model Bilateral Investment Treaty last week that includes stronger labor and environmental terms, but does not please all the critics.
In an interesting but “legally absurd” move, two Greek citizens have filed charges with the International Criminal Court accusing Greece of crimes against humanity and genocide through its recent austerity measures.

April 24th, 2012 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2012/04/24/weekday-news-wrap-tuesday-april-24-2012/ |

Weekday News Wrap: Monday, April 23, 2012

by Jessica Dorsey

Our own Peter Spiro has penned an op-ed in the NY Times about the upcoming arguments at the Supreme Court about Arizona’s controversial immigration bill, SB-1070. Peter has posted on OJ about it here.
Territorial disputes between China and Taiwan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei may escalate based on Chinese development firms jockeying for position in the disputed islands.
Despite tensions, China has lauded its friendship with North Korea. The US has criticized this friendship, and accused a Chinese firm of selling components of a missile transporter to North Korea.
Sudan has been accused of launching attacks within South Sudan, in escalating violence surrounding border disputes. Thousands have been displaced as a result of these clashes. Human Rights Watch covers some of the alleged abuses in its recent report about the violence in the Blue Nile State.
Afghanistan and the U.S. have reached an agreement regarding the scope and nature of a ten-year Strategic Partnership, outlining American presence in Afghanistan after most NATO troop withdrawal in 2014.
On Thursday, the Special Court for Sierra Leone will render its verdict in the Charles Taylor case, the first judgment to come against a former head-of-state charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes since Nuremburg.
Amid a large-scale financial crisis, the IMF has put pressure on the European Union to reform. ECB President Draghi resists the call from the IMF and Geithner.
Effects of EU member states having to financially reform were also felt over the weekend: the Dutch coalition government failed to reach an agreement on a budget, paving the way to new elections in the fall and casting a cloud over the Euro zone. In the Czech Republic, 100,000 protestors demonstrated in Prague against corruption and austerity measures.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Rights of Indigenous Peoples will visit the US in order to perform the first ever investigation into the rights situation of Native Americans.
With respect to the the French presidential elections over the weekend, the BBC has profiles of Sarkozy and Hollande.
The EU is imposing new sanctions on Syria. The UN’s extra monitors are expected today.
The EU is expected to ease sanctions on Myanmar today, but UK Foreign Secretary William Hague argues against this move, preferring a suspension instead. Aung San Suu Kyi and her party members have skipped the opening of Parliament over the dispute on the wording of the oath.
Iran is allegedly building a copy of a US drone it captured after the drone crashed into Iranian territory last December.
In an offensive praised by the US Ambassador, Yemen’s military has killed 18 al-Qaeda militants.
Egypt’s state-owned gas company has terminated a controversial deal to deliver gas to Israel.

April 23rd, 2012 - 8:00 AM EDT | Comments Off http://opiniojuris.org/2012/04/23/weekday-news-wrap-monday-april-23-2012/ |