Search: kony 2012

13 Jun Weekday News Wrap: Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The US is accusing Russia of sending helicopters to Syria, where the UN has now officially categorized the conflict as a civil war. The UN is sending its envoy to Western Myanmar where the state of emergency was declared following unrest. Aung San Suu Kyi has left Myanmar for her trip to Europe where she will accept her Nobel Prize. The Yemeni government has declared that it has driven al-Qaeda militants from two cities in the South. Authorities in Ivory Coast claim to have found evidence of...

12 May Weekend Roundup: May 5-11, 2012

This week on Opinio Juris, Kevin Jon Heller posted on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s refusal to participate in his Military Commission trial, on the censored time-delayed video and audio feed from the trial and on the irony of an op-ed complaining about “false information about the detention” in the media coverage. Deborah Pearlstein addressed the question whether things might have gone differently had a regular criminal court been the forum for this trial. Kevin also wrote about moves by the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence to disqualify...

18 May Weekday News Wrap: Friday, May 18, 2012

Reuters reports that the G8 leaders are meeting today amidst further fears about the Eurozone crisis and the possibility of a “Grexit”. According to the Independent, UK PM Cameron will pressure German Chancellor Merkel to do more to save the euro. The Washington Post compares the opposing points of view of Germany and most other nations on how to improve growth in Europe. Over on Foreign Policy, Clyde Prestowitz argues why Germany should leave the euro. Foreign Policy continues the discussion our own Peter Spiro has been...

01 Oct RIP, Eric Hobsbawm (1917-2012)

I am very sad to report that the eminent British historian has passed away at 95. He lived an amazing life, as recounted in the Guardian‘s lengthy obituary today. Here is a snippet: If Eric Hobsbawm had died 25 years ago, the obituaries would have described him as Britain’s most distinguished Marxist historian and would have left it more or less there. Yet by the time of his death at the age of 95, Hobsbawm had a achieved a unique position in the country’s intellectual life. In his...

25 Sep Weekday News Wrap: Tuesday, September 25, 2012

As Ken already pointed out in his post, the UN General Assembly meeting officially opens today in New York. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi have met in New York to improve US-Egypt relations and to discuss embassy security following the riots after the controversial anti-Islam video. It’s getting busy around the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, with Taiwanese fishermen and the Coast Guard briefly entering the 12 nautical mile zone around the islands, before being chased away by the Japanese Coast Guard’s water cannons....

27 May U.S. Detention Needs Circa 2012

Cross-posted at Balkinization Bobby Chesney writes back with a thoughtful post responding to my question about whether the United States has forward-going detention needs in its counterterrorism operations that are currently unmet by the 2001 statute known as the AUMF. The question arises in light of Congress’ current debate over whether to pass (as the House already has) new legislation essentially extending and broadening existing use of force authority it passed in 2001. Before I engage Bobby’s suggestions, a quick note principally to our readers not as steeped...

22 Oct Weekday News Wrap: Monday, October 22, 2012

Violence erupted in Beirut after the funeral of the slain intelligence chief, raising fears that Lebanon will be unable to escape the tensions in Syria. Foreign Policy has more here. In Syria itself, violence continues, and Special Envoy Brahimi has once again called for a ceasefire over the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha starting this Thursday. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has told the special envoy to Syria that the weapons flow to rebel forces must stop. Turkey has called for international intervention in Syria. Jordanian officials have...

13 Dec Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, December 13, 2012

Syrian troops have been accused of using Scud missiles in populated areas, according to a US official and Human Rights Watch. The United Kingdom has announced its intent to legalize same-sex marriage in the coming year. Trial Chamber II of the ICTY convicted Bosnian Serb commander Zdravko Tolimir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and sentenced him to life in prison. The European Parliament adopted legislation to create a single European patent, taking effect in 2014. Human Rights Watch has released a report (.pdf) about...

10 Sep Weekday News Wrap: Monday, September 10, 2012

Violence in Syria continues, with reports stating that scores of government forces have been killed by bombing in Aleppo. The UN has called for an increase in humanitarian aid for Syria amidst the ongoing violence while t he European Union has agreed to increase sanctions. Leaders from Japan and China have met amid tensions regarding disputed islands in the East China Sea. Japan has infuriated China with a deal to purchase two disputed islands from their private owners. The United States has officially declared the Pakistan-based Haqqani...

05 Jul Weekday News Wrap: July 5, 2012

Paraguay has recalled its ambassador in Venezuela in protest over allegations that the Venezuelan government tried to encourage Paraguay’s military leaders to defend the recently impeached leftist President Lugo. Yasser Arafat’s body may be exhumed to examine whether he died of polonium poisoning as revealed by an Al-Jazeera investigation. Palestinian officials are calling for an international inquiry. It’s a tough time for former IMF Managing Directors, as Spain’s Rodrigo Rato is now under investigation for his role as chief at the recently failed Bankia. As mentioned in...

08 Nov Weekday News Wrap: Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Atlantic has a piece on the foreign policy priorities of Obama’s second term. Shortly after Obama’s re-election, the US has supported a call in the UNGA’s Disarmament Committee to revive talks on an Arms Trade Treaty. Other reactions to Obama’s re-election: it may be the right time to reopen negotiations with Iran and it may spell trouble for Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu. Puerto Rico voted to become the US’ fifty-first state in a non-binding referendum in Tuesday’s elections. The EU-China dispute on solar panels runs even...

07 May Weekday News Wrap: Monday, May 7, 2012

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples concluded his report in the United States Friday, warning that historical wrongs-particularly the loss of lands-continue to have an impact on Native American communities and calling on the US to step up efforts to address injustices. Reports have surfaced of child soldiers in rebel ranks in Mali; Human Rights Watch has a report outlining child soldier use and rapes allegedly committed by forces. Human Rights Watch also outlines war crimes allegedly being committed in Syria, while the...