Human Rights Watch released a chilling report about alleged abuses committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by both rebel militias and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC).
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum hosted an event last night with Susan Rice, which was billed as a conversation about genocide prevention and timed to the one year anniversary of a high-level report on the topic. The Q and A was not earth-shattering, but her fluid articulation of the challenges facing the United Nations and the United States in confronting genocide and mass atrocity did re-enforced every positive bias I have toward my UN
A truly horrific day in Badhdad. A coordinated suicide bombing attack against five targets has killed well over 100 people. The New York Times has the story. Meanwhile "Baghdad Kill" is a trending twitter topic. Here is a report from ITN:
The Sudanese government has detained top politicians from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, a group comprised of southern Sudanese ex-rebels who signed a 2005 peace accord with the central government. Why is this significant?
Arguably today's biggest international story is the 2010 FIFA World Cup draw. It's always fund to suss out the political significance of these matchups. For example, there seems to be a heavy dose of former colonies facing their colonizers. In group C we have England-USA; Group G, Portugal-Brazil; and in Group H Spain-Honduras AND Spain-Chile. Note also that reclusive North Korea will field a team in South Africa this year.
Any readers have predictions you'd like to share?
After the Obama administration rolled out its much anticipated Sudan Policy Review in mid-October, activists praised the content of the review, but adopted a "wait-and-see" attitude as to whether or not the policy recommendations would be implemented. Well, they've waited. And after yesterday's Congressional testimony from U.S. Sudan Envoy Gen. Scott Gration, they are not too happy with what they have seen.
During his speech last night, President Obama said, "we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security."
During the UN General Assembly in September, New Yorker photographer Platon set up a small studio right outside the "green room" where world leaders waited prior to addressing the General Assembly. There, he was able to coax dozens of heads of state into posing for a profile photograph, a collection of which is included in this week's New Yorker magazine. The New Yorker website has an interactive feature that includes commentary by the photograpger. *Of Qadaffi, Platon 1 … 205 206 207 208 209 … 214