Conflict Minerals on 60 MinutesThe famed television news magazine 60 Minutes broadcasts a segment on conflict minerals. Does Afghanistan need a “Tajik Solution?”Foreign Affairs ran a recent essay describing Tajikistan as a model for ending the war in Afghanistan. George Gavrilis recommends the pragmatic strategy that ended the Tajik civil war be duplicated for Afghanistan. On its face, it’s a compelling argument - two neighboring countries, both Muslim, mountainous, plagued by drug trafficking and warlords. Both faced civil war. Tajikistan’s civil war ended twelve years ago, while Afghanistan fights on. Why not use Tajikistan as a model? U.S. Senate rejects false choice between supporting veterans and UN FundingYesterday afternoon the Senate defeated an amendment to the Veterans Affairs funding bill that would have taken money U.S. contributions to UN peacekeeping and other UN programs to offset costs for extended benefits to U.S. Veterans. The amendment, which was sponsored by Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn, was defeated by a 66-32 vote. Nine Republicans voted to defeat the amendment, and one Democrat (Evan Bayh of Indiana), voted in favor. Head of UN Iraq mission, live from D.C.At 4 PM (EST) The New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. will be hosting a conversation with Ad Melkert, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq. I'll be there in person, but everyone can follow the action live via The Washington Note. Introducing the Minerals Trade Act of 2009Thanks to the work of activist groups like the Enough Project and the Genocide Intervention Network, the term "conflict minerals" has begun to seep into the vernacular of those of us who follow foreign affairs. Simply put, conflict minerals are the few minerals that are at the heart of the war in Eastern Congo. These minerals -- which include Tin ore (cassiterite), tantalite (coltan), tungsten as well a 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: U.S. to join ICC as an observerBig news for the cause of international justice, human rights, and deterring war crimes: the United States has agreed to participate, as an observer, in a meeting of state parties to the International Criminal Court. The news emerged from a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya with the U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp. Via Reuters: UN Plaza: Searching for middle ground in HondurasIn 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. El Baradei on Charlie RoseThis clip is a few days old, but worth passing along. 1 … 206 207 208 209 210 … 214
U.S. Senate rejects false choice between supporting veterans and UN FundingYesterday afternoon the Senate defeated an amendment to the Veterans Affairs funding bill that would have taken money U.S. contributions to UN peacekeeping and other UN programs to offset costs for extended benefits to U.S. Veterans. The amendment, which was sponsored by Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn, was defeated by a 66-32 vote. Nine Republicans voted to defeat the amendment, and one Democrat (Evan Bayh of Indiana), voted in favor.
Head of UN Iraq mission, live from D.C.At 4 PM (EST) The New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. will be hosting a conversation with Ad Melkert, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq. I'll be there in person, but everyone can follow the action live via The Washington Note.
Introducing the Minerals Trade Act of 2009Thanks to the work of activist groups like the Enough Project and the Genocide Intervention Network, the term "conflict minerals" has begun to seep into the vernacular of those of us who follow foreign affairs. Simply put, conflict minerals are the few minerals that are at the heart of the war in Eastern Congo. These minerals -- which include Tin ore (cassiterite), tantalite (coltan), tungsten as well a
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:
U.S. to join ICC as an observerBig news for the cause of international justice, human rights, and deterring war crimes: the United States has agreed to participate, as an observer, in a meeting of state parties to the International Criminal Court. The news emerged from a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya with the U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp. Via Reuters:
UN Plaza: Searching for middle ground in HondurasIn 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.
