U.S. Politics

The ACLU is Suing USAID

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing USAID, the US Agency for International Development, for refusing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests. The ACLU is seeking documents from July and September 2009 that relate to abstinence education programs supported by USAID.

Pentagon Considers Climate Change a National Security Threat

Thankfully, for the sake of those of us relying on them for our safety, the U.S. Department of Defense seems to understand both the difference between climate and weather and that an attempted assassination by 1,000 cuts cannot change the underlying truths of the IPCC's 2007 climate assessment.

What the QDR Says about the UN

The U.S. Department of Defense just released its most recent edition of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), a Congressionally mandated run down of U.S. defense strategies and priorities. Those interested in the structure of American defense parse the document carefully, as seemingly innocuous omissions and minute wording choices could signal a long-term shift in Department priorities.

US Aid Reshuffling on Haiti Shows the Need for a Contingency Disaster Fund for Humanitarian Relief

The Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the lead American agency on humanitarian relief efforts like the one underway in Haiti. The problem is, it is just one office within the relatively small U.S.

Defense Contractors and International Development – What’s Going on Here?

Last week, it was announced that DynCorp – a major private security firm - had acquired Casals Associates, an international development company. Last year, L-3, the sixth largest defense contractor in the US, bought International Resources Group, which “provides specialized management, policy and training support to U.S.

Susan Rice’s Spokesperson calls out John Bolton’s former Spokesperson

Last week, the communications director for the past four Republican U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations wrote a scurrilous attack on Susan Rice on Huffington Post. I call the attack "scurrilous," because as I noted at the time, the author completely mis-characterized the findings of a report to suggest that Rice was insufficiently engaged at the United Nations.

Those of you who aren't plugged into the matrix might have missed the fact that President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address to Congress last night, as U.S. presidents are, sort of, required to do (also, Apple released its tablet computer).

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The ACLU is Suing USAID

Pentagon Considers Climate Change a National Security Threat

What the QDR Says about the UN

US Aid Reshuffling on Haiti Shows the Need for a Contingency Disaster Fund for Humanitarian Relief

Defense Contractors and International Development – What’s Going on Here?

Susan Rice’s Spokesperson calls out John Bolton’s former Spokesperson

Why the Sudden Criticisms of Susan Rice?

Roundup: SOTU Foreign Policy Reacts

President Buys Congress a Newspaper Subscription

UNAIDS and the Millennium Villages

Embedded With Afghan Civil Society – Part 5 – Bathing in Yakawlang

Embedded With Afghan Civil Society – Part 6 – The Legacy of War Crimes

The Obama Agenda at the United Nations