Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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Week of November 19 - 21, 2007 What's New
Week of November 26 - 30, 2007
What Was New
Iraq Security Council Empire? Social and Economic Policy Nations and States UN Finance
Iraq
Week of November 26 - 30, 2007
The Security Council and Iraq: Should the Council Renew the MNF Mandate for 2008? (November 25, 2007)
The UN mandate authorizing the Multinational Force in Iraq is up for renewal in late 2007. In this memorandum, Global Policy Forum argues that the Security Council should not renew the mandate. The memo recalls the many ways that the MNF violates international law and human rights. It points out that the political and humanitarian situation in Iraq is worsening and the great majority of Iraqis see the MNF as an occupying force that prevents national reconciliation. The Iraqi parliament has called for a withdrawal timetable and insisted on its right to ratify any MNF renewal request. A renewal would weaken the UN, promote a US protectorate in Iraq, and damage security in the Middle East region.Iraqis Make Statement Against Oil Theft (November 26, 2007)
In this letter to the Iraqi Parliament, 60 Iraqi Oil Professionals announce their support for the Ministry of Oil's decision to make illegal 15 production sharing agreements signed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and foreign companies. The professionals agree with the blacklisting of the foreign companies in question. This letter follows similar warnings by the group in early 2007 that the negotiation and signing of oil contracts remain exclusively with the Ministry. The letter further asks that the draft oil law be approached with caution and that it be amended to ensure the rights of Iraqis. (After Downing Street)Toward National Reconciliation or a Warlord State? (November 20, 2007)
Some political commentators claim the US military surge strategy contained the alleged al-Qaeda threat and reduced the level of violence to less than 600 attacks in October 2007, the lowest in two years. However, other analysts, including Marc Lynch, argue that General Petraeus' strategy to make deals with dominant Sunni leaders is leading to a "warlord state." Lynch says that the surge was "doomed from the start," as it did not involve a strategy of national reconciliation. The policy has further divided Iraqi politics with Sunni insurgents claiming they will turn their guns against the Shi'a led Maliki government once US troops start withdrawing. (Inter Press Service)The Top 100 Private Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan (November 20, 2007)
The Center for Public Integrity says US contracts with private security companies and construction firms has increased by 50 percent annually from US$11 billion in 2004 to US$25 billion in 2006. According to the Center, the recipients of contracts worth up to US$20 billion have only been identified by the US Defense and State Departments as "foreign contractors." Commentators suggest this signals the lack of accountability and oversight of government contracts. Number one on the list, construction firm, KBR won over US$16 billion in contracts from 2004 and 2006, nine times greater than that awarded to number two, private security firm, DynCorp International. Click here for the Top 100 List.'I Don't Think This Place Is Worth Another Soldier's Life' (October 27, 2007)
This Washington Post article follows a battalion of soldiers as they reach the end of their 14 month tour in Iraq. The soldiers say that when they first began patrolling the streets of Sadiyah, a middle-class suburb of Baghdad, the shops were open and people were walking around. At the end of their tour, the soldiers say the area is littered with trash, open sewers and burnt out houses and cars. One soldier remarked that he will leave "being very skeptical of everything."Long-Term Presence Planned at Persian Gulf Terminals Viewed as Vulnerable (November 12, 2007)
The US Navy is constructing a military installation on one of two Iraqi petroleum-export platforms in the Persian Gulf. The Khwar Al Amaya oil terminal and the Al Basra oil terminal have the potential to load almost 2.4 percent of the world's daily oil needs. Commentators suggest the construction signals US intentions to establish long term bases in the region, with particular interest in protecting Iraq's oil industry. Some commentators suggest the installation will also allow the US to monitor Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps who are stationed near Khwar Al Amaya. (Wall Street Journal)Embassy Staff In Baghdad Inadequate, Rice is Told (June 19, 2007)
The Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan C Crocker expresses concern that US embassy staff in Iraq are too young and unqualified for the job. Crocker suggests that a management review take place to ensure the State Department overcomes some of the bureaucratic struggles such as public criticism of the mission's US$1 billion budget in 2007 and the growth of the world's largest US embassy in Baghdad. Crocker blames the speed with which positions were filled at the embassy and the lack of management for the problems in staffing. (Washington Post)Ryan Clark Crocker, A Diplomat Used to Danger (January 6, 2007)
According to political commentators, the Bush administration's choice for US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, has extensive experience working in the Middle East and "will manage the job with skill and sensitivity." Crocker speaks Arabic, has worked in Iraq in the 1970s and was the ambassador to Lebanon, Kuwait, Syria and Pakistan. However, commentators suggest that unlike the current ambassador, Zalmay M Khalilzad, Crocker will not have a strong public presence in Baghdad. (New York Times)Security Council
Gaza Fears Israeli Push to Smash Hamas (November 27, 2007)
While Israeli and some Palestinian leaders meet at a Conference in Annapolis, USA, fighting in the Gaza strip continues. Gaza civilians suffer from Hamas control and the Israeli occupation, resulting in isolation and lack of basic resources, such as water and food. Israeli commentators speculate that Israel has been planning a military operation against Hamas after the Annapolis Conference "is out of the way." (Independent)UN Urges DRC Rebels to Lay Down Arms (November 26, 2007)
UN special envoy to Sudan, Ross Mountain requested cooperation from the rebels and the governments of the DRC and Rwanda to cease fighting and help stabilize the North Kivu region. Mountain has been pleased with the efforts of the DRC and Rwanda to help North Kivu. But he still worries about the fighting between General Nkunda's army and the DRC force. (Agence France-Presse)First Officers from UN Specialized Police Unit Deploy for Chad to Start Key Training Role (November 21, 2007)
The UN in cooperation with the African Union and the EU started training a specialized Chadian police unit, to provide safety to those affected by the regional conflicts. Officials from the UN Standing Police Capacity (SPC) and the UN Police (UNPOL) will arrive to support the UN peacekeeping mission in Chad and CAR (MINURCAT). The new Chadian police will also assist the UN-AU hybrid force in Darfur to stabilize the whole region. (UN News)Decisive Round of Kosovo Talks Begins (November 26, 2007)
The talks between Serbia, Kosovo and the Troika group still remain in a "deadlock." Kosovo's Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci announced that Kosovo will unilaterally declare itself independent in 2008, even without Security Council recognition. Thaci wants acknowledgment and support from the US and the EU to ensure a peaceful process. Russia, a Serbian ally, opposes the decision and wants the Security Council to have the final decision. Russia already vetoed a previous Council resolution on Kosovo's separation from Serbia. (Associated Press)Chad's Army, Rebels Claim Bloody Battle (November 26, 2007)
Chad's army and the rebel group Forces for Development and Democracy (FDD) resumed fighting after having signed a peace agreement a couple weeks before. The FDD and civilians disagree with Idriss Deby's government, as it profits from the country's high oil prices. The rebels also criticize the EU force in the country, as they believe it only strengthens Deby's "regime." (Associated Press)Pessimism Overhangs Annapolis Talks (November 27, 2007)
The author of this al-Jazeera article complains that the parties attending the Annapolis Conference lack clarity and objectiveness. Unless these countries pressure Israel to stop the occupation, no agreement will result. Although the Conference has a high attendance, one of the most important players in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Hamas, was not invited. For that reason, Palestinians have been protesting against the conference and questioning its legitimacy.Annapolis, as Seen from Gaza (November 23, 2007)
El-Haddad points out the gap between Israeli promises and its actions. The author claims that the Annapolis Conference will allow Israel to gain more time, appearing to compromise but actually evading action. The meeting will also help improve President Mahmoud Abbas support among the international community. However the block of Hamas participation demonstrates the lack of consideration for the people in Gaza, who suffer an inhuman occupation. (Electronic Intifada)Factbox - Names of Participants in Annapolis Meeting (November 26, 2007)
Reuters published a list of countries and organizations, and their representatives, participating in the Conference.Ruecker: Kosovo Communities Need Clarity on Status (November 16, 2007)
After intense negotiations, the Troika group (US, EU and Russia) will deliver a report about Kosovo to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on December 10th 2007. The Albanian majority wants Kosovo, a UN protectorate since 1999, to become independent, but Serbia only offers partial autonomy. Troika mediators suggest a "neutral status" but according to Joachim Ruecker, the UN's peacekeeping chief in Kosovo (UNMIK), an agreement appears "slim." (Southern European Times)Asian Leaders, Seeking Myanmar's Gas, May Go Soft on Sanctions (November 20, 2007)
China, one of the major ASEAN countries, does not support sanctions against Myanmar's military junta. India, once a supporter of Aung San Suu Ky's democratic movement, recently joined its ASEAN partners, China and Thailand in economic trade agreements with Myanmar's junta. Only Japan canceled its gas and oil contracts with Myanmar, joining the US and EU in their pro-democratic campaign. Ironically, Chevron Corp, a US oil-giant stated it will keep its natural-gas project in the country even if that means losing US government tax benefits. (Bloomberg)Empire?
America's Gulag Goes Before the Court (November 28, 2007)
It has been more than three years since the US Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo detainees have the right to a fair trial. Detainees cannot view the government's evidence against them or gather evidence of their own. The US government has in effect ignored the ruling and now the Supreme Court is looking into President George Bush' claim that during wartime a president has the right to override constitutional rights even habeas corpus. (Truthdig)Constructive Instability (July 2005)
Robert Satloff, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, coined the term "constructive instability" in 2005. In his view, stability impedes US interests in the Middle East and by creating instability via local rivalries the US can break up the region. According to President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, this is the official strategy for US foreign policy in the Middle East "whatever the risks." (Le Monde diplomatique)Collapse of an Empire (November 26, 2007)
In his book "Collapse of an Empire: Lessons for Modern Russia," former Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar argues that the growing "nostalgia for the Soviet era" among Russians is "ill informed, and dangerous." Gaidar says that USSR was, by definition, an empire, which was bound to collapse due to its unstable political and economic system. (Brookings Institution)The United States' New Backyard (November 2007)
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has focused much of its foreign policy on the Middle East. The region's geo-strategic importance and large oil resources coupled with the close US relationship with Israel have contributed to this development. President Bush has said "the broader Middle East is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of our time." Le Monde diplomatique illustrates how the neocon doctrine of "constructive instability," an approach of exploiting local rivalries to promote US interests, plays out everywhere in the region from Iraq to Lebanon.Bush More Emphatic In Backing Musharraf (November 21, 2007)
In response to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's state of emergency declaration, US President George Bush said that Musharraf "hasn't crossed the line" and "truly is somebody who believes in democracy." The emergency rule has resulted in mass arrests and the removal of Musharraf's political opponents from the country. (Washington Post)Social and Economic Policy
Follow-Up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (November 15, 2007)
Following the High Level Dialogue on Financing for Development in October 2007, Egypt and Norway presented this draft resolution to the UN General Assembly to evaluate the "Monterrey Consensus" - the outcome document of the first Financing for Development conference held in 2002. The draft gives the format and the goals of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development in Doha in November - December 2008, and the measures the UN will take to evaluate the process post-Doha.War Has Historic Links to Global Climate Change (November 19, 2007)
Scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology have found that there is a clear link between changes in world temperatures and warfare. Both increases and decreases in temperature may cause a fall in food crop production and a subsequent rise in food price, and consequently conflict for access to resources. Future global warming is particularly worrying to the scientists. (New Scientist)The EU Is Bullying the World's Poor to Rush Into a Dubious Deal on Trade (November 19, 2007)
The European Union is pressing former European colonies to sign an Economic Partnership Agreement before the end of 2007. The EU is attempting to reverse its previous discriminatory trade practices with these countries and appease the World Trade Organization. African and Pacific countries report of massive lobbying and threats by the EU to withhold aid should the poor countries fail to sign the agreement. (Guardian)OPEC Interested in Non-Dollar Currency (November 18, 2007)
In reaction to the fall in the value of the dollar, OPEC has decided to make an enquiry into shifting cash reserves to a non-dollar currency. The suggestion came from Iran and Venezuela, who also have political reasons for moving away from the dollar. US allies such as Saudi Arabia opposed the idea. The dollar depreciation has led to higher crude oil prices and lowered dollar reserves for the oil producing countries, who worry about future profits dwindling if reserves continue to be held in US dollars. (Associated Press)The "Carry Trade" and the Current Financial Turmoil (July-August 2007)
US deregulation and liberalization of finance at home and abroad has created vast amounts of liquidity in global financial markets. This has resulted in great interdependencies between financial markets and between currencies. Investors use of "carry trading" - borrowing money in a currency with low interest rates and investing in a currency with higher interest rate gains - creates large volatility in financial markets, making the markets increasingly vulnerable to risk and to sudden changes in currency values. (Third World Resurgence)UN Emergency Fund CERF and NGOs - "Progress Made, Progress to Make" (November 20, 2007)
NGOs such as Save the Children UK and Oxfam argue that the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has made improvements during 2007. The CERF has increased dialogue with NGOs and simplified the application process for funding. However, the CERF still faces constraints in the secondary distribution level - transferring funds from the relevant UN agencies to NGOs in the field has proved to be difficult, slow and inefficient. (Integrated Regional Information Networks)Globalization
Trade Unions and Globalisation: Enlarging Agendas (November 22, 2007)
In response to growing economic globalization, more integrated global markets and international production systems, trade unions across the globe are joining forces. The unions increasingly coordinate their work to advocate international labor standards and rules of conduct for transnational companies. They encourage national governments to secure "proper regulation, taxation and transparency" for private sectors. (World Economy and Development)The Global Establishment and Global Inequality (November - December 2007)
This World Economy and Development article examines how institutions that traditionally championed unregulated globalization are now taking a more critical approach. The International Monetary Fund holds financial globalization responsible for increased income inequality over the last two decades, while conservative newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times have started looking at "how the other half lives."Nations and States
According to this second report by the United Nations Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries, private security firms worldwide are engaging in new forms of mercenarism. The report concludes that while the use of private security guards by States in conflict zones is on the rise, their legal status is still unclear. States continue to grant immunity to these companies and their employees. The Group warns that States who employ private security services may therefore be responsible for human rights violations committed by the guards. Further, the Group is concerned that only 30 States have ratified the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. This report comes as a number of security companies in Iraq are accused of killing numerous civilians in unprovoked attacks.'Peace in Kosovo Was Never More than a Ceasefire' (November 19, 2007)
Former guerilla leader Hashim Thaci won Kosovo elections which means he could be Kosovo's next prime minister. But less than half of the people of Kosovo turned out to votes, with the ethnic Serbs boycotting the election altogether. Thaci has said he will declare independence on Deccember 10, the day set for the mediators to give recommendations to the UN regarding the future of the UN protectorate. But independence will not come easy, as the Russians will veto it in the Security Council. (Der Spiegel)UN Finance
US vs. Total Debt to the UN: Table: 2007
US vs. Total Debt to the UN, 1996-2007: Table: 1996-2007
Regular Budget Payments of Largest Payers: Table: 2007
Regular Budget Assessments & Payments: Table: 2007
Payments Due to the UN for Peacekeeping Accounts: Table: 2007
International Justice
Top Khmer Rouge Leader Charged (November 19, 2007)
The Special Tribunal for Cambodia indicted its fifth Khmer Rouge leader, Khieu Samphan. The tribunal charged Samphan, a close confidant of Khmer Rouge founder Pol Pot, with crimes against humanity committed between 1975 and 1979. His detention completes the initial group of the tribunal's suspects, whose trials will likely beginning in 2008. Unfortunately, some of the regime's elderly leaders, such as Pol Pot, died before facing justice. (BBC)
What Was New What's New
Week of November 19 - 21, 2007
Iraq Security Council Empire? International Justice
Iraq
The White Man Unburdened (November 10, 2007)
Norman Mailer wrote this essay in July 2003 for the New York Times Book Review and CommonDreams reprinted it on the last day of his life. The author describes the US war against Iraq as a peculiar mix between 9/11 revenge, corporatism and a "gung-ho" approach to war and warfare. Mailer warned that the occupation would unleash civil war in Iraq, cost billions of dollars and threaten civil liberties in the US.Iraq's Workers Strike to Keep Their Oil (September - October, 2007)
The Iraqi Federation of Oil Workers (IFOU) is the main opposition to the privatization of oil in the country and is one of few voices speaking out for the rights of millions of Iraqi workers. In June 2007, the Union organized a strike which, although short lived, resulted in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreeing to delay the implementation of a controversial oil law until October 2007. Despite heavy pressure from the US, the oil law has not yet passed parliament. Commentators suggest the union represents a large threat to the Bush administration's goal of privatizating Iraq's oil. (Dollars and Sense)Iraqi Police Academy Remains Largely Unusable (November 6, 2007)
A US contractor, Parsons Corporation, testified before Congress that it would reconstruct the dilapidated Baghdad police academy. A year later in 2007 the academy still represents the failure of the Bush administration's US$45 billion reconstruction program. Witnesses say the plumbing does not work, there are deep cracks in the walls and ceilings are stained with sewerage. Inspectors blame the contractor for using poor quality concrete and pipes and the case has been referred to the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction to investigate possible fraud. Commentators criticize the reconstruction as it shows "wasteful spending and incompetent oversight." (New York Times)Why Did We Invade Iraq Anyway? (October 30, 2007)
The Bush administration and some Democratic presidential candidates justify continued US presence in Iraq as necessary to secure vital national security interests and to fight terrorism. According to Michael Schwartz this vague reasoning cannot hide the reality that since the Second World War the US has viewed oil in the Middle East as "one of the greatest material prizes in world history." He argues that the rise of OPEC, the US alliance with Saudi Arabia, the formation of foreign policy by neoconservatives including Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney provide the historical background for the invasion of Iraq. (Tomdispatch)The "Multinational Force" Mandate and Related Security Council Action on Iraq during the Occupation (November 16, 2007)
This article tracks the development of UN Security Council resolutions in Iraq since 2003 when the Council controversially gave the US "legal cover" for its occupation of the country. Since then, the MNF mandate has been renewed three times with little variation on its original terms and showing no attention to opposition in the Iraqi parliament. Further, this article examines other Security Council mandates including the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), the Development Fund for Iraq and the International Compact and the future role of the United Nations in Iraq. (Global Policy Forum)Iraqi Government to UN: 'Don't Extend Mandate for Bush's Occupation' (November 9, 2007)
The Iraqi parliament has made several attempts to affirm its opposition against the renewal of the multinational force mandate in Iraq. However, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki under pressure from the US and UK is likely to request that the UN Security Council extend the mandate for another 12 months. According to the authors of this AlterNet article the renewal debate exemplifies the political crisis between the nationalists who control parliament and the separatists who control the Cabinet. Despite the MNF renewal having major ramifications for political reconciliation in Iraq it is not covered in the mainstream US media. Instead conflict in the country is perceived as a "religious war", when in truth it is a conflict about the future of the country.Security Council
New Bid to Reform UN Security Council Begins (November 13, 2007)
The majority of UN members agree on expanding the Security Council's membership, to make it more representative and equitable. However the members diverge on how that expansion should happen. They also express concern that the enlargement will diminish the Council's effectiveness. Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram stated that Council reform should include all countries, should be based on broad multilateral proposals, and should require consensus support. (Associated Press - Pakistan)Concerned at Conditions in Somalia, Security Council Urges End to Violence (November 19, 2007)
In spite of a "deteriorating political, security and humanitarian situation in Somalia," the Security Council hasn't sent a UN peacekeeping mission because Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the mission's viability. Council members recognized the need for an increase of support to the African Union Mission (AMISOM). The Council also expressed support of the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs), the UN's mediation efforts and enhanced international assistance. (UN News)Sudan's President Refuses to Budge Over Oil Region (November 18, 2007)
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir stated that, according to the 1905 British border delimitation, the oil rich Abyei region belongs to Sudan's northern region of Kordofan. But the Southern People's Revolutionary Movement (SPLM) claims it constitutes part of the south. Even after the end of the civil war, tensions still remain as Sudan's government, Kartoum, and the rebel movement SPLM dispute the Abyei region. (Reuters)Israel and Palestine Fail to Agree Before Conference (November 20, 2007)
This Mail & Guardian article reports that Israeli and Palestinian leaders couldn't overcome key obstacles and sign a joint declaration before the Annapolis Conference. Palestinian sources claim that the existing drafts do not mention important principals from past UN Security Council resolutions, which calls for an end to the conflict. Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas said that even though Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, released Fatah prisoners he still hasn't halted Israeli "illegal outposts" in the West Bank.UN's Political Department to Expand Its Preventive Diplomacy Efforts (November 7, 2007)
Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon addressed the Fifth Committee on the expansion of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). The DPA's diplomatic role involves conflict prevention and resolution. He claimed that the extra US$21 million planned for the DPA's expansion represents the UN's "smartest investment," because it would diminish peacekeeping and post-conflict costs. The Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe during a briefing, proposed that the expansion should include an increase of employees, department re-organization and the establishment of more regional offices. (UN News)Olmert Hopes Syria Will Attend Annapolis Conference (November 6, 2007)
Although Israel and Syria have tensions over the Golan Heights territory, Olmert believes that neighboring Syria should play an important role at the Annapolis conference, despite US resistance. He stressed that Syria should not pressure Israel about their own issues during the conference. Syria has condoned Hamas in Syrian territory, and therefore, Syrian's participation in the conference could help bring Hamas into the talks. (Reuters)Myanmar Should Agree on Change Timetable, UN Says (November 13, 2007)
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared that Myanmar's junta should work with the opposition and the UN on a timetable for political change. Ban Ki-moon insisted Ibrahim Gambari's visit to the country ended positively. He believes a process leading to a dialogue with concrete outcomes has started between the parties. Unfortunately, China did not reinforce the need for a timetable, as it believes that pressure may worsen the situation. China and Thailand represent the biggest economic partners of Myanmar's military junta. (Bloomberg)UN Backs India for UNSC Seat (November 13, 2007)
France and Britain favor India, as one of the G-4 candidates for a new permanent seat on the UN Security Council. In their speech, both countries requested a more representative and consequently credible and effective Council. While Russia abstained from coment, Japan and China placed greater importance on having new permanent members from African countries. Before backing any candidacy, the US recommended a "set of criteria" for the aspiring candidates, such as a commitment to human rights. Ironically, critics have often criticized China and the US, both permanent members, for human rights violations. (NDTV)Empire?
Al Jazeera: 'It's No Hangout for Al-Qa'ida' (November 19, 2007)
The news channel Al Jazeera English, launched in 2006, already has viewers in 100 million homes. For many years, the US demonized the Arabic version and even bombed its offices in Kabul and Baghdad. In opposition to BBC World and CCN, the channel provides a "north to south interpretation of news." According to Ben Rayner head of AJE news, the channel focuses on the entire world, not just the Western centers of London and Washington. (Independent)Here Come the Thought Police (November 19, 2007)
In October 2007, the US House of Representatives passed the "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act." Not since the 2001 Patriot Act has a bill threatened constitutional rights so extensively. The bill even condemns the internet for providing "access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda." Thomas Jefferson stated that people not only have a right, but a duty to oppose their government under certain conditions. This article argues that the bill obstructs US citizens' ability to exercise this right. (Baltimore Sun)The Meaning of Manzanar (November 18, 2007)
The author of this OC Register article compares the Second World War prison camps, where the US government detained citizens with Japanese ancestry, to the present day War on Terror. The author draws parallels between the use of scare tactics in the 1940's to portray the Japanese as an "enemy race" and similar tactics against the Muslim and Arab world today.International Justice
Congo Militia Head Lubanga Faces First ICC Trial (November 12, 2007)
The International Criminal Court, established in 2002, has been gaining credibility with 104 nations because of its work against militia leaders, especially within Congo, Sudan and Uganda. The ICC will hold its first trial in March 2008, against the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) leader Thomas Lubanga. ICC prosecutors accused Lubanga of enlisting children as soldiers, as well as ethnic crimes against the Lendu group. (AlertNet)From The Desk of Donald Rumsfeld ...(November 1, 2007)
In this Washington Post article, the author examines copies of internal Pentagon memos written by former US Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. The documents suggest Rumsfeld was attempting to re-shape public opinion on the war in Iraq with such statements as "make the American people realize they are surrounded by violent extremists." Commentators suggest the former Defense Secretary had a series of trademark sayings which reveal his long term ruminations about Russia and his dislike of media criticism. A memo in 2006 reveals that to Rumsfeld "Iran is the concern of the American people, and if we fail in Iraq, it will advantage Iran."It All Makes Sense Now - Blackwater and the ICC (October 1, 2007)
In this article, the author speculates whether the US opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) was part of a long term plan to provide immunity to contractors working for or on behalf of the US in Iraq. The Hague Invasion Act was passed by the US Congress in 2002, prior to the invasion of Iraq, and prohibits US courts from extraditing any person to the ICC. The author cites numerous atrocities committed by private security contractors working in Iraq including Blackwater USA, to demonstrate how firms operate without any accountability to the ICC. (Tonic Blotter)
