The Global Blawg

How to Defeat Westboro Baptist Crazies

2011-04-26T13:16:00.007-05:00

The small town of Brandon, Mississippi has figured out how to prevent Westboro Baptist from protesting the funerals of fallen soldiers. They put their playbook into action in preparation for the recent burial ceremony of Staff Seargent Jason Rogers on April 14, 2011.

Local friends of Rogers' family scoured the town looking for Kansas plates on cars at restaurants, stores, and motels. Pickup trucks were "mysteriously" found blocking these cars in their spots - and police explained that the tow service was running behind a few hours, and they would sadly have to JUST WAIT. :-)

When Jason Rogers' body was transported back into his hometown under a heavy police escort from the State Troopers, County Sherriff's Office, and local patrols - literally thousands of citizens lined the streets to pay homage to their local hero. A giant American flag was hoisted from the ladder of a city utility truck in the center of town where mourners left the funeral, and another flag was hoisted from a fire truck at the end of the route, near the cemetery. No Westboro Crazies in sight - for an incredible display of patriotism.

And here is the video, from the dash camera of a Mississippi Highway Patrolman's car:

Breaking News

2011-04-24T02:53:00.002-05:00

Aleksandr Lukashnko, of Balarus, looks just like my undergraduate political science professor, Bruce Johnson. With just a bit more hair.

Price of a Gigabyte, Internationally

2011-03-14T19:05:00.000-06:00

YEAR — Price of a Gigabyte

1981 — $300,000
1987 — $50,000
1990 — $10,000
1994 — $1000
1997 — $100
2000 — $10
2004 — $1
2010 — $0.10

Video From Japan

2011-03-11T14:02:00.001-06:00

Rand Paul will be on the Daily Show

2011-03-06T20:46:00.003-06:00

New Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, son of Libertarian Ron Paul, will be Jon Stewart's guest on the Daily Show tomorrow. I'm hoping Stewart will question the Senator about his extreme position on foreign aid. Paul favors cutting ALL OF IT. Perhaps Stewart can ask him how he expects this to help in the War on Terror. It is almost universally agreed that Foreign Aid is a central part of our National Security

Darwinian Terrorism

2011-03-06T20:41:00.002-06:00

It turns out that the most violent threat to Darwinism comes from Islamists in London rather than Christians in Texas.

A prominent British imam has been forced to retract his claims that Islam is compatible with Darwin's theory of evolution after receiving death threats from fundamentalists.
Dr Usama Hasan, a physics lecturer at Middlesex University and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, was intending yesterday to return to Masjid al-Tawhid, a mosque in Leyton, East London, for the first time since he delivered a lecture there entitled "Islam and the theory of evolution".
But according to his sister, police advised him not to attend after becoming concerned for his safety. Instead his father, Suhaib, head of the mosque's committee of trustees, posted a notice on his behalf expressing regret over his comments. "I seek Allah's forgiveness for my mistakes and apologise for any offence caused," the statement read.

Security Council: Lybia

2011-02-26T19:48:00.001-06:00

Amazing that right now the UN is imposing historic sanctions and no US network is covering, only: http://bit.ly/5Fnf

Today's Links

2011-02-24T12:54:00.003-06:00

Lawyers, and The Social Network.
The President cannot pardon Charles Manson.
A pizza slice is a solid object.

And in the world of International Law:

Julian Assange is being extradited, and charged with sexual assault.
Pirates could be tried in the U.S. for the murder of Americans abroad.
Did Qaddafi order the Lockerbie bombing?
Passing the Buck, on a grand scale.
Improving Women's Shelters conditions in Afghanistan.

And finally, I just FOUND GOLD:

A website for lawyers who use iPhones.

Bar Exam

2011-02-21T21:52:00.000-06:00

I take the Bar Exam tomorrow! ...And Wednesday. Here goes nothing!

Shaking Things Up

2010-07-05T02:43:00.000-05:00

This is really interesting. "Maryland is one of 14 states with a constitutional requirement designed to make voters decide at least once a generation whether to start over. The protection goes back to the Founding Fathers and the thinking that, every now and then in a healthy democracy, the People probably have to shake things up."

Amount of Oil Leaking Per Day

2010-06-16T19:55:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for linking to this graph.

Oklahoma's Silly Constitutional Amendment

2010-06-16T19:02:00.004-05:00

Most of my readers know I am from Oklahoma, and studied law in Oklahoma - thus I have been keeping tabs on a rather unusual development happening here. State legislators have proposed amending the state constitution to ban the consideration of Shariah Law and International Law in their rulings. The amendment was approved to be sent to voters last month by the State Senate, and is a clear illustration of just how odd Oklahoma lawmakers are. Especially the author of the amendment, State Senator Rex Duncan. The relevant text of the amendment is below:

The courts shall not look to the legal precepts of other nations or cultures. Specifically, the courts shall not consider international law or Sharia Law. The provisions of this subsection shall apply to all cases before the respective courts including, but not limited to, cases of first impression.

Professor Julian Ku has pointed out that while the amendment is Constitutional, it is incredibly over-broad and could end up hurting our state in some significant ways when it comes to foreign business investments into our state economy, as well as international trade. Believe it or not, we do have some significant international transactions happening in the state, especially in the oil and natural gas industries. Here is what Professor Ku says:

amendment is overbroad because it does not define “sharia law,” and appears to prohibit Oklahoma courts from considering international law or any other kind of foreign law in their decisions. So, a contract which selects German law, but is litigated in an OK court (like Campbell v. AIG, 976 P.2d 1102 (1999)), would be interpreted contrary to the parties’ clear intent. And a case which involves principles of international law to determine river boundaries, like Hanes v. State, 973 P.2d 330 (1998), could not be decided under those principles.... what is interesting is that Oklahoma voters will likely pass this amendment. As a constitutional amendment, I assume Oklahoma’s legislature is stuck with it, and Oklahoma courts as well. Indeed, there is no obvious basis for a constitutional challenge that I can think of offhand. This means that we may see some odd litigation and judicial decisions down the road out of Oklahoma. And it means that most foreign investors should be extremely wary of assenting to the jurisdiction of Oklahoma courts.

Fringe Benefits of the World Cup

2010-06-15T22:36:00.006-05:00

The U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Donald Gips, just noted, "Americans have bought more tickets for the World Cup in South Africa than any other outside group." How/why did a country with a scant interest in Soccer compared to our other national sports gain such an interest in the World Cup? Partly, its because of our incredible diversity - folks in the U.S. with a heritage of Soccer in their family blood have always been huge Soccer fans - and just because they are outnumbered by Football and Baseball fans doesn't mean they have insignificant numbers, especially in our major cities. Additionally, I would suspect there is an adventurous side to the Americans who bought their tickets to South Africa this year. Post-Apartheid South Africa is an interesting place, with unique characteristics that you don't find in Europe or Asia or elsewhere. Not to mention, that next to Egypt, its about the only place on the African continent thats safe to go, and has touristy things to do. Thus, one of the fringe benefits of the World Cup will be to rekindle the warm relationship between the U.S. and South Africa - it wasn't too long ago that U.S. diplomacy helped that nation out of the mire of racism and sent them surging into modernity.

The Tragic Under-coverage of the Kyrgyzstan Crisis

2010-06-14T00:42:00.004-05:00

Southern Kyrgyzstan is burning, and there is barely a blip in the U.S. media about the crisis boiling over in the country. New violence has erupted in a fury, and I haven't even seen Obama say anything about it. Uzbeki people are being slaughtered, and more than 75,000 people have fled the town of Osh running for their lives. This violence had been the aftermath of a deadly coup organized by an opposition party - and the cause of tension is mainly ethnic. The Kyrgz majority and the Uzbek minority have always been less than good friends, and the overthrowing of President Bakiyev has not helped things. Perhaps the U.S. media think we don't care about an ethnic crisis on the other side of the planet, much in the same way they failed to cover Darfur and other tragedies. But in this case, we actually do have an important interest - an airbase. Manas air base is one of the main stops on the way to Afghanistan, and is hugely crucial to our operations there. If this conflict disrupts electricity to the base, or clean water, or even damages the local economy - it could have far reaching implications for the base, and could force the U.S. to close up shop and locate elsewhere at great cost to U.S. taxpayers. So, take an interest folks.

"People are desperate to escape the violence but without international assistance there's no way out, and every minute of delay is costing lives," said Andrea Berg, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, who left Osh on June 13, 2010.

The price we pay for ignoring events like this, is a further closeting of American news-watchers from the rest of the world. Already, the number of people who watch the news at all are far too few - lets not skimp on the details is all I am saying. We have four major 24-hour cable networks covering far more trivial items over and over all day long. Part of the reason nobody protests the lack of coverage, is that they fail to grasp the significance of the event they are missing. And the reason they fail grasp it, is the lack of coverage. Its a vicious circle if there ever was one and its tragic. Its tragic for our taxpayers, for our kids - who inevitably will learn less about the world beyond our borders, and tragic for the future of our government. Much of government is the proper handling of foreign affairs situations, and our elected leaders are responsible for those hard decisions. Unfortunately those folks are elected and held accountable by voters who don't even know how to spell Kyrgyzstan, much less have an educated opinion on what should be done. I blame the media. But, hell, you could also blame our education system which has chosen to barely cover Geography - if it even covers it at all.

Afghanistan: Vast Mineral Wealth

2010-06-13T20:33:00.006-05:00

This breaking news, reported first my the New York Times, revolutionizes the region. One of the poorest nations in the world just found its ticket to becoming a developed nation. A vastly improved Afghan economy is exactly what U.S. forces have been trying to accomplish for 9 years. Thats a task so hard, in a rocky, war plagued region, that it has been the longest war we have ever fought. With an improved economy, all the isolated parts of the country that have been so hard to control for so long, will become linked by paychecks, banks, loans, and other types of interdependence. In other words, with a better economy comes less ethnic tension and less divisiveness among regional separatists. This is a game changer. Not only does it offer a huge chance for industry in Afghanistan, but it gives the one most important missing thing to a destitute people: Hope.

(The photo above is of the Bamyan Valley, where the Taliban destroyed many priceless historical artifacts when they were in power. The story is interesting and heartbreaking. Perhaps, now, the glory days of Afghanistan will return.)

The Versatility of a Law Degree is a Myth

2010-06-02T21:50:00.005-05:00

I went to law school with only a vague interest in law, and a greater interest in government and higher education. For some misguided reason I was under the impression that a law degree was the perfect gateway for a career in public service - a versatile tool that would open a hundred doors.

In reality, it turned out to be quite the opposite. I am not the only person this has happened to. Recruitment folks and pre-law advisors often refer to a law degree as highly useful and applicable to non-legal fields such as business, government administration, politics, public relations, and so on. But that's quite a stretch. I realized this during my first year of law school when I noticed that Law School, while offering an intellectual challenge and new way of thinking about society, only offers skills and training to be a lawyer and not much else - go figure. Also, the economy has made it horrendously difficult to find employment in legal jobs, making things tough for us all. I would recommend hesitancy to anyone planning to go the law school route.

Israel and Gaza

2010-06-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

I guess you could count this as the news story of the day.

Some Elena Kagan Quotes

2010-05-09T20:02:00.000-05:00

And what my constitutional values are are wholly irrelevant to the job, and so neither you nor anyone else will know what they are.
Elena Kagan

I do not espouse the unitarian position. President Clinton's assertion of directive authority over administration, more than President Reagan's assertion of a general supervisory authority, raises serious constitutional questions.
Elena Kagan

I have no regrets. I don't believe in looking back," she says. "What I am proudest of? Working really hard... and achieving as much as I could.
Elena Kagan

I think that if there are positions that you can't argue ... then the responsibility is probably to resign. If one's own conscience is opposed to the requirements and responsibilities of the job, then it's time to leave the job.
Elena Kagan

I think the nine justices think the solicitor general is the 35th clerk.
Elena Kagan

If I am confirmed, I will commit to show Heller and the principles articulated in it the full measure of respect that is due to all constitution decisions of the court.
Elena Kagan

In fact, corporate and union moneys go overwhelmingly to incumbents, so limiting that money, as Congress did in the campaign finance law, may be the single most self-denying thing that Congress has ever done.
Elena Kagan

It was a very cool thing to be a smart girl, as opposed to some other, different kind," she says. "And I think that made a great deal of difference to me growing up and in my life afterward.
Elena Kagan

It's not that there are no masters, but that there are many. And the job of the solicitor general is to balance those masters and to accommodate them all, each in their proper places, wisely and well and in so doing to represent the people of the United States.
Elena Kagan

To have the opportunity to lead the Solicitor General's office is the honor of a lifetime. As you know, this is an office with a long and rich tradition, not only of extraordinary legal skill but also of extraordinary professionalism and integrity. That is due, in large measure, to the people who have led it.
Elena Kagan

What my political views or my constitutional views are just doesn't matter.
Elena Kagan

When the Senate ceases to engage nominees in meaningful discussion of legal issues, the confirmation process takes on an air of vacuity and farce, and the Senate becomes incapable of either properly evaluating nominees or appropriately educating the public.
Elena Kagan

Kagan and International Law

2010-05-09T19:52:00.002-05:00

So what are her views?

“They’re upholding all these reprehensible Bush antiterrorism policies that have been condemned by every human rights and civil liberties organization in the country,’’ said Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois. “There has been no retreat by Kagan. She could have backed off on all these Bush positions and she refused.’’

How long will the ash cloud problem continue?

2010-05-08T15:04:00.002-05:00

1. Ash is still a problem.

2. Cameron's First Foreign Policy Crisis

3. Imagine Studing for this Class!

4. Is there a gap in international law in regard to Pirates? Russia thinks so, and releases some pirates it captured.

Sanjay Gupta and the Role of Jouranlism

2010-01-20T18:27:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the short post, but this story is absolutely fascinating, and interesting.

SCOTUS: Citing Foreign Court Decisions

2010-01-14T15:52:00.004-06:00

The United States Association of Constitutional Law has posted a transcript of the recent debate held at American University College of Law which hosted Justice Scalia and Justice Breyer. In the debate each of the Justices outlined their approach toward international law, specifically the relevance of of the decisions of foreign courts in our domestic legal system. Here are some insightful quotes from the event:

Scalia: "...I do not use foreign law in the interpretation of the United States Constitution. Now, I will use it in the interpretation of a treaty.

Scalia: "...you know, you talk about it's nice to know that we're on the right track, that we have a same moral and legal framework as the rest of the world. But we don't have the same moral and legal framework as the rest of the world, and never have. If you told the framers of the Constitution that what we're after is to, you know, do something that will be just like Europe, they would have been appalled. And if you read the Federalist Papers, it's full of, you know, statements that make very clear they didn't have a whole lot of respect for many of the rules in European countries."

Scalia: "Why is it that foreign law would be relevant to what an American judge does when he interprets -- interprets, not writes -- I mean, the Founders used a lot of foreign law. If you read the Federalist Papers, it's full of discussions of the Swiss system, German system. It's full of that. It is very useful in devising a constitution. But why is it useful in interpreting one?
Now, my theory of what I do when I interpret the American Constitution is I try to understand what it meant, what was understood by the society to mean when it was adopted. And I don't think it changes since then. "

Breyer: "Well, it's relevant in the sense that you have a person who's a judge, who has similar training, who's trying to, let's say, apply a similar document, something like cruel and unusual or -- there are different words, but they come to roughly the same thing -- who has a society that's somewhat structured like ours."

Breyer: [talking about a specific case on which he sought out foreign legal decisions] "So here you're trying to get a picture how other people have dealt with it. And am I influenced by that? I am at least interested in reading it. And the fact that this has gone on all over the world and people have come to roughly similar conclusions, in my opinion, was the reason for thinking it at least is the kind of issue that maybe we ought to hear in our court, because I thought our people in this country are not that much different than people other places. "

Scalia: [Referring to the risks of citing foreign decisions] " I mean, it lends itself to manipulation. It lends itself. It invites manipulation. You know, I want to do this thing; I have to think of some reason for it. What reason -- you know, I want to come out this way. ...I have a decision by an intelligent man in Zimbabwe -- (laughter) -- or -- (laughs) -- or anywhere else and you put it in there and you give the citation. By God, it looks lawyerly! (Laughter.) And it lends itself to manipulation. It just does."

Breyer: "I've been reading about the Founding Fathers, and I think Franklin and Hamilton and Jefferson and Madison and maybe even George Washington all would have thought that we, on occasion at least, can learn something about our country and our law and our document from what happens elsewhere."

Breyer: "Do you think things outside the United States cannot be relevant to an understanding of how to apply the American Constitution? That's what's at issue. What is at issue is the extent to which you might learn from other places facts that would help you apply the Constitution of the United States. And in today's world, as I've said, where experiences are becoming more and more similar, I think that there is often -- not a lot, not always -- but in a finite number of instances there is something to learn about how to interpret this document..."

Is Google Serious?

2010-01-14T14:35:00.002-06:00

Today's reccomended reading: Google is Bluffing.

Also: They ran out of jet fuel in Haiti, so the FAA is suspending flights there.

Cancel Haiti's Debt Now

2010-01-13T18:36:00.002-06:00

Annie Lowrey over at Foreign Policy has a post up about the best possible way to help Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake. Cancel their debt. She quotes an article in the Times of London that explains in simple terms how Haiti's debt is crimping any advancement in the country, and how they became indebted in the first place. Its my recommended reading for the day.

New Year, More Free Time

2010-01-12T15:22:00.003-06:00

Now that the break has ended I am back to work, and with just a bit more free time. I have dropped some responsibilities, and the International Human Rights Clinic has ended. The next group took a trip to Panama, and when I hear back from them about it, I will post something about it here.

Which is the long way of saying, I can begin to update this periodically once again! Its my last semester at OU Law, and all of my classes will be comparatively easy. By comparatively, I mean only about twice as hard as undergrad classes as opposed to ten times as hard:-)

Anyway, continuing my theme of presenting my readers with links to unusually interesting news stories in the arena of international law, I present you with this little treasure. As far as I am concerned, its the most interesting thing I've read all year, albeit the year is young!

Next Semester

2009-09-06T00:31:00.002-05:00

Classes in International Law I have already Taken or am currently taking:

International Law Foundations

International Human Rights

Immigration and Refugee Law

International Human Rights Legal Clinic

International Criminal Law

Classes I will take next semester:

International Environmental Law

International Business Transactions

Oklahoma International Law Society

2009-08-30T15:17:00.002-05:00

I am very excited about OILS this year. We had 44 interested members this year at the 1L orientation, which means if most if them come to our first meeting it will be a packed house! I hope to make the organization one of the best organized and most recognized at the law school. Hosting guest speakers, forums, and traveling to conferences.

Perhaps for the first time OU will send a delegation to the annual Jessup Moot Court Competition. That would be a stellar accomplishment for kickstarting the semester.

The Death of a Customary International Law

2009-08-29T21:25:00.003-05:00

Roger Alford, over at Opinio Juris, has written an interesting blog post about customary international law. We know what creates such a law, at least pretty well:

1. The practice in question must be relatively uniform and consistent among the states.

2. States generally believe the practice is legally compelled. (Which is actually called Opinio Juris!)

3. Look to the history of various treaties and UN General Assembly resolutions.

But Alford raises the question of how we determine whether a customary intenational law is no longer a law? This is a pretty tricky question indeed. His first suggestion is that it could be superceded by a treaty. But have we ever seen this actually happen? Since when has something recognized as customary internationl law ever been superceded by a treaty? Alford recognizes that a customary international law may simply fall out of favor, but notes its exceedingly difficult to find any examples of such a development.

I would contend, actually, that it is the very nature of our international jurisprudence, that the body of customary international law can only grow, and almost never shrink.

Regardless of the Opinio Juris changing, or state practice changing on a wide scale…Shouldn’t the real question be whether it is even possible for something that has been previously recognized as customary international law to simply no longer exist as law? Wouldn’t that position mean that each time a Customary Internatinal Law is challenged in court that the court must totally re-analyze the conduct of states and the opinio juris instead of just being able to cite precedent? Wouldn’t that be hugely time consuming for courts?I kind of think the only way it could no longer be a Customary International Law, is through being superceded by a treaty provision.

Rhyme and Reason

2009-08-28T16:34:00.002-05:00

I have been looking a the shadow reports of various NGO's to the UN Human Rights Council, and studying up on the procedure. Its disappointing mostly. It looks like the average number of stakeholder shadow reports submitted for each country is around 9 or 10. Each report is limited to five pages. As if that limitation were not enough, they are all summarized by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights into a ten page document. In other words, our semesters worth of work might result in getting a paragraph's worth of input into the mid 2010 review of Guyana's human rights record.

I understand the need for this procedure. But I can't help but think it needs to be opened up a little. The summary of the reports should be longer. Maybe 20 or 30 pages instead of only 10. Or perhaps the summary's length should depend upon the number of shadow reports submitted in some type of ratio. But the current policy is almost loony.

Shadow Reports

2009-08-27T16:33:00.002-05:00

Just to get an idea of what we are doing in the International Human Rights Clinic, here are a few "Shadow Reports" that other groups have written. We will be working on one all semester for Guyana.

Amnesty International's review of Afghanistan.

The European Centre for Law and Justice's review of Yemen.

Human Rights Watch's review of Vietnam.

These reviews are very professionally done, they have a respectful tone, and they are well researched. Each report is limited to five pages, although an appendix of research materials is allowed.

Ted Kennedy and Foreign Policy

2009-08-26T19:44:00.002-05:00

He was certainly more well known for his work in domestic policy, but Edward M. Kennedy had a significant impact in foreign policy as well.

He ended up opposing the Vietnam War, which of course his own kin had started. In 1973 it was Kennedy who sponsored the resolution that dried up spending for the war. He also played a key role in the anti-apartheid movement in the United States, sponsoring the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, which placed significant sanctions on the South African government. Reagan vetoed the act, but Kennedy doubled-down and rallied public sentiment to his side and for the first time in the 20th Century a Presidential veto on foreign policy legislation was overturned by the legislature.

Kennedy was one of the most outspoken critics of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorial regime in Chile in 1986, and even brought strong words to the Chilean government on their own turf in a risky and stirring speech in Santiago - though he was protected by diplomatic security personnel, his motorcade was egged. Ever since the Chilean people took their country back they have lauded Kennedy as one of the key players in Chilean liberation.

When Ireland was fighting for independence during the 90's, Kennedy had the gall to wear a green tie each time Margaret Thatcher was in his presence. The Kennedy family is of course Irish-Catholic in heritage, and although Kennedy was a fierce critic of the tactics of the IRA, he supported the cause of Irish independence.

But finally, nobody can forget his moment of courage in a time when many legislators quickly became lapdogs for the hawkish Bush administration. Unlike many national figures such as Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John Edwards, Kennedy voted against the authorization to use force in Iraq. He was rightfully proud of his foresight, saying it was "the best vote I've cast in my 44 years in the United States Senate."

Thinking of the S.S. Lotus

2009-08-26T19:31:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned before, the Lotus case is a central starting point in each International Law class I have taken. I was thinking today about the difference between the positions of France and Turkey. Who has the burden in arguments of jurisdiction? Should the state claiming jurisdiction show the law that allows such jurisdictional reach, or should the opposing state be required to prove why the other DOESN'T have jurisdiction. Keep in mind, the vote was 6-6 in the Lotus case. Although the current thinking is that a state asserting jurisdiction has the burden - couldn't this view shift as international law becomes more established?

Guyana!

2009-08-25T21:25:00.002-05:00

Until Monday I had no idea where Guyana even was. Now I have to become an expert in a week. The South African nation will be the focus of the OU International Human Rights Clinic this year. Our task is to write a "shadow" report to the UN Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review that takes place for each UN member state every 4 years. Guyana is up in mid 2010, and our report will be used to challenge the government of Guyana on their human rights record regarding indigenous peoples.

No New Posts Until The Semester Begins

2009-08-04T15:59:00.001-05:00

I'm not keeping up with stuff until the Semester Starts, at that point I should have tons of fun things to say about International Criminal Law and International Human Rights.

Happy Birthday Obama

2009-08-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

Antigua just renamed a mountain after him.

Its Dejavu All Over Again

2009-07-25T11:06:00.004-05:00

I just got my casebook for International Criminal Law for the fall semester, and the first case is the S.S. Lotus case between France and Turkey in the Permanent Court of International Justice. The Lotus case has been discussed in every single International Law class I have had so far. I'm finally getting the idea that it must be pretty important.

Troubling Children of World Leaders

2009-07-24T16:52:00.003-05:00

Interesting article from Foreign Policy on the problem kids of powerful leaders.

Here is their first example:

SHEIKH ISSA BIN ZAYED AL-NAYHAN
Dad: The late former ruler of Abu Dhabi and former president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan
Age: Unknown
Bad behavior: Although he has no formal government position, Sheikh Issa, whose brother Khalifa is the current ruler of Abu Dhabi, is one of the emirate’s most prominent real estate developers. He was previously best known for building the Al Hakema tower, a massive complex in honor of his late father. But thanks to one night in the desert and an ill-advised videotape, Sheikh Issa’s name is now synonymous with sadism and abuse of power.
A video obtained by ABC News shows a group of men, including the sheikh, torturing an Afghan grain merchant who he accuses of cheating him. In the video, which was allegedly shot on his desert ranch at night, Issa fires an automatic weapon around the man, stuffs sand in his mouth, sodomizes him with an electric cattle prod, lights him on fire, and pours salt on his bleeding wounds.
The video was given to ABC by one of Issa’s former business associates, who is suing over various business deals. The man claims to have evidence of 25 other cases of torture by Issa. The UAE’s interior minister -- who happens to also be Issa’s brother -- acknowledged that the man on the tape was him. Issa has been put under house arrest pending investigation, which is extremely rare for a member of the royal family. It will take a lot more than a skyscraper to erase this stain from the family’s reputation.

Rankings of Blogs by Law Professors

2009-07-24T13:07:00.002-05:00

OpinioJuris has listed a ranking of blogs by Law Professors on the basis of "average visit length." Paul Caron at TaxProf has also done a ranking based on the overall number of site visitors. One of my professors, Michael Scaperlanda, has a blog called Mirror of Justice, which is ranked sixth in the length of visits, but ranked 26th in the number of visits and page views.

Obama To Sign Disabilities Treaty

2009-07-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

Today the President will be signing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, in the East Room of the White House. The treaty was open for signatures in 2007, and it entered into force on May 3rd 2008. There is an optional protocol to the treaty that the U.S. will not be signing onto, which allows individuals and groups to petition an international Committee if their rights under the treaty are not being protected (Similar to the CEDAW). In the image below parties are in dark green, signed but not ratified are in light green, and non members are in grey.

Sotomayor on International Law

2009-07-22T16:04:00.003-05:00

In April, Sonia Sotomayor made a speech to the Puerto Rican chapter of the ACLU, in which her focus was International Law. Here are her views:

I always find it strange when people ask me, “How do Americans’ courts use
foreign and international decisions — law in making their decisions?” And I
pause and say, “We don’t use foreign or international law. We consider the ideas
that are suggested by international and foreign law.” That’s a very different
concept, and it’s a concept that is misunderstood by many. And it’s what creates
the controversy that surround — in America, especially — that surrounds the
question of whether American judges should listen to foreign or international
law. And I always stop and say, “How can you ask a person to close their ears?”
Ideas have no boundaries. Ideas are what set our creative juices flowing. They
permit us to think, and to suggest to anyone that you can outlaw the use of
foreign or international law is a sentiment that’s based on a fundamental
misunderstanding. What you would be asking American judges to do is to close
their minds to good ideas — to some good ideas. There are some ideas we may
disagree with for any number of reasons, but ideas are ideas, and whatever their
source — whether they come from foreign law, or international law, or a trial
judge in Alabama, or a circuit court in California, or any other place — if the
idea has validity, if it persuades you — si te comprense — then you are going to
adopt its reasoning. If it doesn’t fit, then you won’t use it, and that’s really
the message that I want you to leave with here today. I’m going to try first to
understand the way that American law is structured against the use of foreign
and international law, because American analytical principles do not permit us
to use that law to decide our cases. But nothing in the American legal system
stops us from considering the ideas that that law can give us.

The Ten Commandments of U.S. Foreign Policy

2009-07-22T11:23:00.003-05:00

If you aspire to running for political office, or working as a U.S. Diplomat or anything of the sort, then Stephen Walt has a list of commandments for you to follow. Apparantly violating any of the them will bring you embarassment, ridicule, and possibly ruin your career.

Senator Inhofe - Joining Senate Foreign Relations Committee

2009-07-22T11:10:00.002-05:00

Conservative Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe has announced today that he will be filling the vacant seat on the SFRC that had been held open for Norm Coleman by the Republican Leadership. Now that COleman has officially lost his re-election bid in Minnisota to Democrat Al Franken, the seat had to be filled. His press release states:

"I look forward to doing all I can to support our allies and further democracy around the world, especially among the East Asian countries," Inhofe said in the release. "I will also put my personal knowledge of diplomatic efforts on the African continent, a very strategic continent to the future of the United States, to use in this new committee position."

Inhofe does have experience in foreign policy matters, having supported a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Taiwan. His selection is a bit od a surprise however, as most people associate Inhofe with his work on the Environment and Public Works Committee, where he is the ranking Republican member and the most prominent climate change skeptic in the legislature.

Boring Day - So Here is Some Filler

2009-07-21T15:40:00.009-05:00

Foreign Policy profiles the most powerful spies in the world.

IHT covers U.S. Involvement in Africa.

Europe is uniting in a chorus of pressure on Israel to stop settlements.

Obama still struggles to close Guantanamo.

Sec. Gates increases size of U.S. Military by 20,000

And finally, here are some outstanding old photos of the Apollo Era.

We Live in a Beautiful World

2009-07-20T12:01:00.010-05:00

The ICTY has convicted two Bosnian Serbs with the "burning alive" of 119 civilian muslims. Milan Lukic and Sredoje Lukic have been sentenced to Life in prison and 30 years in prison respectively.

...Milan Lukic was the ringleader in both incidents, helping herd
victims into the houses, setting the fires and shooting those who tried to flee
the flames. The judgment said his cousin Sredoje Lukic aided and abetted in one
of the blazes.
Witnesses "vividly remembered the terrible screams of the
people in the house," Robinson said, adding that Milan Lukic used the butt of
his rifle to herd people into the house, and said, "come on, let's get as many
people inside as possible." Milan Lukic shook his head but looked unmoved as Robinson pronounced sentence.
Sredoje Lukic leaned back in his chair, his face blank. Even Robinson, a veteran judge at the tribunal that has been
prosecuting Balkan war crimes for 15 years, sounded stunned by the Visegrad
atrocities.
"The perpetration by Milan Lukic and Sredoje Lukic of crimes in
this case is characterized by a callous and vicious disregard for human life,"
he said. "In the all-too-long, sad and wretched history of man's inhumanity
to man, the Pionirska street and Bikavac fires must rank high," the judge
added.

Adding Insult to Injury

2009-07-16T22:46:00.002-05:00

Mourners of Natalya Estimerova have been dispersed after only making it 200 yards in a peaceful funeral procession. They were told they needed a permit to march, regardless of the passivity of their actions.

This is Just Sad

2009-07-16T22:32:00.005-05:00

One of the top human rights advocates for Chechnya has been murdured.

From Human Rights Watch:

Natalia Estemirova, a top human rights activist in the troubled Russian
republic of Chechnya and a close colleague of Human Rights Watch, was abducted
near her home in Grozny on the morning of July 15, 2009, carried off in a car as
people on a nearby balcony heard her call for help. Her body was found later
that day in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia...In Chechnya, where decades
of armed conflict have made violence and abuse a daily reality, human rights
defenders like Estemirova are rare. She was known for her fearlessness in
exposing human rights violations and for demanding that perpetrators be held
accountable. At her urging, victims and witnesses of Chechnya's
brutalities broke their silence to denounce their abusers, some even testifying
in court cases brought by Memorial and others in an attempt to see the
perpetrators held to account.

The U.S. Should Ratify the Rome Statute

2009-07-16T13:52:00.003-05:00

July 17, 1998 was a milestone in the history of International Law. It was the day 120 states voted to adopt the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court. At the conference in Rome where the statute was created, only seven states voted against it and 21 abstained from voting. The United States was among the seven states that voted against adoption, joining the company of states such as Yemen, Iraq, China, and Lybia.

According to Article 126 of the statute, the statute would enter into force 60 days after the 60th state ratified the treaty and deposited their ratification with the Secretary General of the UN. On April 11th 2002 ten countries ratified at the same time, and the treaty went into effect three months later. Article 11 of the Rome Statute provided that the court only had jurisdiction over crimes committed after the statute entered into force.

Today 109 countries have ratified the treaty. At one point the Clinton Administration signed the treaty, a move which indicates a state’s intent to pursue ratification in good faith. The Bush Administration, represented by UN Ambassador John Bolton reneged on the signing and effectively “unsigned” the treaty, removing any U.S. obligation to pursue ratification. Congress has been fairly hostile to the ICC. The American Service-Members Protection Act, authored by U.S. Senator Jesse Helms passed in August 2002 only a few days after the Rome Statute went into effect. This legislation serves to “protect” American military from prosecution by the ICC. It also authorizes the President to use “all means necessary” to recover any military serviceman detained by the court. Perhaps most surprisingly, it also prohibits any U.S. Foreign Aid to countries that are parties to the Rome Statute, with a lengthy list of exceptions.

Why all the worry about the existence of an International Criminal Court? The court has jurisdiction over four areas of international Criminal Law, War Crimes, Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, and Aggression. The definitions of all four areas are still developing and the definition of Aggression is still so poorly developed that it has never been prosecuted by the court. The reach of its jurisdiction goes to individuals who are citizens of a state that has ratified the treaty, individuals who commit their alleged crime on the territory of a state party, and when a case is referred to the ICC by a demand of the UN Security Council. So, theoretically, if a U.S. Citizen, such as a member of the U.S. Military were accused of having committed a war crime in the territory of a member state, say Brazil, or Germany, they could be prosecuted by the ICC. During the debate in which the jurisdiction of the court was being defined, the United States ardently opposed Universal Jurisdiction, and they got their way.

My take:

Barack Obama might just take us full circle on the U.S. stance toward the ICC. He has indicated in the past that he is open to joining the ICC, but the chances are that the Senate still would not ratify. I have no delusion that the U.S. will really significantly change its position, especially anytime soon. But I take issue with the rationale, even if it is entrenched.

First: The ICC handles the biggest of crimes. We’re talking massacres of the largest scale. War Crimes, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity. What are we afraid of? Shouldn’t we be held accountable if anyone DID commit those crimes? Shouldn’t we have an interest in others being held accountable for the same crimes? Does American exceptionalism extend to such major crimes? Are our heads that big? If the concern is more about whether the U.S. would be a target of prosecution, then the worriers certainly have some merit to their argument. Many claims have been made against the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the ICC Prosecutor has said that one of the main reasons he hasn’t brought acted on those claims is that he believes the jurisdictional issue is too messy as neither Iraq nor the U.S. are parties to the treaty. We could very well be prosecuted if we later became a member state. But what would the result of the prosecution be? Wouldn’t it be a great place to finally make our case that the invasion was legal, and therefore rebuild some legitimacy for our actions? With the possible exception of the home invasions and killings in Haditha, there aren’t many sound claims that the U.S. has committed war crimes. And the U.S. already admits its failure in Haditha.

Second: We need a comprehensive body of law for these new crimes. The ICC provides a mechanism for creating and developing our definitions of the crimes that spawned from Nuremburg. The U.S. has sat idly by and watched as genocide took place in Darfur and Rwanda. The UN peacekeeping missions in the Bosnian Conflict were not a great success. The U.S. mission on Somalia was a disaster. The U.S. invasion of Iraq was a dismal failure. We have entered an age where nobody, not even the United States, can effectively play the world’s policeman. A court, however, might play a better and more legitimate role. Imagine how much more effective it would have been to simply try and convict Saddam Hussein for Crimes Against Humanity than it would have been to invade Iraq and quell an insurgency. We set up criminal tribunals for Yugoslavia, and for Rwanda, and they have worked. The whole idea of the ICC was so that we could avoid setting up ad-hoc tribunals all over the place and just have one place where they could all be tried. It’s elegantly simple, its cleaner and easier than war, and it appeals to our highest ideals as a civilized society.

Third: The U.S. can no longer assert its will around the world through the threat of force, and thus our influence is declining. We need to shift out of the “carrot and stick” foreign policy mentality, into something more akin to what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls “smart power.” If we play nice, and subject ourselves to the same rules, treaties, and obligations as the rest of the modern international community there will be less of a stigma attached to our international dealings. The vote on the Rome Statute was 120 to 7, and we were one of the seven. We also failed to join the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Guess who the only other state who failed to join was: Somalia. I for one am sick and tired of being in the company of states like Somalia.

Sotomayor

2009-07-15T16:37:00.002-05:00

I hope you all are watching the Sotomayor hearings. Some of the questions have had international law implications, including one about the relationship between protection of state sovereignty and the use of international law in domestic judicial opinions.

I am back in Norman, and catching up with some piled -up stuff at work. I will get my post on the ICC up when I can, but it probably won't be tonight.

Vacation and the ICC

2009-07-08T16:37:00.004-05:00

This blog will not be updated very regularly until next wednesday (July 15th). I am flying down to the Mexico border where my parents live now, and taking a mini-vacation to Schlitterbahn water park and South Padre.

In the mean time I am going to be working on a lengthy post about the International Criminal Court, and why I believe the United States should join. I have always found the concerns about joining the ICC to be overblown and overly cautious, and its time we rethought our position. The ICC is not just a way to prosecute war criminals, its also a mechanism by which international criminal law can become unified, clear, and managable. The benefits outweigh any risks.

I hope you are all having a great summer!

Aftermath of Honduran Coup - Zelaya Supporters Challenge the Coup

2009-07-07T14:31:00.006-05:00

Honduras and the OAS

2009-07-07T14:03:00.002-05:00

Last week a military coup kicked out the Honduran president Manuel Zelaya. Their motives for the coup involve the referendum supported by Zelaya that may have allowed him another term if it passed. The highest court in Honduras declared that referendum unconstitutional. The Organization of American States, acting on Article 21 of their charter, took a vote in response to the coup on whether to expell Honduras from its membership. Article 21 allows such an expulsion in cases where there is an "unconstitutional interruption of democratic order" and when "efforts to address the situation through diplomatic means have failed." The expulsion of Honduras is the first since Cuba's expulsion in 1962. As each American nation starts to re-evaluate their relations with Honduras, the United States has taken the position that Zelaya is still the rightful leader of Honduras, and has suspended military relations with the provisional government in Tegucigalpa. After meeting with Zelaya this morning, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that the President of Costa Rica will serve as a mediator between Zelaya and the interim president of Honduras.

So the real question is this: on what grounds could a coup be considered necessary if any? It seems to me that the argument of Zelaya's opponenets is that they were supporting the constitution of Honduras by preventing Zelaya from pursuing an illegal and unconstitutional referendum. But did they not violate the constitution in an evern more critical and flagrant sense when they deposed and exiled their own democratically elected president? The inherent hypocrisy of the interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti, who has been an ardent Zelaya opponent long before this coup is palpable.

Images from the International Space Station

2009-07-06T16:52:00.003-05:00

This and Much more from "The Big Picture"

Executive Agreements on Nuclear Reduction

2009-07-06T16:27:00.003-05:00

The Senate seems skeptical about any treaty to limit the U.S. Nuclear stockpile. In order to keep negotiations going to renew the START treaty, and to have a provisional agreement until the Senate approves any such treaty, the Obama Administration will likely be using executive agreements. From ABC news:

The 1991 START treaty's pending expiration means “we are under the gun
to try to get something to replace it by the end of the year,” Michael McFaul,
special assistant to the President and senior director for Russian and Eurasian
Affairs, told reporters last week.Both the US and Russia have agreed in
principle to reduce the number of nuclear weapon delivery vehicles from the
current level of 1,600 each, as was negotiated under START, and to reduce the
number of nuclear warheads each nation has in its arsenal from 2,200 each, as
agreed upon during the 2002 Moscow Treaty.

Sri Lanka = Afghanistan = Iraq

2009-07-06T14:55:00.003-05:00

Insurgencies are hard to beat. In Sri Lanka the government had to resort to highly brutal tactics, muzzling of the media, and scare tactics in order to beat their insurgent problems. And as Robert Kaplan suggests, they would not have been able to do it had the Chinese not had their back. The U.S. doesn't have the luxury of using those methods in Afghanistan or Iraq to beat those insurgencies. Its going to be a long hard slog, I believe.

Nuclear Arms Reduction, and Obama's trip to Russia

2009-07-05T13:05:00.005-05:00

When Barack Obama was a student at Columbia University he wrote an article in the campus newspaper entitled "Breaking the War Mentality." You can guess what the gist of the article was, blaming Reagan for the cold war arms buildup, and noting the importance of bringing that kind of brinksmanship to an end. Now as President, he has made it a goal to eventually have a world with as few nukes as possible. It seems his thoughts about nuclear reduction were stirring quite a bit back in his days at Columbia. When he took a Columbia class on international politics and foreign policy he wrote a paper on how an American president might negotiate with Russia to make a significant decrease in the number of nuclear arms:

“His focus was the nature of the strategic talks and what kind of
negotiating positions might be put forward,” Dr. Baron said. “It was not a
polemical paper — not arguing that the U.S. should have this or that position.
It was how to get from here to there and avoid misperception and conflict.“He
got an A,” recalled Dr. Baron, who now runs a digital media business."

People make the mistake of thinking that Obama is a naieve newcomer to thinking about tough isues like nuclear reduction, foreign policy, and high-stakes international negotiations, but the truth is that he has been rolling these ideas around in his head for a very long time, and was even postulating how a U.S. President would and should act. Today, Obama is in Moscow trying to put his thoughts into action.

The Presidential Trip to Ghana

2009-07-05T12:48:00.006-05:00

While President Obama plans to make his trip to Ghana next week to celebrate one of the most stable democratic governments on that continent and to give a major speech, it is helpful to look back at another president who made an important speech in Ghana. When Bill Clinton made his trip, he was knee deep in the Lewinsky scandal and probably glad to leave the beltway for a little while. His staff was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd, full of adulation for Clinton, which he remembers today as "around one million people." It was also a moment where he literally saved a woman's life:

And it took a threatening turn at the end, as a red-faced, shouting Clinton
implored the crowd, "Get back! Back off!" as it threatened to crush a woman near
the front of the stage."The crowd was so large that it began surging towards the
stage. Suddenly, a woman in the front of the crowd began to get trampled,"
recalled Sandy Berger, Clinton's national security adviser at the time. "Clinton
jumped up and put his arm down over the side and grabbed her. The Secret Service
thought he'd been shot and freaked out.""He saved her life," Berger said. "It
was a kind of tumultuous scene."

Next week Obama will give a speech of his own at the same location, where he will expound on his African foreign policy and aid policy goals. Presumably there will be better crowd control. But what makes Ghana so special? Not just its strong democratic roots, but also its place in the history of black people. Ghana started the "Pan African Movement" which led to democratic reform all accross Africa, and even started a revival of sorts for civil rights in America by proxy. The idea of the first black person to be the president of the United States to visit Africa has compelling symbolism, and could inspire young Africans.

Happy 233rd Birthday America

2009-07-04T19:10:00.002-05:00

Today, we celebrate living in a nation where freedom is not just an idea or an aspiration, but instead, it is a sacrosanct part of our culture. Foreign Policy Magazine has put together a photo slideshow of the top 21 countries that are the least free in the world. You cannot properly appreciate the greatness of freedom until you familiarize yourself with the polar opposite.

Happy 4th of July everyone. Have a safe holiday, watch a fireworks show, grab a beer, and soak in the great feeling of being an American.

Where Being Gay is Punishable by Death

2009-07-03T22:27:00.004-05:00

With the news that India has legalized gay sex, I thought some further research was warranted into the arena of GLBT law around the world. Five countries still have the death penalty for homosexuality, they are Mauritania, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iran. At the opposite end of the specturum South Africa, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Canada all allow gay marriage recognised by the state. Click here for a PDF illustration of gay rights globally. According to the ILGA, homosexualty or homosexual acts can get you imprisoned in 73 Countries.

International Ant Colony

2009-07-03T22:19:00.002-05:00

Yes you read that right, there is an ant colony that is so large, that it spans accross three continents. The Argentine ant, which of course is from Argentina, has been transported around the world on shipping containers, and has taken over large swaths of the global landscape. The species can be found everywhere but Antarctica. One colony in particular, has three huge tracts of land it covers. One stretches 3,700 miles along the Mediterranean Coastline, one is here in the United States covering 650 miles of the California, and the third is in on the west coast of Japan. The ants from each of the three colonies do not fight each other, and have the same genetic structure. When put together in a controlled environment, they rub antennae like they were "old friends."

Bush to Visit Woodward OK for Independence Day

2009-07-02T17:00:00.001-05:00

Just a heads up to all my politically involved friends from Oklahoma, you should read this AP story.

Indian Court Declares Gay Sex Legal

2009-07-02T16:20:00.003-05:00

Human Rights Watch is lauding a ruling today by a court in India, that will affect their laws all accross the country, in which gay sex has been declared legal. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was consequently partially rendered unconstitutional. Both Hindu and Muslim religious leaders in India oppose the ruling, but generally acknowldge that the court had the right to make the ruling.

Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, State Representative Sally Kern has made a ruckus on the issue of homosexuality lately with her proclaimation that blames economic trouble in the United States on a decline in morality, due to abortion, homosexuality, and pornography. My friend, Chuck Thornton, who is the legal director of the Oklahoma ACLU is in this CNN video, which explains the hilarious political sideshow.

Lexington Oklahoma

2009-07-02T16:18:00.002-05:00

Decidedly NOT international in nature, but if you have never driven highway 77 in Oklahoma, you are missing out.

Modern Day Harriet Tubman

2009-07-01T12:28:00.007-05:00

Put this on your reccomended reading list. Mike Kim helps North Koreans escape to China. He wrote an amazing book about it. Here is the review from Publisher's Weekly:

Kim chronicles his effort to lead North Korean refugees through the
6,000-mile underground railway through China in this exposé of the astonishing
day-to-day realities of famine, religious oppression, torture and sexual abuse
in the most secretive and impoverished member of the axis of evil. The author, a
former missionary, spent four years at the China–North Korea border building
shelters and orphanages, and his access to government officials, journalists,
aid workers and hundreds of North Korean refugees provide him a unique vantage
point from which to synthesize current research and policy on conditions in
North Korea with affecting real-life testimonials. His intrepid effort to help
four North Korean teenagers avoid arrest and repatriation on the journey from
northern China to the British consulate in Shanghai is riveting, as is his
insider knowledge of the perilous route refugees navigate across the borders of
China, Laos and Thailand. The author's compassion and astonishing ability to
penetrate the Hermit Kingdom and lift its shroud of secrecy do much to
ameliorate the book's chief flaws, the clunky prose and occasionally amateurish
conjecture and derivative political analysis.

International Criminal Court and Sudan

2009-07-01T11:12:00.003-05:00

Julian Ku has pointed out that the ICC's charge of Genocide against Sudan could end up weakening the court's public image. The ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo may have made a miscalculation in choosing to prosecute Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir with war crimes. Al-Bashir's supporters in Africa and abroad have rallied a pretty significant backlash to Ocampo. Rumors continue to fly that Ocampo has been padding his case with exaggerations, but it is important to note that many of the African leaders leading the charge against the ICC's prosecution are probably doing so out of their own self-interest. The more they discredit the ICC, the more they dissuade Ocampo from going after them next, for their own human rights abuses. Richard Dicker, at Human Rights Watch admits "Ocampo has made missteps that have played into the hands of the court's enemies," however he also states, "they fear accountability" themselves.

My own opinion is that its silly to think that the entire ICC could have egg on its face just because of a political backlash to a high-profile prosecution. Political backlash is expected, and its normal. If Ocampo withdraws his charges because he failed to make a good case then fine. Or if he loses his case and Al-Bashir wins, then fine. But if he withdraws the charges because of political pressure, then it truly is a sad day for the ICC and the world.

International Site Visitors

2009-07-01T11:01:00.002-05:00

Just so you have an idea of where people from around the world are logging onto the Global B(law)g: We have visitors from Jakarta, Indonesia; Norman, Oklahoma; San Francisco, California; Tehran, Iran; and Kuala Lampur, Malaysia! Thanks to my loyal readers, according to my site-meter, I have been getting multiple hits a day from readers in Norman Oklahoma, Commerce Georgia, and New York NY.

Michael Jackson, and Iran

2009-06-30T19:27:00.002-05:00

Did Michael Jackson's death help the Ayatollahs in Iran maintain their power? David Rothkopf defenitely thinks so. He believes that MJ's death provided the "perfect" distraction for folks trying to keep themselves in power in the face of the attempted revolution. Michael Jackson's coverage includes everything conservative idealogues in the Islamic republic love to hate. Western pop culture, drugs, crotch gabbing, and suggestive dancing. Although I disagree with Rothkopf, because I don't think a single media event can actually eclipse everyday hardships and political will, I think his perspective makes for a fun read.

Honduras Names New President

2009-06-28T16:29:00.003-05:00

The Congress of Honduras has chosen Roberto Micheletti as the interim President of Honduras, presumably until new elections can be held. Micheletti was the president of the Congress, and had spoken out against former President Zelaya, who was ousted in a military Coup yesterday.

Nothing Like A Good Old-Fashioned Military Coup

2009-06-28T15:36:00.004-05:00

Honduran president Manuel Zelaya has been kicked out by the army. He had been pursuing a constitutional referendum, that the highest court in Honduras had declared illegal. Zelaya avoided any major confrontation, simply left the presidential palace, and is now in exile in Costa Rica. Preceeding this ouster, factionalism within the country had reached a high-pitch, with Zelaya's opponents holding rallies protesting the referendum, which would have allowed for a partial re-write of the constitution. Zelaya's opponents were trying to convince the public that he was conspiring to eleminate term limits so that he could run again. Zelaya's supporters were also vocal, causing some clashes in the streets of Tegucigalpa. Today the city looks like a police state, with tanks in the streets, armed gaurds on street-corners, and locked gates in front of government buildings. Zelaya is a friend of Hugo Chavez, the current President of Venezuela, and has been a critic of the United States.

The most immediate questions are - how will the new leadership govern the nation, will they respect the Constituion, and will they preserve Democracy? Also, I have a friend who is currently in the Peace Corps, serving in Honduras. I hope this doesn't break into all-out violence.

Global Headlines

2009-06-27T22:57:00.002-05:00

The Michael Jackson thing got me on a kick of checking out newspaper headlines accross each continent, and I found a fabulous way to check them all in one place. One of the newest museums in Washington DC is dedicated to the journalism, and they call it the Newseum. THey have a totally amazing feature on their website where you can see all the headlines accross the planet in one place.

The Cause of Australian Crop Circles

2009-06-26T14:52:00.002-05:00

The Attorney General of Tasmania has announced their findings on the cause of mysterious crop circles in the region. Apparantly, many wallabies had been eating Opium poppy seed from poppy farms, and hopping around while they were "high as a kite." One of the region's primary exports is the poppy seed, which is used to make painkillers. The Attorney General's office was asked to investigate the vandalism after several fermers in the area found strange patterns of crushed grain, resembling crop circles.

You May Have Never Heard of Ira Rennert, but...

2009-06-25T20:53:00.010-05:00

Ira Rennert is a mega-rich New York business investor, who has made his fortune by buying major industrial companies that are in bankruptcy, and bringing them back to life with new investment. In La Oroya, Peru, he owns a metal smelting plant that has caused significant lead pollution in the small village that has been listed as one of the top 10 most polluted areas in the world since 2007. Ninety-Seven Percent of the children in La Oroya have toxic lead levels in their blood. But its not so easy for the Peruvian Government to just shut the place down, as it employs 3,000 people at a time that jobs in Peru are hard to come by. Right now the company that owns the plant is practically holding the town hostage, threatening to close up shop, if they don't recieve an extention on the pending cleanup demand from the government.

It seems to me, that it is precicely these kinds of environmental catastrophes that should attract international litigation. If an industrial plant is causing lead levels of such significance, that's not just an issue for Peru, but also for its neighboring states. It also causes diplomatic problems, as outraged Peruvians are not just going to place blame on Mr. Rennert, but they are also likely to have a sense of disrespect for the United States - which is the home of many of the companies that outsource their basic industry and manufacturing to Peru.

A game of contrasts:

Rennert's $185 Million Dollar Mansion (click photo for larger version) in New York, the second largest home in the USA, occupies 63 Acres, has 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms (Left), and La Oroya, Peru, one of the top ten polluted places in the world (Right).

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford

2009-06-24T23:02:00.002-05:00

I have to say this because I simply cannot resist. Mark Sanford brings new meaning to the term "International Affairs" doesn't he? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Will the Convention on the Rights of the Child pass the Senate?

2009-06-24T19:13:00.006-05:00

Opinio Juris has a great post up today by Julian Ku, about Harold Koh's pending confirmation before the Senate as the Legal Advisor to the U.S. State Department, noting that his first major task involves getting the Convention on the Rights of the Child past the same Senate that waited three whole months to confirm his appointment. The treaty was ratified by every UN member except the United States and Somalia (great company huh?) and UN Ambassador Susan Rice and President Obama have made its approval somewhat of a priority. The treaty demands that each party state must provide healthcare, protection from abuse, and basic education to all children. The most common objections to the treaty in the U.S. involve some folks who believe the treaty infringes upon parental rights to raise their children in their own way.

What I Post

2009-06-24T18:47:00.003-05:00

I have recieved a couple questions about why I am not posting more about Iran lately. I think there are many great sources on Iran that are better than my blog. I post randomness that catches my interest, and I try to post things that you would not otherwise hear much about. I go out of my way to try and find the obscure stories that you don't see on the TV.

I Told You So

2009-06-24T15:30:00.002-05:00

On June 15th, I told my loyal readers that Russia's Veto of continuing the UN Monitoring effort on the Georgia-Abkhazia border would cause lives to be lost. On Monday, an important think tank released a report that agrees with me. The International Crisis Group believes the withdraw of impartial monitors and peacekeepers is likely to re-aggrivate tensions in the region and could lead to "full-blown hostilities." The conflict over whether the region of Abkhazia is a sovereign territory or whether it is rightfully controlled by Georgia is delicate at this point. As I promised before, as soon as this conflict erupts, and it WILL, I will let you know about it here. The ICG's full 20 page report (PDF) is found at this link.

Don't Forget Iraq

2009-06-24T15:10:00.003-05:00

With all the drama today having to do with Iran, and oddly Argentina, don't forget we still have a war on our hands in Iraq. Today a bomb at a marketplace in Baghdad killed 61 people. It's the third most deadly attack this year. Also, there are indicatons that the bombers are getting smarter, striking markets at peak shopping times. It has been six years folks. Have we won yet?

Failed States Index

2009-06-23T13:48:00.004-05:00

Foreign Policy has published their annual Failed States Index for 2009 today, and it makes for fascinating reading. It predicts future hotspots (and has done so in the past with dead-on accuracy I might add) and it analyzes current trends among the nations of the world in terms of success and failure, stability, economy, and conflict. My favorite part, of course, is the slideshow. If you want a crash course in some of the most disease ridden, violent, and starving nations on the planet, let this be your starting point. It will give you some sympathy for our distant neighbors, and make you more proud of the stable society we live in as comparatively priveliged Americans.

Senator McCain versus Joe Klein

2009-06-23T13:42:00.002-05:00

On the topic of Obama being forceful with Iran (link to video).

McCain:

"Sen. Daniel Webster, when the Greeks rose up against the Turks in 1823, I would
love to give you the full quote, but he said it is our duty to stand up for
people who are struggling for freedom," McCain said. "That is what America is."

Klein:

"Be quiet... you don't need to do this. You know? You know what you're
doing is a self-indulgent at this point. Sen. McCain, if he's going to talk
about this, should also talk about the fact that the United States supported
Saddam Hussein in the Iran/Iraq war for eight years. Every one of those
protesters out in the streets, every last one of them believes the United States
supplied Saddam Hussein with the poison gas that has debilitated tens of
thousands of Iranian men."

MySpace Cuts International Staff

2009-06-23T13:35:00.004-05:00

The decreasingly popular social networking site, MySpace, is cutting up to two thirds of its international staff and closing four international offices. The move is further evidence that the company is struggling to hold onto its regular visitors in steep competition with the increasingly popular Facebook. More than 300 people will lose their jobs.

Uruguay Making Up for Past Transgressions

2009-06-22T15:02:00.003-05:00

Its always good to see a country own up to its mistakes. Just a couple days ago the United States Senate formally apologized for slavery. And for the past three years Uruguay has been paying former political prisoners compensation for their torture between 1973 and 1985. The total comes to around 42 Million Dollars so far, and have been divided among about 3,200 individuals. According to Amnesty International, the nation had more political prisoners in 1976 than any other nation, "with about one prisoner for every 415 citizens." According to the article, "The law setting up the monthly stipend was approved in October 2006. Amounts range from $713.16 (16,524 pesos) a month to $922.92 (21,384 pesos), depending on which of three categories the person falls under."

The Burqua, and France

2009-06-22T14:54:00.003-05:00

The Burqua is a long pice of clothing that covers the entire body of some devoutly Islamic women. France is looking at possibly banning the Burqua as a sign of subjugation and "enslavement." What are your thoughts? Is France acting in the best interests of its people, or is this infringing on freedom of religion?

Career Options

2009-06-21T22:25:00.002-05:00

In less than a year I will be graduating with a Law Degree, with emphasis in International Law and International Human Rights. The preliminary phase of a job hunt has begun, and I have been compiling a list of international organizations and government agencies with International Affairs offices. Right now my list includes everything from things you've heard of like the World Bank, and the UN, to the more obscure ones like Institute of International Education and Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

At some point I will have this list narrowed down to ones that are likely to have entry-level jobs available and have a location I am willing to move to. But I havn't ruled out a government job either, in fact I might even prefer it if its interesting and offers opportunity for advancement. Some options once again include the obscure such as the Office of Refugee Resettlement, with HHS, and the more prominent such as the Office of the US Trade Representative.

My application to the U.S. Foreign Service is a longshot...so its good to have options!

The New Museum in Athens

2009-06-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

I really, really wanna visit this place. The new Acropolis Museum, which cost Greece $200,000,000 to build is going to rapidly become one of the must-see places in Europe. This article also discusses the interesting diplomatic maunverings of Greece to get back the "Elgin marbles" which adorned the Parthenon, and are now housed in Britain. Britain claims it is "in a better position" to care for the historic artifacts, but now that Athens has this world class museum their argument might start to look more thin.

On That North Korean Missile

2009-06-19T15:35:00.007-05:00

The full force of the U.S. Military is now visible off the coast of Hawaii, as North Korea has threatened to fire a ballistic missile in the direction of the island state. Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, the lone holdover from the Bush Presidency who has been lauded by both sides of the aisle for revitalizing the Defense Department, has ordered several interesting items to the area.

First, you cant shoot down a missile unless you see it, and so one of the most sophisticated, and largest mobile radars has been towed to the region.

These photos are of the mobile X-band radar platform, and its special made carrier vessel the MV Blue Marlin. A one-of-a-kind system that only the United States has. It is a fascinating piece of equipment; read more about it here (PDF). Missile defense systems are also now in place. North Korea has indicated that the "test" may take place on July 4th. A not so subtle jab?

A Victory for Indigenous Peruvians

2009-06-19T15:16:00.003-05:00

President Alan Garcia, of Peru incited a massive protest after declaring loarge swaths of land open to logging, drilling and development - a slap in the face to local inhabitants. The new development would have intruded on the homeland of the indigenous Ashaninka and Machiguenga lands. Peruvian citizens and indigenous peoples, blockaded trucks and equipment being sent to the sites, resulting in some scattered conflicts accross the nation, some of which had turned quite violent. In Bagua Province, 24 Police and 10 civilians died. When Garcia refused to back down, the Congress acted and yesterday they recinded the two of the development decrees, bringing an end to what may have become a mini-civil-war.

A Culture of Rape

2009-06-19T15:08:00.003-05:00

A new study (PDF) has been released that shows that more than 25% of South African men admit to committing the crime of rape at least once in their lives. With 5% admitting to committing the crime within the past year. 46.3% of those who admitted it, said they had done it more than once. And 73% of those who admitted it, said they committed their first sexual assault before the age of 20.

Meet The Press

2009-06-19T12:14:00.003-05:00

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, will be on Meet the Press this Sunday. Will David Gregory challenge him on settlements? Here is the question I want asked:

Mr. Prime Minister, you stated in your recent speech that you would be willing to pursue a two state solution, including talks without preconditions, so long as any future Palestinian state has no military. So Mr. Prime Minister, can you tell me how that isn't a precondition!?!?

U.S.A. Still on Top, Will it Remain So?

2009-06-18T16:09:00.008-05:00

The United States projected is to have the youngest population of any major power in 2030. Stephen Walt thinks this is good for our long term strength as a nation. If you followed my advice from several months ago and read Fareed Zakaria's "The Post American World" you know that he believes we are heading into a world of multipolarity. Stephen Walt thinks this prediction is premature. He notes:

According to the World Bank, US GDP was $13.9 trillion in 2007, compared with
$4.3 bn. for Japan, $3.3 bn. for Germany, $3.2 bn. for China, and $2.8 bn. for
Great Britain. In 2007, therefore, the US economy was bigger than next four
powers combined. It’s true that the U.S. economy took a big hit in 2008,
but so did everyone else, including China.

Walt goes on to say that our military is still not even close to being rivaled by any other, because the U.S. still spends more on national security than any other nation combined. And he argues that our economic supremacy will remain strong because only the U.S. population is showing a significant pattern of growth in its population (Which Zakaria touched on in his book too). In fact he says, "The United States will have the youngest population of any major power by 2030." He concludes with this statement:

If you project out to where these various economies are going to be in 2030,
U.S. prospects look good and the chances for true multipolarity seem remote. My
Harvard colleague Richard N. Cooper projects that by 2030 the US share of world
economy will decline only slightly--from 28 percent today to 26 percent -- while
China will rise from 5 percent today to roughly 14 percent...So we aren't going
to see a true multipolar world anytime soon. We might see a bipolar world in 20
or 30 years, but it will still be a fairly lopsided bipolarity with the United
States still leading China by a wide margin. Moreover, the United States
will continue to enjoy a highly favorable geopolitical position. It is the only
major power in the Western hemisphere, while the other major powers share the
Eurasian landmass.

I highly suggest you read his whole article on his blog today. Its good in this time of seeming discord in world affairs to see a thourough defense of the U.S. position on a global scale in the future. We cannot confuse optimism with idealism. This guy has some real support behind his claims that the U.S. will not be just another nation anytime soon. If you don't trust his credentials, check out his Bio.

Its Just an Afternoon of Strange News

2009-06-18T14:01:00.007-05:00

Check this out, from the Daily Oklahoman.
Also, PETA is pretty petty: They wish Obama didn't kill that fly.
And a Canadian Gorilla pulls a knife.
And the Mexican Navy finds drugs in frozen sharks.

Hillary Clinton's Brain Trust

2009-06-17T14:04:00.003-05:00

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in this dining room. Last night, Secretary of State Clinton had dinner at the Washington D.C. Home of Madeline Albright. Albright has hosted many important and historical events at her home, including the first meeting between Presidential Democratic Nominee John Kerry, and N.C. Senator John Edwards when Edwards was informed he was chosen as the VP Nominee.

At the dinner on tuesday, a perhaps equally historical meeting occurred, as Clinton dined with all her living predecessors except for one. The guest list: Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, James Baker, Lawrence Eagleburger, Warren Christopher, Colin Powell, and Condi Rice. Alexander Haig could not attend.

Honesty Cafe

2009-06-17T13:31:00.002-05:00

Imagine walking into a store or a coffee shop without a cashier, just a box on the counter where you put your money, and take your change. Too good to be true? Invitation for theft? In Indonesia, these places actually exist. It's part of a government -led anticorruption project that teaches people to be honest. Right now these outlets exist in schools and government office complexes and total to about 7,500 in number, but there are plans on expanding the program to 10,000 such facilities, even in private institutions - which means - it's actually working! Only 5% of the facilities have had problems with dishonest behavior.

Security Council Reform Proposals

2009-06-16T15:51:00.006-05:00

Here is a short list of proposals I have found for Security Council Reform. Another good resource is the Center for UN Reform, which has a PDF list of each member nation's position on Security Council Reform. Here are a few proposals I find interesting:

1. Kofi Annan (Former Secretary General of the UN): Has two proposals. Plan A calls for creating six new permanent members, plus three new nonpermanent members for a total of 24 seats in the council. Plan B calls for creating eight new seats in a new class of members, who would serve for four years, subject to renewal, plus one nonpermanent seat, also for a total of 24.
2. The G4 Movement: Add Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, as well as two African nations as permanent members of the Security Council. Japan and Germany are huge funders of the UN and also have large economies. India is a rapidly rising economy and a healthy democracy. Brazil is the most stable nation in South America, and has a large economy.
3. Uniting for Concensus Movement: Also known as the Coffee Club, this group of nations led by Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Argentina, and Pakistan, has a primary goal of opposing the G4 plan. Which basically means it is not a plan at all. Pakistan doesn't want India to get a seat, Japan opposes China, and so forth.
4. African Union Proposal: Increase Security Council from 15 to 26. Two permanent seats for African states, two for Asian states, One for Latin America, and one for Western European states. Also 5 non-permanent seats for Africa, two for Asian states, one for Eastern Europe, one for Latin American states.

Here is a great list that catalogues various proposals from other groups.

Two UN Related Items

2009-06-16T15:30:00.004-05:00

The UN has calculated that the number of displaced people, globally, has hit a record high. About 28 Million people in the world have been driven by force or fear from their homelands. The full UN report can be found here.

Also I have to share this quote from Bill Easterly about why the UN gets such an undeserved bad rep:

"(1) a terrible international problem appears, (2) the Great Powers do not want
to commit any real capital to reach a solution, or they cannot agree on a
solution, or they simply don’t know the solution, (3) but the Great Powers must
appear to act anyway, (4) so they put the UN in charge of the unsolvable
problem, and then (5) blame the UN when the problem remains unsolved."

If you read his whole article, he notes how this pattern is not just applying to the UN anymore, but also to the IMF.

Mexican Immigration (the other kind)

2009-06-16T14:11:00.004-05:00

We focus so much on Mexico's northern border with the U.S. that the issues with Mexico's southern border with Central America often gets lost in the news shuffle. While Mexicans try to illegally cross into the USA, Central Americans equally love to find ways into Mexico. Mexico's National Human Rights Commission has noted that these illegal immgrants are subject to a wide array of exploitation, in fact 9,758 of them have been recorded as kidnapped in the past half-year by Mexican drug gangs - possibly with the help of corrupt Mexican Government officials. These migrants are then held hostage for ransom money - a ploy that has raked in more than $25,000,000 over the past six months. Keep in mind, the survey of the commission likely represents only a fraction of the real number.

SOLIDARITY

2009-06-16T13:07:00.002-05:00

There has been a trend among websites covering the Iranian Protests. They have been going green in support of the young people and students who have risked their lives and health to protest the likely rigged election. So far I have noticed the Daily Dish (which started the trend), Instapundit, and now the big fish: the BBC!

Reality Check About Mousavi

2009-06-16T01:10:00.002-05:00

Mir Hossein Moussavi has been at the center of the opposition in the aftermath of the Iranian elections, and a huge protest has broken out in his favor as we all know. But CNN has a great story up tonight about whether he would really be "Change we can believe in." Here are the basic bullet points you need to know:

In the 1980's he was known as a hard liner, and dubbed a radical by the international press.
He defended the taking of hostages in 1979.
He does not believe Israel should exist.
He was part of a government that executed opposition.
Supported the death of author Salman Rushdie for his book "The Satanic Verses".

But he has some positives:

He is an artist, and art benefactor.
Has condemned the killing of Jews, and acknowledges the Holocaust happened.
Supports women's rights, in moderation.

Highly Annoyed at Marc Lynch and Foreignpolicy.com

2009-06-16T00:43:00.002-05:00

Marc Lynch is a great commentator on Middle Eastern affairs over at foreignpolicy.com and I love to read his blog. Unfortunately, one of the biggest events in recent history is taking place in the region, and Marc Lynch is not even updating his blog! He left a cryptic notice saying he was "on the road" and cannot post for a while. This is unacceptable, Marc, get off your rear and tell me stuff about Iran right now! I subscribe to the magazine, I use the website daily, and I did not invest this trust in your website only to be abandoned in this time of need.

We Need Security Council Reform

2009-06-15T23:17:00.006-05:00

A resolution to keep U.N. Peacekeepers in Georgia for the purpose of monitoring its border with Abkhazia has been vetoed by Russia. The United States and every other Security Council nation acknowledges that Georgia has sovereignty over the Abkhasian region as well as its neighboring South Ossetia. But as Russia made abundantly clear last year with its invasion of Georgia it disapproves of such sovereignty. The net effect of Russia's veto is that families in the region will live in an unsafe militarized zone without any international force to protect them. And Russia can get away with its unilateralism and give the finger to the world because they were a "winner" in a war fought 65 years ago and got arbitrary veto power. It is unfair, and people will die because of it. And as soon as they do, you will see news of it here.

What is my proposal for Security Council reform? Get consent from each member nation to enlarge the permanent membership from the five current nations to at least ten, and get rid of the veto altogether. The problem with my plan? Russia will probably veto it;-) Stay tuned tomorrow, I will make a post analyzing some serious proposals for Security Council reform by people who's opinions actually matter. The 5 key measures I am looking for are:
1. Proposal is actually feasible, could actually be approved.
2. Proposal includes Germany, Japan, and other major nations in the Security Council.
3. Proposal changes or repeals the possibility of a veto by any one nation.
4. Proposal increases overall size and diversity of the Security Council.
5. Proposal Gives some more power to the General Assembly (But not too much).