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Dictatorship, foreign news coverage, France, France, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Qatar, Qatar, Rule of Law, Saudi Arabia, targeted assassinations, Totalitarian regimes, UAE, united arab emirates December 2, 2021

French President Macron breaks ranks, meets with MBS in Saudi Arabia

French President Emmanuel Macron is breaking ranks with Western leaders, including President Joe Biden, and planning to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) on December 4, on a trip to the Gulf countries of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
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Whatever France’s interests may be in dealing with Saudi Arabia, Macron is sacrificing any claim France might have to be a leader in the struggle for human rights and the rule of law, including international law, by meeting with the Crown Prince–who is widely known to be Kashoggi’s assassin.

The great threat to France and the West is that MBS may become the next King of Saudi Arabia, perpetuating an authoritarian system of government characterized by gross violations of human rights, the oppression of women, and a total absence of due process of law.

Instead of meeting with MBS, Macron and France, the U.S., and other democratic countries should be shunning MBS and doing everything they can to prevent him from becoming king.

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Africa, authoritarian regimes, Bahrain, China, coronavirus, Dictatorship, Donald Trump, elections, Extradition, extrajudicial execution, Fascism, History, human rights, International Law, Middle East, Non extradition-treaty country, Political assassination, presidential pardon power, Qatar, Qatar, religious belief, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, The Bahamas, Trump and Putin, U.S. Constitution, UAE, Vladimir Putin

Where can Trump go to escape the law? Israeli settlements in the West Bank?

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authoritarian regimes, China, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, Donald Trump, Egypt, Egypt, Ethiopia, foreign correspondents, Germany, History, International Law, North Korea, nuclear war, Qatar, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, Soviet Union, Spain, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, UAE, Ukraine, united arab emirates, United Nations, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes August 11, 2019

Foreign policy without International Law

Since the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the foundational writings of Hugo Grotius, nations have paid attention to international law in…

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Crimea, Czechoslovakia, Deutschland, Donald Trump, Germany, History, International Law, Qatar, Qatar, Rule of Law, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, Soviet Union, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, united arab emirates, United Nations, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 21, 2018

50 Years Ago: The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and its enduring significance

See “August 20, 1968 — “Dubček, Svoboda!” The Trenchant Observer, August 10, 2010. 50 years ago, the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies invaded…

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Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Deutschland, Egypt, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Nuclear Proliferation, nuclear war, Qatar, religious belief, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, united arab emirates, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes March 27, 2015

U.S. strategy and leadership needed: The Middle East and other countries hurtle into the Vortex

On some days, the news is so disturbing that you want to take a broader view of what is going on in a region, or…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 5, 2014

Barack Obama’s phantasmagoric world, where the choice of words defines reality

phantasmagoria /ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːrɪə/, phantasmagory /fænˈtæzməɡərɪ/ n 1. a shifting medley of real or imagined figures, as in a dream 2. a sequence of pictures made to…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, war crimes September 15, 2013

Obama, Putin and Syria: Commentary

Roger Cohen, “An Anchorless World,” New York Times, September 12, 2013. Laure Mandevill, “Syrie : Obama sort de la crise affaibli face à Poutine,” Le…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, coverage of foreign events, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Dictatorship, foreign news coverage, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes September 7, 2013

Commentary on Syria and the response of the West

Latest News Reports and Commentary Aus Deutschland (1) Stefan Kornelius (Kommentar), Obama spürt die Kraft der zwei Mahlsteine, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 7. September 2013 (9:34 Uhr)….

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Barack Obama, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, France, genocide, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, war crimes September 6, 2013

Moral cowardice in Europe and elsewhere: Bad-faith arguments on Syria by Germany and other countries lacking the courage to act

(Developing article) Following are the statements and ways German and other European and world leaders use to disguise the moral cowardice of nations that give…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, genocide, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes September 4, 2013

Obama’s failure to justify military action against Syria under international law, and its pernicious impact

President Barack Obama has so far failed to offer a well-developed justification under international law for taking military action against Syria. While not a “slam…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, History, International Law, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 29, 2013

Next Steps: Obama, like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, must now take steps to deal with the Syrian crisis—ALL OF IT

The publication by the U.K. on August 29 of a summary of its legal justification for taking military action against Syria is a most welcome…

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Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, France, genocide, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 26, 2013

Fine intellectual distinctions involving the use of force are likely to fail in Syria

Developing story News reports suggest President Obama is tailoring military action against Syria to achieve the goal of deterring Bashar al-Assad from ever using chemical…