vision of peace

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Afghanistan, Biden Administration, CIA, collective self-defense, Department of State, international humanitarian law, International Law, Joe Biden, Justice Department, Middle East, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted killings, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, use of force, vision of peace, Yemen August 28, 2021

The U.S. “playbook” for drones and self-defense under international law

See, Charlie Savage, “Afghanistan Collapse and Strikes in Somalia Raise Snags for Drone Warfare Rules; But the Biden administration is close to finishing a new…

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"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Nobel Peace Prize, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, syria, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, vision of peace, war crimes

REPRISE: “A time to break silence”: Dr. King on the Vietnam war, and President Carter on America’s human rights violations

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China, Crimea, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, History, International Law, Russia, sanctions, Soviet Union, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin February 26, 2017

REPRISE: Russia’s utter and continuing violation of international law in the Ukraine: U.N. General Assembly Resolution A/RES/25/2625 (1970) on Principles of International Law and Friendly Relations Among States

In 1970, at the height of the Cold War and only two years after the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw…

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Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, Donald Trump, European Union, foreign news coverage, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin February 15, 2017

Leading U.S. newspapers miss story: White House press secretary says Russia must return the Crimea (Updated February 16, 2017)

Updated February 17, 2017 Leading U.S. Newspapers Miss the Biggest Story on the Ukraine in More than a Year There is a lot going on…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, Donald Trump, European Union, History, human rights, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, NATO, Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, Soviet Union, State Department, syria, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Torture Convention, Ukraine, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin, war crimes November 14, 2016

President-elect Trump, foreign policy, and the defense of core American values

Developing Given Donald Trump’s inexperience in foreign policy, he may not understand or appreciate certain fundamental principles and realities that are essential for the maintenance…

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"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, European Union, foreign news coverage, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Iran, NATO, Russia, sanctions, syria, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin, war crimes October 12, 2016

Personal Takes: Russian war crimes in Syria, appeasement, and disgust

Developing PERSONAL TAKES Once in a while, The Observer reflects on his own personal involvement in world events. Today’s news triggered such a reflection. The…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, France, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, NATO, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Nuclear Proliferation, nuclear war, OSCE, Oslo, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin, war crimes November 11, 2015

REPRISE: Veterans’ Day, 2011: “Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?”

First published, November 11, 2011 My uncle died in a field in northern France with a German bullet in his head. To him, and all…