Jr. – The Trenchant Observer

authoritarian regimes, Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, human rights, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Law, Philippines, Rule of Law September 15, 2021

International Criminal Court opens inquiry into Duterte’s anti-drug assassination campaign

Draft See, 1) Ted Regencia, “ICC to open full investigation into Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ The Hague-based court says ‘specific legal element of the crime…

authoritarian regimes, coronavirus, demonstrations, Donald Trump, elections, House Democrats, Impeachment, Rule of Law June 7, 2020

The failure of the Democrats, and the crowd in the streets

At the end of the day, if Trump is reelected, all of the crowd’s outrage and eloquent words will have no lasting impact. A reelected…

"that spark of the divine", CIA, elections, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, South Africa, U.N. Charter, U.S. Constitution, United States, use of force, vision of peace January 18, 2016

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is Martin Luther King day in the United States, a national holiday. It is a good moment to remember the man, his message, and…

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Crimes Against Humanity, History, human rights, International Law, kosovo, Serbia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, war crimes May 9, 2013

Nibia Zabalzagaray and the long arc of justice

UPDATE – January 5, 2015 (1) “EL OFICIAL CUMPLÍA UNA PENA DE 28 AÑOS POR EL CASO SABALSAGARAY: Falleció el general retirado Miguel Dalmao; El…

Barack Obama, freedom of speech, human rights, International Law, State Department, syria, Tunisia, U.N. Charter, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Military, Yemen September 29, 2012

Words and Deeds: President Obama delivers eloquent defense of free speech and democracy at U.N. General Assembly (with text and video links)

On September 25, U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the United Nations General Assembly, delivering a nuanced and eloquent defense of the right to freedom of…

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Egypt, History, human rights, International Law, Libya, Mitt Romney, religious belief, State Department, Taliban, Tunisia, U.N. Charter, Yemen September 14, 2012

By publicly naming person behind anti-Muslim film, federal officials commit appalling abuse of power

On dit quelquefois: “Le sens commun est fort rare.” People sometimes say: “Common sense is quite rare.” –Voltaire, “Common Sense” (1765) U.S. federal officials have…

Barack Obama, Brazil, China, Crimes Against Humanity, dubai, Egypt, France, Germany, human rights, India, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Mossad, NATO, Nelson Mandela, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Togo, Torture, Tunisia, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes July 27, 2012

South Africa strays from Mandela’s vision, abstaining in Security Council vote on Syria— Update #69 (July 27)

The following article is divided into five sections or parts. Due to its length, the reader may wish to read one or more different sections…

"that spark of the divine", Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Nobel Lecture, religious belief, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Military, United States May 15, 2011

REPRISE: Consorting with the Devil? The Debate over the Efficacy of Torture

Given the renewed debate in the U.S over the efficacy of torture in the wake of Bin Laden’s death, the article republished below, written on…

"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Justice Department, Libya, Pakistan, Pakistan military, religious belief, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.S. Military May 7, 2011

Bin Laden and the Debate Over Torture–Revived

Some former U.S. officials responsible for torture under the Bush administration have claimed that the trail to Bin Laden was uncovered by the use of…

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, human rights, Justice Department, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, United States February 20, 2010

The Clock is Ticking: U.S. Application of the Torture Convention

The U.S. Justice Department issued a report on February 19, 2010 finding that the lawyers who drafted “the torture memos” in the Bush administration were…