New York Times

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…

Barack Obama, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, Spain, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes February 7, 2015

REPRISE: Kiev caves in to Russian military threats, offering far-reaching concessions in eastern Ukraine; Pacifism and appeasement grip Wasington and Europe; First signs of Russian military intervention appear, as troops on border are poised to strike

Originally published April 12, 2014 The Atmosphere in Washington On Saturday, April 12, The New York Times did not have a story (or even a…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Germany, History, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 12, 2014

Kiev caves in to Russian military threats, offering far-reaching concessions in eastern Ukraine; Pacifism and appeasement grip Wasington and Europe; First signs of Russian military intervention appear, as troops on border are poised to strike

The Atmosphere in Washington On Saturday, April 12, The New York Times did not have a story (or even a reference) on its front page…

Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, foreign news coverage, History, human rights, Lebanon, State Department, syria, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes January 12, 2014

REPRISE: The Olympic Games, and the Battle for Aleppo, Begin (July 28, 2012); Geneva II and the urgency of a ceasefire NOW

Update Approximately 700 people killed in 9 days of intense clashes and executions between the ISIS forces against islamist and rebel battalions 697 people have…

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, Hamid Karzai, Intelligence, Russia, syria, Taliban, United States, war crimes January 8, 2014

U.S. National Intelligence Estimate points to dire future in Afghanistan

developing The prospects for the government of Afghanistan following the U.S. pull-out by the end of 2014 are grim, regardless of whether the Status of…

Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, International Law, Justice Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, war crimes December 20, 2013

Torture and torture memos pose serious obstacle to confirmation of Carolyn Krass as CIA General Counsel

The Trenchant Observer noted, quite some time ago, that torture will not be done with Obama, or with us, until we are all done with…

Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, International Law, Iran, religious belief, Russia, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force September 26, 2013

Disillisioned with Obama’s chemical weapons deal with the Russians, 12 Free Syrian Army groups form alliance with al-Nusra Front in Syria

Twelve “moderate” groups previously aligned with the Free Syrian Army, have given up on Obama and the West, forming a new alliance with the al-Qaeda…

Barack Obama, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, France, genocide, human rights, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom June 22, 2013

Obama’s “intellectual” approach and continuing indecision on no-fly zone and arms in Syria

For background, see The Trenchant Observer, “Obama’s “intellectual” decision-making style and the covert supply of arms to the Free Syrian Army,” June 17, 2013. On…

Barack Obama, CIA, human rights, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, use of force June 17, 2013

Obama’s “intellectual” decision-making style and the covert supply of arms to the Free Syrian Army

New details have emerged regarding the flow of weapons from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the Free Syrian Army. These supplies were reportedly cut…

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Libya, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Nuclear Proliferation, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes March 17, 2013

Smart drones, the goal of peace, and the future of mankind

In an Op-Ed piece by Bill Keller published in the New York Times on March 16, 2013, Keller describes the high probability that “smart drones”…

"that spark of the divine", Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Latin America, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, self-defense, State Department, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes January 6, 2013

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

[This is a lengthy article. The reader may wish to read it, and listen to the recordings, in three parts.] Originally published June 27, 2012…

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Egypt, France, Germany, History, human rights, India, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Poetry, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, 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. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes January 2, 2013

60,000 killed in Syria—REPRISE II: The Olympic Games, and the Battle for Aleppo, Begin—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #91 (January 2, 2013)

Barbarism in a Leaderless World The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights now estimates there have been “59,648 individuals reported killed in Syria between 15…

Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, extrajudicial execution, Intelligence, Libya, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, Yemen November 9, 2012

On eve of testimony to Congress on Benghazi, CIA Director David Petraeus forced out over an affair

Updated November 10, 2012 David Petraeus, the nation’s most-celebrated military commander, has been forced to resign, ostensibly over an affair which came to light in…

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, Egypt, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, Guatemala, History, human rights, Intelligence, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, NATO, Nigeria, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, South Africa, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Togo, Torture, Tunisia, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes October 11, 2012

REPRISE: The Olympic Games, and the Battle for Aleppo, Begin—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #88 (October 11)

Originally published July 28, 2012 The Opening of the XXX Olympic Games It was a poignant moment, as world leaders gathered in London last night…

China, human rights, U.S Foreign Relations September 14, 2012

Xi Jinping, China’s presumed next president, re-emerges after two-week disappearing act

The leadership of China is passing through what is normally a choreographed ballet of renewal and change which occurs once every ten years. But this…

Barack Obama, CIA, Egypt, Intelligence, Libya, Mitt Romney, Tunisia, United States September 12, 2012

U.S. Ambassador to Libya murdered during assault on American consulate in Benghazi

Yesterday we wrote, Foreign policy is not really an issue, at least not yet, in the campaign. Most Americans seem to have tuned out the…

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, France, Germany, human rights, India, Intelligence, International Law, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Morocco, NATO, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Togo, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Intervention, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 27, 2012

Die Zeit (Berlin): Military intervention in Syria is “absolutely essential”—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #79 (August 27, 2012)

Latest Press Reports and Commentary (1) Die Zeit (Berlin) reported on August 27, in an article by Martin Gehlen, that military intervention in Syria is…

Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, Brazil, Canada, China, coverage of foreign events, Crimes Against Humanity, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, foreign correspondents, foreign news coverage, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mossad, NATO, Oslo, Portugal, Qatar, religious belief, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Togo, Torture, Tunisia, 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 arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, vision of peace, war crimes July 28, 2012

The Olympic Games, and the Battle for Aleppo, Begin—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #70 (July 28)

The Opening of the XXX Olympic Games It was a poignant moment, as world leaders gathered in London last night (July 27) for the opening…

Barack Obama, China, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, NATO, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Torture, Turkey, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes June 30, 2012

Border tensions with Turkey rise; 190 killed on Thursday, al-Assad defiant, P5 + 4 to meet in Geneva on Saturday—Obama’s Debacle in Syria — Update #57

On Thursday, the number of killed in Syria reached an all-time high for the year, at 190 dead, according to the New York Times: Tallies…

"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Latin America, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo, self-defense, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. news coverage, United States, use of force, vision of peace, war crimes June 27, 2012

“A time to break silence”: Dr. King on the Vietnam war, and President Carter on America’s human rights violations (revised June 28)

“And I’ve long since learned that to be a follower (of) Jesus Christ means taking up the cross. And my bible tells me that Good…

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