U.S. Archives | The Trenchant Observer

Crimea, Donald Trump, elections, foreign news coverage, International Law, Russia, U.N. Security Council, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United Nations, use of force, Vladimir Putin June 16, 2018

New jargon and nonsense: “The old liberal international order”

OUR VALUES: Truth Integrity Decency Character Facts Science Law Freedom Developing We read in the press and hear in the media a lot of…

Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, International Law, Russia, State Department, syria, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes April 7, 2017

April 7, 2017: Security Council Meets on Syria (7919th meeting, with link to video)

See UN WebTV, “The situation in the Middle East (Syria) – Security Council, 7919th meeting 7 Apr 2017 – 1. Adoption of the agenda 2….

Barack Obama, Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, Russia, State Department, syria, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin February 12, 2016

A “cessation of hostilities” in Syria? (with link to text of February12, 2016 Munich communique)

The ghost of Kofi Annan lives on, in the form of the U.N. negotiations under the aegis of Stefan de Mistura and the Security Council’s…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, Germany, International Law, OSCE, Russia, self-defense, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 11, 2015

Putin resumes fighting near Mariupol

UPDATE–Latest News (August 12, 2015) See Pierre Vaux, “Ukraine’s Cold War Hot as Combat Explodes in the Last 24 Hours,” The Daily Beast, August 12,…

Central African Republic, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, Greece, History, NATO, Russia, sanctions, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin July 11, 2015

Greek debt and the stategy of Europe, NATO, and the U.S. to “contain” the militarism and aggression of Russia

UPDATE II July 12, 2015, 6:00 p.m. EDT) The ghost of Versailles hangs over the Greek debt negotiations in Brussels this evening. In 1919, with…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, extrajudicial execution, International Law, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Turkey, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes October 7, 2014

International law and the use of military force against groups in Syria

There is considerable confusion over the legality under international law of taking military action against groups and targets in Syria. This has led some governments…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, Germany, History, International Law, Justice Department, Mitt Romney, NATO, Russia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 16, 2014

The April 17 Geneva meeting on the Ukraine: Aggressor and appeasers on the road to Munich II

As Russia, the U.S., the EU and Ukraine meet on April 17 in Geneva, it is useful to consider previous analysis and the latest commentary…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Germany, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 13, 2014

Ukraine: U.N. Security Council meeting, latest news reports, and opinion (with link to April 13 Security Council meeting webcast)

Check back for updates We should not be fooled by the faux outrage of Russia and its calling of an emergency meeting of the U.N….

Barack Obama, Russia, sanctions, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Ukraine, United States, use of force February 25, 2014

U.S. should revoke MFN status and impose sanctions on Putin and Moscow if Russia intervenes in Ukraine

developing There are troubling signs that Vladimir Putin may order a military intervention in Ukraine. The propaganda from Moscow is so shrill and Putin’s understanding…

Abdoulah, Abdullah, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Dictatorship, elections, Hamid Karzai, NATO, State Department, Taliban, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United States November 22, 2013

Karzai moves to get U.S. to guarantee his hold on power after 2014 elections

Hamid Karzai, the green-caped magician, has for over 12 years successfully entangled the U.S., ISAF countries, and other international actors in a continuing saga of…