Wall Street Journal

2016 U.S. Presidential election, Donald Trump, nuclear war, Russia, Trump and Putin, United States October 27, 2017

Trump — The Authoritarian Leader and his movement: Politics and mass psychology in America

Authoritarianism and mass psychology in America: The Leader and his movement Something has happened in America. It is also happening in other democracies in Europe….

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, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, electronic curtain, foreign correspondents, foreign news coverage, freedom of speech, Intelligence, International Law, NATO, public diplomacy, Russia, self-defense, State Department, Sudan, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes February 1, 2015

How the West helps Putin suppress the truth about Russian military intervention in the Ukraine

Developing See Stephanie Bolzen und Julia Smirnova, “Warum Russland im Informationskrieg vorn liegt Die Nato wirft Russland gewaltige Truppenpräsenz in der Ostukraine vor. Putin dementiert,…

Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, foreign news coverage, human rights, International Law, NATO, OSCE, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes November 12, 2014

Go for Putin!

Commentary The contempt Vladimir Putin evidently feels for Barack Obama and the West was revealed in a split-second at the APEC summit in Beijing these…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, European Union, foreign news coverage, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 27, 2014

Putin’s threats against NATO and other countries

There are disturbing signs that Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, following his successful invasions of the Crimea and the eastern Ukraine, have become or remain boundless. He…

Barack Obama, China, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Dictatorship, European Union, France, freedom of speech, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 24, 2014

REPRISE II — Putin’s wager: Russia’s rogue authoritarianism versus fundamental human rights and the existing international political and legal order

Russia and the Ukraine—The Big Picture Originally published April 24, 2014 In a fatal error, Putin challenges the modern postwar international political and legal order…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, European Union, freedom of speech, History, human rights, human rights reports, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, Ukraine, United States, use of force, vision of peace, Vladimir Putin, war crimes August 9, 2014

REPRISE — Putin’s wager: Russia’s rogue authoritarianism versus fundamental human rights and the existing international political and legal order

Russia and the Ukraine—The Big Picture Originally published April 24, 2014 In a fatal error, Putin challenges the modern postwar international political and legal order…

Barack Obama, Brazil, Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Germany, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Justice Department, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force May 3, 2014

Dare anyone say it? “We applaud the courage of the Ukrainian government and people in defending public order and the sovereignty and territorial independence of the Ukraine.”

In the face of Russian aggression, in the last few days the Ukrainian government has shown great courage in defending public order, and the territorial…

Barack Obama, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Germany, International Law, public diplomacy, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force May 2, 2014

Ukraine: Latest news and opinion (with links to May 2 Security Council meeting, and to text of April 17 Geneva agreement)

See below Le Monde’s dispatch on the latest developments in Sloviansk, and Torsten Krauel’s commentary on the real stakes in the Ukraine — no less…

Barack Obama, International Law, Justice Department, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 29, 2014

A weak American president fails to lead, and anarchy is unleashed upon the world

Mark Landler of the New York Times published an article today, April 29, that reveals not only the deep roots of pacifism and appeasement in…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Dictatorship, History, International Law, Justice Department, Russia, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States April 28, 2014

New sanctions, the U.S., Russia and the Ukraine: The smartest people in the room are blundering idiots in foreign policy

The Editorial Board of the Washington Post addressed the contradiction between Russia’s actions and whatis happening on the ground in Ukraine in terms that cut…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Dictatorship, electronic curtain, Google, Intelligence, International Law, public diplomacy, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, television, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 27, 2014

Russia’s propaganda and empty justifications for aggression in the Ukraine; the urgent need for the West to broadcast accurate news into eastern Ukraine

See Nik Afanasjew, “RUSSISCHE PROPAGANDA: Senden, um zu siegen; Im Krieg der Worte ist die Ukraine zum Schlachtfeld geworden; Die russische Propaganda ist Putins schärfste…

Crimea, Dictatorship, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 26, 2014

Le Figaro reports diplomatic sources at UN believe Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine imminent

Latest News and Opinion Reports are coming in to the effect that a Russian invasion of the eastern Ukraine appears “imminent” or “inevitable”. See: (1)…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Dictatorship, freedom of speech, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, war crimes April 24, 2014

Putin’s wager: Russia’s rogue authoritarianism versus fundamental human rights and the existing international political and legal order

In a fatal error, Putin challenges the modern postwar international political and legal order It is historicly ironic, and from Vladimir Putin’s point of view…

U.S Foreign Relations April 21, 2014

Details of clash at pro-Russian checkpoint near Sloviansk

For an extraordinary account, citing eyewitnesses, of the clash at a pro-Russian checkpoint near Sloviansk in the eastern Ukraine on April 20, Sunday, see: Julia…

Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Czechoslovakia, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, freedom of speech, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, public diplomacy, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, war crimes April 21, 2014

After Geneva: Putin’s double game, and what to do about it

(Developing—check back for updates) Geneva agreement delays further sanctions; Russian non-compliance and new conditions; tacit acceptance of Crimean annexation; 40,000 combat-ready troops on border continue…

Barack Obama, Crimea, elections, History, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force April 13, 2014

An Imagined Alternative Future History of the Ukraine

An alternative future history of the Ukraine might include the airlifting of Western troops to the Ukraine to aid in collective self-defense against ongoing and…

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, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Lebanon, Libya, NATO, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes August 25, 2013

New strategy and accompanying military action needed in Syria; Justification under International Law

President Barack Obama’s strategy for dealing with Syria has demonstrably failed. That strategy consisted mainly in looking the other way, providing fitful and ineffectual covert…

1 2 »

The Trenchant Observer

International Law, Politics, and Security