September 26, 2009 :: Mirya Dunaeva :: Comments Off
The government of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has been hard to characterize, seeming one day to be a mouthpiece for the bellicose policies of his predecessor, now PM, Vladimir Putin, and another day to be the first Russian leader ever to express interest in a uniform standard of global governance and cooperation, rooted in democratic principles. Now, Mr. Medvedev’s political stock has gained, as ongoing nuclear negotiations with the US, at Pres. Obama’s urging, have resulted in a unanimous Security Council counter-proliferation vote.
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September 26, 2009 :: staff :: Comments Off
We also took unprecedented steps to secure loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to seek a world without them. As the first U.S. president to ever chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, I was proud that the Council passed an historic and unanimous resolution embracing the comprehensive strategy I outlined this year in Prague.
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September 22, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The UN General Assembly, which brings together every head of government in the world, to offer their country’s position on issues, their country’s demands regarding trade and conflict negotiations, their country’s hopes for a more harmonious world, this year truly grapples with issues of global consensus. Economic recovery, for many parts of the world, will require an unprecedented expansion of women’s rights and sustained attention to responsible environmental stewardship.
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August 17, 2009 :: Mirya Dunaeva :: Comments Off
During his presidency, now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin consistently enforced a brutal policy of confronting any and all activities of separatist groups in the north Caucasus, specifically Chechnya, as issues of warfare with high national security stakes for the Russian Federation. Atrocities committed in Chechnya, both during and after the war, and including recent political killings, have yet to be fully investigated, and violence is now spreading across the north Caucasus region into other republics.
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July 17, 2009 :: staff :: Comments Off
Dear President Obama, As you are about to visit Russia at President Dmitri Medvedev’s invitation, the international press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders would like to draw your attention to the frequency of crimes of violence against journalists in Russia and the prevailing impunity for those responsible.
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July 8, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
When Pres. Barack Obama met with his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev, the tone was optimistic, visionary, encouraging: the heads of state of the two former Cold War enemies were agreeing to historic legally binding reductions in their respective nuclear arsenals, and shifting their vocabulary toward something more akin to a consensus position on defensive weapons innovations, namely a missile shield.
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May 8, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
Newt Gingrich is trying to reinvent, or rehabilitate, himself. And he’s doing it by trying to whip up reflexive anger across his party’s base. Without citing one single point of Pres. Obama’s policy or one single piece of historical evidence, he has classed Obama’s call for a world free of nuclear weapons as “a dangerous fantasy”. He is situating himself firmly in the camp of make-believe “values conservatives” whose world view is actually an adolescent reading of Machiavelli (and a fantasy already proven to be dangerous).
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May 2, 2009 :: Riga Listin :: 5 Comments
UNESCO Committee on Communication and Information representative presents award for research into press freedom. Debate discusses anti-press actions that have impeded the free flow of information about civilian suffering in war-zones ranging from Gaza to Sri Lanka to Iraq. The debate is hosted and moderated by William Horsley, of the Association of European Journalists.
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April 29, 2009 :: staff :: One Comment
Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office have been a flurry of major reforms and of global political and economic strategy. He took the oath of office on 20 January 2009 with the worst recession in 70 years setting in, major banks on the verge of insolvency, record numbers of home foreclosures, two wars in Asia, an increasingly hostile Russia and a predecessor’s policy of using torture to “enhance” interrogations. Not only has he moved forward on the economy, healthcare, security, and energy; he has reformed the entire American diplomatic paradigm, moving toward a “smart power” based on 3d vision: diplomacy, development, defense.
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April 22, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: 3 Comments
Because there’s something in it for everybody. The current global nuclear weapons-control regime operates on a dangerously untenable false premise: that only ‘responsible’ nations can or should be allowed to make and maintain arsenals of nuclear warheads. At first blush, it may seem highly rational: only those who will behave responsibly should have the most dangerous weapons; but, then, upon further examination, who is qualified to make that judgment?
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March 2, 2009 :: Riga Listin :: Comments Off
The United States and the Russian Federation are reportedly planning lengthy and in-depth discussions in Geneva, starting Friday, to improve relations and strengthen bilateral efforts in a number of areas. Security in Europe, the Middle East and the far East will all be on the agenda, as will nuclear non-proliferation and negotiation with Iran to halt its nuclear program.
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January 21, 2009 :: staff :: One Comment
Russia and Ukraine have confirmed that they have arranged for the flow of natural gas from Russia, through Ukraine, to the EU, to be restored, though the two states differ on the details of when that resumed service will occur exactly, and EU monitors will be watching to ensure compliance with ongoing agreements. The trials [...]
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January 3, 2009 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
Russia is again withholding much needed natural gas supplies to parts of Europe, as people face the biting winter cold which has become Russia’s weapon of choice for negotiating more expensive contracts with conveyor countries like Ukraine. Russia is again accusing Ukraine of stealing natural gas from pipelines that run to the European Union, because it says Ukraine will not agree to its new contract terms and therefore has no right to extract gas from the pipelines.
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November 18, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: 3 Comments
Despite urging from the Russian prosecutors and the potential national-security implications of a case involving at least one former FSB (successor to KGB) agent, the trial of those accused of conspiring in the killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya will be held in open court. The first trial hearings began “behind closed doors”, and Karina Moskalenko —a human rights lawyer working with Politkovskaya’s family— was allegedly poisoned while in France.
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November 6, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: 5 Comments
Sen. Barack Obama, as president-elect, now faces the daunting task of staging a transition from campaign to governing, and from the Bush years to the Obama years, in what must be the most artful and adroit performance of the task seen in decades. Facing two wars, looming multifaceted economic crisis, and the need to overhaul national energy policy and fight environmental degradation on an unprecedented scale, Obama is faced not just with forming a cabinet and White House team, but formulating a strategy for enacting the change he has promised in a time of historic difficulty.
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October 11, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, has been removed from the United States’ government’s official list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. The move comes as part of an agreement among the Six Parties involved in denuclearization talks regarding the DPRK, which will restart the dismantling of all nuclear facilities in North Korea, and will include inspections, document review, and other measures designed to prevent the further production of nuclear weapons in the secretive state.
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August 21, 2008 :: staff :: Comments Off
NATO has held an emergency meeting and has issued a statement saying “normal relations” with Russia cannot be resumed until it removes its forces from Georgian territory. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov has accused the alliance of “bias”, even as reports continue to emerge of Russian forces occupying Georgia’s vital Black Sea port of Poti, an apparent move to control its hydrocarbon trade.
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August 16, 2008 :: staff :: Comments Off
CNN has shown images of Russian tanks advancing to their closest perimeter around the Georgian captial, Tbilisi, since the invasion began, even as US Secretary of State Rice is in the capital, urging a Russian pullout, and persuading the Georgian president to sign a potential peace accord. Rhetoric from the US administration has reached the level of ordering Russia to withdraw or face long-term consequences in its relationship with the US and its standing on the international stage.
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August 13, 2008 :: staff :: Comments Off
Georgian pres. Mikheil Saakashvili has said he fears Russia’s military action against his nation is the start of a “chain of events”, rooted in “never-ending appetite” of those he views as Russia’s militarists, that could compromise security across the Sough Caucasus, eastern Europe and the Middle East. He also accuses Russia of having no intention of honoring the tentative ceasefire that was announced yesterday. Russia today has told the United States it must choose between supporting Georgia or being able to cooperate with Russian in other international affairs.
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August 12, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
Reports of Russia’s escalation of the invasion of Georgian territory suggest more than 10,000 ground troops are now in South Ossetia, and ballistic missile attacks (at least 15 fired so far) have included targets across the entire Georgian state. Georgian pres. Mikhail Saakashvili has been forced to seek cover, as security forces feared he was in danger of being hit by a Russian airstrike.
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August 9, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
The BBC is reporting a Russian air strike inside Georgia, against the town of Gori, near the South Ossetia border, resulted in 60 civilian casualties in two apartnment blocks. Russia also reports two fighter jets were shot down by Georgian defense forces (Georgia claims to have downed at least 10 jets). The New York Times reports that “Russian officials said that 1,500 civilians had been killed in South Ossetia and that 12 Russian troops had died”. The Georgian parliament has voted to back a “presidential decree declaring a state of war”, which will remain in effect for 15 days.
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August 8, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
US ally and former Soviet republic, Georgia, has announced it plans to withdraw its 2,000 military personnel from Iraq to return them to Georgia in order to defend against what appears to be a Russian ground invasion of Georgian territory. The Russian’s military operations in “breakaway province South Ossetia”, along Georgia’s border with the Russian [...]
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May 16, 2008 :: jr3o :: One Comment
16 May :: At least 50,000 people are believed dead in China’s Sichuan province, as the rescue mission extends beyond 72 hours; the massive quake, which included 8 to 10 aftershocks of roughly 5.0 on the Richter scale, caught many small cities unprepared; Chinese authorities have been quick to respond, and civilians are helping to [...]
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April 21, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
19 April :: “The global food crisis became official yesterday [15 April] when the UN called for urgent intergovernmental action and farming reforms to tackle the soaring prices that are plunging millions of people into potentially deadly poverty”, reports UK’s Independent; reports of riots from southeast Asia to the Caribbean, along with multiple border crises [...]
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March 7, 2008 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
7 March :: “Pariah states” Florida, Michigan, punished for voting early in party primaries, now want “do-over” opportunity, as DNC, state gov’ts spar over who would fund a re-vote; Clinton campaign announces $35 million fundraising peak in February, including an astounding $4 million in 48 hours after Tuesday’s vital wins in Texas, Ohio, yet Barack [...]
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December 22, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
22 December :: The two chairmen of the investigatory commission for the 9/11 attacks, Lee Hamilton and Thomas Kean, have said their review of classified evidence suggests the CIA made a concerted effort to “impede” the inquiry by hiding evidence of abusive interrogation techniques; according to Reuters, “Among statements that the memo suggested were misleading [...]
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December 21, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
21 December :: Guardian reports Russian pres. Vladimir Putin may be hiding secret $40 billion fortune in accounts in Switzerland, Lichtenstein, that struggle for control of state-run assets brewing amid rival Kremlin factions; Putin fortune would be major news, as he has long claimed his attacks on political rivals were part of anti-corruption crusade against [...]
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December 17, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
17 December :: Michigan Republican Peter Hoekstra, ranking GOP member of the House intelligence committee, has said the committee will pursue its investigation of the CIA’s destruction of tapes of alleged torture; Hoekstra told the press it was important that there be accountability in the intelligence community, adding “The CIA did not tell us about [...]
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December 3, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
3 December :: With 54.5% of vote counted, Putin’s ‘United Russia’ party has reportedly gathered 62.9% of the vote, the Communist party a distant 2nd with 11.6%; NY Times reporting “Across Russia in recent weeks, members of opposition parties said they had been subjected to intense harassment from the authorities, and people who worked for [...]
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December 1, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
EUROPE’S TOP ELECTION MONITORING BODY HAS REFUSED TO OBSERVE SUNDAY’S ELECTIONS SAYING PROCESS HAS BEEN UNFAIR Reports from across Russia indicate that by various means, state authorities are pressuring organizations and institutions of all kinds to force mass voter turnout for Pres. Putin’s United Russia party. The Kremlin denies the allegations, but at least one [...]
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November 15, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
15 November :: US House of Representatives has passed $50 billion in Iraq war spending, conditioned on starting withdrawal in coming weeks, ending combat role for US by December 2008, before Bush leaves office; president has already begun troop-level reductions, in part under pressure from Republicans seeking reelection to Congress, but opposes Congressional mandate or [...]
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October 18, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
18 October :: Ex-PM Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan, is greeted by hundreds of thousands of supporters in Karachi, having traveled from across the nation, Bhutto has been in talks with Musharraf to form ‘national unity’ gov’t, stave off ascent of radical clerics; two bombs ripped through massive crowd marching with Bhutto through Karachi, reportedly [...]
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October 16, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
16 October :: 1st official ‘baby-boomer’ begins collecting Social Security; as many as 80 million Americans from her generation will eventually collect the government pension payments… NY Times ‘The Caucus’ blog reports Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy would “Use both hard power and soft power; talk to your enemies and strengthen alliances with your friends; deal [...]
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October 14, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
14 October :: UN report shows rate of women dying during or just after childbirth in US on par with Belarus, Serbia, ten times worse than world’s safest, Ireland; a UN statement on the joint UN-World Bank report said “Among the ten top-ranked European and other industrialized countries, where women are guaranteed good-quality health and [...]
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September 27, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
27 September :: Reports emerge from Rangoon military junta has raided monasteries in effort to end pro-democracy rallies; UN Security Council has urged regime to meet with special envoy, China says it views Burma crisis as “internal affair”; reports suggest 70 monks were abducted from one monastery alone by security forces; junta has warned demonstrators [...]
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September 20, 2007 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
In late August, prosecutors announced the arrest of 10 individuals in connection with an alleged conspiracy to murder investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was gunned down in her apartment-building’s lobby last year. A judge in Russia has ruled against the detention of an FSB agent, who was released, then re-arrested on unrelated charges of abduction, murder and abuse of power. Now the Russian government has replaced the lead investigator, provoking “disappointment and bewilderment” at Novaya Gazeta, where Politkovskaya worked.
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September 20, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
20 September :: US Director of National Intelligence says China, Russia now spying on scale not seen since Cold War; claims comes as reports suggest China, India invovled in ballistic missile build-up, concerns over Asian arms race; Pentagon recently alleged its computer network was attacked by Chinese hackers… Israeli gov’t criticizes opposition leader Netanyahu for [...]
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September 18, 2007 :: The Editors :: Comments Off
18 September :: North Korea’s gov’t says rumors it provided nuclear assistance to Syria are "conspiracy" designed to prevent its normalizing relations with the US… Russia, China have raised "alarm" over comments by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner that the nation should prepare for war with Iran; Reuters reports "Kouchner sought, however, to play down [...]
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July 5, 2007 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
Alan Johnston’s ordeal became a global concern, when the BBC and his family organized a campaign to urge his immediate release. The release is a propaganda coup for the Hamas leadership, which after ousting Fatah from Gaza, has been stripped of its role in the Palestinian government. Former PM Ismail Haniyeh appeared with Johnston in a press conference at Haniyeh’s Gaza residence and sought to project a new image of Hamas as keeper of law and order and responsible political leadership.
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December 9, 2006 :: J.E. Robertson :: Comments Off
After Russia launched an official criminal investigation into the radiation poisoning of ex-spy Alexandr Litvinenko, it also announced it would no longer be permitting foreign agents to interview suspects on Russian soil, and there would be no extradition to Britain for Russian suspects. Now, state-run media are reportedly feeding stories into the international media to make accusations against Litvinenko and against the credibility of those who would support him.
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December 4, 2006 :: Denver Lessing :: Comments Off
PRESS CREDULITY, WEB OF CONNECTIONS BREEDING ‘BLAME VICTIM’ SPECULATION In the wake of the poisoning of former KGB spy Alexandr Litvinenko, by exposure to intensely radioactive polonium-210, allegations have turned from state terrorism to corrupt oligarchs, to questions of a blackmailing scheme. What now looks to be a major issue is whether there is an [...]
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