Topic: International Law

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10 of TIME's 100 'most influential'

What does it mean to be influential today? TIME Magazine may not have a scientific answer, but they identified scores of people in their 2012 “100 Most Influential People in the World” list, released this week. Here is a sampling of 10 people from around the world who made the cut.
US Supreme Court: Big 21st century rulings

The past 12 years have seen significant US high court decisions with wide-ranging effects on personal freedoms and national politics. Another key ruling is expected this summer on President Obama's health-care reform law. Here are some recent top rulings, all decided by 5-to-4 votes.
7 excellent books about Kony and the LRA

Seven books to better inform about Kony, the LRA, and Uganda.
6 men alleged to be LulzSec hackers

Tuesday saw the news that the FBI had identified and charged six men allegedly behind the hacktivist group LulzSec. Who are the men that the FBI says are behind LulzSec's mayhem?
9 best books featuring notorious figures

Thomas Craughwell lists these books as the best myth-busting histories centered on notorious figures.

All Content

Military intervention in Syria? Germany pushes back hard on French warning.

French President Hollande suggested yesterday that military intervention might be required in Syria. Why that idea resonated particularly negatively in Germany.
My final phone call with warlord Charles Taylor

Former president of Liberia Charles Taylor called me regularly in the early 1990s when I was the director of Voice of America's English-to-Africa broadcasts. I'll never forget one strange phone call from him. Unfortunately, my hunch about Taylor's connection to Sierra Leone would prove correct.
Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years in prison (+video)

An international court proceeding ended Wednesday with the sentencing of Taylor, who was convicted of aiding and abetting numerous war crimes in Sierra Leone.
Terrorism & Security
UN chief: There is no 'plan B' for ending the Syrian conflict

At least 200 have died in Syria in the two months since a UN-backed cease-fire went into effect, but Ban Ki-moon rejects assertions that part of the problem is the low number of monitors on the ground.
Filipinos back government on China dispute, but want more diplomacy

While most Filipinos say that their government should not yield to to Chinese pressure in the South China Sea, others say that Manila could improve its diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue.
Radko Mladic's genocide trial begins in the Hague

The Bosnian Serb general is accused of war crimes stemming from the Bosnian civil war in the early 1990s.
Keep Calm
Good Reads: on the politics of language, Genghis Khan, and the Beastie Boys

This week's reading list includes a book review on how we use and abuse language, leadership tips from Genghis Khan, and a tribute to the late hip hop master and peace activist, Adam Yauch. 
Latin America Monitor
Is French journalist kidnapped in Colombia a prisoner of war?

The ambiguities over FARC-kidnapped Romeo Langlois' status as a POW is indicative of a wider debate over the status of journalists in modern conflict zones, writes a guest blogger.
Terrorism & Security
China blames the Philippines for South China Sea dispute

China warned the Philippines that confrontation over a disputed island in the South China Sea could worsen. Beijing has made 'every preparation' to counter Manila's 'provocations.'
Kenya races to transfer ICC election violence case to Africa

The conviction of Liberian President Charles Taylor sent shock waves around Africa. Kenya's President Kibaki wants to move trials of Kenyan politicians to an African, to receive 'fair' justice.
Readers Write: War fueled by defense lobby; Attack on Iran is legal; Catholics can't change faith for individual wishes

Letters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of April 30, 2012: The 'appetite for war' is fueled by the arms lobby's appetite for profit; there's a key legal difference between a 'preemptive' and a 'preventive' attack on Iran; and Catholics don't force others to follow their beliefs, they simply demand First Amendment protections.
Modern Parenthood
Charles Taylor: An Amerian mom's relief at war crimes conviction

Charles Taylor: His conviction of war crimes in Sierra Leone is a moment for pause for an American mom to think about the world between diapers and carpools and playdates.
A lesson on leadership from Africa

The guilty verdict against Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, is more than a victory for justice. It is a lesson for Africans and other about no holding up 'great leaders' as saviors. Great ideas are better than great people.
Taylor guilty: Liberians have mixed emotions about verdict

Some Liberians voice outrage at the guilty verdict of former Liberian President Charles Taylor at the war crimes court; others, who lost family members, say it's justice.
Leaning on US, Philippines boldly pushes back on China in sea dispute

The Philippines, a normally quiet claimant in South China Sea disputes, is mounting unusually bold resistance against China as it edges in on Manila’s maritime interests.
Keep Calm
Charles Taylor, former Liberian president, found guilty of war crimes (+video)

Charles Taylor: A guilty verdict against the former Liberian president – including charges of murder, rape, use of child soldiers – sets precedent for holding sitting heads of state to account.
Into the jungle on the hunt for Joseph Kony

The Kony 2012 campaign has made Joseph Kony infamous. But for the Ugandan troops hunting him in the jungles of central Africa, finding him remains a mammoth task.
10 of TIME's 100 'most influential'

What does it mean to be influential today? TIME Magazine may not have a scientific answer, but they identified scores of people in their 2012 “100 Most Influential People in the World” list, released this week. Here is a sampling of 10 people from around the world who made the cut.
Keep Calm
Sudan declares war on South Sudan: Will this draw in East Africa, and China? (+video)

After South Sudan seizes Heglig oil fields, which both countries claim, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declares war. How can international community prevent a regional conflict?
Bashar al-Assad may be beating Annan plan in Syria for now, but he won't for long

Putting UN monitors on the ground in Syria as part of Kofi Annan’s wider peace plan is a constructive step forward. But for now, Bashar al-Assad continues to set most of the terms. With more creative international action he will not be able to do so in the medium to long term.
Africa Monitor
Cote d'Ivoire's commitment to democratic principles questioned

Residents of areas hit hardest by the 2010 post-election violence are demanding redress and accountability. President Ouattara must commit to justice and reconciliation, writes a guest blogger.
Africa Monitor
Congo president counters call for Army defection by rebel Bosco

President Kabila suspended Army operations and consolidated forces in response to Army commander Bosco Ntaganda's efforts to encourage defections last week, writes a blogger
Abu Hamza and 4 other terror suspects can be sent to US

Britain can extradite five terror suspects to the US, a European court ruled. Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri is accused of trying to set up an Al Qaeda training camp in Oregon.
Amid widening Syria violence, a new war-crimes charge (+video)

Syrian refugees say Assad's soldiers are forcing women and children to march in front of advancing tanks to prevent rebels from opening fire. International law forbids the use of human shields.
Africa Monitor
New censorship strategy in Sudan

Sudanese authorities have a long history of closing newspapers and silencing journalists, but the government is now pushing papers out of business by targeting their sales, writes a guest blogger.