Tensions Rise on Korean Peninsula

This article from the New York times discusses the rising tensions between North and South Korea in the wake of the many new developments that occurred on Saturday. South Korea has begun to strengthen it's military force along the demilitarized border it shares with North Korea along with the waters surrounding it country. This increase in force comes after North Korea threatened naval engagement and stated an "all-out confrontational posture" towards the South. These statements were made after reports came out in international news that North Korea has enough plutonium weponized for use in at least 4 nuclear bombs, North Korea maintains that it has only continued in it's pursuit of nuclear weapons because of the threat it feel from the United States and other nuclear armed states. It has not been proven the North Korea has built a nuclear device other than their precived test of a nuclear bomb in 2006. Tensions among the two Korean countries have worsened since the election of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Myung-bak has taken a firmer and more agressive approach when dealing with the North. The way the threat was delivered also spoke to the seriousness of the situation as the statements were broadcast several times over the national television and radio network in North Korea. These statements and development come at an interesting time as President elect Barack Obama is about to take office and the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is still very much in question. Only time will tell the true aim and motives of North Korea in these bold moves.

Guantanamo Bay

At its peak Guantanamo Bay held over 770 prisoners. Today Guantanamo Bay houses over 200 suspected terrorists. Recently, six prisoners were released after “many years of captivity” without actually ever being formally charged with a crime.

As most of us probably know, there have recently been allegations of “waterboarding” brought up against the United States government in particular reference to Guantanamo Bay. For those of you who do not know, waterboarding is a severe form of torture where the prisoner is held under water for extended periods of time, depriving them of oxygen. This is a tactic that is used by our government in an attempt to gather information from suspected terrorists.

It does not, however, end here. This “torture” that is executed on the detainees is done so without any semblance of due process of law. These men are given no opportunity to represent themselves in a court of law, the phrase “innocent till proven guilty” simply does not apply to people.

My question to you is, that is the supposed greatest country in the world, a country that is supposed to be a shining beacon of hope to other citizens of the world, how is it possible that we allow such atrocities to occur? Are these action not blatant denials of the rights that we, as Americans and citizens of the world, outlined? To what extent to we infringe upon the rights of these individuals at the expense of our “safety”?

The people that have recently been released from Guantanamo Bay were never formally charged of a crime, yet they were held there for years. These are years that these men will never get back, years that could have been spent with wives or children or just living, years that have been brutally and deliberately stripped away. How can we condone this?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/17/gitmo.detainees/index.html

Moscow and Kiev strike gas supply deal

After 12 days of conflict over the supply of gas between Russia and Ukraine a deal has finally been struck. The agreement between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko states that Ukraine will allow Russia to use themselves as a transit for gas supplies to Europe in exchange for a 20 percent discount on gas supplies. This agreement does not solve the all the issues that has arisen between these two countries, but it allows the gas to be turned back on.

Tensions are still high. It remains to be seen if Russia and Ukraine can play nice with eachother. However, Russia is disappointed at the EU for not being a little more 'proactive.' What he means by 'proactive' is forcing Ukraine to concede to Russian demands.

The topic is yet to be closed however. It is unlikely if Russia will adopt the European Energy Charter which would force competition onto the energy market and possibly prevent a crisis like this from happening again.

This article is an update on a previously post and is a major issue that Europe has been faced with. This shows just how far Russia can possibly extend their reach, especially in times of extreme cold. Russia seems to have more power than the world would like to believe.

But is it a crime?

This article deals with the situation of the ongoing war in Gaza and rather or not Israel is actually breaking any laws. It starts out by describing a situation where a 16-year-old boy, "broke into tears as he told a television interviewer how several members of his family had been killed in an Israeli strike. “My brother was bleeding so much and right in front of my eyes, he died. My other brother Ismail, he also bled to death. My mum and my youngest brother, they are gone. Four brothers and my mother, dead. May God give them peace." This description helps to describe the horrible things that some of the innocent people are going through as a result of the violence. Also discussed is how Israel is "allegedly" prevented Palestinian paramedics from helping survivors of an attack for two days. Isreals response was, "that its army has looked into the claims and found no record of the incident." They claim that they are targeting Hamas only, and promise to improve “co-operation and co-ordination” with the ICRC (we will see). Rather or not they are breaking any laws or not (which I feel they definitely are) one thing is for sure, the violence has to stop soon or more and more peoples lives are going to be completely destroyed.

http://www.economist.com/world/mideast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12957301&source=most_commented

As atheists roll out London ads, believers unruffled

Around 800 of the famous red double-decker buses which cruise around London, now carry a message that is a little bit out of the norm. Atheists and Christian fundamentalists have come together and organized the message which reads, "There's probably no God, Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Although one would think that these buses are extremely controversial, the article provides a different explanation. It delves into the messy concept of remaining religious while keeping an open mind. It also explores the scientific explanations of faith and God, while keeping an open mind itself. I am no theologian, and never expect to fully understand every argument regarding this topic, but I find it interesting to see that atheists are coming out and expressing their beliefs just as other religious have been doing for centuries. My favorite quote is, ""One of the wonderful things about astronomy [is that] our understanding of the galaxy around us undergoes a significant shift, and the only real change is the new terrain that opens up inside our heads.' (from the New York Times)."

Bird Flu confirmed in China

World Health Organization officials have confirmed that a 2 year old girl has tested positive for bird flu, making it the second confirmed case this month. The girl fell ill in a central province of China, but has been moved to her home province in the north. The girl fell ill on January 7, just two days after the first confirmed case of January died after handling poultry in Beijing.

The bird flu is caused by the H5N1 virus, which has been found in birds in over 60 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Birds in North and South America, including the Caribbean, have not tested positive for the virus, and remain uninfected.

Since 2005, China has reported 30 cases of the virus in humans, with 2/3 of them being fatal. Human to human transmission is rare, as most cases come from handling poultry, but scientists fear a mutation of the virus could cause a global pandemic.

Zimbabwe President Mugabe to Meet with Opposition One Final Time

The stakes are at an all time high as President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai prepare to meet Monday to discuss the future of a shared power agreement for the Zimbabwe government, according to the New York Times. In a general election last year, Tsvangirai had more votes than Mugabe, who has held power for the past twenty years. A run off was then called, and Tsvangirai pulled out in June due to state sponsored beatings and 180 murders of opposition party members. An agreement was signed by the two men in September without discussing the division of control of the government ministries. Since then, Mugabe has insisted on retaining control of the army, police, and intelligence agencies. The talks scheduled for Monday are the last that will be had on the issue. According to Mugabe, "This is the occasion when it’s either they accept or it’s a break". Tsvangirai's willingness to negotiate hinges on the immediate release of opposition party activists that were abducted by state security agents and the fair distribution of governmental power. The South African Development Community, a regional bloc of nations, has encouraged the opposition party to sign an agreement and address their issues as part of the government instead of an oppostion party. Should the opposition party decide not to come to an agreement with Mugabe, they would have to mobilized the public in questioning his legitimacy.
While the two parties have squabbled over power, the country has fallen into a state of despair due to an absence of a legitimate government. Over 2,000 people have died and 43,000 have been infected with cholera due to, "the collapse of water, sanitation, and health services". The article also points out that, "Over half the population is currently dependent on international food aid".

Thailand Is Accused of Rejecting Migrants

According to an article in the New York Times, Thai authorities have detained as many as 1,000 boat people from Bangladesh and Myanmar in the past month. Many human rights groups report that these boat people were sent back out to sea in boats without engines and at least 300 people are reported to be missing at sea. These boat people are migrants from the ethnic Rohingya minority who are mostly stateless people that live in a continuous cycle of poverty, repression, escape, capture and exploitation. Reports tell of instances in the last month where 410 Rohingya migrants were forced out to sea on a Thai Navy vessel and left on board of a barge with just four barrels of water and two sacks of rice. After drifting for two weeks, about 100 of the migrants were rescued and about 300 remain missing after trying to swim to shore. Chris Lewa and expert on Rohingya issues, reported on a second case in which 580 migrants were apprehended off the Thai coast aboard three overcrowded fishing boats. These boats were reportedly towed back out to sea after their engines were removed and only two of these boats reached shore while another one is missing.
Thailand officials deny the accusations of the expulsions saying that all the migrants are processed through the legal channels. Although these reports correspond with separate allegations that Thailand has committed human rights abuses when combating Muslim rebellion in the south. In past incidents the Thai military has forced out groups of refugees which sometimes results their deaths. Although all of these expulsions were reported last week in the South China Morning Post, Thai officials still denied on Friday that any expulsions had occurred. One of the officials Lt. Col. Tara Soranarak claims that Thai officials never pushed the migrants back into the sea and they followed the necessary procedures when processing the migrants.

Pope to get his own Google channel

The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI is getting his own channel on Google.
It says the Vatican TV Center and Vatican Radio are collaborating with Google on the project.
The Vatican's press office said Saturday that texts and video of the pope's speeches as well as news about the pontiff would be posted directly onto the channel. What does this mean for the world? A global connection! The Pope will now be accessed by millions of people around the world in their homes, jobs, and in the car. This is a giant step for the Vatican in its efforts to globalize the papacy. Now you can visit the Pope, without having to travel to Italy or to wherever he may be speaking.

The Vatican began using its Web site widely to publish teachings and pronouncements under the late Pope John Paul II.

Suicide bomber hits Kabul diplomatic district

On Saturday, an Afghan car bomb exploded on a heavily crowded street in Kabul. A rounded 25 civilians were wounded, and four people were killed. Among the four people was 1 America soldier, and four Afghan civilians. Another attack happened later that day at noon. Another suicide bomber rammed his minibus into a convoy. This convoy had both Afghan police and U.S. soldiers on it. The result of this attack was one Afghan civilian was killed, ad nine others were injured. The first attack happened in the late morning on Saturday. The explosion was so great, that an Afghan soldier looking out for a U.S. base was injured in his watchtower. The Taliban took immediate blame for these attacks, however; they threatened more attacks to come. Although Afghan forces have tamed suicide bombings in the last few months, there are still many threats held against the forces. In addition to the bombing, the first suicide bomber's vehicle crashed into a truck and many other cars, causing more injury and blood. When will this Afghanistan "conflict" end?

Uganda’s LRA Atrocities Are Spreading

Sherri Siegele

Uganda’s two-decade-old Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA) is spinning out of control with its presence now in 4 countries; Uganda, Sudan, Central African Republic and DR Congo. Additionally, the LRA has recently established a base in DR Congo.

As a result of the International Criminal Court refusing to drop LRA arrest warrants, the LRA would not sign a peace treaty last year. In response, joint government forces from Uganda, Congo and Sudan attacked the LRA. In retaliation and since Christmas Day the LRA has gone on a rampage and is viciously attacking villages in their path. According to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) there are reports of houses being torched, villages being destroyed and abandoned, vicious killings, and people living in extreme fear without necessary resources. With lack of security it is not possible for humanitarian aid to reach these people. It is estimated that over 500 people have been murdered and over 100,000 have abandoned their homes.

At this time it appears that the International Criminal Court, local joint government forces, and the LRA are in an unending power struggle. If local government forces are unable to control the LRA this could lead to a large-scale genocide. Should the situation continue to escalate in favor of the LRA it will be interesting to see how much news coverage it will receive and, how many people will have to die before further international intervention occurs, if at all.

North Korea Says It Has ‘Weaponized’ Plutonium

Posted by Justin Bresolin

North Korea has declared “all-out confrontational posture” against neighboring South Korea, announcing that they have “weaponized” 30.8 kilograms of plutonium, sufficient for approximately 4-6 bombs. The threat has prompted heightened vigilance by South Korea on the fortified border.

Such threats have seen an increase since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office one year ago, vowing a tougher stance against North Korea, a departure from his long-held efforts to provide economic aid to the country. The recent statement is unusual in that it was delivered by a uniformed military official, and not a press officer. Purpose behind North Korean threats and statements are typically difficult to decipher, but it is suspected to be an effort to drive a wedge between South Korea and Washington, establishing negotiation terms in reaction to newly-elected US President Obama, as well as possibly indicating a desire to keep its nuclear arms, in spite of a 2005 agreement with 5 countries, including the US, to disarm.

Plane Crash in the Hudson

US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River Thursday afternoon. The plane was in route to North Carolina from New York when one of its engines failed. A goose had apparantly been caught up in the engine causing engine failure to one or more engines. The pilot, Sullenberger, called the control tower warning that he did not have enough time to make it back to the airport and a crash landing was necessary. The pilot lined the plane up with the Hudson River and notified the passengers of the change in schedule. Due to the pilots experience the landing was a success. The pilot was the last off the plane to ensure that his plane of 150 passengers and crew members arrived safely to land. The crash landing caused much commotion and worry to arise, but do to the pilots quick thinking no one died in this terrifying ordeal.

Where does the money go?

By Fiorella Bafundo

According to the Delta Project, which is a project fostered by a nonprofit organization to make college education more affordable for students, American students from public and private institutions are paying more than ever, but are getting lees, as the budget that goes to instruction has declined. They say that the increment has gone in its majority to administrative costs, not for students.
The interesting point they make is that even if the tuition had increased because of the increase in administrative costs and costs in general, it would have increased only 2.5% in public universities, where it went up almost 30%; and in private colleges it would have increased 1.9%, and it did it in 12.5%. Where does the money go?

Conflicts Concerning Russia's Gas Supplies

The disputes since January 1 surrounding the gas conflicts between Russia and Ukraine have be a major source of confusion for the European community. Russia has accused Ukrainian leaders of stealing Russian-based company Gazprom’s gas supplies that were en route to European customers. From the other perspective, Ukraine has blamed Russia for cutting its gas supplies to Europe. In addition, Ukraine is dissatisfied with the arrangements by which Ukraine receives its gas from Russia.

Bulgaria's head of the state gas monopoly, Dimitar Gogov, provides his limited insight as to how this conflict has played out for him. He says that amidst the confusion between Russia and Urkraine, he no longer knew who he should believe due to the two countries' opposing statements about the situation. Gogov is not alone, however, and many European officials and even the senior European Union officials feel the same way about the gas conflict. The EU officials claim the best course of action would be to restart gas supplies as early as January 9 and hold off on seeking paper agreements for now. These officials agree that Russia's action of completely cutting off gas supplies has backfired greatly on the country and will take time to repair the damaged relationships.

Bolivia breaks ties with Israel over Gaza

Amanda Dominguez

Bolivia is the second country to break ties with Israel over the crisis in Gaza. No surprise that leftist Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, made the first move in condemning Israel over the human rights violations that have been occurring in Gaza. Evo Morales, president of Bolivia, even went as far as saying that Israels president and prime minister need to be charged of war crimes. Both countries have expelled Israeli ambassadors. So far Israel has not said anything about the comments that leaders have made in opposition to their situation.
This article also made an interesting reference to Bolivia and Venezuela expelling their US ambassadors claiming that they were undermining their governments. This makes me wonder if Israel's close ties with the US is cause for such an strong opposition from these Latin American concerning the problems in Israel and Gaza or if they really are concerned about the way people have been treated.

CNN.com

Five Somali Pirates Drown as they Squabble Over their $3million Dollar Ransom

The Boldest Move by Somali Pirates to date ended with the Death of at least five of them. This two month 'ordeal' came to an end when a $3 million dollar ransom was agreed upon. The ransom was then parachuted near the supertanker. Unfortunately, the story doesn't have a happy ending for most of the little band of pirates. Due to their own 'squabbling' and bad weather, their boat blew over and sank. The money hasn't been found.

This ordeal signaled a greater call to the outside world that their are still pirates out on the seas especially near unstable countries. This incident sparked both the United States and China to come up with better means of protecting their own to protect their ships. Hopefully the rest of the world will take note of this story as well.

Both crewman were treated humanely and the ship is on its way to Mombasa, hopefully without anymore problems.

This incident showed just how clever thieves can be and how far they might go. Ironically, it wasn't any military intervention that brought about their end, but rather their own individual greed. Their may just be a lesson for everyone in this story.

Israel calls for 'furthur patience'

Despite the promise of the end of military operations in Gaza, the Israeli military has had no success in stopping the casualties of this two week long debacle. Just today 20 additional rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza strip, striking a kindergarten, but reporting no casualties. The more unfortunate, however light that term may be, incidents did occurs on the side of the philistines, where another 33 people were killed today alone, bringing the total death count to 898 and the total injuries to 3695 in Gaza. What strikes me as unacceptable is that 45 percent of these “causalities” were women and children. The article will go onto explain that the Israeli army has made efforts to ensure that civilian “causalities” are being kept to a minimum. They will even go as far as to call ahead to bombing location and warn civilians of an impending airstrike.

One has to question the Israeli government, however. I believe that it is perfectly reasonable to protect the citizens of your nation, but at what expense? Are the civilians of Israel just worth more than those of Gaza? Because, however horrific it may seem, it is quite apparent that those that the Israeli government are killing, in almost half the cases, are civilians.

The people of Gaza have been oppressed, persecuted, and deliberately exiled and now to add to the list they are, for all intents and purposes, being murdered by the government of Israel. It just is not just…

I’ll tell you what I want to see. I want to see an article that doesn’t beg patience for Israel, that does not make excuses or false justifications or throw around words like “casualty. We need to realize that each “casualty” has a life and they mean something to someone, somewhere. These PEOPLE have lives. And these LIVES are being brutally taken from them, not just from the military operation of the last week, but also from the past decades of history. Yes, I want to see an article that will call Israel out for their deliberate abuses of natural human rights. More than that, I want to see some sort of action taken by the international community to let not just Israel, but the entire world, know that violations on human rights will not be tolerated, the patience that Israel so brazenly requests will not be granted, and offenses will be met with swift, unrelenting action. Call me an idealist, but I believe in justice.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/11/israel.gaza/index.html

India's Madoff? Satyam Scandal Rocks Outsourcing Industry

This article discusses the scandel surrounding B. Ramalinga Raju, the chairman of the Indian IT outsoursing company Satyam Computer Services. Raju sent a letter to his board and the Securities & Exchange Board of India on Jan. 7th, stating that he had inflated the amount of cash on the balance sheet for the company (the fourth largest Indian IT comany) by almost a billion dollars. This scandel is one that is very similar to what happened in America with Enron. In India, the IT industry is one of its biggest and one that is looked highly upon and frequently used by other countries (especially the U.S.). Because of this many industry observers now argue that India's reputation as a reliable provider of IT services will be permanitly damaged. "Doubts about the reliability of Indian outsourcers are especially important, since customers often allow the Indian companies access to sensitive systems" (1). This will inevetably lead many international companies to re-think their investment in the Indian IT industry, something that could severly damage the country's economy.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2009/gb2009017_807784_page_2.htm

U.S. rejected Israeli plea to attack Iran

The government of Israel presented several request to President Bush last year for weapons and permission for an airstrike inside Iran all of which were denied. The author of an investigation report told CNN. Although the President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, maintains Iran's nuclear program is only intended for peaceful purposes. In early 2008 Israel went to the White House with three requests to attack the main nuclear complex in Iran. Israel wanted the United States to supply specialized bunker-busting bombs, equipment to help refuel planes making flights into Iran and permission to fly over Iraq to reach the major nuclear complex. This is the site of Iran's only known uranium enrichment plant. The first two appeals went unanswered and the last was denied. The Bush administration rejected the request because it feared that the Iran government would expel American Troops if they helped Israel strike Iran using Iraqi airspace. So instead Bush persuaded Israeli officials by sharing with them some details of U.S. operations aimed at sabotaging Iran’s nuclear weapons program. President Obama has now inherited this problem and the operations that the Bush administration has led to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Obama stated in his first post-election news conference that nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable." He also said he would help mount an international effort to prevent it from happening. Iran upholds its nuclear program is for energy purposes only. The Israeli government has said it will not rule out military action to stop Iran's nuclear ambition.

Gaza toll rises; truce sought

On Thursday January 8, 2009, Israel was getting ready to push into crowded Gazan cities to bomb innocent people's homes. Then, France and Egypt named a temporary truce. They came in and proposed an immediate cease fire for a temporary truce, with further discussions of a long-term truce. The US is encouraging Israeli leaders to take up this offer. The Israeli Prime Minister claimed that he wants cease fire from Gaza into Irael, and for the Hamas to stop smuggling arms back and forth between Egypt. After a plead on Wednesday from the Hamas for Israel to cease fire, Israel gave a three hour time slot for Gazans to collect supplies and find a place for a hide-out. Including the three hour time slot, Irsrael allowed 80 supply trucks into Gaza. The Palestinian death toll is at a rising 700 people. 1/7 of that toll are children. While the Gazans have nowhere to flee to seek safety, the Israeli people have accessed bomb shelters, and outside cities for shelter. Although the Israeli people are finding shelter, the Israelis are struggling with the proven fact that Gazans are using their civilians as human sheilds, as well as their houses for military bases. What will become of this war? In my opinion, I am very happy to hear that France and Egyt are coming in for a peace treaty. I think that that puts France in good graces, as well as putting Egypt back into good graces. With the wall up in Egypt, Egypt has not treated Gaza very well. However, I think if the Egyptians do help propose this the Gazan politicians will demand the border to be removed, so that refugees could seek shelter within Egypt. This puts Egypt in a bad spot because not only is there arms trafficking already, Gazans in Egypt could create more problems then right now. War could be inflicted on Egypt from Israel, or the Gazans. However that extreme would only happen if Israel refusing to go along with the peace treaty. Gazans would have to receive some sort of relief from the Israelis as well. I am very pleased that is looking more towards the positive end of the spectrum. If theIsraelis are willing to give a three hour relief period, maybe they are willing to sacrifice more. I am excited to see how this truce pans out. Unless the problem gets completely solved between Israel and Gaza in this "temporary period," then I think that temporary will truly be a very short temporary.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-gaza-mideast_joel_08jan08,0,6488237.story

Slave Labor in Brazil

The Brazilian government is stepping up their efforts to eradicate slavery from their country, according to CNN. Human slavery is an issue that affects approximately 12.3 million people worldwide. Within Brazilian borders, it is said that between 25,000 and 40,000 citizens are victims of some form of slavery. In Brazil, citizens are recruited for employment far away from family and friends. Once separated from their social network, they are forced to work to pay off debt from loans or transportation. After this, they have no control over working conditions or what they are paid. In an effort to fight this, the Brazilian government employees a "Special Mobile Inspection Group" made up of labor inspectors, federal officers, and attorneys. They raid workplaces looking for people being forced to work against their will. In 2007, they freed 5,999 workers. Since 1995, they have successfully freed 33,000 workers.
While slave labor is an issue, it is not the issue. Slave labor as a practice is a direct result of poverty. One in four Brazilians live in poverty, and bringing this number down is made more difficult by the vastness of the country and business interests. Brazil is approximately the size of the United States, and has a large agricultural sector. Besides the use of special task forces, the government has relatively few tools to combat the situation. The powerful agriculture companies have fought proposed legislation enabling the government to confiscate lands on which slave labor has been used.

Why Isreal Can't Win

Amanda Dominguez

At this point, it is so secret that there is growing turmoil in the middle east. People are suffering and there is a growing sense of instability. The recent events in Gaza have made this apparent like ever before. This weeks Time Magazine article entailed Why Israel Can't Win explains that military force may not be the answer there may, after all, be a need for talks of creating separate states.
Time brings up that Arabs will soon out number Jews leaving them with the decision to live with an independent Palestinian state or watch themselves become a minority
Dealing with Hamas is Israels second problem. Because of the economic restrictions and growing human rights abuse, Hamas has said that they would agree to a truce if these economic sanctions were released. But the problems do not end there
Most Middle Eastern countries have never had strong relations with Israel. All peace talks with Israel have ceased and they are quickly loosing support and cooperation from moderate Arab states. Syria who had always been a supporter of Hamas spent part of 2008 in indirect peace talks, but after this they have cut off all communication.
Overall, it sounds as if there is much to be done, unfortunately tensions have been so high for so long that it is difficult to say if people in that part of the world will ever see peace. There are factors that say that there is not enough time to find out and something needs to be done now.

Zimbabwe Activists Abducted

Eleven human rights activists are still missing after several attempts to find their whereabouts by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Forty activists all together have been taken since October. The activists were charged with conspiracy bombing police stations and overthrowing current president, Robert Mugabe. Other activists have claimed being tortured by the Zimbabwean government while in custody. A two-year old child of two of the activists has also been abducted.
This story paints a portrait of the interwoven problems the international community, particularly third world countries. The constant human rights violations and poverty, and the attempts by the oppositional party to solve these issues lead to the violence and corruption within the government. The article "Zimbabwe opposition: Help us find abducted member" connects the escalating economic crisis. According to NPR's website, "it takes 1.2 Quadrillion Zimbabwean dollars to equal $4,000 U.S." The country's inflation rate is the worst in the world at 231million percent. The country is in dire need of basic supplies such as food and fuel. In my opinion the situation is stuck at a stalemate, due to the constant tug of war between the government and the resistance.

West African Organization blocks Guinea from meetings

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has blocked Guinea from all further meetings until Constitutional Order is restored. Guinea, which until recently has been ruled by President Lansana Conte since 1984, has been in turmoil since Captain Moussa Dadis Camara led a coup following the late President's death. The new leader has pledged to fight corruption and hold elections, but neither has been instituted yet.

Regional support has been mixed, with some neighbors expressing a willingness to work with the new leaders, while others have halted economic and political support. Besides Ecowas, the African Union has also suspended the membership of Guinea, and the United States has halted monetary aid. Guinea is an important source of bauxite, which 1/3 of the world's reserves located within the country, making it the world's second largest producer. It is also an important source of gold, nickel, iron, and diamonds.

Growing Tensions

As of last year Russia has started to present itself differently to the international community. A growing wave of conflict that many suggest to be a byproduct of oil and gas wealth, hints that Russian leaders are confident enough to risk international isolation. Russia's current economic situation which had lead to the decadence of the ruble is considered among the strongest reasons for rising conflicts with Georgia and more recently Ukraine. Which lead many to think if this situations implies future Russian conflict with the United States. There are many factors to be considered; first the Russian conflict with Ukraine which is dragging several countries of Europe with it, second the new American government lead by Barack Obama and it's policy makers and last, the rising Global Financial crash. Many political scientist offer two scenarios for Russia in this situation, a state of cooperation versus a state of retrenchment and Nationalism. The cooperation will imply the economic weakness of the World states therefore the necessity for international cooperation. The other choice implies regional separatism, attacks toward external enemies (especially the United States which has expressed a possible entrance in Ukraine) and finally a period of isolation. Though is early to decide what will happen many have seen the August intervention of Russia in Georgia as a new step toward the second scenario.

Obama's Plan of Action

The fighting that has been going on in Gaza has not only caught President Bush’s attention but President-Elect Barack Obama’s attention as well. Obama’s has rejected the notion of others who are saying he is keeping quiet about the fighting in Gaza. He plans to put a well thought out peace process into action on his first day in office on January 20^th and is currently working with a team of individuals to construct this. Obama goes into further discussion about the Middle East when discussing Iran’s Nuclear weapons program. The president- elect still plans to meet with the Middle Eastern powers early on in office in order to show not only respect to the Iranian people but to show the proper behavior of an international actor. In order to further his point of being a proper international actor, Obama also plans to shut down Guantanamo Bay sometime during his presidency although he has not specified when this will occur.

IAEA Seeking Tougher Nuclear Safeguards

The United States has recently strengthened its nuclear-safeguards agreement. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is enthusiastic about this, since additional countries are expected to jump aboard and toughen their own policies as a result. Also, president-elect Obama supports the proposed doubling of IAEA's budget by 2020 in order to help the organization's inspectors' work.

IAEA's main aim is to make sure that countries obey the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). As of 1997, in light of Saddam Hussein's ability to cheat inspectors while pursuing secret bomb projects prior to 1991, a tougher set of safeguards has been adopted. The new rules enable inspectors to investigate with shorter notice, have access to more information, and employ better techniques in their investigations.

Unfortunately, agreeing to the treaty is voluntary, and less than half the world's governments enforce an Additional Protocol. Of the 100-plus countries that have not agreed to the treaty, some of them are suspected to possess misusable nuclear materials or technology. Some notable countries that have not signed include Iran, North Korea, and Syria. In attempt to ensure compliance, the UN Security Council could potentially engage a binding process for non-joining countries. This would allow investigators to inspect areas in question and take the necessary, additional steps in targeting the misuse of nuclear materials and technology.

VP-elect Biden arrives in Afghanistan for talks

Vice President-elect Joe Biden has arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Before arriving there, they met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. Pakistan's government is waging a bloody battle against Taliban and al Qaeda militants in its tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.

Biden "assured the Pakistani leadership" of the United States' "continued assistance to Pakistan."

President-elect Barack Obama has said that he wants a troop build up in Afghanistan. The sudden trip Biden has taken has drawn some people to scratch their heads or wonder what the true intent of his trip means. His aides say that it makes sense to go to the region now, rather than wait 4-6 weeks after he and Barack Obama are elected. Also this will allow Biden to report with things he has heard and seen in the region to Obama. Biden's foreign policy expertise proves vital in an administration that features an inexperienced President.

There is nothing Biden can really do in the region at this point because he is still technically a senator. However, his trip could start the mark of a new era of foreign policy and possibly a move to peace in the region.

Israel and Hamas Rebuff U.N. Cease-Fire Call

Posted by Justin Bresolin

Israel and terrorist group Hamas have both rebuked a United Nations call for a 14-day diplomatic cease-fire in and around the Gaza Strip, currently in a state of armed conflict. Israel, in indication of the continued rocket barrages on their nation by Hamas, argues that it is "not practical" for such a halt to occur at this time. While Gaza continues its regular rocket attacks on its opponent, Israel air forces and naval artillery continue to regularly bombard the isolated territory as ground troops and armor proceed on land, having assaulted an estimated 50 strategic targets overnight in spite of the UN's call for a halt.

In a press statement following a cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announces the intent of their military to continue operations in defense of their nation, declaring “This morning’s rocket fire against residents of the south only proves that the U.N. Security Council Resolution is not practical and will not be honored in actual fact by the Palestinian murder organizations." Likewise, a Hamas representative in Beirut dismissed the resolution on the grounds that it "does not suit us because it is not in the best interest of the Palestinian people."

As the Gaza death toll surpasses 784, including women and children, the Bush Administration, choosing to abstain from the resolution vote, places the responsibility for ending the conflict with Hamas, while simultaneously expressing concern to Olmert about Gaza's humanitarian and civilian mortality issues.

The United Nations has suspended food support after the Israeli destruction of marked transports, and the secretary general calls for an investigation into Israel's alleged firing upon UN and civilian institutions.

Shock at Senegal gay jail terms

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has condemned the jailing in Senegal of 9 gay men, accused of "indecent conduct and unnatural acts." The judge also added three years to the five year sentence, alleging the men were part of a criminal group. Most of the men were in fact a part of a group to fight HIV and AIDS. Homosexual acts are illegal in Senegal, but this is the first time that such a harsh sentence has been handed down by the legal system. Defense lawyer Issa Diop said he would be appealing against the sentences, and IGLHRC's Cary Alan Johnson said he was "deeply disturbed" by the case.

The sentences come shortly after Senegal hosted a major conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, where issues of male homosexuality where discussed. However, this seeming openness and progressiveness is still dealing with a predominantly Muslim society where gay individuals must live on the fringe of society.

Sudan; International Court of Arbitration Intervenes

Sherri Siegele

Northern and Southern Sudan apprehensively wait for the International Court of Arbitration to assign specific geographical boundaries to the town of Abyei; Sudan’s richest area of oil fields. Although a peace deal to end civil war between the North and South was signed four years ago the two sides were unable to decide on the division of Abyei. With time passing and tensions rising this past year saw two incidents of fighting that nearly lead to civil war. These incidents were instigated between Muslim and Christian soldiers and members of north and south joint army and police units. The latter caused residents of Abyei to lose confidence in the security of police action causing 50,000 people to abandon their homes and a scorched town. United Nations peace keepers are trying to minimize and stop local disturbances from escalating into large scale fighting or civil war until the International Court of Arbitration assigns boundaries to Abyei.

Sudan; International Court of Arbitration Intervenes

Sherri Siegele

Northern and Southern Sudan apprehensively wait for the International Court of Arbitration to assign specific geographical boundaries to Abyei; Sudan’s richest area of oil fields. Although a peace deal to end civil war between the North and South was signed four years ago the two sides were unable to decide on the division of Abyei. With time passing and tensions rising this past year saw two incidents of fighting that nearly lead to civil war. These incidents were instigated between Muslim and Christian soldiers and members of north and south joint army and police units. The latter caused residents of Abyei to lose confidence in the security of police action causing 50,000 people to abandon their homes and a scorched town. United Nations peace keepers are trying to minimize and stop local disturbances from escalating into large scale fighting or civil war until the International Court of Arbitration assigns boundaries to Abyei.

Al Qaeda blames Obama for the Situation in Gaza

Soch Mel

An audio message that is reportedly from al Qaeda's deputy chief is vowing revenge against Israel. This is of no surprise to anyone with the current situation being as it is. He calls this action "a gift" from the President-elect. The speaker is identifies as Ayaman al-Zawahiri. He is addressing Muslims in Gaza as well as Muslims around the globe. He said that the violence "is one part of a series of a crusade war against Islam and these air strikes are a gift from Obama before he takes office, and (Egyptian President) Hosni Mubarak, that traitor, is the main partner in your siege and killing."

Another interesting quote; "My Muslim brothers and mujahedeens in Gaza and all over Palestine, with the help of God we are with you in the battle, we will direct our strikes against the crusader Jewish coalition wherever we can."

A CNN analysis saw two reasons for this message. It is first an attempt to bring a negative image of Obama before he even starts office, and the second is that it criticizes the Egyptian president who has blocked trade, shipments, and travel between Egypt and Gaza. Zawahiri was also served jail time in Egypt which probably contributes to his resentment of Egypt.

I found these quotes to be simply disturbing, but also clever. After all how does a person create support for a case than to change and twist images and words around. These extremists will never resort less for what they demand; no compromise will be any good. It's hard to maintain a neutral tone when they seem unwilling to understand us and want to resent American people for life. Israel has a right to defend itself, who would like rockets falling in their own backyard?! Damn, there is no such thing a peace in the Mideast!

At the beginning of the year problems about oil have already started: Russia and Ukraine

By Fiorella Bafundo

Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly halted most of its supply of gas to Western Europe, because of a conflict with Ukraine, which is also one monopoly as an intermediary between Gazprom and the European countries.
European countries are very concerned about that because of the winter season and how quickly the decision has been taken.
Each side blames the other, and none of them assumes the responsibility. On the one hand, it is said that Russia is trying to make the oil prices go up due to the fact that they fell down last year, while they constitute 60% of its budget. Also, it is said that Russia is kind of angry because Ukraine is trying to be a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in which Georgia is also a member, country that Russia fought a “small” war in August.
On the other hand, some people say that Ukraine, as a monopoly too, wants to increase the tariff of oil that goes through its country. Some Russian politicians and Gazprom members also said that Ukraine shut down the pipelines. At the same time, Ukraine denies that.
Negotiations are expected to take place soon as there are going to be some meetings to try to solve the problem. Sergiy Teriokhin, minister of economy in Ukraine said "When there are two monopolies, then you need a political negotiation […]It is not just any two corporations talking. It's a political problem. It's a problem of the European Union. It is not just a problem of Ukraine and Russia."