Deadly attack in Kubal raises Afghanistan withdrawl concerns

Wabel Abdallah, the head of the IMF's Afghanistan office and four UN foreign officials were killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack in a restaurant in Kubal.  A suicide bomber set off their explosives by a fortified gate that protected the restaurant and then two gunman went inside and fired their weapons. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for this attack. This area is popular for foreign diplomats to dine and this restaurant in particular is close to various embassies including those of the U.K., Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. The Taliban has made it known that they have been targeting foreign officials. The security of Afghanistan is a huge concern with the UN and its members. A new president is supposed to be elected this April and if he is “weak” people fear that the country will fall back into the hands of the Taliban. With the UN withdrawing that last of their troops by the end of the year the U.S. is waiting on a response from Afghanistan’s current president about allowing some troops to remain in the country. The Taliban states that it now has control of large parts of Afghanistan and believes that once the Western powers withdraw their forces that they can regain control over the country. Click here for the link to the article.

Putin grants interview about upcomingOlympic games

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who rarely grants interviews with foreign reporters, talked with BBC reporter Andrew Marr about the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The main focus of the beginning this interview was the games and gay rights. What much of the main stream media has failed to mention the laws that ban homosexual propaganda in Russia aimed towards minors. Not homosexual relations. Many critics of the law state that the loosely written law can be interoperated in a way that makes any homosexual behavior illegal. Many countries leaders have stated that they will not be in attendance at these games and the United States is sending an openly gay Olympic delegation. However the question has been raised if the Olympics are the time and the place to criticize Russia’s law. The second part of this interview addressed the recent attacks in Russia that occurred near Sochi and threats against the games. Putin stated that security measures have been taken that will ensure the protection of the athletes and those in attendance. At the end of the interview Putin stated that since the collapse of the USSR Russia’s morale has been low and he hopes that these games will play a role in lifting the spirits of his countrymen.   

Trial for Human Rights Activist in China

Xu Zhiyong, one of China's most prominent human rights activists will stand trial next week for "assembling a crowd to disrupt order in a public place". He could spend up to five years if convicted. His lawyer stated that his conviction is all but certain. The lawyer even tried to convince the court officials  of procedural flaws in the case but the officials ignored him and went on with the notice. China's courts are controlled by the Communist Party and they rarely every find defendants innocent, especially in political cases like this one. The trials will be a show of determination of President XI Jinping and other Communist Party leaders to extinguish any organized opposition, who are trying to challenge their control. Some of Xu Zhiyong campaigns have been arbitrary detention by the police, discriminatory barriers against rural schoolchildren and "black jaisl" used to secretly detain aggrieved citizens who travel to Beijing to complain to officials. He is also known for protests across the country demanding that Communist Party officials disclose their wealth, release political prisoners and give people more say in government. The prosecutors' indictment against Xu is that he orchestrated protest in Beijing, including a gathering by people calling for equal schooling opportunities for rural and urban children. The trial will sure attract Chinese supporters and Western diplomats. Though there will be a lot of individuals who will be excluded from the courtroom.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/trial-set-for-prominent-rights-activist-in-china.html?ref=world

Simona Gudynaite

Taliban attack kills at least 13

The attack in one of the deadliest attack in Kabul in years. It started of with a suicide bomber blowing himself up outside the restaurants front doors, following by gunmen entering the restaurant and firing in the busy dining room of the restaurant. The 13 that were killed on Friday evening were local Afghans and foreigners. The restaurant is very well known to have foreign diplomats come to the restaurant to relax and be treated very well by the restaurant owner who was a Lebanese who was one of the 13 dead. The target of the attack was La Taverna du Liban, the Lebanese restaurant. No direct attack to an individual or a group has been linked together yet. Although some of the foreign individuals that were killed were German officials. A Taliban spokesman made a statement "...a large number of foreign occupiers, most of them German, have suffered casualties." There can be a link that Taliban was focusing the attack on these specific German officials because they are being singled out. The restaurant was known to have high security and make foreign diplomants welcome but the security couldn't match the suicide bomber or the gunmen who were firing inside the restaurant for two hours.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/taliban-attack-on-restaurant-in-afghan-capital-kills-at-least-13/2014/01/17/d8cdc916-7fa1-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html

Simona Gudynaite

Explosions injure 28 in Bangkok protest

In the midst of the protest of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, violence escalated today, injuring more than 28 people in Bangkok. The violence linked to the protests have ranged from the shooting of two protesters to bus burnings and assaults on police officers. The protest group has been pushing the objective of trying to shutdown Bangkok since monday. The actual numbers of protester has been diminishing since monday when there were about 170,000 protesters. The spokesperson of the protest group stated that the explosions were attacks on the protest groups, with the first explosion happening only about 30 meters away from the leader of the protest group. Nonetheless the protest continued and they marched on towards Lumpini Park. It's estimated that 8 people have died and 450 have been injured as a result of the protest since November. The protesters are seeking to have a Democratic government implemented which would be more representative of public opinion and voting.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/17/world/asia/thailand-protests/index.html?hpt=wo_c1
Alec Phillipp

Only American captive soldier seen in video

Bowe Bergdahl is the only current U.S. soldier still held captive on foreign soil. He is being held in Pakistan and reportedly has been held there since June of 2009. The video was made by the Haqqani network, a group in alliance with the Taliban. The U.S. military retrieved the video and believe it was made in december of 2013. U.S. officials report that they make daily efforts to try to ensure the release of Bergdahl but are not yet successful. Given the fact that the U.S. has withdrawn their military presence in the middle east and with the growing animosity that between us and Pakistan the fact that Bergdahl is still being held captive is rather unsettling.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/15/world/asia/us-prisoner-video/index.html

Alec Phillipp

The War on Terror’s authoritarian template

Egypt had once been a country that praised civil liberties, justice, and freedom, but as of late, this has all been pushed to the side. The Egyptian people now praise their own internal forces as they arrest and even kill in mass numbers people associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. As they have been criticized by the international community the Egyptian government has explained their actions by pointing at the United States and the way that they conducted themselves after the attacks on 9/11. The Egyptian government has taken the American model and applied it to their current situation in the denial of basic rights to members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who has been declared an enemy of the state. The Egyptians have taken it further than America did, but the American public still doesn't know the extent to which their government took away their liberties.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/14/the-war-on-terrors-authoritarian-template/?hpt=wo_c2

Mark Vear

Can Kerry convince the Syrian National Coalition to attend Geneva II?

U.S Secretary of State John Kerry is not going to take 'no' for an answer from Syria. He has told the leaders of the Syrian National Coalition that unless they participate in the, "peace talks in Montreux, Switzerland on January 22nd, the U.S. could pull its support." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has agreed to attend the convention but question's still linger whether opposition forces will continue to oppose the regime. Tensions continue to mount due to the recent fire fight and deaths between Assad's government and the coalition government. In addition to all of this there is growing international pressure between Russian backed Assad and the U.S. backing of the coalition government. Russia and the U.S. continue to talk about peaceful solutions that include humanitarian aid, prisoner exchanges, and regional cease-fires. Interestingly, the U.S. and Russia remain unresolved on Iran's role in the peace talks. Iran being a strong Syrian weapon supplier and ally, Iran has great influence over Syria. U.S. strongly noted that there will be no invitation to Iran, until they can comply with the original conventions resolutions of 2012. However Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has commented saying, "As far as my tickets to Geneva, I'm always ready to go... we are prepared to participate actively and positively in finding any peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis,".   Still, as Kerry tries to pull Syria into the talks, 9 million Syrian's remain displaced along with over 130,000 claimed deaths. The need for a working resolution for Syria is higher then ever, and may decide the future for this state and even stability in the region.


http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/Insiders/2014/1/14/can-kerry-convincethesyriannationalcoalitiontoattendgenevaii.html


Katelyn Krumreich

Congress pushes towards adding sanctions to Iran's nuclear program agreement

A bill going to Congress conflicts with the new agreement the US and other world powers have made with Iran with their nuclear program.  The bill's aim is to decrease oil exporting to zero.  The bill and its sponsors hope to add sanctions on the agreement for leverage on Iran to keep the agreement.  Currently, both Republicans and Democrats are backing the bill despite President Obama's public opposition to the sanctions.  Congress needs two thirds majority to override the veto of President Obama.  The recent count of 59 senators backing the bill is close to overriding the veto. The White House has released a statement speaking of the harm passing this bill will take on the diplomatic relations with Iran.  The bill for sanctions is a "march to war", the White House announced.  President Obama wants the recent agreement to mend the diplomatic relations, but believes the bill will potentially ruin the recent progress.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/world/middleeast/obama-fights-a-push-to-add-iran-sanctions.html?src=me
Brooke Reed

Can Obama win back world opinion in second term?

This is a very interesting analysis regarding Obama presidency during the first and the second term. The article describes different reasons on how the presidence's image has been damaged and the level of approval of US Foreign policies by foreign countries such China, Indonesia, Argentina, and Egypt has decreased by 20%. In some other countries like Canada, Russia, Britain, Poland, France, Turkey, Jordan, and Japan, the decrease in approval of US foreign policy is at around 10%.

The reasons seem to be different. Starting with the NSA policy on tracking and saving American citizens phone calls, use of drones to attack suspected terrorists, spying in other countries, leak of classified information by WikiLeaks and Al-Jazeera.

Considering all of this it is not surprising to see the decrease in world support to Obama. The policy which was approved by the White House and which requires companies to save all the information that they track regarding their consumers has been often categorized by citizens as an invasion of privacy and as an unconstitutional act of the government. The use of drones in other hand, has also been very criticized because of the number of casualties it has caused. Many civilians, who were later confirmed to have had nothing to do with terrorists, have been shot and killed. Also, many people in Pakistan claim to be afraid to leave their houses where drones operate because they might be killed.

Spying in other countries is something that has been internationally condemned and many Prime Ministers and Presidents have protested against them. The latest case with the Brazilian President has caused the cancellation of US-Brazil Presidents meeting and the President of Brazil has also openly addressed the issue during one of the meetings of UN. It should be mentioned that the United States was caught spying on some of the most important allies in Europe such as Germany, France, etc.

While the WikiLeaks have threatened to reveal more information that other medias such as Al-Jazeera can use as a political propaganda. It is still to be seen what the next scandal is going to be in American Foreign Policy.

For the original article please click here.

Fatlum Gashi
 

First US Commander Michael Lehnert says "close Guantanamo prison"

The Guantanamo prison is located in a part of land that was leased by Cuba to the United States through a treaty in 1934. This is a prison where the US government keeps suspected members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In my opinion the United States government, by allowing the brutal treatment of prisoners in this prison, has broken its long lasting promise and call for the respect of Human Rights. The United States has also broken the International Laws by failing to adhere to Geneva Convention and other treaties which prohibit the mistreatment of prisoners. The society is not familiar with the identity of these prisoners nor with their wrongdoings, the charges against them or the possibility for their release. As a result, many countries are coming together more and more, each time arguing against the existence of Guantanamo. Different international organizations have already started working with the American government officials in order for this prison to be closed and for the prisoners be sent to different countries.

The article that I have chosen to reflect on today is about a statement that was released in the name of General Michael Lehnert by the advocacy organization Human Rights First, where the General stated that the Guantanamo prison should be closed as it doesn't fulfill the minimum standards for holding people inside. Knowing that the first general that was in charge of this prison is against keeping it open, I am not surprised that many other important politicians are following his way.

 

In order to illustrate why I would personally be against the existence of such a prison, I will use two examples from the history that have been very successful and didn't involve aggressive procedures. After the WWII ended, the Nazi who attacked and occupied other countries where soon brought before the justice. Within two years, the trials were finished and people were sentenced and were prone to be held accountable for only what they did. A similar case was the one with the pirates right after Barbary Wars of the 19^th century between the US and pirates based in North Africa. The US ensured that the imprisoners will be held according to the rules and they will be set for a fair trial.

However, there are more basic norms as to why the US will have to determine to close this prison. Some of the prisoners are being held in there for a long time that even the danger that they posed to the society or the US has already been outdated. For example, the author mentions one example of a Yemeni prisoner who was taken as an al-Qaeda bodyguard, who no longer seems to be a problem to the US foreign policy. Also, the idea of sending people to jail and keeping them there without any information as to why they are being kept imprisoned should be obsolete by now. There are people that have been kept in Guantanamo for 12 years without being charged.

Last but not least, human rights are something that everyone should be able to enjoy and as the United States has been one of the strongest fighters for those rights, then I think they should also work harder on protecting them by all means. Terrorism doesn't only threaten the US and therefore the people prosecuted for terrorism shouldn't be judged or tried only in that country. It is better for everyone if the people who are suspected for different crimes can be judged in different countries and be offered the rights as required by the International Law. I also think that it is much more efficient if the terrorism is fought globally rather than just by one country.

For the original article please click here.

 

Fatlum Gashi

Inside Iraq: Two years after U.S. withdrawal, are things worse than ever?

It has now been two years since the last American troops have left Iraq and the country has deteriorated at a rapid rate. Over the years a total of 4500 American lives were lost in Iraq, but that doesn't even come close to matching the death tolls that are coming out of Iraq now that the United States has left the country. It has been reported that in 2013, over 8000 people died in Iraq, most of whom were innocent civilians. The problems for Iraq started as soon as the American presence vacated the country and most of the Sunni congregation in power were rounded up and even Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi was arrested, but later fled the country. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki primed the country for a divide-and-conquer political climate where the Sunnis received the short end of the stick. The government has cracked down harshly on Sunni protest camps. The ISIS or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has moved into the Anbar Province. The ISIS is an al-Queda linked group and have gained much power in the festering Anbar Province. They have taken to bombings and killings on a daily basis. The United States isn't putting boots back on the ground, but they are providing drones, missiles, aircraft, and other assistance in this fight that is currently going on in Iraq.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/world/meast/iraq-anbar-violence-holmes/index.html?hpt=wo_c2


Mark Vear

UK and US warns Syrian opposition they must attend Geneva peace talks

The United States and Britain have threatened to withdraw support from the Syrian opposition coalition (SOC) if they refuse or fail to send delegation to the Geneva Peace Conference on January 22nd. The peace conference has been set up to work towards resolving the conflicts and increasingly violent tensions taking place between the SOC and President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S and UK are urging the SOC to send officials or risk losing international credibility. The SOC had been asked late November to submit their delegates names but refused to do so. They are looking towards reaching a final decision by the end of the week though SOC officials are questioning the credibility of the U.S. and UK threat stating "If the British and Americans say that if we don't go to Geneva they will abandon us, it doesn't mean they will actually do it. They have a brutal dictator on one side and al-Qaida on the other, so who will they deal with if not with us?" Nonetheless, Kerry is confident the coalition will attend the Geneva Conference believing that the SOC understands what is at stake for them if they do not. Not only would the SOC suffer from their non-attendance but the UN, U.S., and Britain would face continued criticism for the international disarray. The Syrian crisis has already resulted in 126,00 deaths since it's start in March 2011.

SOC President Ahmed al-Jarba was stated as saying he had "always said it was his intention to attend the Geneva negotiations." The only issue facing his attendance is persuading the moderate opposition to agree when their homes and villages are being attacked. Critics believe that the Geneva conference will not result in progress, however. The U.S. and UK are hoping the Syrian government and SOC can agree on one "transitional governing body with full executive powers, formed by mutual consent, to meet the aspirations of the Syrian people". Yet, this will prove hard to do when the opposition is demanding that President Assad not be apart of any transition. Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, acknowledged this fact stating, "No one should underestimate the difficulty of the negotiations ahead. But we will not give up on diplomacy as the route to stopping the appalling bloodshed..."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/us-uk-syrian-opposition-geneva-peace-talks

Senior Libyan Official Assassinated, First Since Qaddafi Era

Hassan al-Droui, the deputy minister of industry in Libya, was assassinated Saturday evening--the first assassination of a senior governmental figure to occur in the country since Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi two years prior. Mr. Droui's hometown of Surt, where his assassination was carried out, had been firm Col. Qaddafi supporters during the revolts against the Col. in 2012. Mr. Droui joined the Qaddafi's opposition when becoming apart of the secular transitional government during that time. Many believe this was the direct motive for his assassination along with the increasing antagonism towards the government. 

Tensions across the country have been rising with the upcoming elections for an assembly to draft a new constitution. However, trust in the Parliament that has been struggling to obtain authority over the country since the elections in 2012, has been declining quickly. They plan to transfer power to newly elected officials in February 2014 but are not expected to reach that deadline. As a result, supplies of oil and gas have stopped being distributed in eastern Libya and tribal groups in the south and west while fighting has occurred over smuggling control in the southern city of Sabha. The United States is expected, by optimists, to train recruits for a Libyan military that will help control the outbreaks of violence occurring across the country. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/world/africa/libyan-official-is-assassinated.html?_r=0

New Terms in Iran Nuclear Deal; Go into Effect on 1/20/2014.

This morning it was announced that the State of Iran and six world powers, including the United States, agreed to the terms on the nuclear deal recently struck. Because of this agreement, the new deal will come into effect on January 20th. While the prospect of a deal is welcomed, new efforts at home have caused unrest and could jeopardize the historic agreement- currently the Obama administration continues to battle a bipartisan effort in the Senate for new and more severe U.S. sanctions, which it claims could jeopardize the pact. President Obama issued a statement in regards to the efforts to further punish Iran:

"Unprecedented sanctions and tough diplomacy helped to bring Iran to the negotiating table, and I'm grateful to our partners in Congress who share our goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," he said. "Imposing additional sanctions now will only risk derailing our efforts to resolve this issue peacefully, and I will veto any legislation enacting new sanctions during the negotiation."

Under the terms of the six-month agreement, Iran will begin to rein in its nuclear program, while the United States and other signatories will ease restrictions. The new deal also grants inspectors access to Iran's two largest nuclear facilities. Because of this agreement, Iran will be allowed to access frozen funds. On or around February 1st, Iran will receive $550 million from blocked overseas funds.

William B. Robinson (PSC 222)

Iran beginning to limit nuclear program

Iran and six other powers among the world including the United States have agreed upon a limit on Iran's nuclear program.  The agreement has decreased Iran's stockpile of higher levels of uranium and also taking apart some of the structure of the program.  With Iran limiting their stockpiles in their nuclear program, the US and others will be giving Iran billions of dollars to help recover the economy in Iran. The agreement needed further consultation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.  With the agreement, the uranium production in Iran will be decreased enough to make energy, but not able to make bombs.  Both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have issued statements on the agreement.  President Obama sees the agreement as a step forward. Secretary of State Kerry is troubled with the thought of the future of needing more agreements in the future that could be more difficult to agree upon.  This specific agreement begins January 20th.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-deal.html?ref=world&_r=0

Brooke Reed

Indonesia's president eases ban on ore exports

 Following the enactment of a law in 2009, Indonesia has passed a regulation that places a ban on all mineral ore exports as of Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014.  Since taking office nearly 10 years ago, Indonesia's president, Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has made one of his biggest economic policy decisions of his career.  President Yudhoyono “approved a last-minute regulation that would most likely ease the ban’s impact for major mining companies” within the U.S.  The mineral ban will have an enormous impact on the country’s economy as Indonesia is the world’s biggest exporter of nickel ore and is home to the top gold mine.  For instance, the country’s mineral shipments in 2012 totaled $10.4 billion (around 5 percent of their exports).  Exports of raw ore are not permitted, but companies that can process the ore are allowed to export such minerals.  The ban was placed as an attempt to encourage miners to process their ores domestically, but others fear that this “cut in foreign revenue could widen the current account deficit” and batter the country’s currency.  In addition to the local economy, small domestic companies will suffer as well since they cannot afford to build smelters, which cost millions of dollars.  Because of the uncertainty with regard to the mineral export ban, more than 100 mining companies have reduced or shut down their operations.  Unfortunately, thousands of mine workers have also been laid off, which has set off protests in the city of Jakarta. 

http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.noctrl.edu/nationalnewsexpanded/docview/1476556532/142ED93E06B5E5A4429/15?accountid=44854

Amanda Ngo

World grapples with Sharon legacy

The former prime minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, died on Saturday at the age of 85. As arguably one of the most controversial leaders of modern times, Sharon's death leaves a complicated legacy behind. Western leaders praised his controversial decision making in the face of conflict and strive for peace in the Middle East. However, Sharon's regional foes celebrated the death of the man they considered a "tyrant" and "criminal". The social minister of Lebanon told a local newspaper that "...there was less evil in the world" with Sharon gone. As defense minister during the Lebanon war, Sharon was held responsible for the massacre of  hundreds of Palestinians in the capital of Beirut. Sharon was fired after the incident although he claimed that he didn't know the attack was coming. Frequently pitted against Yassar Arafat, Sharon's military background was his strength. He was a soldier during the 1948, 1967, and 1973 independence wars. During the 70s and 90s , he championed the building of now infamous Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. President Obama's only comment on his death was that the United States would continue to support Israel and their interests. President Vladimir Putin of Russia praised Sharon as a person and for his friendship. Although his time as a leader was anything but static, Sharon's legacy will most likely not be understood until more time has passed.

--Emily Goodfellow (PSC 222)

Yemen Man seeks answers in US over deadly drone strike

Recently the U.S. policy on drones has been a topic of great debate in the U.S. and around the world, Faisal Ahmed bin Ali Jaber, who lost relatives in a 2012 drone strike, spoke at a congressional briefing Tuesday to confront America’s foreign policies on drones. Jaber lost  brother-in-law Salim bin Ali Jaber, an anti-Al-Qaeda cleric; and 26-year-old nephew Walid Abdullah bin Ali Jaber, were killed in a drone strike in Yemen's southeastern Hadramawt province last year. This article demonstrates the ongoing debate on the legality of drone strikes, justified by the UN’s Article 51. Currently, drone policy or targeted killing’s under international law is justifiable. University of Utah Law professor Amos N Guiora, states “Until changes are made, the existing international law framework is the existing framework and they (the Obama administration) should have to act in accordance to that framework.” However, there are strong factions that believe the international law should be revisited and re-imagined in order to confront a new modernity that faces the world today, which include the questions of drone policy along with many others. This article brings to light several foreign policy issues that affect not only U.S. security but international peace and progress as well. As the debate on drones continue, questions of proliferation, security, and just war hang in the balance.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/11/19/yemeni-activist-seeksanswersonusdronestrikethatkilledrelatives.html

Katelyn Krumreich 

Paul Kagame's Dirty Politics in Rwanda

In Rwanda, Paul Kagame's presidency began with high hopes from those in the West who supported him and sought to bring peace to a volatile region. Throughout his terms as President of Rwanda Kagame has received support from the U.S. and Bill Clinton specifically has endorsed him on an international scale leading him to be accepted by many others including the former PM of the UK Tony Blair. However, Kagame has been criticized recently by those in the press and sharply from within his own country as this article from The Independent describes. Recently, Patrick Karegeya who was a political opponent of Kagame's from Rwanda was found murdered in a South African hotel. Karegeya was actually head of Kagame's foreign intelligence services, but chose to leave his administration over disagreements regarding human rights and the recent attacks on the Democratic Republic of Congo. By no means is this an isolated incident, Kagame's rivals have turned up murdered a number of times throughout his presidency by a variety of methods including but not limited to, beatings, gunshots, and near beheading. Despite all of this, there has been no diplomatic effort by the West or any international body such as the UN to curb his power in Rwanda. Kagame's presidency has been marked by an ever greater sense of authoritarianism in the country that quickly silences any dissent whether political or otherwise. It is unclear whether Kagame will remain unchallenged in the next elections or what will happen to future political rivals, but what is for certain is that as long as he has what has been called a "license to kill" it will continue to undermine the political legitimacy within Rwanda.