http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/world/asia/31afghan.html?_r=1&ref=world&pagewanted=print
On Monday, a few minutes before noon, on the second floor of a government building outside of Kandahar, a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform blew himself up. In the attack at least eight people were killed, including five police officers and three civilians, and wounding six others. The attack took place on the southern outskirts of the city of Kandahar in an area where Afghan identification cards are issued. In addition the government building houses a civilian registration office, a police headquarters and a court.
Afghanistan’s police force is seen as a weak link in the country’s security structure. Afghan police officers are frequently the target of Taliban attacks from roadside and suicide bombs. In the eastern Afghan province of Paktia (which borders Pakistan) a roadside bomb exploded Monday while destroying a police vehicle and killing three policemen. Police officers have suffered the brunt of militant attacks, and hundreds have died in bombings and ambushes over the last year. Also, the district police chief was among the wounded in the Kandahar suicide bombing.
Since the amount of Taliban attacks have risen and worsened the last three years, as militants have taken control over large parts of the countryside. President Obama is sending 21,000 more troops to strengthen the 38,000 American soldiers already in the country. In total, NATO and the United States have 70,000 troops in Afghanistan.
In order to improve the Afghan security forces deterring capability, they need to be better trained and equipped. This was announced by President Obama last week as the strategic review of American policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sudanese President mocks the I.C.C and its arrest warrant
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/world/africa/24sudan.html?_r=1&ref=world
Sudan’s President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir travelled to Eritrea on Monday, despite the fact that the I.C.C issued a warrant for his arrest almost three weeks ago on war crimes charges for atrocities committed in Darfur. It was Mr. Bashir’s first trip abroad since the court issued its warrant. Leaving Sudan puts him at greater risk of being arrested because the I.C.C’s guidelines state that the court’s 108 member states are obligated to arrest Mr. Bashir if enters into their countries.
The criminal court charged him with crimes against humanity for playing an essential role in the murder, rape and displacement of vast numbers of civilians in Darfur. Over than 2.5 million Darfur residents have been chased from their homes and as many as 300,000 have died in a conflict between the Arab-dominated government who fought against the non-Arab rebels. Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem, Sudan’s permanent representative to the United Nations said that Mr. Bashir would not change his international travel schedule. Mr. Bashir has scheduled another foreign visit, a trip next week to Qatar for an Arab League summit meeting. Mr. Bashir was offered an out by a senior panel of Sudanese religious scholars, though Sudan promised that he will attend.
The I.C.C is intended as a court of last resort, investigating and prosecuting only where national courts have failed. It deals with“the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole”. Therefore the war crimes Mr. Bashir is accused of are a serious matter and the enitire international community should concider these war crimes as such. Any country that Mr. Bashir sets foot on their soil should arrest him if given the chance.
Sudan’s President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir travelled to Eritrea on Monday, despite the fact that the I.C.C issued a warrant for his arrest almost three weeks ago on war crimes charges for atrocities committed in Darfur. It was Mr. Bashir’s first trip abroad since the court issued its warrant. Leaving Sudan puts him at greater risk of being arrested because the I.C.C’s guidelines state that the court’s 108 member states are obligated to arrest Mr. Bashir if enters into their countries.
The criminal court charged him with crimes against humanity for playing an essential role in the murder, rape and displacement of vast numbers of civilians in Darfur. Over than 2.5 million Darfur residents have been chased from their homes and as many as 300,000 have died in a conflict between the Arab-dominated government who fought against the non-Arab rebels. Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem, Sudan’s permanent representative to the United Nations said that Mr. Bashir would not change his international travel schedule. Mr. Bashir has scheduled another foreign visit, a trip next week to Qatar for an Arab League summit meeting. Mr. Bashir was offered an out by a senior panel of Sudanese religious scholars, though Sudan promised that he will attend.
The I.C.C is intended as a court of last resort, investigating and prosecuting only where national courts have failed. It deals with“the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole”. Therefore the war crimes Mr. Bashir is accused of are a serious matter and the enitire international community should concider these war crimes as such. Any country that Mr. Bashir sets foot on their soil should arrest him if given the chance.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
El-Salvador elections
Mauricio Funes won the presidency for the leftist party, El Salvador's former leftist guerrillas, while Funes defeating his Arena opponent, Rodrigo Ávila, a former national police chief. Mr. Funes’s party, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is led by many of the same commanders who laid down their weapons with the 1992 peace agreement and entered politics, although the presidency has eluded it until now. Funes will be El Salvador’s first leftist president.
With their party’s victory, El Salvador joins a few Latin American countries that have elected leftist governments this decade, as a response to the failure of free-market policies The right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance, known as Arena, beforehand won four successive presidential elections since 1989. Arena pushed for a hard line against the guerrillas during the civil war. Mr. Funes stated he won’t judge his party’s enemies from the country’s civil war. Funes is a former television journalist but wasn't in the guerrilla.
Funes has pledged to govern as a moderate though he will face pressure from inside his party to move to the left. Simultaneously, he will have to negotiate with the right.
Funes intends to continue El Salvador’s close relationship with the United States.
Hopefully he will meet his supporters high expectations
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/americas/17salvador.html?ref=world
Mauricio Funes won the presidency for the leftist party, El Salvador's former leftist guerrillas, while Funes defeating his Arena opponent, Rodrigo Ávila, a former national police chief. Mr. Funes’s party, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is led by many of the same commanders who laid down their weapons with the 1992 peace agreement and entered politics, although the presidency has eluded it until now. Funes will be El Salvador’s first leftist president.
With their party’s victory, El Salvador joins a few Latin American countries that have elected leftist governments this decade, as a response to the failure of free-market policies The right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance, known as Arena, beforehand won four successive presidential elections since 1989. Arena pushed for a hard line against the guerrillas during the civil war. Mr. Funes stated he won’t judge his party’s enemies from the country’s civil war. Funes is a former television journalist but wasn't in the guerrilla.
Funes has pledged to govern as a moderate though he will face pressure from inside his party to move to the left. Simultaneously, he will have to negotiate with the right.
Funes intends to continue El Salvador’s close relationship with the United States.
Hopefully he will meet his supporters high expectations
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/americas/17salvador.html?ref=world
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