Politics often makes very strange bedfellows. In the current civil war in Syria, both the US and Iran have a strong mutual interest in preventing a takeover of Syria by radical Sunni militants. They also have a strong mutual interest in preventing the use of chemical weapons, since Iran was the victim of chemical attacks by Iraq in their war of 1980-88. What is interesting is that neither side seems interested in building on these common objective. The US should be working harder to work with Iran to find a more manageable alternative to President Assad.
Many in Greece have started a week-long series of strikes and protests against the economic policies being forced upon Greece by the EU and the IMF. The austerity programs imposed by the international organizations have shrunk the Greek economy by almost 25% over the years. Previous protests have done little to change these policies, and it is not clear that these activities will be more effective. But it is also clear that Greek society is close to the breaking point given the incredible rise in the suicide rate in the country–an increase of almost 45%
The International Criminal Court has indicted two Kenyan leaders, Deputy President William Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta, for fomenting violence after a contested election in 2007. The International Criminal Court has only recently been established, and its mandate is to enforce laws against crimes against humanity if the national courts in which the offenses occur do not take effective action. What makes this case so fascinating is that both leaders were elected in a recent election which was deemed to have been fair, and there is a sense that the election was itself an opportunity for the Kenyan people to take “effective action” against alleged criminality. The controversy over the indictments has called into question the mandate of the ICC.
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