Armed Conflicts

BOOKS: Afpak Insider Dissects Obama’s Policy Missteps

By Robert E. Hunter
Publication this month of Vali Nasr’s "The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat" is well-timed.

Dozens Die in Attack on Court in Afghanistan

By AJ Correspondents
Suicide bombers disguised as soldiers have stormed a court in western Afghanistan, killing at least 44 people in an attempt to free Taliban fighters standing trial, officials say.

Escalating Korea Crisis Dims Hopes for Denuclearisation

By Jim Lobe
With all sides seeming to climb further up the escalatory ladder over the last several days, defusing the ongoing crisis on the Korean Peninsula -- let alone persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal as it once promised to do -- looks daunting.

Falcons Love the Taliban

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
While the Taliban’s military activities continue to plague Pakistan’s northern Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), the incessant violence has been a blessing in disguise for one creature: the falcon.

U.N. Greenlights Long-Awaited Arms Trade Treaty

By George Gao
For many in the international community, the iconic sculpture outside the U.N. Visitors’ Centre appears more prominent today, as the majority of member states tightened its knot by adopting the first ever Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Now for a Vacation in Gaza, Maybe

By Eva Bartlett
“We wanted to help foreigners in Gaza, so we created an English map of Gaza City,” says Amir Shurrab, one of the minds behind the foldable Gaza Tourist Map.

Veto Returns to Haunt Big Powers in Arms Trade Treaty

By Thalif Deen
When the United Nations set out to draft a politically-sensitive Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), ever since negotiations began in 2006, member states agreed to take the final decision by "consensus".

Yemen Struggles With Past Crimes

By Rebecca Murray
Yemen has launched its six-month National Dialogue but creating a just law is proving a formidable task.

Refugees of Libyan War Protest at World Social Forum

By Alberto Pradilla
“We need a solution. The U.N. has created the problem, and they should do their work and fix it,” says Bright, a young Nigerian stuck in the Choucha refugee camp in Tunisia, a few kilometres from the Libyan border.

The Siege Is Rubbish

By Eva Bartlett
“For the past five years we’ve collected garbage by traditional means: donkey and cart,” says Abdel Rahem Abulkumboz, director of health and environment at the Municipality of Gaza. The municipality of Gaza alone produces 700 tons of waste daily, Kumboz says. More than half of this waste is collected daily by 250 donkey carts.

Iraq, Afghanistan Wars Will Cost U.S. 4-6 Trillion Dollars: Report

By Jim Lobe
Costs to U.S. taxpayers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will run between four and six trillion dollars, making them the most expensive conflicts in U.S. history, according to a new report by a prominent Harvard University researcher.

Arab Spring Shifts Focus of World Social Forum

By Alberto Pradilla
The World Social Forum’s traditional focus on economic, political and social injustice caused by globalisation shifted towards the revolts and unrest of the Arab Spring, in the current edition of the global gathering in Tunisia.

Thailand Holds Peace Talks with Muslim Rebels

By AJ Correspondents
Thai authorities and Muslim rebels leaders have started peace talks aimed at ending almost a decade of unrest in the country's far south, as fresh violence killed at least five people.

“Merchants of Death” Fly Under the Radar of U.N. Arms Trade Treaty

By George Gao
Viktor Bout earned a few monikers in his heyday: “Merchant of Death”, “Sanctions Buster” and “Lord of War”. He’s the poster boy for illicit arms brokers – a guild of shadowy intermediaries who link arms suppliers to their end users.

Will CAR Rebels Respect the Peace Agreements?

By Arsène Séverin
Despite assurances by the leader of the Séléka rebel alliance, self-proclaimed president of the Central African Republic Michel Djotodia, that a “red brigade” would be established to stop the looting and violence that has ensued since Sunday’s coup, citizens do not feel security has been restored.

Now Gaza’s Ark Prepares to Dare Israel

By Eva Bartlett
“An ark is literally a large floating vessel designed to keep its passengers and cargo safe,” say the group preparing ‘Gaza’s Ark’. But their ark, they say, is “a vessel that embodies hope that the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip can soon live in peace without the threat of the Israeli blockade.”

Looking for Answers after CAR Coup D’etat

By Tendai Marima
Days after the sudden fall of the Central African Republic to Séléka rebels, questions are being raised about the circumstances surrounding the hasty departure of President Francois Bozizé.

Obama Visit Settles It a Little for Israel

By Pierre Klochendler
On his visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, U.S. President Barack Obama laid out his vision for a revival of the long-stalled peace talks. Yet, it was clear from his statements that a settlement freeze is no longer an immediate requirement. And, he carefully avoided mentioning the pre-1967 lines as the basis for a two-state solution, to the Israeli Prime Minister’s delight.

Controversial Inter-American Reforms Process to Continue

By Carey L. Biron
The 35-member Organisation of American States (OAS) on Friday voted unanimously to approve a series of reforms to the Inter-American human rights system, but stepped back from proposals that had caused the greatest concern among civil society groups.

As Iraq Anniversary Fades, “Strategic Narcissism” Stands out

By Jim Lobe
After a week of retrospectives on the tenth anniversary of Washington’s ill-fated invasion of Iraq, the most compelling consisted of a retrospective of the retrospectives.

Scandal Over Israeli Firm Training Peruvian Soldiers

By Ángel Páez
The Peruvian legislature is investigating a contract with an Israeli company, entered into by the previous government for advising and training the military, after audit bodies found irregularities in how it was signed.
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