August 11, 2006

Friday, August 11 06

Sri Lanka edges closer to full civil war as hostilities widen. Conflicting messages about the D.R. Congo election (1,2), but incumbent Kabila appears in the lead. Can Sri Lanka and D.R. Congo maintain political stability while the spotlight is on the middle east? Arbour slightly retreats from earlier comments by way of clarifications. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace posts a sort of manifesto of Islamist militant movements by Abdul Monem Abul Futouh, Member of the Guidance Bureau, Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. A solid proposal for containing Somalia crisis is put forward by the International Crisis Group (ICG). The Peacekeeping Intelligence Institute (PKI), an affiliate of Carleton University's Centre for Security and Defense Studies (CSDS), has a good collection of web links concerning contemporary peace operations.

August 10, 2006

Thursday, August 10 06

Will Uighur grievances in Xinjiang lead to an uprising in western China? Preaching civic duty and solidarity with troops, Georgian President Saakashvili spends holidays in military training camp. Signs of splintering among Tamil Tiger rebels, as breakaway groups look toward electoral run. As the dust begins to settle, the peace process in Nepal is indeed back on track, with U.N. negotiators playing key roles. U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Arbour says Uzbeki refugees denied asylum in Kyrgystan at 'serious risk' of torture and abuse. Swedish foreign affairs official Per Lindgarde is placed in role of U.N. envoy as Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, and now Ethiopian rebels appear 'ready for talks'.

August 09, 2006

Wednesday, August 9 06

A Nepalese agreement potentially puts an end to armed hostilities. According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), July 06 was the grimmest month for conflict prevention in three years. UN envoy counsels vigilance and pushes for joint border patrols between Liberia and Sierra Leone. From Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF), Ian Williams comments on U.N. reform. U.S. opinion against war in Iraq reaches 61%. 'Projecting stability' was the 2004 catchphrase for keeping NATO relevant. Israel pushes deeper into Lebanese territory, as the U.N.'s capacity to safeguard aid workers falls apart.

August 08, 2006

Tuesday, Aug. 8 06

Somalia enters a new realm of uncertainty as cabinet is dissolved. U.N. Security Council explores Interpol-link to strengthen sanctions policy. The U.N. is everyone's best hope for solution to the middle east war. Darfur no less dangerous since last May's provisional peace agreement.

Monday, August 8 06

Now it's a standoff: intervention forces are lined up, but deployment will require time and the international community can't agree on a cease-fire/peacekeeping balance. The negotiation process slowly creeps along. Hezbollah is dug in, with overwhelming support, and Israel's operations are becoming more aggressive. Lebanese PM Fuad Saniora and cabinet called to end hostilities, and pledge to regain sovereignty in the south (without foreign troops). In the meantime, civilians continue to suffer (1,2). Presidential election in D.R. Congo was seen by optimists as a great step toward democracy. What went wrong? The explanation is somewhere between corruption and a failure of institutional competence. Talks stall in Nepal again, and the stumbling block is whether the rebels (but not the interim government) will disband their armed forces.

August 06, 2006

Sunday, July 6 06

NATO faces a tough mission in southern Afghanistan. The situation worsens in Sri Lanka and foreign aid workers are increasingly vulnerable. Hezbollah offers a cease fire, as the draft resolution in front of the U.N. Security Council draft resolution calls for an end to attacks and lays down a future way out. No wonder sanctions have failed so badly in the recent past.