Obama Conveys Condolences to Pakistan

An air strike by NATO that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last week has been a hot topic. NATO and the United States have claimed that it was unintended and now Obama has offered his condolences to the president of Pakistan. This call was made in order to reduce tensions between the two countries. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has stated that they were "re-evaluating its relationship with the United States." He also said in an interview with CNN that they would continue to maintain a relationship with the U.S. as long as they was a mutual respect between the countries. When asked if that respect was in place, he said no.

After the attack, Pakistan began taking steps against NATO. For example, they are no longer allowing NATO supplies to be routed through Pakistan.

Turkey and the E.U.

I had heard for some time that Turkey was trying to become a member of the European Union with little success. Today I read an article about how this is rapidly changing. In 2002, Turkey's prime minister, Erdogan, made it his goal to become a member of the E.U. This bid has been unsuccessful so far, but now it seems as if Turkey no longer wants to pursue this course. They believe that the E.U. is currently in it's own financial crisis and would therefore no longer benefit them. The prime minister also feels like the "betrayed him" and no longer wants to be a part of "such a mess."

This is interesting to me, because in my Genocide class last Spring we spoke about different things that Turkey would have to do in order to become a member of the European Union. One of which would be admitting to the Armenian Genocide of the early 20th century.

Old U.S. Prison Bases in Iraq

The United States used to have 505 prison bases in Iraq. They currently only own six, and plan to be rid of them by the end of the year. The U.S. has been handing these bases over to the Iraqi government and from there they have been used for a variety of purposes. Most become bases for the Iraqi military however others are being re-purposed in more creative ways. For example, one base, Camp Bucca, was purchased by an Iraqi company, Kufan Group, and converted into a hotel. Kufan hopes that this new hotel will be used by oil workers in the region.

Around 150 oil executives stayed in the hotel during an convention that was held nearby. They did not have a smooth start however, as many guests were unaware that they were staying in an old prison camp. A group of men from Sweden checked out early because they were not comfortable in the hotel. Kufan is not deterred however, and plans to continue to create a more "homey" environment for future guests.

U.S. Drone Shot Down in Iran

A drone crashed in eastern Iran last week but it is unclear the cause of the accident. The Iranian military claimed they shot the drone down, however NATO claims the operators of the drone merely lost control. The drone, an RQ-170, was flying over western Afghanistan (which borders Iran) during a mission when it crashed. The U.S. has not said whether it was the military or the U.S. intelligence community was in control of the drone at the time of the crash. While the United States denies that the drone was flying of Iran, an Iranian military official has called it a "clear example of aggression."

Last July Iran's military claimed that it had shot down a spy drone near its nuclear enrichment plant. However, they later retracted the statement saying that the incident was part of a training exercise.

Explosion in Bahrain

A bomb exploded last night at approximately midnight near the British Embassy in Bahrain. There were no injuries and the building was not damaged. The bomb blast was around 50 meters from the main building. The bomb was planted on a minibus near the embassy's fence and an investigation is underway. It is still uncertain how large the bomb was, although it did blow a wheel off of the minivan. It is also unknown whether or not the embassy was the intended target.

Some believe that it may have been in response to last week's developments in Iran. The explosion comes just days after protestors in stormed the British Embassy in Tehran.

Evacuations in a German Town

In the city of Koblenz in west Germany, several World War II bombs were discovered leading to the evacuation of over 45,000 people. Bomb squads were able to defuse two bombs, and dispose of a third. One bomb was an air mine that weighed 4,000 pounds and another was a smaller but high-density explosive. The third they detonated in a controlled manner. The three bombs were dropped by American and British warplanes during WWII and had been hidden by the Rhine River. When the water dropped last week, the bombs were discovered. A wall of over 2,500 sandbags was created in order to divert the water away from the bombs to ensure that "the two four-men teams [could] defuse the bombs precisely."

Germany is used to finding bombs, and just last year three members of a bomb squad were killed attempting to deactivate a bomb in Gottingen.

Most Corrupt Country?

The Transparency International Organization has conducted an investigation in order to rank countries according to their corruption level. They used a variety of information including, "questions relating to the bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public-sector and anti-corruption efforts." The list included 182 countries, the last of which being the most corrupt. The spot for most corrupt is tied between Somalia and North Korea. At the top of the list is New Zealand. The United States are ranked 24th, Canada 10th, and Singapore 5th.

It is interesting to go through the list of countries and see where they are on this list. I was surprised by the rankings of some countries but not of others.

Arab League Deadline in Syria

The Arab League has informed Syria that if they do not allow international observers into the country, more sanctions will be put in place against them. The deadline passed at midnight Sunday and Syria has not responded to the request. A state-run news agency in Syria has stated that the country could handle any sanctions the Arab League placed against them. Officials did meet in the Qatari capital Doha to discuss their upcoming move and top Syrian officials have had their assets frozen. They are also planning to reduce the number of flights in and out of Syria.

In early November Syria agreed to stop the violence, but "assaults by government troops and police have continued." It has been reported that 22 people were killed on Sunday alone. I wonder if Syria really will be able to withstand these sanctions or if they will be forced to allow observers into the country.

Senate Votes to Sanction Bank in Iran

Yesterday, the Senate has unanimously passes an economic sanction against a bank in Iran. Before the vote took place, the Senate was warned against this move by the Obama administration. Some believe that passing this sanction will do more harm than good. This sanction disallows all organizations that currently do business with financial institutions in Iran from having any financial accounts here in America. The reason for imposing these sanctions in Iran is to negatively impact their "nuclear ambitions." However, many people believe that the opposite will occur.

"There is absolutely a risk that in fact the price of oil would go up, which would mean that Iran would in fact have more money to fuel its nuclear ambitions, not less," said Wendy Sherman, the State Department's undersecretary for political affairs.

While the bill passed easily in the Senate, 93-7, it still needs to be approved by the House and signed by the President. It will be interesting to see if this bill will be passed, and what affect it will have.

UN Calls for Action in Syria

The United Nations Human Rights Council met in Geneva and voted to pass a resolution on Syria. This documents stated the the UN "strongly condemns the continued widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities, such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and persecution of protesters, human rights defenders and journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, including against children." They are urging other UN bodies to take action in order to avoid a potential civil war in the area.

So far at least 4,000 people have been killed and more than 14,000 people have been imprisoned for opposing the government. The violence and government crackdown began in March 2011 & has continued to worsen. Neighboring countries have already begun to pressure Syria by imposing sanctions on its people and entities.

Somalis Charged with Piracy go to Trial in France

Six Somali men are currently on trial in Paris for allegedly hijacking a sailboat in 2008. They held the husband & wife captive in order to obtain a multimillion dollar ransom. This is the first trial in France's history that involves accused pirates. The sailboat was later raided by French navy commandos. One man was killed & only six of approximately 20 men were captured. All six men are charged with taking the couple hostage & three are also charged with hijacking the vessel. If convicted, all six men could face life in prison.

The couple on the sailboat were headed from France to Australia when their boat was boarded on September 2, 2008. They will not be in attendance at the trial.

Spanish Judge Trial Set

Spanish judge, Baltasar Garzon, has been indicted for allegedly violating his jurisdiction by "probing the execution or disappearance of civilians at the hands of supporters of Gen. Francisco Franco during and after the 1936-39 war." The crimes committed by Franco were covered under an amnesty that was approved in 1977, however Judge Garzon investigated the charges anyways. He believed that the "executions and disappearances amounted to a systematic campaign to crush opponents and thus a crime against humanity that could not be amnestied." If convicted, Garzon could face a suspension of up to 20 years. He has also been indicted for alleged misconduct during a corruption probe he was handling as well as payments he received while on sabbatical in New York City.

Garzon has been hailed a hero by human rights lawyers for "pioneering use of the legal doctrine of universal jurisdiction -- the idea that some crimes are so heinous they can be prosecuted in countries other than those they were allegedly committed." He is set to go to trial on January 17, 2012.

South Korea Sues Google

The top Internet search engine in South Korea asked the country's antitrust regulator to investigate whether Google restricts competition in the mobile search market. NHN Corporation filed the complaint with South Korea's Fair Trade Commission. They claim that Google restricts competition by imposing restrictions on local mobile service providers and smartphone manufacturers that have adopted its Android operating system. Google claims that it has done nothing wrong and that companies it partners with are free to decide which services they wish to include on their phones.

I'm sure Google gets sued all the time, so they aren't too worried. I agree that companies can choose what services to use on their phones, and why wouldn't you use Google? The largest and most popular search engine would definitely be my choice!

Underground Illegals in Moscow

Today I read an article about an underground bomb shelter in Moscow that the police discovered full of illegal immigrants from Central Asia. In a 200 square meter shelter, there was around 110 people. That is not much space! The underground shelter had rooms, bathrooms, and even a prayer room. The people living down there were manufacturing blades and needles for sewing machines. The migrants will probably be deported and the owner of the sewing machine factory may be charged with organizing illegal migration.

It would be horrible to live in a bomb shelter! Being underground would not be fun! I wonder how they got down there. It must have been the factory owner, I guess. It is sad they are being deported, but living underground can't be great either.

iPads + Children = Lawsuit

I just read an article that is not technically involving international law, but it was very interesting. Apparently Apple is being sued for the ease in which a child can purchase an app on an iPad or iPhone. The lead plaintiff in the case alleges that his 9 year-old daughter racked $200 in charges on her iPad. This is not the first time Apple has had an issue over their purchase policy. The FTC was asked by Congress last February to go over their policies.

It blows my mind that Apple is being sued for having a very simple purchase program. In my opinion, it is nice that I can quickly purchase apps without any hassle. If parents allow their children to play with iPads and iPhones they should make it clear that they are not allowed to make purchases.

Syria's Emergency Laws

For the last 48 years, Syria has had multiple emergency laws in place that gave state security forces extraordinary powers to arrest and detain people without any charges. The government however has stated that they will be immediately replaced by new anti-terrorism legislation. Over the last month, Syria has seen a massive increase in demonstrations, mainly against these emergency laws. Only time will tell if this will appease the protesters.

It is crazy to me that Syria has been under emergency laws for so long. It seems like enacting an emergency law would be a temporary thing, not something that would last almost half a century! It will be interesting to see how the protesters in the country will take this news.

Algeria President Vows Reform

I just read an article about a speech given by the President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. He has been ruler of Algeria for 12 years and now vows to increase democracy in his nation. He has promised constitutional reforms and high unemployment, among other measures to ward off the kind of civil unrest that has swept across the Arab world. In order to do this, Bouteflika will hire a commission of constitutional law experts to draft the necessary amendments.

Algeria is right next to Libya and Egypt, which is probably what has spurred this President to promise reformation. I imagine most countries in that area are worried about citizen uprisings. It is amazing how Tanzania has set off a chain reaction of uprisings in Africa.

Croatian Military Leaders Convicted

In this article two prominent Croatian military leaders have been convicted of committing war crimes against Serbs during the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. They were tried in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Ante Gotovina was sentenced to 24 years and Mladen Markac was sentenced to 18 years. They were convicted of a variety of charges including war crimes, murder, inhuman acts, and forced deportations.

I am always glad to hear that the ICC is doing its job and charging war criminals. Many times countries give their leaders immunity or wont surrender them to the ICC. Not this time, though. It shows military leaders that if they commit crimes, they will be charged.

Nazi Cake

I read an article recently about a baker in Austria that was caught decorating cakes with swastika signs. Apparently in Austria, it is against the law to use any Nazi symbols. The baker issued an apology and met with the head of the Austria Mauthausen Committee (MKOe). MKOe gave him a book about the Mauthausen concentration camp and the baker decorated a cake for them covered in Jewish and Christian symbols.

I was unaware it was illegal to use Nazi symbols in Austria, but I think it is a great idea. Using Nazi symbols is disrespectful to those that suffered during the Third Reich. I wonder if Germany or any neighboring countries have laws like this one.

Ireland Financial Crisis

According to this article Ireland is currently facing one of the world's worst financial crises. In November, the EU, International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank are going to allow Ireland to receive a $6.48 billion credit line. They also authorized the country to put $24 billion into their banks. The purpose of this loan is to reestablish consumer confidence in Ireland's banks. Also Ireland will simultaneously cut in half the tax it makes employers pay for each employee earning minimum wage.

I had no idea Ireland was currently in a financial crisis. I am about to go live there for a month, so you would think I would know this! Hopefully everything works out for them!

Exile or Prosecution?

The British Foreign Minister has suggested that Colonel Gaddafi be allowed to go into exile rather than be prosecuted by the ICC. Most likely he would be exiled to another country in Africa. Apparently the Italian government is talking to countries that might be willing to take him in. Venezuela is also another possibility, partially because Gaddafi is friends with Hugo Chavez. Although we are considering being lenient and not prosecuting Gaddafi, he has said that he will either die on Libyan soil or defeat the rebellion.

I wonder who makes the ultimate decision as to what happens to Gaddafi. In this article, Britain and Italy are specifically mentioned, but surely other countries have a say in the matter. Also, why would they consider sending him to a country that’s leader is his good friend? Not much of a punishment! Maybe they are hoping that would tempt him to leave Libya.

Insane Soccer Fans

In Columbia, some intense soccer fans brought the body of their friend in a coffin to a game last Sunday. Christopher Jacome, 17, was murdered last week while playing soccer in his neighborhood. Some of his friends, who were part of a soccer fan club called Barra del Indio, raided the local mortuary and stole his body. They somehow managed to get past security to a soccer match between Cucuta Deportivo and Envigado. Officials are looking into the case, trying to figure out how they got past security and what charges will be filed.

It will be interesting to see what kind of trouble these guys will get into. I believe it is a pretty serious offense to steal a body here in the US, but have no idea how bad it will be in Columbia. I'll try and keep an eye on this case and see what happens.

Possible Rape Victim Sued

A woman in Libya, Iman al-Obeidi, alleged last week that she was kidnapped and raped by four men. Those men were arrested and are now filing a lawsuit against al-Obeid. They filed a defamation suit claiming that she has tainted their honor. They also say that their families have been black-named, a serious offense in Islamic Law.

It will be interesting to see what happens in this case. My instinctive response is to side with the woman, but it is hard to say what really happened to her. For all we know, she is taking advantage of the media attention Libya is getting right now. Hopefully everything works out for the best!

Strict Dress Code

I just read an article on MSNBC about the strict set of rules that UBS, a large Swiss bank, has for their employees. The dress code requires employees to wear wrist watches in order to show their 'trustworthiness and a serious concern for punctuality'. Women are required to wear makeup and not only perfume, but a specific brand of perfume. They even recommend that women keep their toes nails trimmed and filed in order to make their nylons last longer. Plus, you aren't allowed to eat onions or garlic before work because it could give you bad breath. Then, there are specific instructions for employees in certain countries. For example, if you work in Russia, 'never reject an invitation to the sauna'. In the United States, 'never criticize the President'.

This article cracked me up. I cannot imagine working for a company that had such specific rules for their employees. I agree that when you work for a business you should look professional, but this is a little over the top. The article said that the company was working on amending their rule book... I hope they are going to ease up on their employees!