Tag: Democracy and Rule of Law
Stevenson’s army, April 21
– US has moved troops to prepare for possible difficult evacuation from Sudan.
– WSJ reports on Yellen speech at SAIS; here’s the text.
– FT says China is developing weapons to hijack satellites.
– Another Discord leak says Russia worked to build antiwar movement in Germany.
– AMLO rebuffed on new military plan.
– CSIS has new report on critical military technologies.
– Research shows early schooling in 19th century America strengthened democracy.
– 29 Republicans question US Ukraine aid, urge peace.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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The Hague goes astray
I did this interview yesterday for for Sokol Berisha of Periskopi:
The rial against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)- Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi – who the Office of Specia Prosecutor claims to have committed war crimes, has begun this Monday in the Special Court of Hague.
Q: If the KLA leaders are found guilty and sentenced to prison, do you think that this will damage the image of Kosovo internationally? How do you see this process?
A: It would certainly damage the image of the KLA, but it seems to me the Kosovo state has some things to its credit: creation of the Tribunal, the resignation of the Head of State, and his appearance with his colleagues in The Hague.
Q: Many have said that this process is not against KLA itself, but its leaders. In your opinion, can KLA and its leaders be distinguished?
A: Yes, they can be distinguished, but the Court’s indictment doesn’t do that.
Q: The US president, Joe Biden, has called the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, “The George Washington of Kosovo,” and on the other hand, NATO’s intervention in the conflict on the side of the KLA and against the forces of Slobodan Milosevic seemed as a strong proof that KLA and its leaders were in their right to protect the people of Kosovo. Is this discourse now in danger?
A: Yes, it is in danger because the accusations are so wide-ranging.
Q: The report of Dick Marty was crucial in establishing The Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in Hague. Now that this report is no longer discussed, do you think that the whole process has changed its aim?
A: I do. The mandate of the Chambers is limited to issues in that report. But very little of what is in the report is in the accusations against the KLA leaders.
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Stevenson’s army, December 3
– Politico says EU has a spy problem.
– Swedish institute has a report on the global state of democracy.
– Atlantic Council has a report on Ukraine from some former senior officials.
-WaPo warns of a West Bank crisis.
– Joe Nye likes the “double deterrence” of current US Taiwan policy.
– Slate article argues Supreme Court has been expanding its power by wrong reading of the law.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here, with occasional videos of my choice. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, June 23
– Defense authorizers and appropriators split on how much money for Pentagon.
– Popular bill for veterans with toxic exposure blocked because it violates the Constitution — which requires bills with tax provisions to originate in the House.
– SAIS prof Ed Joseph reports on the political struggle in Bulgaria.
– 140,000 Cubans have come to US borders recently
– Historians and journalists suggest how to report on threats to democracy by issuing The Authoritarian’s Playbook.
-I’m sending this Economist article on Biden’s Middle East policy mainly because it has an extraordinary color picture of FDR’s meeting with the Saudi king in February 1945.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Stevenson’s army, June 19
– CNA’s Russia expert assesses the Ukraine war today.
– FP says China is gaining in Thailand.
– Rand study finds support for US Foreign Service.
– Atlantic article warns against militarizing our police.Fo
– The always thought-provoking Ezra Klein has surprising details about artificial intelligence.
My SAIS colleague Charlie Stevenson distributes this almost daily news digest of foreign/defense/national security policy to “Stevenson’s army” via Googlegroups. I republish here. To get Stevenson’s army by email, send a blank email (no subject or text in the body) to stevensons-army+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You’ll get an email confirming your join request. Click “Join This Group” and follow the instructions to join. Once you have joined, you can adjust your email delivery preferences (if you want every email or a digest of the emails).
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Prospects for real peace in Syria: not good
The sixth pledging Conference for the Future of Syria and the Region met in Brussels yesterday and today. On the margins, Baytna, a Syrian organization committed to empowering civil society, hosted a discussion (Peace in Syria: possibility or fantasy?) assessing the prospects for a real, sustainable peace. Not good, in two words.
Justice and accountability
The UN Commission of Inquiry and its Independent, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IMMM) as well as the use of universal jurisdiction to prosecute war criminals in Germany are important tools. But they have not produced substantial results. Only a few political prisoners have been freed, out of well over 100,000. So far the accused are a few small fry. There will be a great deal more to do once the opportunity arises.
A political transition is vital. Justice goes beyond accountability, especially for women. A broader framework of rule of law and security is needed.
Failure to hold people accountable in Syria has encouraged Russian abuses in Ukraine. Impunity for Bashar al Asad has taught others that they can escape accountability.
The economy
The situation today is disastrous. The overwhelming majority of Syrians are poor and in need of assistance. That is partly due to international sanctions. Once real peace arrives, a strong central authority will still be needed to manage the economy. When the time comes for lifting of sanctions, the international community needs a plan to do it expeditiously. [I missed some of the presentation on the economy, so apologies for that].
Rights and government
Syria needs radical political decentralization. The constitution should limit the powers of the presidency. Elected local authorities should control education and some taxation authority. The government needs to respect the social, cultural, and political rights of minorities. We can learn from the recent constitution in Tunisia, which instituted decentralization as a principle of the state. The existing provisions for decentralization in Syria are not adequate.
Social cohesion and peacebuilding
Local actors are key. They have a deep understanding of how things really work at the community level. We need to understand their political and social agendas and respond to their context and priorities. Funding should be flexible and accessible, aimed at strengthening civil society organizations that set their own priorities, regardless of who the local authorities are. We should not create or impose risks on Syrians trying to meet local community needs.
On the pathway to peace, an audience member suggested Syrian representation is an issue. It is not enough just to exclude those “who have blood on their hands.” Inclusiveness has hampered negotiations. The course of the war in Ukraine suggests helping Syrians to defend themselves might help. Only the Syrian people will be able to remove the regime and rebuild civil society. It’s a long road. We need to invest in people inside Syria who will make a difference.
As my Arabic is miserable, I missed most of the discussion. But the bottom line was clear enough: prospects for real peace in Syria in the short run are not good.
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