ARAB AFFAIRS - Feb 15 - OIC Mulls Peace Force.
The 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) says there is growing support within its ranks to form a Muslim peacekeeping force as part of plans to bolster its image. "At the moment we do not have a mechanism (for a peacekeeping force) but I think there is a...

Balancing security and politics in Darfur.
The international community has acted to substantially improve the political and security situation in Darfur. United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1769 (2007a), passed in July 2007, mandated a new hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur. This UN-AU force could set important precedents on the practical application of...

A frightful perspective.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Depending on how one considers a country to be a real nation in its own right, our good old planet Earth carries about 194 (although the US State Department only recognises 193), of which 192 are members of the United Nations. A noteworthy absence in...

Your views please.
A number of veterans groups have been lobbying for the award of a medal for those wounded by enemy action. There are differing views from veterans on this proposal (I understand that the government is considering it). Currently, serving members wear a gold "wound stripe" while in...

Creswell official steps down for post in Sierra Leone.
Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard CRESWELL - Mark Shrives, praised as a uniter during three years as city administrator, will step down May 4. Next stop: Africa. Shrives will work for a U.S. State Department contractor that is working with The Economic Community of West...

Navies from war to relief: the start of operation Iraqi freedom in 2003, along with the devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, have refocused the attention of navies across the world on amphibious missions and manoeuvre from the sea. To this end, across six continents, acquisitions and developments of new amphibious landing support ships and landing craft are proceeding apace.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The post-Cold War environment has pushed these vessels to the forefront of expeditionary operation requirements--particularly the large Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) and Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ships which can embark helicopters, tilt-rotors, fixed-wing aircraft, conventional landing craft and air-cushioned landing craft, while also offering substantial...

Darfur: the inside story; Alex de Waal, programme director at the Social Science Research Council, who participated in the various Darfur negotiations, gives a rare insight into why the Darfur conflict still rages on.
Military intervention won't stop the killing in Darfur, Sudan. Those who are clamouring for troops to fight their way into Darfur are suffering from a salvation delusion. It is a simple reality that UN troops can't stop an ongoing war, and their record at protecting civilians is far from...

Humanitarian intervention: the new missing link in the fight to prevent crimes against humanity and genocide?
INTRODUCTION Over the course of the 1990s, the international community saw significant development and utilization of legal frameworks for mechanisms designed to prevent crimes against humanity and genocide. These mechanisms were used in over a dozen conflicts and allowed the international community to intervene to halt atrocities,...

Contradicting traditions.
If one slides uncritically over Paul Lauritzen's assertion that "Catholic tradition ... [affirms] the right and responsibility of governments to defend their citizens," his argument for ROTC appears solid. But the tradition Lauritzen cites is essentially incompatible with the ancient Christian tradition that precluded Christians' taking up...

Enemies through the gates: Russian violations of international law in the Georgia/Abkhazia conflict.
A good neighbor is a fellow who smiles at you over the back fence, but doesn't climb over it. (1) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (2) I. INTRODUCTION II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF GEORGIA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA III. OVERVIEW OF THE GEORGIA/ABKHAZIA CONFLICT IV. RUSSIA'S VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW...