Caption Contest – win AMEX Gift Card
Last week KFC orchestrated a publicity stunt at the UN, and deeply embarrassed UN security, who allowed a guy dressed like Colonel Sanders into restricted areas of the UN without security clearance. The guy even took a seat on the main podium of the General Assembly Hall and got a photo op with current president of the General Assembly, Libya’s Dr. Ali A. Treki. Now you get a chance to write the best caption for this photo – the winner will receive a $20 Amex Gift Card. Submit your captions HERE!
Zimbabwe denies UN representative entry, despite invitation by Prime Minister
U.N. rights expert Manfred Nowak is deported from Zimbabawe despite insisting he had a written invitation from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
JOHANNESBURG/HARARE (Reuters) – United Nations torture expert Manfred Nowak called on Thursday for action against Zimbabwe after his expulsion, and said the move underscored disarray in the unity government.
“I have never in any other country been treated in such a manner,” Mr Nowak, who had planned a week-long fact-finding mission, told the BBC.
Zimbabwean officials denied him entry and forced him to board a South Africa-bound plane on Thursday after he was detained by security officials on arrival overnight.
He said he had been invited to Zimbabwe by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, whose power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe has been fraught with difficulties that have delayed efforts to rebuild the shattered economy.
“I think it sheds light on the present power structure of the unity government if the prime minister invites me for a personal meeting and his office is not in a position to clear my entrance to the country,” said Nowak.
Continue Reading…
Sec. Clinton in Pakistan, not convinced Pak. forces not assisting terrorist groups
In flight, Clinton meets with reporters. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, 03/08)
En route to Islamabad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with reporters during the flight to brief them on the trip’s priorities. During the briefing, she responded to the following question by a reporter:
(transcript from U.S. Dept. of State)
QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, following up on Mark’s question, you were talking about how the Pakistani authorities recognize that the terrorist groups are a threat to their ISI and their military. Are you convinced that there is no more collaboration between the military and the ISI in assisting certain terrorist groups like Lashkar e-Tayyiba?
SECRETARY CLINTON: No.
Secretary Clinton continued to say that the U.S. was constantly assessing this concern and that she felt the level of cooperation the U.S. has received from the Pakistani military and intelligence services has increased geometrically in the last nine months.
However, she continued, “But I think you have to recognize that there is so – there are so many issues that have to be dealt with by the Pakistanis themselves, that we continue to raise issues. We prod. We are clearly pushing for the trials of the Mumbai attackers and planners to go forward. So we raise all of these issues. We are very much focused on them, because we see them as a threat to Pakistan, we see them as a threat to India, we see them as a threat to stability in the region. We don’t think it’s good for anybody.”
Foreign Service Officer’s Resignation May Be Rallying Point For Afghan War
Flying over Zabul. (Julie Jacobson/AP)
By Mark Memmott, NPR
Here’s a name to watch for in coming days: Matthew Hoh.
He could soon be a hero to those who think the U.S. should begin to wind down its efforts in Afghanistan, which means he could soon be all over the cable news airwaves.
As The Washington Post reports, Hoh is a former captain in the U.S. Marines who served in Iraq. Earlier this year, he joined the Foreign Service and was soon assigned to Zabul Province, Afghanistan.
But last month, the Post writes, “in a move that has sent ripples all the way to the White House, Hoh, 36, became the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war, which he had come to believe simply fueled the insurgency.” Continue Reading…
Podcast – Return Trip to Lebanon, Jordan & Syria
C. Eduardo Vargas returned from a 3 week assessment trip of the Iraqi refugee situation in the Near East and joined us this morning to share. Hear about Iraqi refugee families, their hardships and hospitality. Together with 9 other delegates from Intersections International he traveled to Lebanon, Jordan & Syria to meet with international aid groups and witness the humanitarian situations of Iraqi refugees. One brief encounter with Hezbollah, tales of torture and tea with Iraqis weave a complicated but monumental challenge for the U.S.
Download Podcast – Return to the Region, Iraqi Refugees 10.25.09
C. Eduardo Vargas is currently a project manager for conflict issues and political advocacy at Intersections International. Prior to this position, he worked on a variety of refugee issues with the Office of Caritas Internationalis at the United Nations. He holds an MA from The Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University.
refugee home
bedroom in Syria
UNHCR in Syria
