Genocide: Red Light Flashing

Two pillars of democracy - the United States and India - face immense challenges in preserving their principles, systems, and values of democracy and human rights.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we did not see evidence of (legally-defined) genocide.  But now, as of June 1st, 2022, we are seeing evidence of genocidal acts by Russia against Ukrainian civilians, especially children, in the form of forced deportations from Ukraine into Russia and forced integration into Russian society.

The Taliban have not kept their word about women's rights.  There is no reason for the USA to trust anything the Taliban say.

This was a lecture given to the Operational Law Training group on September 25, 2021.

Aligning our foreign policies with our values and principles is very important, and one way to do so is to adopt R2P as an enduring cause.

ISIS-K in Afghanistan - Indo-Pacific Roundtable Sept 17 2021

It used to be that the breaking news about schoolgirls being kidnapped by the dozens in Nigeria made headlines globally including in the West. However, these days we don't seem to hear anything about such news. This week's podcast is about the trend that has taken hold in parts of West Africa that involves the criminal kidnapping of children.

Western media fail to report on civilian casualties in non-Western theaters of war and conflict.  Often, this lack of reporting by the media and military officials tend to be viewed by many as devaluing the lives lost and injured and maimed.  This failure has to change.

· Outrage at the policy of Afghan women having to ask Taliban’s permission for their rights/freedoms.

· Taliban will strip women of their agency – their right to make choices and decisions.

· Taliban see females as the source of temptation.

· Taliban see females as inferior to males, and therefore, females require the custodianship of males. This is similar to Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabism, which is not only outdated and undignified in human rights terms, but it is also medieval in mindset.

The empowerment of the Taliban in Afghanistan translates into imposing by force a fascist Sunni extremist theocracy.  This is a major setback for human rights and freedoms and a mockery of universal values and principles and laws.  The Taliban are a dark cloud over the country, and the Afghan civilians will pay the worst cost of this new scenario.

Sudan’s al-Bashir will be handed to the ICC for crimes against humanity

The Genocidal Nobel Peace Prize Recipients:  Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar (Burma)

Call it what it is:  a coup in Tunisia.  Semantics do not change the truth.  Give Tunisia's democracy a chance to flourish.

July 22 marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Norway at the hands of Anders Breivik, a self-professed Neo-Nazi.  All democracies worldwide must fight against elements of fascism and extremism, whether religious or secular.  Global security and stability are at stake.

This is my weekly podcast, today speaking about the "Talibanization" of Turkey - my own phrasing

The Afghan Taliban's gains in recent weeks are due to many geopolitical variables including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the lack of strategic depth of Western forces in the United States' longest war.

In the 21st century, we still see the use of children by both state and non-state actors in violent conflicts and operations.  These are trends and indicators of potential genocidal acts, and of course, major violations of the rights of the child.  The global community must work to stop these trends.