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Iraq can’t win the fight against ISIS’s atrocities with attacks on civilians that violate the laws of war and fly in the face of human decency. Militia abuses are wreaking havoc among some of Iraq’s most vulnerable people and exacerbating sectarian hostilities.

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director

Read more.

(via humanrightswatch)

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1956 - The first United Nations Peacekeeping mission begins

UNEF shoulder patch (UN Photo)

Today peacekeepers from the United Nations are a familiar sight during many international conflicts, but this was not always the case. A dispute over the ownership of the Suez Canal would lead to...

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The authors “use data on autocracies worldwide from 1946 to 2012 to show that authoritarian regimes use pseudo-democratic institutions to enhance the durability of their regimes….From 1946 to 1989, the average authoritarian regime lasted 12 years. Since the end of the Cold War, this number has increased to 20 years. Today, the typical autocracy has been in power for 25 years. From China (where the current regime has been in power for 66 years) to Jordan (69 years), and Belarus (21 years) to Zimbabwe (35 years), today’s authoritarian regimes are remarkably durable…Today’s savvy dictators…have learned to leverage institutions to their advantage.”

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When Kenneth Jarecke photographed an Iraqi man burned alive, he thought it would change the way Americans saw the Gulf War. But the media wouldn’t run the picture.

Possibly a repeat of an earlier post, but well worth reconsidering. See also Peter Turnley's photo essay "The Unseen Gulf War" and Turnley's brief interview on NPR.

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Despite some bright spots, 2014 was a bad year for international peace and security.

Looking ahead, here are the conflicts and crises the world is faced with in 2015.

FULL COMMENTARY (Foreign Policy)

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The current Ebola outbreak is an immediate and frightening crisis, and one to which there has been an inadequate international response. But other infectious diseases still lurk in the background as serious dangers that threaten the health and safety of people around the world. This feature shines a light on peoples especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

We can now envision a post-AIDS world, thanks to dramatic advances in education and increased access to life-sustaining antiretroviral therapy. However, marginalized communities are still being left behind.

“Gap Map” is a new Pulitzer Center visualization that highlights those who are most disproportionately affected by the disease, from transgender sex workers and people who inject drugs to men who have sex with men. The initiative draws on Pulitzer Center reporting in Russia, India and Uganda, amplifying the voices of these marginalized communities and raising awareness about the stigma and discrimination that many face—and that almost always contributes to increased incidence of HIV.

The map is easily shared and fully embeddable. We welcome others to make use of this work—and to let us know where other people are at risk of falling through the gaps.

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High School Model United Nations Conference

The 36th Annual High School Model United Nations Conference hosted by Canisius College is coming up fast! Delegates from participating schools in Western New York will represent countries on the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, as well as an Historic Security Council (1989). Student delegates will simulate the deliberations and proceedings of these councils, working toward resolutions on controversial issues of the day. Secretary-General Ean Tierney and I welcome the participation of Canisius College students and alumni as volunteers and our high school delegates and their advisers to what promises to be a very special event!

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This week’s cover: What does China want? As our essay explains, it craves the respect it enjoyed in centuries past, but it does not know how to achieve or deserve it. Our cover leader asks how the United States should respond to a rising power which is unhappy with Pax Americana in its own region. Even in security, we argue, America needs to make more room for China.

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Explained: What will it take for the Gaza crisis to finally end? | AFP

Future developments in the Gaza conflict — attrition warfare, a ground incursion or a ceasefire — depend on events on the ground, the status of the forces on both sides and internal dynamics, analysts say.

What is the current balance of power in the conflict?

Israel has dealt a heavy blow to Hamas by eliminating three of its senior military commanders, with the outcome of its attempt to assassinate the Palestinian movement’s military chief Mohammed Deif unclear.

Israel has also destroyed around two-thirds of the 10,000 rockets Hamas was believed to possess, killing some 900 “terrorists” and destroying their network of underground attack tunnels, army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told AFP.

"Hamas no longer has the same capabilities as before, there is a gap between the reality on the ground and the military and political statements," said Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a professor of political science at Gaza’s Al-Azhar University.

FULL ARTICLE (Agence France-Presse via First Post)

Photo: Kashfi Halford/flickr

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This Week in War. A Friday round-up of what happened and what’s been written in the world of war and military/security affairs this week. It’s a mix of news reports, policy briefs, blog posts and longform journalism. [Edited for length/content-JMD]

Journalist James Foley was beheaded on video by an Islamic State militant on Tuesday. Foley, who had been captured in November of 2012, was murdered by a man with a British accent, prompting rapid investigation into the militant’s identity. 

The video also showed and threatened the life of another captive journalist - Steven Sotloff. Read more about him here. As Richard Engel reports, IS has been buying, trading, and stealing hostages from other Syrian groups.

Journalist James Rohde, himself a former Taliban prisoner, wrote in a piece for The Atlantic that US unwillingness to negotiate with IS or pay a ransom for the release of captured journalists failed Foley. 

The Pentagon has said a Delta Force rescue was attempted over the summer, to no success.

Also at issue is the widespread use of freelancers in war zone reporting an experience written about last summer by Italian freelancer Francesca Borri.

Jon Lee Anderson comments in The New Yorker: “Yesterday’s guerrillas have given way to terrorists, and now terrorists have given way to this new band, who are something like serial killers”

Read a selection of Foley’s reporting for GlobalPost.

The lawyers for three Al Jazeera staff jailed in Egypt have filed an appeal.

Tunisia and Egypt halted flights into and out of Libya over security concerns related to militia fighting.

Shots were fired in the Liberian capital of Monrovia during protests over an Ebola quarantine in West Point slum.

Boko Haram seized a police academy.

Clashes in the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui, between the militia and peacekeepers have intensified — killing five, including a Red Cross worker. Last weekend, 34 were killed in Bangui when members of the Seleka rebel group conducted a series of armed raids. As a result, the UN is increasing the number of peacekeepers in the country.

Egyptian peacekeepers will be sent to support UN efforts in CAR, Mali and Sudan.

Conflict over territorial disputes between Rezeigat and Maaliya tribes in Darfur has left 70 dead.

An Israeli airstrike killed 3 Hamas commanders in Gaza and airstrikes continue.

According to Haaretz, Germany, France and Britain have begun work on a Security Council resolution intended to end fighting in Gaza — granting the Palestinian Authority control over Gaza, internationally supervised reconstruction with the aim of preventing Hamas from re-arming and peace talks based on pre-1967 boundaries.

The estimated number of dead in the Syrian conflict is now 191,000, according to the UN.

The US says it has completed destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal.

In Iraq, US weaponry intended for the Iraqi army has fallen into IS hands.

The Afghan government expelled and banned New York Times reporter Matthew Rosenberg from the country for reporting it found threatening.

Matthieu Aikins writes in Rolling Stone about times changing for the worse for the expat community in Afghanistan.

Street battles and heavy shelling in Donetsk, Ukraine have killed dozens — and the overall civilian/combatant death toll in the ongoing conflict is more than 2000.

The first trucks of a massive, 270-truck Russian aid convoy have cleared customs in eastern Ukraine.

A rocket strike on a refugee convoy in eastern Ukraine and killed 15 refugees. 

Over the past couple of weeks, a number of the pro-Russian rebel leaders have stepped aside.

An interview with photojournalist Mauricio Lima, who has been on assignment for the New York Times in Ukraine for the past month.

I encourage you to donate something to the Committee to Protect Journalists in Foley’s name, so they can continue to work to protect reporters in danger around the world. (Other organizations that support and protect journalists include the Rory Peck Trust, RISC and Reporters Without Borders.)

Photo: Gaza Strip. Two men, Adel and Mohammed, in the only room left in their house not utterly destroyed. August 16. Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty.

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Al-Shabab: A Close Look at East Africa’s Deadliest Radicals | Peter Dörrie

More than any other organization, Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahedeen, widely known as al-Shabab, has left its mark on the recent history of Somalia. Political and radical Islam have a long history in the country, but no group has survived longer than al-Shabab, and no group has emerged stronger from challenges and setbacks.

More than any other actor involved in the two-decade-old Somali conflict, al-Shabab has demonstrated its ability to adapt. Today, the group has emerged from an existential crisis and looks stronger than it has in years. Though al-Shabab is often referred to as simply a “terrorist group,” the term does not accurately describe the range of the group’s activities. As perhaps the most important spoiler on Somalia’s way toward peace, al-Shabab’s current situation warrants an assessment.

FULL ARTICLE (World Politics Review)

Photo: Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa/flickr

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19 August is World Humanitarian Day. “We honour the heroic aid workers who rush bravely to help people in need. We remember their sacrifices, and we recognize the millions of people who count on humanitarian workers for their very survival,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Read his message in full: j.mp/1AoaA5g Find out about #HumanitarianHeroes at worldhumanitarianday.org #WHD2014

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Social Media, IR, and You: A message to the Canisius College community

Welcome to all students, new and returning, and especially those who major, minor, or are interested in International Relations (IR)!  Welcome too – and a big thank-you! – to our friends who teach in or who otherwise support the IR Program, including staff and administrators.

As the semester gets underway, consider engaging with me and other like-minded folks through social media! Our IR presence can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Each platform offers a different flavor and emphasis, though some content (such as announcements about events or deadlines) will be cross-posted.

All content is offered in the spirit of intellectual curiosity, academic community, and shared humanity, so civility and dignity are the keys to interactions through these platforms, even where there are legal grey areas. Openness to new ideas and a desire to expand our perspective require us to offer a disclaimer—namely, that retweeting or posting a link to content does not imply endorsement of the views presented by the content’s original author. Bits of advice and humor are offered with the understanding that the intended audience is comprised of adult, independent thinkers who make and are responsible for their own decisions.

On Facebook, we are the GriffIntRels group. The primary audience includes current students, faculty, and staff with connections to the IR program. The Facebook page serves as a forum for announcements and information exchange for our vibrant community. While alumni are not the focus of this group, they are more than welcome as members, and are encouraged to connect with us through the other platforms below, too!

On Twitter, we are CanisiusIR. As program director I manage the content, occasionally tweeting but more often retweeting intriguing content from other providers. The focus here is on current international affairs, including occasional breaking news stories, and on information related to international travel, grants and internships, as well as tips, encouragement, and humor. Follow our feed and we’ll follow you, unless you privacy-protect your tweets or tell us you’d rather we mind our own business.

On Tumblr, look for the International Relations page curated by yours truly. Content emphasis is similar to the Twitter feed, though here you might find a greater emphasis on maps, charts, graphs, and photographs, as well as some longer reads, sometimes on topics drawn from modern or contemporary history, or dealing with culture, language, or international business and economics. Hashtags are used here to draw attention to content relevant to specific courses (e.g., #PSC140).

On LinkedIn, find my professional profile and publication list. We’re all constantly building and expanding networks, and one never knows how or why it might help to start early—even a year or two before the job search. In the past I have not accepted students’ requests for connections until after graduation, and LinkedIn connections do not ensure or imply endorsement or recommendation--they're just connections. But LinkedIn remains a useful tool for pre-professionals and I encourage students (especially juniors and seniors) to consider building their own profiles well before the job search.

And just for kicks, check us out on Instagram @ircrazed. The premise is simple: everywhere I go I see something that reminds me of IR. Flag your own Instagram content with the tags #ircrazed #internationalrelations to join the fun! (Please, no naked photos. Remember: dignity -- always, dignity.)

Buttons on my home page provide quick links to all of the above, except the Facebook page, which can be found by Facebook users through an easy search for ‘GriffIntRels’.

Please don’t be shy! Together we can build an online community to enhance our campus community. And please, don’t hesitate to contact me with feedback, ideas, suggestions, or questions.

Have a great semester, and see you on the interwebs! 

Jon DiCicco, Ph.D., Director of the IR Program

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It’s hard to remember a time when more crises were jostling for space in the headline news, or when the world’s leading diplomats were engaged in diplomacy on so many issues simultaneously.

Are we approaching disaster overload? (via guardian)

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Saturday is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

This year’s theme is “Bridging the gap: implementing the rights of indigenous peoples” and highlights the importance of implementing the rights of indigenous peoples through policies and programmes at both the national and international level.

Help spread the word and learn more about the Day at: http://bit.ly/9EGXnn

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"Thousands of desperate Iraqi Yazidis who have been trapped by Islamist extremists on a parched mountaintop for almost a week trekked Friday into Syrian territory, seeking refuge in another war-ravaged country. Some managed to collect water and food that had been dropped overnight by U.S. planes before heading northwest on a 12-mile walk across mountains and desert to the Syrian border. There, Syrian Kurdish forces waited to transport them to refugee camps or to safe crossings back into the Kurdish region of Iraq."

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Battle scars: see how the first world war changed the shape of Europe with The Economist's interactive map