In The News

HuffPost: Manafort Is Tiny Part of DC Lobbying Corruption

Paul Blumenthal August 22, 2018
Foreign governments make their preferences known about leaders of other nations, with some attempting to influence policies and even elections. Paul Manafort, the former chairman of the Trump campaign, has been found guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. The jury could not reach a decision on 10 other counts....

Vanguard: Earth Loses a Statesman – Kofi Annan

Charles Kumolo August 21, 2018
The world is mourning the death of Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. “Annan was not the first person nor the only African to have headed the global body, but his ability to lead and inspire endeared him to the world,” writes Charles Kumolo for Vanguard in Nigeria. “His 10-year leadership of the UN in the post-cold war era, saw him championing...

Lawfare: RIP Federal Common Law of Foreign Relations?

Ingrid Wuerth August 19, 2018
Common law is developed by precedents rather than specific statutes. Ingrid Wuerth notes for Lawfare that the federal common law of foreign relations is a shrinking field with court interpretations undergoing revisions over the years. “The field was built in part on the claim that customary international law is federal common law and in part on the claim that federal judges should displace state...

New York Times: Trump’s Claims of No Collusion

John O. Brennan August 16, 2018
The US president whose campaign is under a special counsel investigation for Russian interference took steps to withdraw the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. “Before, during and after its now infamous meddling in our last presidential election, Russia practiced the art of shaping political events abroad through its well-honed active measures program, which employs an array...

Financial Times: Turkish Lira Plunges as Trump Threatens Tariffs

Ayla Jean Yackley and Demetri Sevastopulo August 10, 2018
Turkey’s currency is falling against the dollar even as the US president threatens more tariffs – 20 percent on aluminum and 50 percent on steel. Turkey’s president calls the actions “economic war.” Turkey, like the United States, is among the top 10 countries that produce steel. The lira’s fall “ricocheted into Turkey’s bond market, sending the yield on the local currency 10-year bond above 20...

The Economist: Why Morocco Cozies Up to Sub-Saharan Africa

August 8, 2018
As the intra-Maghreb rivalry continues unabated, Morocco cultivates ties with sub-Saharan neighbors. King Mohammed VI has visited 14 African nations since October 2016. A recent article for the Economist notes: “Like their king, Moroccan companies are also lavishing attention on west Africa. The African Development Bank estimates that 85% of Morocco’s outward foreign direct investment (FDI) goes...

Globe and Mail: Saudi Arabia Breaks Ties With Canada

Steven Chase August 7, 2018
Canadian officials called for the release of civil-rights and women’s rights activists being held in Saudi Arabia and expressed concern about a crackdown on dissidents. “In response, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador Sunday, recalled their ambassador and frozen new trade dealings with Canada, decrying what they called foreign interference in their domestic affairs,” reports Steven...