In The News

Jurist: The US Abandons Legal Obligations in Syria

Louis René Beres July 18, 2018
Donald Trump undermined numerous US commitments, institutions, policies and values in his summit with Vladimir Putin. The rest of the world has long depended on the United States to uphold human rights, justice and other values. Syrians – under attack by extremists and Russian intervention – are vulnerable. Millions of Syrians have been displaced and thousands killed, some with chemical weapons....

New York Times: Humiliation in Helsinki

Mark Landler July 17, 2018
Donald Trump, who boasts about his strength and tough negotiating skills, groveled before Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Helsinki. The meeting prompted consternation at home and abroad as well as questions about the president's patriotism and common sense. “Rather than defend the United States against those who would threaten it, he attacked his own citizens and...

The Guardian: Israel Deploys Border Reinforcements as Syrians Flee Strikes

Patrick Wintour July 13, 2018
Efforts to facilitate a broad ceasefire in southwest Syria broke down at the end of June, prompting the Syrian military to initiate a fresh round of air raids in the Daraa province – an area inside the de-escalation zone agreed on by the US president, the Russian president and the Jordanian government. The Syrian government claims to control of more than half of the province. The increase in...

CNN: All 12 Boys, Coach Freed in Thai Cave Rescue

Euan McKirdy, Kocha Olarn and Steve George July 10, 2018
Divers escorted the last members of the Wild Boars soccer team from a cave today – in a complex three-day mission that required racing the clock against rains flooding the cave and oxygen depletion. Each phase of the mission took at least nine hours from divers’ entry to exit. The 12 boys and their young coach had been underground for more than two weeks, trapped by floodwaters. An international...

The Interpreter: International Rescue and the Thai Cave Response

Daniel Flitton July 5, 2018
Disasters bring the international community together. Rescue, medical and engineering specialists gather at the scene to offer expert opinions and plan search-and-rescue operations as viewers watch, wait and send donations: the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2010 Chilean mine, the 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 to name just a few. The rescue of a group of boys and their soccer coach from a...

WSJ: US Retreats From Strict Limits on Chinese Investment

Bob Davis, Peter Nicholas and Lingling Wei June 28, 2018
The US president backed away from plans for new restrictions on Chinese investment in the United States and US technology exports to China. “Instead of creating new investment restrictions, the White House said it will continue to rely on an interagency group, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, which screens foreign investments to see if they endanger national security,”...

National Review: Asylum Crisis Is a Security Challenge

Andrew C. McCarthy June 25, 2018
The US government struggles to control a border in crisis as hundreds of families seek asylum. The rule of law is only as good as enforcement backed by adequate resources. Writing for National Review, Andrew McCarthy argues the crisis is a security rather than legal challenge, and he maintains that new laws will not resolve the immediate problem. He urges barriers to stop the flow of immigrants...