Georgetown Security Law Brief

Complaints persist as US frees Afghan detainees

03/11/10: The Miami Herald reports that under a program started in January, local Afghan leaders can petition for and win release of Bagram prisoners not deemed a threat if area chiefs pledge to monitor them for signs they are aiding the insurgency. The policy is part of a transition for the Afghan government to take control of the controversial detention facility within a year. Since US Gen. Stanley McChrystal took over as the military alliance's commander last year, he's made it a priority to consult local representatives as part of a counterinsurgency policy to win hearts and minds away from the Taliban insurgency. But often, events held to build goodwill end up airing years' worth of pent-up grievances.

UN says Myanmar election laws do not meet international standards

03/11/10: JURIST reports that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that recently announced election laws  in Myanmar do not meet international standards for an inclusive political process, in particular because they do not allow pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to participate.

Spanish minister discusses Batko extradition

03/11/10: Balkan Insight reports that Veselin Vlahovic Batko will be tried in Spain and will serve his sentence in Spain if convicted, but there is a possibility that he could be temporarily extradited to Bosnia to face charges of war crimes, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Peres Rubalcalba said on a visit to Bosnia. Bosnia requested Batko's extradition based on accusations of crimes he allegedly committed during the Bosnian war in Grbavica, a neighborhood in Sarajevo that was controlled by the Republika Srpska Army. The Bosnian State Prosecution argues that he participated in a number of murders, rape, tortures, and forced detentions of Bosniaks and Croats who were living in Grbavica.

US seeks Saudis' help for UN sanctions on Iran

03/11/10: War on Terrorism reports that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked Saudi King Abdallah today to use his country's influence to convince other nations to support United Nations sanctions on Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here. Gates met with the Saudi monarch and Crown Prince Sultan, who also serves as minister of defense and aviation. Gates also met privately with Abdallah at a ranch outside Riyadh.

US envoy pushes for Darfur peace deal before Sudanese elections

03/11/10: The Washington Post reports that the US special envoy to Sudan warned Wednesday that efforts to bring peace to the country's troubled Darfur region could become less of a priority for the Obama administration if a full-fledged peace agreement is not reached before Sudanese elections scheduled for mid-April.

Bush intervened in Northern Ireland dispute

03/11/10: The New York Times reports that former President George W. Bush personally intervened last week in a dispute over the peace process in Northern Ireland in his first known direct involvement in a public policy debate since leaving the White House. Mr. Bush called David Cameron, the leader of the Conservatives in Britain, to urge him to press allies in Northern Ireland to support the latest step in the peace process. But the effort proved unsuccessful, as Mr. Cameron’s allies in Belfast refused to go along in a vote on Tuesday.

Ganic released on bail

03/11/10: Balkan Insight reports that the High Court in London has decided to release Ejup Ganic on £200,000 bail. Lord Justice Laws granted the wartime member of Bosnia's presidency bail on "stringent" conditions. Serbia suspects Ganic, who was a member of the wartime presidency of Bosnia, of war crimes related to his alleged involvement in an attack on a convoy of the Yugoslav People's Army as it was leaving Sarajevo in May 1992. The Defense claims that the extradition is an "abuse of process" and they refer to “mistakes on the warrant of arrest, including the way in which the allegation of murder has been framed and how the court should deal with the allegation of a breach of the Geneva Convention.”

Bomb unit allowed into Gaza

03/11/10: The New York Times reports that Israel has allowed a United Nations bomb disposal unit into the Gaza Strip to defuse unexploded munitions left over from last year’s fighting. The Israeli military said that the unit entered Gaza on Wednesday and that it would work for several weeks.

With Biden in West Bank, settlements cloud talks

03/10/10: The New York Times reports that Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in the West Bank on Wednesday to meet with Palestinian leaders as the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, expressed dismay at Israel’s announcement a day earlier that it planned to build 1,600 new housing units for Jews in East Jerusalem. Hours after Mr. Biden vowed unyielding American support for Israel’s security here on Tuesday, . Mr. Biden condemned the announcement of the new housing as “precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now.”

Ex-UK spy chief says US concealed torture from MI5

03/10/10: The Times (UK) reports that a former head of MI5 has claimed that US intelligence agencies deliberately concealed their mistreatment of terror suspects. Baroness Manningham-Buller said she learnt that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, had been waterboarded only after she retired from the Security Service in 2007.

UN report says much of Somalia's food aid diverted

03/10/10: The Miami Herald reports that up to half the food aid intended for the millions of hungry people in Somalia is being diverted to corrupt contractors, radical Islamic militants and local UN workers, according to a UN Security Council report. The report blames the problem on improper food distribution in the Horn of Africa nation, which has been plagued by fighting and humanitarian suffering for nearly two decades, according to a UN diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been released.

UN rights experts urge civilian trials for 9/11 suspects

03/10/10: JURIST reports that UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Martin Scheinin on Tuesday urged the Obama administration to hold civilian trials for accused 9/11 conspirators, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Scheinin called the military commissions system "fatally flawed" and said that reforming the system would not help. Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Manfred Nowak also argued that the suspects should face a civilian trial. A White House official said Tuesday that while a civilian trial for Mohammed may no longer be a realistic option, the Obama administration is working with lawmakers to allow for civilian trials for other suspected terrorists.

Delay on arms pact slows reset of US- Russia ties

03/10/10: The New York Times reports that negotiators are making a fresh effort this week to break the diplomatic logjam over an arms control treaty and finish by the end of the month, so they can showcase the new treaty at an international summit meeting on nuclear nonproliferation that President Obama will host in Washington in April. Underscoring his determination to seal the deal, he sent Ellen Tauscher, the under secretary of state for arms control, to Geneva to help resolve remaining differences, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to travel to Moscow next week.

Israel seeks a stronger stance on Iran from UN Security Council and US

03/10/10: The Washington Post reports that Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon will meet with senior US officials this week to emphasize Israel's growing displeasure with the slow pace of diplomacy on Iran at the UN Security Council, according to a senior Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivity. The Obama administration has signaled that after a year of outreach to Iran, it would get tough in 2010, promising "crippling sanctions."

03/10/10: The Miami Herald reports that the two "bad options" for Iran - letting the country develop nuclear weapons or using force to destroy its nuclear capabilities - are closer than they were a year ago, Israel's UN ambassador warned Tuesday. Gabriela Shalev told journalists at the UN Israel still hopes diplomatic engagement and sanctions will halt Iran's push to become a nuclear power, but warned: "our intelligence tells us ... that Iran is racing towards this kind of nuclear capability, and it's not a matter of years."

Japan finally confirms secret nukes pact with US

03/10/10: The Washington Times reports that Japan confirmed Tuesday secret Cold War-era pacts with Washington that tacitly allowed nuclear warships in Japanese ports in violation of a hallowed postwar principle, effectively acknowledging that previous governments had lied about them for decades. While the move was welcomed as a step toward greater government transparency, atomic bomb survivors expressed disgust that officials kept such agreements hidden for dozens of years.

Interpol expands search for Dubai killing suspects

03/09/10: CNN reports that Interpol announced Monday it is issuing notices to help search for another 16 suspects believed linked to the January killing of a Hamas leader in Dubai. The organization will now help investigators in Dubai try to track down all 27 people suspected of links to the death of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel.

Abusive Congolese colonel got UN aid

03/09/10: The Washington Post reports that the United Nations peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo provided food, fuel and logistical support to a Congolese colonel overseeing soldiers accused of gang rapes, massacres and other abuses, months after UN human rights investigators included him on a list of the army's most abusive commanders and in further internal warnings.

Venezuela linked to terror groups

03/09/10:The Washington Times reports that accusations by Spanish authorities that Venezuela aided an alliance between Basque and Colombian terror groups that plotted joint attacks in Colombia and Spain have revived a debate over Venezuela's possible role as a state sponsor of terrorism. An indictment issued by Judge Eloy Velasco of Spain's anti-terrorism court specifically cites "Venezuelan governmental cooperation" with 12 members of the Basque separatist group ETA and guerrillas of the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Obama praises Iraqi vote

03/08/10: The Miami Herald reports that President Barack Obama praised the Iraqi people for passing ``an important milestone'' Sunday, when millions turned out for national elections despite insurgent attacks that killed more than 30 people. No doubt relieved that violence was not worse, Obama said Iraqi security forces showed maturing capabilities as they protected Iraq through a day that was ripe for attacks by Sunni Muslim insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq.

03/08/10: The New York Times reports that the scratchy loudspeakers of muezzins that once preached resistance to the American occupation implored Sunni Arabs to defy bombs and vote Sunday. They did, in a landmark election that demonstrated how far Iraq has come and perhaps how far it has to go. The droves of Sunni Arab residents casting ballots in towns like Falluja promised to redraw Iraq’s political landscape. The turnout delivered Sunnis their most articulated voice yet on the national stage, seven years after the American-led invasion ended their dominance.

Palestinians, skeptical, agree to talks with Israel

03/08/10: The New York Times reports that a skeptical Palestinian leadership agreed Sunday to hold United States-mediated peace talks with Israel for four months, effectively ending a 14-month breakdown in communications between the two sides. The decision follows an agreement by the Arab League in Cairo on Wednesday to endorse indirect talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, an achievement for the United States after more than a year of diplomacy.

03/08/10: The Miami Herald reports that Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem Monday, topping off a string of high-profile visitors who appear to have succeeded in pushing reluctant Israeli and Palestinian leaders back to the negotiating table -- or at least to separate tables.

Sri Lanka president rejects proposed UN rights panel

03/08/10: JURIST reports that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday rejected the plan of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a panel of experts to look into alleged rights abuses in the island nation's civil war, saying it "is totally uncalled for and unwarranted."

Tehran says it is adding cruise missiles to arsenal

03/08/10: The Washington Times reports that Iran announced Sunday that it has started a new production line of highly accurate, short-range cruise missiles, which would add a new element to the country's already imposing arsenal.

Clinton presses region to recognize Honduras

03/07/10: The New York Times reports that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended a five-day tour of Latin America Friday with a lightning trip to Guatemala, where she promised Central American presidents more help to fight drug trafficking and repeated her call for more countries to recognize the new government of Honduras. Many countries in the hemisphere have refrained from recognizing Mr. Lobo’s government because it came to power with an election held under a government installed by a coup last June. Washington has argued that Mr. Lobo was chosen in fair elections that had been scheduled before the coup.

US aiding Somalia in its plan to retake Its capital

03/06/10: The New York Times reports that the Somali government is preparing a major offensive to take back its capital block by crumbling block. American assistance could be crucial to the effort by Somalia’s government to finally reassert its control over the capital and bring a semblance of order to a country that has been steeped in anarchy for two decades. For the Americans, it is part of a counterterrorism strategy to deny a haven to Al Qaeda, which has found sanctuary for years in Somalia’s chaos and has helped turn this country into a magnet for jihadists from around the world.

House panel narrowly passes recognition of Armenian genocide

03/05/10: The LA Times reports that sponsors of a long-debated congressional resolution to officially recognize the Armenian genocide cleared a key hurdle by a one-vote margin Thursday, but face a tough battle ahead to bring the measure before the House. The resolution passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee 23 to 22 over opposition from members of both parties who warned it could damage US relations with Turkey, an important ally.

Brazil rebuff for Iran sanctions drive

03/04/10: The Financial Times reports that Brazil delivered a wounding blow to Washington’s hopes of international consensus for sanctions on Iran on Wednesday when its president declared his opposition to such measures hours before meeting Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state.

White House wary of growing military ties between Burma, North Korea

03/03/10: The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration is concerned that Burma is expanding its military relationship with North Korea and has launched an aggressive campaign to convince Burma's junta to stop buying North Korean military technology, U.S. officials said.

US official says START replacement agreement possible by April

03/03/10: CNN reports that US and Russian teams negotiating a new arms control agreement to replace the 1991 START treaty hope to wrap up a deal by early April, nearly a year after they began.

Rights groups renew calls for US to join landmine treaty

03/02/10: Jurist reports that several human rights groups and anti-mine activists on Monday urged the US to join the Mine Ban Treaty, marking the eleventh anniversary of the treaty's status as binding international law.

Rashad Hussain, a Muslim and new US envoy, is bridge between two worlds

03/01/10: The Washington Post reports that since taking office, Obama has adopted an approach to broaden the ways in which the United States engages the Islamic world, moving from a policy focused mostly on counterterrorism to one that includes partnerships with Muslim countries and communities in education, health, science and commerce. Rashad Hussain, 31, will be the face of that policy in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, where the Islamic Conference has it headquarters, and in the other capitals of its 56 member countries. His is an appropriately young face for an American representative to the world's 1.6 billion Muslims, the majority of whom are younger than he is.

Germans agree to boost Afghan troop mission

02/27/10: The Financial Times reports that the German government secured broad parliamentary backing to raise its contingent of troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to up to 5,350, although the traditional cross-party consensus about the mission looked increasingly shaky. Lawmakers from the ruling Christian Democrats and Free Democrats were joined by most opposition Social Democrats. A total of 429 parliamentarians voted in favor – with 111 against and 46 abstentions.

UN to weigh lifting Saddam-era sanctions on Iraq

02/27/10: The Miami Herald reports that Iraq picked up momentum Friday in its bid to remove the UN trade sanctions that have been hampering its economy for nearly two decades in punishment for Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. With Iraq preparing for March 7 elections and US combat troops getting ready to withdraw in August, the Obama administration has been pushing for the UN Security Council to provide a boost to Iraq's economy by lifting sanctions affecting billions of dollars in annual trade.

Venezuela rights chief disputes critical OAS report

02/27/10: JURIST reports that the top Venezuelan human rights official on Thursday criticized findings in a report issued by the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Ombudsman Gabriela Ramirez, Venezuela's top rights official, said that the report makes unfair characterizations and undermines Venezuelan democracy. Ramirez responded to statistical findings in the report that suggest the perpetuation of undemocratic processes, saying that the data actually show an improved rights record. In a related statement issued Friday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reaffirmed his belief that the IACHR, which has seven members elected by the OAS General Assembly, is an instrument of US imperialism.

Muammar Gaddafi calls for jihad on Swiss after ban on building minarets

02/27/10: The Times (UK) reports that Muammar Gaddafi has appealed for jihad against Switzerland, long regarded as one of the most peaceful nations in the world. The Libyan leader’s call for a holy war was, he said, a response to a Swiss referendum in November to ban the construction of minarets on mosques. It is the low point in a relationship that has been deteriorating since 2008 when Colonel Gaddafi’s son Hannibal was briefly detained in Geneva after allegedly beating his servants.

02/27/10: JURIST reports that UN Under-Secretary-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze on Friday condemned calls by Libyan leader Muamar Gaddafi for a jihad on Switzerland. Ordzhonikidze called the declaration "inadmissible". Also Friday, a spokesperson for EU high representative Catherine Ashton criticized Gaddafi's calls. Gaddafi had earlier warned that the ban could make Switzerland an enticing target for al Qaeda.

UN gives Gaza investigations five extra months

02/26/10: The Miami Herald reports that the UN General Assembly voted to give Israel and the Palestinians an additional five months to conduct independent investigations of alleged war crimes during last winter's conflict in Gaza. It warned that if independent investigations are not conducted "further action" may be taken by UN bodies including the Security Council.

UN rights chief backs Gaza conflict report

02/26/10: JURIST reports that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay publicly supported the final report of the UN Fact Finding Mission of the Gaza Conflict on Wednesday, calling its conclusions sound. The report, originally adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in October, accused both Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas fighters of war crimes during the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict.

Despite pressure, China still resists Iran sanctions

02/26/10: The New York Times reports that despite intense public and private pressure by the Obama administration, China has not yet shown any sign that it will support tougher sanctions against Iran, leaving a stubborn barrier before President Obama’s efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Diplomats from two major European allies said this week that China had refused even to “engage substantively” on the issue of sanctions, preferring to continue diplomatic efforts with Tehran.

China warns US against selling F-16s to Taiwan

02/25/10: The New York Times reports that a top Chinese military official reaffirmed China’s resolve to punish the United States over its decision to sell weapons to Taiwan and suggested on Thursday that there would be even greater consequences should Washington fulfill a longstanding request by Taiwan for advanced fighter jets.

US refuses to endorse British sovereignty in Falklands oil dispute

02/25/10: The Times (UK) reports that Washington refused to endorse British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands yesterday as the diplomatic row over oil drilling in the South Atlantic intensified in London, Buenos Aires and at the UN. Despite Britain’s close alliance with the US, the Obama Administration is determined not to be drawn into the issue. It has also declined to back Britain’s claim that oil exploration near the islands is sanctioned by international law, saying that the dispute is strictly a bilateral issue.

Confusion over Afghan militant transfer deal

02/25/10: CNN reports that an Afghan government official said a tentative agreement was reached Wednesday to transfer a detained Afghan Taliban military leader from Pakistan to Afghanistan, but Pakistan quickly denied the assertion. An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashari said that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is to be handed over to Afghanistan as part of a prisoner swap between the two countries. Baradar's presence in Afghanistan would mean US authorities would have direct access to the militant, whose recent arrest in the Pakistani city of Karachi earlier this month has been seen as a major stride in the war against the Taliban.

US says agents will not embed with Mexican police

02/25/10: CNN reports that diplomatic officials denied there are plans to have American intelligence officials embedded with Mexican units. The statement was part of a flurry of reaffirmations of where the United States and Mexico stand with each other in relation to anti-drug operations in Mexico, spurred by a Washington Post report that US agents would be embedded with Mexican law enforcement units.

Fifteen new suspects in Dubai murder plot

02/24/10: CNN reports that police on Wednesday announced 15 new suspects in the January killing of a Hamas leader at a Dubai hotel, bringing to 26 the number of people suspected of involvement in his death. Authorities previously had released a list of 11 suspects in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a founding member of Hamas' military wing. Al-Mabhouh was found dead in his hotel room January 20. Police believe he was killed the night before. Among the new suspects are six more people who allegedly used British passports in the commission of the crime, four others using Irish passports, two other French passport holders and three people, including a woman, traveling on Australian passports.

Venezuela, President Chavez criticized in OAS report

02/24/10: The Washington Post reports that the human rights branch of the Organization of American States issued a blistering 300-page report Wednesday morning against one of its members, Venezuela, saying that the oil-rich country run by President Hugo Chavez constrains free expression, the rights of Venezuelans to protest and the ability of opposition politicians to function.

Sudan signs truce with rebels

02/24/10: The New York Times reports that Darfur’s most powerful rebel group and the Sudanese government signed a truce on Tuesday after a year of internationally sponsored negotiations, and the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, said he hoped a full peace agreement would be reached by mid-March. The international sponsors of the talks also announced a $1 billion development fund for the war-ravaged region.

US will use banks to thwart Iran nukes

02/24/10: The Washington Times reports that the Obama administration, having failed in its first year to reach an entente with Iran, will toughen US policy by applying unprecedented pressures on that regime as it continues its quest to become a nuclear power. The first target likely will be Iran's banks. Building on steps taken during the second term of the George W. Bush presidency, the Treasury Department likely will designate Iran's central bank as a terrorist-supporting entity. In 2005, Mr. Bush issued Executive Order 13382 to bar financial entities involved in nuclear proliferation from the US financial and commercial system. The Treasury Department has designated 15 Iranian banks since 2007.

Three Guantanamo prisoners transferred to Albania

02/24/10: Balkan Insight reports that the Albanian Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday that it has accepted the transfer of three prisoners from the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The transfer of the three prisoners, Saleh bin Hadi Asasi, of Tunisian nationality; Sharif Fati Ali al Mishad, from Egypt; and Abdul Rauf Omar Mohammad Abu al Qusin, from Libya, was reached through separate agreements between Albania and the United States.

Escalating Falklands oil dispute goes to UN

02/24/10: The Times (UK) reports that the diplomatic row over the Falkland Islands deepened dramatically after Argentina announced that it would take its protests over British oil exploration to the United Nations today. At the Rio Group summit in Mexico yesterday, Buenos Aires won unprecedented support from other Latin American states for its demand that the UK stop drilling in waters near the islands. Argentina’s Foreign Minister is to meet the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon. A resolution is also set to be tabled in the UN General Assembly condemning Britain for allowing Ocean Guardian to begin drilling 60 miles north of the islands after Argentina announced new shipping controls.

Afghan president takes over election watchdog appointments

02/24/10: The Washington Post reports that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has taken control of a formerly independent body that monitors election fraud, raising concerns that he is reneging on promises to clean up corruption and cronyism - a pillar of the Obama administration's plan to erode support for the Taliban. Karzai signed a decree giving him the power to appoint all members of the Electoral Complaints Commission, a group previously dominated by UN appointees that said it uncovered massive fraud on behalf of Karzai in last year's presidential election.

State Department lifts ban on exports of night-vision goggles

02/24/10: The Washington Times reports that the State Department has lifted a ban on exports of night-vision equipment that was imposed in 2007 on a US company caught selling sensitive defense articles to China and other countries without a license. Meanwhile, two key US senators on Tuesday wrote to Gen. James L. Jones, the White House national security adviser, warning that the Obama administration's plan to loosen controls on exports of sensitive goods and technology could undermine national security.

US to embed agents in Mexican law enforcement units battling cartels in Juarez

02/24/10: The Washington Post reports that for the first time, US officials plan to embed American intelligence agents in Mexican law enforcement units to help pursue drug cartel leaders and their hit men operating in the most violent city in Mexico. The increasingly close partnership between the two countries, born of frustration over the exploding death toll in Ciudad Juarez, would place US agents and analysts in a Mexican command center in this border city to share drug intelligence gathered from informants and intercepted communications.