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On June 10, the Security Council adopted a U.S. resolution for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. The vote was 14-0 with Russia abstaining. There are many odd features of the resolution: especially who proposed it and who has accepted it. At stage left and stage right are the Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams. … Continue reading “Gaza Ceasefire Proposal: Diplomacy or Magic Trick?”

Only a few days remain until the opening of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, hosted by the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at the request of the Ukrainian government, and scheduled for June 15 to 16.  The bucolic setting, in Bürgenstock overlooking Lake Lucerne, couldn’t be more pleasant.  Gentle Alpine breezes will be … Continue reading “Countdown to Zelensky’s ‘Peace Summit’”

Israel hasn’t just crossed the Biden administration’s pretend “red lines” in Gaza. With its massacre at Nuseirat refugee camp at the weekend, Israel drove a bulldozer through them. On Saturday, an Israeli military operation to free four Israelis held captive by Hamas since its 7 October attack on Israel resulted in the killing of more … Continue reading “The Day the West Defined ‘Success’ as a Massacre of 270 Palestinians”

Can the president fight any war he wishes? Can Congress fund any war it chooses? Are there constitutional and legal requirements that must first be met before war is waged? Can the United States legally attack an ally? These questions should be front and center in a debate over the U.S. involvement in Ukraine. Sadly, … Continue reading “Does the Constitution Apply to Biden’s War in Ukraine?”

This article appears in the June 2024 issue, with the headline “A Wider War in Eastern Europe?” Reprinted from The Nation with permission from the authors. Violence continues to haunt Eastern Europe. the attempted assassination of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on May 15 inevitably conjures up the memory of the assassination of Archduke Franz … Continue reading “The Perils of Wider War in Eastern Europe”

In politics, context is crucial. To truly appreciate the recent decision by Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize the state of Palestine, the subject has to be placed in proper context. On November 15, 1988, Yasser Arafat, then Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, declared Palestine as an independent state. The proclamation took place within … Continue reading “Beyond Two State Solution – Why Recognizing State of Palestine Is Important”

Strange to think that, without Daniel Ellsberg, Watergate might never have happened, Richard Nixon might have remained president, and the war in Vietnam might have taken even longer to end. So many decades later, it’s easy to forget how, in June 1971, when Ellsberg released those secret government documents that came to be known as … Continue reading “How Daniel Ellsberg’s Moral Power Remains Alive”

Three others were wounded.

The US government-affiliated Ukrainian web publication “Data Journalism Agency” (TEXTY) has just released a report attacking hundreds of prominent American individuals and organizations as enemies for not supporting sending more US money and weapons to Ukraine. The report, titled “Roller Coaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and … Continue reading “US-Backed Ukrainian Publication Releases New ‘Enemies List’”

In one of his more bizarre outbursts, Volodymir Zelensky, red of face, jabbing his finger, recently accused China of being “an instrument in the hands of Putin”. He said this at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore as part of a world tour, in which he is encouraging participation at what Ukraine calls the Global … Continue reading “Zelensky’s Peace Summit Is Just an Echo Chamber”