Institute for Public Accuracy October 27, 2013
Nobel Prize for OPCW: Examining Both Organizations,
Institute for Public Accuracy October 11, 2013
STEPHEN ZUNES, Professor of politics and chair of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco, wrote the piece “The U.S. and Chemical Weapons: No Leg to Stand On.”Syria and the likely disastrous consequences that would have resulted.”
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US Invasion of Grenada: A 30-Year Retrospective
Truthout October 25, 2013 and republished by
The Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW21)
On this anniversary, it would be worth looking back at the Grenadian revolution, the U.S. invasion, its aftermath and the important precedent it set for “regime change” through U.S. military intervention…
The Deteriorating Situation in Libya
On China Radio International October 22, 2013
The kidnapping and brief detention of the Libyan prime minister Ali Zeidan a couple of weeks back probably marked one of the lowest points for the civilian government in this vast country where, in the post-Gaddafi lawlessness, the situation seems to deteriorate by the week. It was also probably the point which showed the world just how prominent and daring these militias and various tribes are.
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The 2013 Nobel Prizes Explained (video)
October 21, 2013 Video (90 min.) University of San Francisco, UC Berkeley, and UCSF professors explain the scientific contributions of the 2013 Nobel prize recipients. Aparna Venkatesan, Stephen Zunes, Teresa Head-Gordon, Dean Rader, Jason Fernandes, Jesse Anttila-Hughes.
Maintaining U.S. presence in Afghanistan would bolster Taliban: expert says
Tehran Times October 19, 2013
On October 12 Washington and Kabul agreed on a draft deal that would keep some U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014, but only if political and tribal leaders in Afghanistan agree to a U.S. demand that U.S. troops not be subject to Afghan law…
The Maldives: a serial coup in progress?
Open Democracy October 15, 2013
Should Britain, the United States and others who claim to be concerned, stand by and allow reactionary forces to stage-manage a phony election, this sends yet another inconsistent and disheartening message to those struggling for peaceful democratic change in the Islamic world and beyond. In the latest episode of what appears to be a serial coup in the Maldives, the country’s Supreme Court… threw out the results of the first round of presidential elections just hours before the scheduled date of the second round in which pro-democracy leader Mohamed Nasheed was expected to win handily…
The Nobel Committee’s Rebuke to Washington’s Unilateralism
Foreign Policy In Focus October 11, 2013
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), one of the most effective instruments for international arms control, sends an important message to those who have insisted that unilateral military action is the best means to eliminate and prevent the use of these deadly agents.
Interview: Chemical Weapons Watchdog Wins Nobel Peace Prize as U.S. Opposes Calls for WMD-Free Middle East (Video)
Democracy Now October 11, 2013; Video & Transcript
As the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons wins the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, we look at international efforts to rid Syria and other countries — including the United States — of chemical weapons. Transcript
On Syria, most thoughtful people are torn
Open Democracy, October 5, 2013
Indeed, with the exception of some neo-conservatives and other hawks who apparently have never seen an opportunity for western intervention they didn’t like and some on the far left who assume that any regime hostile to western imperialism must be progressive, I’ve generally been impressed with the maturity of the debate around Syria. Most thoughtful people are torn on these questions, myself included. Once again, however, Hashemi misrepresents me…
Interview: “Blowback’s revenge” (video)
RT News September 27, 2013
Stephen Zunes joins a panel on CrossTalking that includes Kelley Vlahos, Richard Barrett to discuss whether the War on Terror actually generates more terrorists and victims. What are the lessons to be learned from the attack in Kenya? And, where is the logic in Washington indirectly backing Al-Qaeda in Syria and fighting terrorists elsewhere?
What Obama Didn’t Say in his UN Speech
The Progressive September 24, 2013
[Republished by Common Dreams and PeaceandJustice.org]
President Obama addressed Russian and Chinese obstructionism on Syria. Their abuse of veto power has, in the words of U.S. ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, held the Security Council “hostage.” But the President wasn’t willing to acknowledge U.S. obstructionism and abuse of its own veto power…
Opposition to intervention in Syria utilitarian, not ideological
Open Democracy September 23, 2013. Republished by
International Center on Nonviolent Conflict & SeenThis.net
In this reply to a critique by Nader Hashemi, Dr. Zunes explains that: “Whether or not a movement is primarily violent or nonviolent, what is important is whether it employs strategies and tactics that can maximize its chances of success.”
Apparent Fraud in Maldivian Elections Threatens Prospects for Democracy
Open Democracy, September 7, 2013
Dr. Zunes talks about a number of troubling indicators that major fraud may have occurred in the election held on September 7, which raises questions regarding the integrity of the September 28 runoff…
Interview: Dr. Stephen Zunes previews Obama’s Speech on Syria (audio)
WTOP Radio (Washington, DC) September 10, 2013
Dr. Stephen Zunes previews the President Obama’s speech on the Syrian dilemma. [The source link for this item is no longer available.
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Interview: Pacifica Radio, Analysis of Obama’s Speech (audio)
Pacifica Radio Network KPFA September 10, 2013
Dr. Stephen Zunes joins Pacifica Radio Network’s host John Hamilton to analyzes President Obama’s speech over potential strikes in Syria.
Also On U.S. Involvement In Syria, September 12, 2013 on WORT, Madison, WI
Left Voices Interview: Will Diplomatic Openings Avert a US Military Strike Against Syria? (audio)
Left Voices September 10, 2013
Dr. Stephen Zunes talks about the possible negotiated settlement over Syria’s chemical weapons and efforts to prevent U.S. military intervention.
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The US Has No Credibility Dealing With Chemical Weapons
Truthout September 9, 2013; Also in Third World Network and
Blog.Transnational.org. This is an updated and expanded version
of “The US and Chemical Weapons: No Leg to Stand On,”
originally posted in Foreign Policy in Focus, May 2, 2013.
If, as alleged, the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, it would indeed be a serious development, constituting a breach of the Geneva Protocol of 1925… which banned the use of chemical weapons… Syria is one of only eight of the UN’s 193 member countries not party to the convention. However, U.S. policy regarding chemical weapons has been so inconsistent and politicized, that the U.S. is in no position to take leadership in response to any use of such weaponry by Syria…
Interview on KQED’s “Forum”: Congress Set to Vote on Syria Strikes (audio)
KQED: September 29, 2013
Dr. Stephen Zunes talks with a panel that includes, David Mark, editor-in-chief of Politix, an online community focusing on national politics, and former senior editor with Politico, Robert Danin, senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Steve Weber, professor of political science at UC Berkeley and author of books including “The End of Arrogance, America and the Global Competition of Ideas”, about the vote to strike Syria.
Eight Arguments Against Going to War With Syria
Truthout September 4, 2013 [Versions were also published by Future of Freedom Foundation, ZNetwork, and Santa Cruz Sentinel]
Ten reasons why the U.S. should not attack Syria. The decision by President Barack Obama to first seek congressional approval of any US military action against Syria is good and important, not only on constitutional grounds, but because it gives the American people an opportunity to stop it. It is critically important to convince members of Congress not to grant the president that authority.
US government hypocrisy undercuts demand for Snowden’s extradition
National Catholic Reporter, August 29, 2013
Reasonable people can disagree on whether former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden
should be celebrated as a whistleblower for revealing widespread U.S. government spying or whether he should
be tried and punished for leaking classified documents. However, the Obama administration’s extraordinary hypocrisy in demanding his immediate extradition to the United States, despite the lack of an extradition treaty with Russia, while refusing to extradite far worse criminals to countries with which the United States has such treaty obligations, denies the U.S. government any credibility…