Foreign Policy In Focus, December 20, 2013
Late last month, President Barack Obama met with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI in Washington for their first face-to-face meeting. The result was a bitter disappointment for supporters of human rights and international law.
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Mandela’s utilitarianism and the struggle for liberation
Open Democracy, December 13, 2013
Republished by Huffington Post, International Center for Nonviolent Conflict, Scoop Independent News, New Zealand, and Dawson College Inspire Solutions Project.
While many western governments argued that the supposedly benevolent influence of western capital would lead to liberalization and an eventual end to South Africa’s apartheid system, and many on the left argued that liberation would come only through armed revolution, in fact it was largely unarmed resistance by the black majority and its supporters, both within South Africa and abroad, which proved decisive.
The Truth About Nonviolent Movements
In These Times, December 17, 2013
Journalists Carl Gibson and Steve Horn have done an important service with their article outlining Serbian activist Srdja Popovic’s inexcusable collaboration with the global intelligence company STRATFOR, and his role in disclosing the activities of movements and activists with whom he has worked.
Analysis of STRATFOR Leaks Misrepresents Nonviolent Movements
The Real News Network, December 11, 2013
First published on WarIsACrime.org. Republished by In These Times, Medcom-Taiwan, Transcend.org
Ruthless regimes not impervious to civil resistance: A reply to Maged Mandour
Open Democracy, November 1, 2013
Republished by International Center for Nonviolent Conflict
There is little systematic evidence to suggest that “ruthlessness” is itself a critical variable. Maged Mandour’s article on OpenDemocracy, “Beyond Civil Resistance: The Case of Syria”, argues that civil resistance has been marginalized in the Syrian insurrection because it doesn’t work against “ruthless” regimes. But history doesn’t support that conclusion…
Congress vs. Obama on Iran: Washington’s Warmongers Take Aim At Iran Diplomacy
Foreign Policy In Focus, “Z” and Alternet
Hardliners in Tehran are not happy with the recent rapprochement between the United States and Iran and the related progress in negotiations to address Western concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. But the bigger threat may come from hardliners in the Washington, including prominent Democrats. [See the FPIF LINK, or Alternet, and the follow-up op-ed, Congress seeks to undermine Obama’s rapprochement with Iran in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Nov. 15, 2013.]
Interview: Commentary on the OPCW and the Nobel Peace Prize
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.”
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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