FOREIGN AFFAIRS - page 8

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) requested regular updates from the State Department on the Malaysian government’s inquiry into last year’s discovery of mass graves on its soil. Cardin asked for routine reports on the aftermath of the findings in a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday, after noting Congress is considering closer economic ties with Malaysia—via the Trans Pacific Partnership. The tombs, which were found in May 2015 along the Malaysian-Thailand border, contained 139 migrant slave laborers. “I would just make a request–that because of the sensitivity of Malaysia, and… Keep Reading

The State Department on Thursday released an influential but embattled annual paper on human trafficking. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report this year has thus far brought fewer points of contention than it eventually did in 2015. Notable changes in the latest report include an upgrade for Thailand and a downgrade for Myanmar. Thailand was moved to “tier 2” after its government promised to reform laws and crack down on forced labor in the seafood industry. Myanmar was moved to “tier 3” because of its… Keep Reading

A top official leading the US war against the Islamic State (ISIL) said efforts to seize the fundamentalist group’s de facto capital is gaining momentum. Brett McGurk, the special US envoy to the counter-ISIL coalition, claimed on Tuesday that the ongoing assault on Manbij, in Northeastern Syria, bodes well for the campaign. McGurk said the US-backed forces will orient themselves afterward toward Raqqa, ISIL’s main stronghold, if successful. He also noted that the forces are primarily composed of Syrian Arabs, with only a minority of… Keep Reading

Citing the murder of Berta Caceres, six House Democrats this week proposed suspending all US security aid to Honduras. The legislation would stop the flow of security assistance from Washington to the Central American country until “human rights violations by Honduran security forces cease and their perpetrators are brought to justice.” It is the first legislative proposal to withhold aid to Honduras since 2009, when the country’s elected populist president, Mel Zelaya, was overthrown in a military coup. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) sponsored the bill… Keep Reading

The United States on Monday announced the end of the arms embargo on Vietnam. President Obama said from Hanoi that the decision was made “to complete what has been a lengthy process towards moving toward normalization with Vietnam,” according to The Guardian. The bilateral detente comes amid tension between China and a handful of its neighbors over Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. “At this stage both sides have developed a level of trust and cooperation,” Obama said at a press conference alongside Vietnamese President Tran Dai… Keep Reading

Although the State Department was ignored by the government of Egypt after inquiring about the use of American-made riot gear, US diplomats said the security assistance was in compliance with human rights law. They did the same after Egyptian officials failed to reply to questions about the destination of US-provided night vision goggles—although State knew it was going to the Ministry of Interior; an organization notorious for its repressive elements. And when Egyptian officials failed to disclose to US officials, in a pre-sale check, what military… Keep Reading

A congressional panel dedicated to studying abuses of power by the Obama administration was inconveniently forced to look ahead at what November’s election might mean for the constitutional balance of powers. The GOP-created Task Force on Executive Overreach featured witness testimony on Thursday who alleged that President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate agreement were illegal treaties—claims that have been refuted by a number of legal scholars. The proceedings were derailed early on, however, by Donald Trump. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was on Capitol… Keep Reading

The ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee raised concerns Tuesday about the US enabling ongoing human rights abuses in Africa. Noting recent acts of repression committed by US allies, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) asked State Department officials about American influence on the continent. He enumerated events that have taken place since the start of last year, and asked if American partners were getting a “free pass.” “In Ethiopia, they just had a parliamentary election, not a single opposition leader was elected. We have… Keep Reading