Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United Nations has been examining a ban on lethal robots, including combat unmanned aerial vehicles. On May 16, the UN concluded a four-day convention on lethal autonomous weapons systems used by such countries as Israel and the United States. The parley in Geneva, Switzerland marked the first formal effort […]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Syria was said to have removed most of its chemical weapons arsenal. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has determined that the regime of President Bashar Assad destroyed or removed up to 80 percent of Syria’s CW arsenal. Officials said the regime accelerated the removal process in cooperation […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — The clock is ticking and the calendar counting down for Afghanistan as the embattled South Asian country heads for presidential elections in April and the pullout of foreign security forces by the end of the year. A credible electoral process would go a long way in paving a peaceful […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — The powerful polar vortex causing the “big freeze” in parts of the USA has confronted tens of millions of Americans with record cold winter temperatures. While waiting for the bus in the icy New York winds we were all complaining; then I reflected on a report I picked up […]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran was maintaining its nuclear program. In a report, IAEA said the Teheran regime has refrained from accelerating its nuclear program over the last three months. The United Nations agency said Iran has maintained the pace of uranium enrichment in violation of […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — You can’t make this up. In recent elections for the UN’s 47 member Human Rights Council, (UNHRC) some of the winners of the coveted seats are ironically the countries who are among the major global human rights transgressors. This hypocrisy ironically evokes the old adage of the foxes guarding […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — As civil war, political stalemate, and the tragic humanitarian hemorrhage of refugees continues, Syria approaches its third winter of conflict. With over 120,000 people killed and large parts of this ancient land in ruins or chaos from the conflict between the Assad Family dictatorship and a fractious collection of […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — A host of “systemic and systematic violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights” continue to plague Iran despite the election of the purportedly reformist President Hassan Rouhani. That’s part of a stinging assessment of the current human rights landscape according to Ahmed Shaheed, the UN’s Special Rapporteur […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Geostrategy-Direct.com WASHINGTON — Saudi King Abdullah was preparing to replace his longtime foreign minister, a report said. The Gulf Institute asserted that Abdullah was preparing to replace longtime Foreign Minister Saudi Bin Faisal, struck with Parkinson’s Disease. In a report, the opposition institute said the king was intent on appointing his son […]
John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — Recent elections for the new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council went off with a predictable yawn. Countries representing regional groups gained the coveted two year rotating membership without opposition and basically by acclimation. A secret ballot was set; vote for one out of one. So when the […]