Guest Commentary

Congress appears ready to take long-overdue action to graduate Russia from the provisions of the Jackson-Vanik amendment. At the same time, both the Senate and House seem intent on coupling that with passage of the Magnitsky human-rights bill, which would sanction Russian officials involved in the 2009 death of Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison. 

Unfortunately, by linking these measures, Congress will obscure the message that it seeks to send the Russian government. The two measures should be decoupled.

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This week, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is considering the first bid for a World Heritage site in the Palestinian territories at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, which marks the birthplace of Jesus Christ and hosts some of the most sacred Christmas masses in the world. 

Inclusion of the church, revered by all believers, and its surrounding pilgrimage route on the prestigious list would ensure protection of the holy site and preserve a key element of Palestine’s cultural and historical identity. But even as this happy deliberation occurs, a new resolution in the U.S. Congress, and the continued failure to achieve a workable peace in our region, threatens our very identity as a people.

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The world drug problem is a challenge of global reach that adversely affects the health, safety and welfare of all mankind. It weakens the foundations of sustainable development, legal systems, political and economic stability and democratic institutions - and thus constitutes a threat to security, governance and the rule of law.

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The recent political turmoil in Egypt is leading to widespread pessimism about the country’s future. Putting all the focus on the political process, however, makes the mistake of viewing elections and legislatures as the most important part of a renewed Middle East. While those institutions are important, it is impossible to imagine a path forward for the Arab Spring that does not also involve a strategy for real economic growth.

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In recent weeks, critics of Bahrain’s government have alleged that the Kingdom’s reform process has stalled or even retreated. These accusations ignore the steps Bahrain continues to take to address the concerns of its people and fail to address the opposition’s repeated refusal to condemn violence and sit with the rest of Bahrain in a meaningful dialogue.

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The Arab Spring’s most significant crisis has been unfolding in Syria for more than a year and a half. The lack of international leadership and political will has led to one of the most explosive and potent caldrons of instability that the Middle East has ever experienced. The regional impact, regardless of the  eventual outcome on the ground in Syria, has long-term consequences that outweigh the short-term considerations that are currently holding back U.S. policymakers from acting.

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When you scan the globe’s hot spots, every civil war and massacre, every act of terror and every clash between states has its unique local circumstances.

But often the sparks that ignite violence can be from a familiar list of grievances — ethnic and sectarian strife, political deadlock, economic deprivation, scarce natural resources — and world leaders need to work harder to combat these problems.

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Guest Commentary

The arrival last month of the U.S. ambassador to Ecuador Adam Namm, and my presence here in Washington since January as the Ecuadorian ambassador, mark a positive new step in an important bilateral relationship.

The U.S.-Ecuador relationship is strengthening, drawing on mutual interests and shared values that promote economic and cultural ties between our countries.

Guest Commentary

TIRANA — How can humanity ensure that the mass murder of vulnerable minorities never happens again?

With the United States and Canada each officially commemorating the Holocaust with similar ceremonies on the same day, the leaders of each nation offered complementary answers — coordinated governmental action and individual moral choice. Both responses are right, and neither can be effective without the other.

Guest Commentary:
This year marks a significant milestone for Hong Kong as we commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the special administrative region. While some questioned whether the novel “One country, two systems” principle would be successful, it is evident that Hong Kong not only endures, but thrives. The example of the past 15 years has cemented confidence in the city and its prospects. Read more...