Russia’s participation in the CFE Treaty suspended

President Vladimir Putin signed today a law suspending Russia’s participation in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe.

IAEA report on Iran

The latest IAEA report on Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which covers developments since Dr. ElBaradei´s report of 30 August 2007, is available.

The Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding

The Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding is a new cross-disciplinary journal devoted to academic and practitioner analysis of international intervention with the purpose of strengthening state capacities.

Statebuilding – constructing or reconstructing institutions of governance capable of providing citizens with physical and economic security – is widely held to be one of the most pressing policy questions facing the international community today. Those concerned with such issues cross the political spectrum. They include political realists who argue that there is more to fear from failing states than from conquering ones. They also embrace activists who see the dysfunction of state institutions as lying at the heart of the global poverty trap. Indeed, it is the intersection of these concerns on the part of the security and development communities that has made state-building a core policy focus across the policy agendas of major Western states, international institutions and international NGOs.

From post-conflict governance, in places like Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, to international support for weak states, under the state capacity-building programmes of the US government’s Millennium Challenge Account, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s poverty reduction strategies, or the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, to the European Union enlargement strategies of ‘member-state building’ in the Balkans, the policies and programmes of statebuilding are proving central to the future of global politics (…).

More information and the TOC of the first issue on the Journal website.

An Interview of Noam Chomsky

The Journal of Contemporary Asia (vol. 37, n. 4) contains an interesting interview of Noam Chomsky on US foreign policy, mainly in Iraq. The document is available at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pdf/papers/RJOC_37_4_2007.pdf.

State of Emergency in Pakistan

From a Press Statement of the U.S. Department of State about State of Emergency in Pakistan : “The United States is deeply disturbed by reports that Pakistani President Musharraf has taken extra-constitutional actions and has imposed a state of emergency. A state of emergency would be a sharp setback for Pakistani democracy and takes Pakistan off the path toward civilian rule. President Musharraf has stated repeatedly that he will step down as Chief of Army Staff before re-taking the presidential oath of office and has promised to hold elections by January 15th. We expect him to uphold these commitments and urge him to do so immediately. The United States stand with the people of Pakistan in supporting a democratic process and in countering violent extremism. We urge all parties to work together to complete the transition to democracy and civilian rule without violence or delay”.

Al-Moallem delivers a speech at Iraq’s Neighboring Countries Meeting in Istanbul

Istanbul, (SANA) – Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem affirmed on Saturday the importance of the Iraq Neighboring Countries Conference held in Istanbul with the participation of all the parties concerned to solve the dangerous situation in Iraq.

In a speech delivered at the 2nd Expanded International Meeting of Iraq Neighboring Countries, Mr. al-Moallem renewed Syria’s commitment to preserving the integrity of Iraq’s land and people, affirming the rejection of division, stressing the need to guarantee the sovereignty, independence of Iraq and its Arab and Islamic identity.

Mr. al-Moallem pointed out that maintaining the unity of Iraq is based on many things, most important of which is the national reconciliation based on respecting the will of the Iraqi people, expressing Syria’s readiness to participate in pushing the reconciliation forward.

The Foreign Minister also warned against the dangers of dividing Iraq, saying that Syria is following up the dangerous developments in Iraq which could threaten the entire region. He underlined the need for all parties in Iraq, the Middle East and the world to cooperate in order to solve this dangerous situation (see full article).