REUTERS 12/09/13 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Michael Honda The annual United Nations climate change talks, which concluded last month in Warsaw, unfortunately found little common ground on carbon. The talks broke down over the world’s richest nations’ inability to agree with the poorest on how to address the […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 12/06/13 By Michael Shank and Kate Gould With the United States and Iran finally on a path toward resolving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, a member of Congress on the House Armed Services Committee is playing the spoiler, urging the United States to prepare […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 12/02/13 By Michael Shank It appears that Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based Islamic preacher from Turkey who promotes peace and tolerance, and the schools associated with his religious Hizmet movement can’t get a break. They were first targeted in America, via discrimination aimed at the Turkish […]
RADIO FREE EUROPE 11/27/13 By Frud Bezhan A contentious security deal between Afghanistan and the United States looked all but signed. The Loya Jirga, a key national gathering of Afghan elders, had given its unanimous backing. All that was left was for both parliament and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to […]
FOX NEWS 11/27/13 By Edmund DeMarche From war zones to city streets, some military vehicles are getting a new life — and not everyone is happy about the recycling. The Defense Department recently announced it would be giving domestic law enforcement forces hulking vehicles designed to efficiently maneuver in a […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 11/26/13 By Michael Shank Earlier this month, five Cuban nationals – sponsored by the Center for Democracy in the Americas – made the trek from Havana to Washington to discuss the openings they, and Cubans like them, are pursuing in the nascent private economy. Having […]
WASHINGTON TIMES 11/26/13 By Michael Shank and Kim Toogood WASHINGTON, November 26, 2013 — The Republic of Turkmenistan has turned a new corner. It is a country that has spent the last few years shedding its ultra-conservative status, thanks to a slightly more progressive President. As a result, the country […]
CNN 11/22/13 By Michael Shank and Madeline Rose Editor’s note: Michael Shank is director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Madeline Rose is legislative associate for foreign policy at FCNL. The views expressed are their own. Despite dire warnings of anarchy, mass violence, and potential genocide, […]
RADIO FREE EUROPE 11/20/13 By Frud Bezhan For both Kabul and Washington, having a traditional gathering of Afghan tribal chiefs and political leaders decide the fate of a contentious bilateral security deal offers strategic advantages. The Loya Jirga, which opens on November 21, can provide legitimacy to the decision-making process, […]
WASHINGTON TIMES 11/18/13 By Michael Shank and Matt Lichtash WASHINGTON, November 18, 2013 – With the United Nations meeting this week in Warsaw, Poland, for its annual conversation on climate change, one wonders if the international community can come together quickly enough to respond to this month’s warnings from the […]