US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 10/01/13 By Michael Shank and Vani Sathisan Last week, the Elders, led by ex-U.S. president Jimmy Carter, called for an end to impunity over the anti-Muslim attacks in Myanmar and the “meaningful realization of the right to freedom of religion.” But their three-day visit with […]
CNN 09/27/13 By Michael Shank, Matt Hoh and Danny L. Davis Editor’s note: Matthew Hoh served with the U.S. Marines in Iraq and on State Department teams in Afghanistan and Iraq and is a Senior Fellow with the Center for International Policy. Michael Shank is director of foreign policy at […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/24/13 By Michael Shank President Barack Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly today deserves some fact checking. There were multiple assertions that skewed reality and are worth debunking as a result. First, Obama questioned “whether the United Nations can meet the tests of […]
USA TODAY 9/23/13 By Michael Shank Focus on African security missing development needs. Last month, at the beginning of a trip to Somalia, my twitter feed started buzzing with breaking news about explosions in Mogadishu. A local rebel group, al-Shabab, claimed credit. Their tactic was fairly unsophisticated: break the Ramadan […]
CNN 09/17/13 By Michael Shank and Emily Wirzba Editor’s note: Michael Shank is director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Emily Wirzba is program assistant for Sustainable Energy and the Environment at FCNL. The views expressed are their own. The agreement forged by Russia and the […]
NATIONAL JOURNAL 09/16/13 By Michael Shank and Emily Wirzba What few people in Washington are talking about when it comes to the Syria crisis is the connection to climate change. While it may seem remote and implausible to Washington realists, the connection is clear. What is most disconcerting, however – […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/13/13 By Michael Shank and Emily Wirzba What few people in Washington are talking about when it comes to the Syria crisis is the connection to climate change. While it may seem remote and implausible to Washington realists, the connection is clear. What is most […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/11/13 By Michael Shank One of the most disturbing dynamics about President Barack Obama’s speech to the American people and what’s gone down in the last week in Washington – vis-à-vis military strikes in Syria – is the Obama administration’s willingness to break constitutional and […]
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/09/13 By Michael Shank Syria’s welcoming this week of Russia’s proposal to put its chemical weapons under international control should put a pause on the Obama administration’s frenzied full court press this week – vis-à-vis invasion – which includes six television network interviews, a live […]
THE DAILY BEAST 09/05/13 By Michael Shank and US Rep Charles Rangel (D-NY) Instead of getting involved in a costly war, the president should combat poverty, gun violence, and inequality at home. By Rep. Charles Rangel and Michael Shank. America seems increasingly inclined to engage in a new military conflict […]