Hello again! I started the blog in 2007; however, more than our fair share of a few technical glitches a few months ago -- some more serious than others -- and the editors opted to, essentially, start over. The older posts we can recover shall be reposted in due course. Next time, I'll hire an expert to [...]
Washington Post: Iran has reinvented the hostage crisis, 40 years later
"What is lacking is not law or policy," said Jason Poblete, a Washington-based lawyer who has represented U.S. citizens held hostage abroad, including current and former hostages of the Iranian regime. "It's political will to make resolution of these cases a global priority among affected stakeholders." Read the entire story at The Washington Post.
RCP: Can Latinos Boost Trump’s Chances in Florida?
From Susan Crabtree at Real Clear Politics, a closer look at Florida politics and the potential impact of different voter blocs in the state: "At the Coral Gables Public Library voting site, scenes have resembled makeshift fiestas with cars flying Trump flags and horns honking while Latin music plays in the background. The music group [...]
Nicaragua for Nicaguarans, Not NGOs IOs or Other Foreign Meddlers
Yesterday at the Organization of American States (OAS), I met up with colleagues and friends from Nicaragua and the Nicaragua Diaspora from throughout the United States in Washington, D.C. They were in town to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in Nicaragua with U.S. policymakers. I was not expecting to make remarks but addressed the [...]
Havana Syndrome Perpetrators Must Be Held to Account, Victims Provided the Help they Need
The Cubans knew; now they have no clue. The Russians, the Chinese, or maybe even the North Koreans, heck, perhaps the Iranians. Just about rogue or rube has been roped in by reporters, policy experts, and conspiracy theorists to explain Havana syndrome's cause. Yet, the focus must remain on what is known, particularly Cuba and [...]
Release of American Hostages, a National Imperative
It's great to see U.S. officials continue to keep going the extra mile to secure the release of Americans of unlawfully imprisoned Americans. There are many examples, but I wrote this brief post to highlight one, American hostages in Syria. According to an exclusive report published this weekend in the Wall Street Journal, a high-ranking [...]
Canada Imposes Sanctions on Belarus over Human Rights Violations, Hypocrites
This is old news, but worth a few keystrokes of my day to bring it to you. This week Canadian officials announced targeted sanctions on Belarus over human rights abuses. It's easy for Canada to impose economic sanctions on Belarus. Canada runs a trade deficit with Belarus, and not a huge market for Canadian goods. [...]
