The European Union yesterday imposed an embargo on future oil imports from Iran in an unprecedented escalation of sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran into negotiations on its uranium enrichment program. Foreign ministers from the EU’s 27 member states agreed to ban new purchases of Iranian oil and phase out oil imports under old contracts by July 1. The oil sanctions will be phased in gradually and reviewed on May 1 to cushion the impact on Greece, Italy and Spain, which face severe economic problems and depend more heavily on Iranian …
Throughout the world, countless violations of basic human rights occur every day, but, as Representative Frank Wolf (R–VA) quoted Simon and Garfunkel, “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” On January 12, The Heritage Foundation hosted Wolf, a champion of human and religious rights around the world, for the presentation of his book, Prisoner of Conscience: One Man’s Crusade for Global Human and Religious Rights. Leaders in the Administration, media, and society at large appear to have lost passion for standing for the Tibetans, supporting …
In yet another display of disdain for the Anglo-American Special Relationship, the Obama administration has weighed in on the mounting tensions between Great Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Just two days after Prime Minister David Cameron issued a robust statement in the House of Commons vowing to defend the sovereignty of the Falklands, the US State Department has undercut Britain yet again with a deeply unhelpful statement that plays into Argentina’s hands. In response to a question on the Falklands at Thursday’s State Department press briefing, a US government spokesman supported direct …
Last weekend, Boko Haram, a Nigerian terrorist organization launched a deadly strike in the northern city of Kano. Targeting government security forces, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for waging a series of bomb attacks and gun assaults that killed over 160 people. Boko Haram has gained increasing notoriety in the past year as it has carried out regular attacks against government security forces and innocent civilians, both Muslim and Christian. According to the Associated Press, Boko Haram claimed 510 victims in 2011 while killing as many as 76 this year before …
With economic issues dominating the domestic political agenda and much of our foreign policy focused on combating terrorism, systematic violations of political and religious rights by some of the world’s most tyrannical regimes receive less attention than perhaps they should. Rep. Frank Wolf, a Republican representing Virginia’s 5th District, is out to rectify that shortcoming. His new book, “Prisoner of Conscience: One Man’s Crusade for Global Human and Religious Rights,” discusses his work to champion human rights across the world, and expose the gross violations he has come across in …
After 10 months of anti-government protests in Syria and some 5,000 dead amid a violent government crackdown, the United States is preparing to close the U.S. embassy in the capital city of Damascus and evacuate all American personnel by the end of January, The Washington Post reports. The embassy will remain open only if President Bashar al-Assad provides enhanced protection. The Heritage Foundation’s James Phillips says that the closure of the embassy is a prudent move in the face of hostile policies of the Assad regime: The Assad regime orchestrated …
Ever since Sri Lanka ended a two-and-a-half-decade civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in 2009, the government has faced questions about alleged violations of human rights and the killing of thousands of civilians during the war. Despite the Sri Lankan government’s initial resistance to exploring these issues, it took a notable stride forward last November when it released the findings and recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). In May 2010, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa created the LLRC to begin an inquiry into …
Cuban citizen Wilman Villar Mendoza, age 31, belonged to small dissident group, the Cuban Patriotic Union. He reportedly joined it in the summer of 2011 in eastern Cuba. On November 12, Villar participated in one of the numerous protest actions that spring up here and there around the island. Villar was arrested by Cuban authorities on charges of “disrespecting authority” and “resisting arrest.” Within days he was tried and sentenced to four years in prison. The regime treated him as a common criminal, its customary way of dismissing dissent. Villar …
Tensions are rising in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has recently yet again threatened to close the strategic strait down over the threats from the European Union to impose an embargo on buying Iranian oil. The Europeans want to do that as a part of increasing efforts by the West to halt Tehran’s nuclear program. If Tehran blockades the strait, through which 40 percent of world’s oil is shipped, such an action would have a major impact on the prices of oil and the world economy. Iran has used its …
Friends of improved relations with Cuba argue that citizen contact, people-to-people interaction, and lifting current impediments to travel and trade will pave the way for an improved U.S.–Cuba relationship and greater mutual understanding. Yet if the climate for change is as favorable as they suggest, in a moment of heightened international tensions and growing fear regarding Iran’s rush to a nuclear weapon, why do the Castro brothers choose to host Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with grand fanfare as part of his recent four-nation tour in Latin America? Why does its …
