human rights

The Walled City Upon a Hill: Why the US is Responsible for the Deaths of Migrants

SWJED — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 13:31:05 +0000

The Walled City Upon a Hill: Why the US is Responsible for the Deaths of Migrants SWJED Mon, 07/08/2019 - 9:31am

The US should embrace the fact that it is in part responsible for this crisis. America should do everything it can to help Central American migrants. This injustice must be corrected if the United States is to live up to its great legacy as the city upon a hill.

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Nadia Murad's Story Continues: VP Pence, the Yazidis, Human Rights & Humanitarian Assistance

SWJED — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:20:36 +0000

Nadia Murad's Story Continues: VP Pence, the Yazidis, Human Rights & Humanitarian Assistance SWJED Tue, 01/08/2019 - 2:20pm

Murad’s advocacy, willingness to tell her heart-breaking story hundreds of times, and tenacity pushed a nearly impossible win across the finish line. Now Trump’s rash choice on troops in Syria may reverse that work. If and when the Yazidis begin to trickle back into Sinjar, they will have Murad, and very few others, to thank.

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The Vertical Integration of Organised Crime Linked to Political Corruption

SWJED — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 21:33:14 +0000

The Vertical Integration of Organised Crime Linked to Political Corruption

SWJ-El Centro - An Economic-Jurimetric Analysis of Asset Forfeitures and Human Rights

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About the Author(s)

Gender and Transition in Afghanistan

Peter J. Munson — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:04:42 +0000

Gender and Transition in Afghanistan Peter J. Munson Fri, 04/12/2013 - 10:04am

The issue of the reach of the state needs to be put into a wider focus by including women and gender issues as part of the narrative.

Youth Lost: Ugandan Child Soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army

Peter J. Munson — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Youth Lost: Ugandan Child Soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army Peter J. Munson Fri, 03/15/2013 - 3:30am

The only long-term solution to end the LRA’s child soldiering is through a decisive victory, which requires expanded regional and international involvement.

US Security Force Assistance in Africa: Human Rights, Ethics Training a Must

Peter J. Munson — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:30:00 +0000

US Security Force Assistance in Africa: Human Rights, Ethics Training a Must

The Malian army that took over the government in the March 2012 coup was led by a US trained officer, Captain Sanogo. The Malian military continues to exert great influence in the political process in Mali and as they try to expel insurgents that have taken over the northern part of Mali. The Malian army, however, is also accused of human rights abuses that took place during the purge of Sanogo opponents, as well as with enemy combatants. Besides training the leader of the coup, the US military also trained the Malian military for years through the African Contingency Operations Training Assistance program (ACOTA), its predecessor the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI), and other programs.

On 24 January 2013, the US AFRICOM Commander, General Ham, acknowledged the role the US military played in training Malian forces and found the outcome worrying. He said that the focus of US efforts was tactical training but “We didn’t spend, probably, the requisite time focusing on values, ethics and military ethos.”

The US has trained many African militaries on the continent; notably with the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) following the UN brokered Liberian peace deal that sent Charles Taylor to exile in Nigeria in 2003. After dismissing the former Liberian military, the US vetted and recruited a new force and drew up a comprehensive training plan in 2005 that included intensive human rights, rule of law, ethics and values training. However, in 2007, after the first class of new Liberian soldiers graduated, US trainers cut out the bulk of these training blocks due to time and cost constraints. US trainers promised to incorporate the training at a later date but were unable to do so.

The only test for the AFL so far was the Fall 2012 deployment under “Operation Restore Hope” to patrol the porous borders with Cote d’Ivoire. Desertion remains a concern as over ten percent of the AFL has quit the force. Frequent stories of AFL soldiers committing crimes are featured in the local Monrovian news, causing concern about the ethics and values of the new Liberian troops.

Another example of a US trained soldier gone bad is President Jammeh in the Gambia, who took power in a 1994 military coup. This has also taken place in Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, and Bolivia. African leaders are rightfully afraid that US training can lead to regime change.

The values and ethics training incorporated in ACOTA training has not prevented abuses by African militaries either. Of the 25 current ACOTA partners, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Ugandan, and Nigerian troops have been accused of atrocities.

Upcoming budget cuts and sequestration will put greater restraints on US military spending and our capabilities in training African forces. If the primary intent of US training is to increase the tactical capabilities in US partners on the continent it is likely that human rights, values, and ethics training will also fall by the wayside in the rapidly approaching lean years. US leaders need to ensure that these essential training modules are reinforced in all US funded training.

Peter J. Munson Wed, 02/06/2013 - 3:30am

Iraq In The Middle Part V: David Forsythe on Iraq’s Relations with its Democratic Partners

Peter J. Munson — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:21:02 +0000

Iraq In The Middle Part V: David Forsythe on Iraq’s Relations with its Democratic Partners Peter J. Munson Thu, 08/23/2012 - 8:21pm

As the US Treasury imposes sanctions on an Iraqi bank, what defines our relationship with friendly autocracies?

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