Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons

Twenty-one years ago, on my recommendation, the UN general assembly named 2001 the year of “dialogue among civilisations”, and signalled its commitment to peace and its rejection of war and violence. The Iranian people, despite their own historic grievances and troubled history, opened a hopeful new chapter of engagement and dialogue with the Great Powers (US, UK and Russia). These hopes, however, were dashed by the terrorist atrocities of 11 September, 2001 and their tragic aftermath in devastating wars in west Asia. The catastrophic wars of Iraq and Afghanistan and other interventions in the region exacerbated already extant problems, and paved the way for the growth of international terrorism, civil wars in Syria and Iraq, and the depredations and war crimes still unfolding in Yemen. These conflicts have made the region unsafe and have impinged on security around the world. In the same period, the development of Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme became a test of … [Read more...] about By punishing Iran, Trump risks a full-scale war between our two countries

Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from New York’s newspapers: Blame Bloomberg, not Trump for Bloomberg News’ dilemma New York Post Dec. 3 Sorry: It’s just silly to blame Brad Parscale, the Trump 2020 campaign manager, for the ridiculous position that Michael Bloomberg has put Bloomberg News in. Parscale announced Monday that the campaign won’t give Bloomberg News reporters credentials for “rallies or other campaign events,” since the agency’s editors have “declared their bias openly.” It may opt “to engage with individual reporters or answer inquiries” on a “case-by-case basis.” Makes sense: Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, announced that, since the company’s owner joined the race, it won’t investigate any Democrats running for president, but only the incumbent. As Megan Murphy, a former Bloomberg Washington bureau chief, noted, those rules are … [Read more...] about Editorial Roundup: New York

In the context of Mental Health Awareness Month, authors of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, a book of which I am the editor, gathered in Washington, DC (Lee, 2018).  A topic of discussion was how the American Psychiatric Association (APA) attempted to silence psychiatrists.  It did so through the amplification of an obscure rule called “the Goldwater Rule.”  Based on a one-time, 1964 lawsuit that caused public relations problems for the APA, the APA had established a guideline that prohibits diagnosing public figures without a personal examination and without authorization.  Even though it was more a political compromise than an ethical issue, it was reasonable enough.  But on March 16, 2017, when the APA turned the rule into a gag order two months into the Trump administration (APA, 2017), I was alarmed enough to convene an ethics conference over it that eventually led to the book.  I compared the APA’s move to what its professional … [Read more...] about Mental Health Experts Claim Their Right to Speak

Former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook sent shockwaves through British politics when he resigned on the eve of the Iraq War. Although he failed to stop the conflict, his actions went down in history and propelled a rebellion by 138 Labour MPs. He died in 2005. It is now 15 years since his speech to the House of Commons on 17 March 2003 - finishing in a noisy standing ovation. But he remains the lodestar for Labour's approach to foreign policy, says Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry. Here is the full transcript. Robin Cook's Iraq War speech This is the first time for 20 years that I have addressed the House from the Back Benches. I must confess that I had forgotten how much better the view is from here! None of those 20 years were more enjoyable or more rewarding than the past two, in which I have had the immense privilege of serving this House as Leader of the House, which were made all the more enjoyable, Mr. Speaker, by the opportunity of working closely with you. It was … [Read more...] about Robin Cook’s powerful resignation speech that tried to stop the Iraq War – full transcript