U.N. Weighs Response To Central African Republic Conflict
November 26, 2013 • World powers are scrambling to get a hold of a crisis in Central African Republic that U.N. officials have warned could lead to genocide. The nation slipped into bloody anarchy after rebels ousted the president in March.
John Kerry: Risk Ready And Looking For A Legacy
November 25, 2013 • Secretary of State John Kerry has been diving into difficult issues ever since he took up the office at Foggy Bottom. He's managed tough negotiations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over a future, limited role for U.S. troops there. He's re-launched Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, reached a deal with Russia to rid Syria of chemical weapons and is now making headway with Iran to roll back that country's nuclear program. This is a man clearly looking for legacy.
Selling Iran Deal To Congress, Kerry Downplays Israeli Criticism
November 18, 2013 • Secretary of State John Kerry has been urging Congress to hold off a new sanctions on Iran to see how diplomacy plays out. But many lawmakers are skeptical and cite concerns from Israel that the deal under consideration isn't worth easing up on sanctions yet. Kerry's spokesperson dismissed an Israeli official's account of the proposed deal as "inaccurate, exaggerated and not based on reality." And the secretary himself reportedly told senators behind closed doors that they should disregard the Israeli reports about the deal. Kerry's also been more vocal lately about Israeli settlement building in the West Bank as his other priority, Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, falter.
Kerry's New Mission: Convince Congress To Take Iran Deal
November 12, 2013 • Secretary of State John Kerry is back in Washington to defend the proposed nuclear deal with Iran to skeptical members of Congress. He and his colleagues from other major powers failed to reach a deal with Iran during talks over the weekend in Geneva. Iran blames France's hard line for blowing up the deal, though Kerry has tried to downplay that.
DRC Rebels' Surrender Could Mark New Chapter In U.N. Peacekeeping
November 11, 2013 • There's been a rare bit of good news in Eastern Congo this month. One of the rebel groups that have terrorized civilians in the mineral rich part of the the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed to end its rebellion. There's still a lot of work to do to disarm the M23 and to keep other rebel movements in check. But this small victory is a boost for U.N. peacekeepers, who are under a new, tougher mandate to protect civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some experts wonder if this could be a new model for peacekeeping.
Russian LGBT Activists Visit Washington To Drum Up Support
November 8, 2013 • LGBT activists from the Russian city of Arkhangelsk are making the rounds in Washington, lobbying the U.S. government to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin over its anti-gay legislation as Russia prepares to host the winter Olympics.
Syrian Regime, Rebels Fail To Set Date For Talks
November 5, 2013 • The U.N.'s top envoy on Syria says diplomats have failed to agree on a date for a peace conference. Lakhdar Brahimi says he's still hoping such a meeting could take place in Geneva before the end of the year. He had been hoping it would take place this month, but the Syrian rebels aren't ready to attend, the U.S. and Russia have yet to agree on whether Iran should take part and there are many other roadblocks. Brahimi is raising the alarms about a conflict that has affected half of the population, with 6,000 people fleeing every day.
A Syrian fighter from the Islamist rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra inspects a resident's identification papers at a checkpoint in Aleppo on Oct. 26. Syria's Islamist fighters are generally better funded than their more moderate counterparts. Reuters /Landov hide caption
Syria's Moderate Rebels Fight A Battle On Two Fronts
November 4, 2013 • On one side, they are battling forces loyal to the Assad regime; on the other, Islamist rebels from among their own ranks. But while the Islamists and the regime are both well-funded, the moderate rebels are looking to the U.S. for aid — and getting little in return.
Obama To Meet With Iraqi Leader On Military Aid
November 1, 2013 • President Obama meets at the White House on Friday with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Maliki is planning to ask for more military aid to deal with the growing insurgency in Iraq.
Syria On Course To Meet Weapons Destruction Deadlines
October 28, 2013 • Syria seems to be on course to meet its deadlines to give up its chemical weapons stockpile. It has made its declaration to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and the OPCW has visited 21 of the 23 sites it needs to see. Two others are in contested areas. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says all this shows that if there's political will to do something in Syria, it is possible. He's hoping the U.N. Security Council, which backed the chemical weapons agreement, can now work together to ease the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Drones On Agenda In Pakistan PM-Obama White House Meeting
October 23, 2013 • President Obama held talks at the White House Wednesday with Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. U.S. drone strikes on militants along the Pakistani-Afghan border were on the agenda.
U.S., Pakistan Try To Turn A Page With White House Meeting
October 23, 2013 • Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, meets President Obama at the White House on Wednesday. He's the first Pakistani leader to visit the White House in five years. Talks are expected to focus on U.S. security and economic aid, as well as the controversial U.S. drone attacks along the Pakistani-Afghan border.
The U.N. Security Council votes on a resolution requiring Syria to give up its chemical weapons last month in New York. Last week, Saudi Arabia turned down a chance to take a seat on the Council. Craig Ruttle/AP hide caption
Craig Ruttle/AP
Saudi Act Of Protest Stuns U.N., And Some Observers
October 20, 2013 • The kingdom decided it will not take a two-year rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council, calling the body incapable of ending wars and resolving conflicts.
Experts Debate How Best To Remove Syria's Chemical Weapons
October 17, 2013 • Secretary of State John Kerry says he's hoping Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles can be consolidated quickly and shipped out of the country. Experts say it is possible, but risky. International chemical weapons experts are still mapping out Syria's stockpiles to see what can be moved.
NPR's Michele Kelemen Reports On The Possibility Of Moving Chemical Weapons
Peace Prize Winners Want To Rid The World Of Chemical Weapons
October 11, 2013 • The Nobel Peace Prize is being awarded this year to chemical weapons inspectors involved in a dangerous mission in Syria. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons is the guardian of the global ban on chemical weapons. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wanted to highlight its work not just in Syria but around the world, as it tries to get rid of an entire class of weapons.