The Duck of Minerva

. Happy International Women's Day. Remembering events in Bosnia twenty years ago and how the world was changed. The Guardian's profile of a few voices from around the world. Urvashi Sahni and Xanthe Ackerman offer strategies for action. In my weekend reading, I'll be trying to make sense of some of this week's bizarre events. North Korea ends peace pact and ratchets up the threat. Jeffrey Lewis worries about the next moves Senator Robert Menedez says Congress and the United States must "ensure that North Korea pays a price for its continued reckless behavior." BBC has video of North Korean...

  Miscellaneous musings for the weekend. If this is true,  then will the sequester be over by the next Congressional recess?  Any idea as to why so many trips to Switzerland? I seriously doubt it has anything to do with this. Mattea Kramer and Chris Hellman find that we've spent $791bn on Homeland Security since 9/11 -- compared to an inflation-adjusted $500bn for the entire New Deal. On-going stress in India about Pakistan's nuclear capabilities and new developments in India's own capabilities. A basic primer on Iran "One of the most bizarre relationships in international relations?"...

Here's the round-up: The United Nations refuses to pay compensation to victims of the cholera it brought to Haiti.  Not really a surprise.  Read Jonathon Katz's The Big Truck That Went By. Joshua Landis' survey of the debate over counting casualties in Syria.  There is a strong sense that the numbers are under-reported. Megan Price and her team at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group are still analyzing the numbers presented in their preliminary report. Marc Lynch hosts a debate on whether or not to arm the Syrian rebels. After listening to Sean Lynn-Jones' podcast, my weekend read:  David...

  If it looks like a Duck -- the Monkey Cage's take on the Hagel filibuster and the politics of the Senate Daniel Serwer thinks the US  should be funneling money to Moaz al Khatib and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition forces. Corruption and inefficiency in the delivery of humanitarian aid -- can it still be overcome. John McCain wants to give the Syrian Opposition Coalition control over humanitarian aid.  Really not a good idea. Understanding factionalism in Syria -- and how to start a battalion in five easy lessons. Thinking about post-conflict justice in...

Winter Storm Nemo is bearing down on us and everything is shut down up here in the Northeast. No classes and no office hours! Here's the quick snow edition: Why are we now naming winter storms? Canadians dissing on Toronto. Moscow has received its heaviest snow in a century.  With pictures. I used to do this on really cold snow days growing up in North Dakota -- blow soap bubbles and watch them freeze and shatter.  (There really was nothing else to do at -20 degrees in North Dakota) And, the rest of the roundup: The New York Times and the Washington Post broke the story and Wired found the...

Thomas Ricks continues his rant on the dismissal of CENTCOM Commander General James Mattis. Ricks' earlier takes here. Some Teaparty folks think Mattis' dismissal is part of Obama's longer-term intent to kill Americans. Maybe, but at least we know the moon landing wasn't faked. But, really, while Mattis may be a popular and effective leader of Marines, his role at CENTCOM as the face of the American power in the Middle East probably requires a bit more diplomatic polish than he's demonstrated in the past. International Crisis Group on new threats from North Korea. The internal political...