The Arms Trade Treaty PrepCom Concludes

As Arms Trade Treaty Meeting Concludes, U.S. Frustrations Grow, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 23, 2010. "The Preparatory Committee for the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty is nearing the end of its second and final week of meetings. The Preparatory Committee is not engaged in negotiating a treaty, but in defining what should be included in the treaty when it is negotiated. As a result, many of the statements by the participating states are very general. But enough has been said to show that the Obama Administration’s decision to participate only on the basis of “consensus”—which it justified as a way to ensure that the final treaty is satisfactory—was ill-advised."

Koh on the Declaration of Independence, Then and Now

A Sidelight on the ICJ’s Kosovo Decision, Commentary, July 23, 2010. "Yesterday, the International Court of Justice, in a nonbinding opinion that resulted from a referral from the UN General Assembly at Serbia’s behest, ruled that Kosovo’s breakaway from Serbia was not illegal because “general international law contains no applicable prohibition on declarations of independence.” Well, that’s a relief. On its merits, the opinion was correct. But this is exactly the kind of fundamentally political question that cannot be settled by the courts – especially not an international court."

When Cameron Came to DC

PM Shines But Should Have Spoken Out On Fiscal Divide, Yorkshire Post, July 22, 2010. "AT least David Cameron's visit wasn't a fiasco. When Gordon Brown came to Washington last year, it was all too obvious that the US administration in general, and Barack Obama in particular, regarded him as a negligible figure."

What Cameron Should Say (Or Have Said)

Britain’s David Cameron Must Tell Obama the Truth, Foxnews.com, July 20, 2010. "In a relationship, troubles never come one at a time. The Anglo-American Special Relationship is no different. Obama’s early discourtesies – the ejection of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office, the gift of incompatible DVDs to Gordon Brown, who is partially blind – were minor in themselves. But they were a token of the president’s belief that Britain is just like any other European country – easily wooed, and hence of no real account."

UN's 'Programme of Action' on Small Arms

As the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty Process Begins, U.N.’s “Programme of Action” on Small Arms Shows Its Dangers, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2969, July 20, 2010. "In 2001, the United Nations created the “Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects” (PoA). The PoA is not a treaty. Rather, it is a mechanism for encouraging voluntary cooperation. The fourth biennial meeting on the PoA took place June 14–18, 2010. In 2008, the U.N. Secretary-General stated that the PoA’s results as of that date were not “substantive.” As a voluntary mechanism, the PoA posed few dangers and offered the hope of modest gains in cooperation to address illicit arms trafficking. The 2010 biennial meeting demonstrated that these hopes are unlikely to be fulfilled. The better facets of the PoA are being weakened, while its worst aspects are receiving additional emphasis. The United States should not yet withdraw from the PoA, but it should watch the PoA with care and be ready to withdraw if its unacceptable drift continues. This drift should be a warning to the U.S. as it embarks on the treaty process for the U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty."

Cameron's Visit and the US-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty

David Cameron Must Press for U.S. Ratification of the U.S.–U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 16, 2010. "The U.S.–U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, which was signed in 2007 and ratified by Britain in 2008, has the support of the Obama Administration. But the Administration has not worked hard enough to allay the concerns that have so far prevented the U.S. Senate from ratifying the treaty. During Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to the United States, he should press President Obama to demonstrate his commitment to advancing the Anglo–American Special Relationship and improving the efficiency of defense procurement in both countries by announcing his intention to work with the Senate to secure the rapid ratification of this treaty."

U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Preparatory Committee Convenes

Danger Ahead: The U.N. Begins Work on the Arms Trade Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 13, 2010. "Beginning this week, and running through July 23, the United Nations will hold back-to-back meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty. The Preparatory Committee will discuss the content of the treaty, in advance of a meeting of the Conference in 2012 to finalize the treaty and open it for ratification."

The 2010 Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty

The 2010 Preparatory Committee for the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty: Five Dangers the U.S. Must Avoid, Heritage Foundation WebMemo #2953, July 8, 2010. "On July 12–23, the United Nations will hold back-to-back meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty. This process poses five serious dangers that the U.S. should avoid. If the U.S. does not do so, any arms trade treaty that comes into existence will pose a threat to U.S. liberties, to American interests, and to effective and serious diplomacy."

Dr. Liam Fox and the US-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty

Unfinished Business: The U.S.-U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 6, 2010. "In an important speech at the Heritage Foundation on Wednesday that demonstrated the new British government’s commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with the U.S., Dr. Liam Fox, the British Secretary of State for Defense, issued a blunt warning that the U.S., Britain, and its allies in Afghanistan need to 'hold our nerve' and 'see the job through.'"

On the 4th of July

President Reagan, Our British Friends, and the 4th of July, Heritage Foundation Foundry, July 4, 2010. "In 2001, Kiron Skinner, Annelise Anderson, and Martin Anderson edited a superb book that all friends of freedom, and of President Ronald Reagan, should read. Titled Reagan in His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America, it published a selection of Reagan’s daily radio broadcasts between 1975 and 1979."