What The U.S. Should Do About Interpol, 2019 Edition

Key Goals for the U.S. at the 2019 Meeting of the Interpol General Assembly, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #5002, September 18, 2019. "The annual meeting of the Interpol General Assembly to be held in October 2019 in Chile offers a vital opportunity for Interpol, and its democratic member nations, to put meaningful—and necessary—reforms in motion. The U.S. should work with other democratic nations to form a democratic caucus within Interpol in order to stem the abuse by authoritarian regimes in Interpol by ensuring that Interpol leadership is entrusted to the democracies and by bringing accountability to its operations. As Interpol revises its rules, it is essential that the U.S. and other democracies play a leading role in increasing the transparency of Interpol’s work and ensure that these revisions do not create or legitimate new opportunities to abuse Interpol for political purposes."

Surprise, Surprise, the ATT's A Failure

Even Friends of the Arms Trade Treaty Admit It’s Not Working, Daily Signal, August 30, 2019. "The nations that are party to the Arms Trade Treaty gathered for their annual meeting this week in Geneva. The United States is not there, as President Donald Trump wisely withdrew from the treaty last month. The U.S. isn’t missing much in Switzerland. Even the treaty’s friends admit it’s a failure."

Finally, We're Out

How the U.S. Should Follow Up Its Unsigning of the Arms Trade Treaty, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4995, August 20, 2019. "President Trump’s decision to notify the United Nations that the U.S. does not intend to become a party to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), and thereby to unsign the ATT, was proper and wise. The failure of the ATT is demonstrated by the poor track record of its states parties in fulfilling their reporting and financial requirements. The U.S. should follow up its unsigning of the ATT by putting further diplomatic pressure on the treaty and on the related network of U.N. small arms instruments."

Look Homeward

Why Europe Should Look Inward, Newsday, August 18, 2019. "U.S. relations with Europe are at a low ebb. While President Donald Trump has contributed to the tensions, many of the same difficulties were visible under President Barack Obama. And these tensions are likely to get worse, not better, in the years to come."

Belaboring the Obvious on Interpol, Part 2

Examining Trends in Political Unrest and Allegations of Interpol Abuse, with Yuriy Nemets, Forbes, August 2, 2019. "One of the striking patterns in cases received by the CCF is the way that some countries appear regularly among the top ten nations, whereas other countries appear suddenly."

Belaboring the Obvious on Interpol, Part 1

Does Political Unrest Contribute to INTERPOL Abuse?, with Yuriy Nemets, Forbes, August 2, 2019. "Because the CCF groundlessly refuses to release the information about member countries’ violations of INTERPOL’s rules, any study of this subject is fraught with many uncertainties, which the current authors acknowledge and emphasize. But it is clear, at least, that the public profile of INTERPOL abuse is higher than it was a decade ago. It is likely that this higher profile has led more people to take more cases, including meritorious ones, to the CCF. But it is also likely that the public profile of INTERPOL abuse is higher because, as the CCF numbers imply and as many journalists and analysts have concluded, there is simply more abuse now than there used to be. Even if this increase in abuse was driven partly, or significantly, by the creation of INTERPOL’s I-24/7 system, it is worth exploring other potential causes for it."

House of Commons Evidence on Interpol Abuse

UK House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Committee, "Autocracies and Foreign Policy Inquiry," HC 1948, July 23, 2019, evidence published AFP 0028.

Tariffs Are A Losing Battle

U.S. Fighting An Old Trade Tussle, Newsday, July 14, 2019. "President Donald Trump has threatened to impose more tariffs on European trade with the United States. This is not the first time he has made this threat, and it is not an idle one. It is, however, bad economics and bad policy. Worse, it is a distraction from a better trade agenda and the true trade threats from Europe."

U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Testimony on US-EU Trade

Testimony in hearing on “Transatlantic Policy Impacts of the U.S. – EU Trade Conflict,” hearing in the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment, June 26, 2019.

Britain's Activist Courts and the ATT

Britain’s Foolish Advocacy of the Arms Trade Treaty Bites Back, Forbes, June 25, 2019. "The British Court of Appeal has ruled that British arms sales to Saudi Arabia are unlawful, on the grounds that British ministers had “made no concluded assessments of whether the Saudi-led coalition had committed violations of international humanitarian law in the past, during the Yemen conflict, and made no attempt to do so.” This ruling offers further proof, if any is needed at this point, that the primary – and indeed, the only – purpose of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is to constrain the Western democracies."

Operation Whoops I Shouldn't Have Said That

China Confesses To Abusing Interpol System In The United States, Forbes, June 25, 2019. "Meng Qingfeng’s open acknowledgement that China is using Interpol to procure back-door extraditions from the United States, while not genuinely new, is nonetheless shocking, and the U.S. should take immediate action to end this practice of collaborating with the police state of Communist China."

Brexit in the Times (and Democrat)

U.K. Should Exit the EU, Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, SC), June 24, 2019. "It was the largest exercise of democracy in Britain’s long democratic history. On June 23, 2016, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The best single reason for the U.K. to leave the European Union at the end of October is that this is what the British people voted to do."

We Got Lucky

When Inheritance Is Everything, Newsday, June 23, 2019. "The protests in Hong Kong that begin in April reflect the courage of the people of Hong Kong. But they also reflect Hong Kong’s British inheritance. And as we approach the Fourth of July, they remind us how lucky we are to enjoy both that inheritance and our freedom."

It's Not No Deal

Why the U.S. Is Right to Back the ‘Mini-Deal Brexit', Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4971, June 20, 2019. "The dichotomy between a Brexit governed by outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement and a “no-deal” exit is a false choice. A network of mini-deals among Britain, the European Union, and the U.S. is already in place. The U.K.’s economy has enjoyed unprecedented strength, and it is in an excellent position to leave the EU on the basis of this “mini-deal Brexit.” The U.S. can play a valuable role in facilitating Brexit by continuing to make it clear that it is ready to conclude an ambitious free trade area with the U.K., and by urging both the U.K. and EU authorities to conclude an agreement facilitating free trade after Brexit."

Theresa Couldn't Do It

A Leader, But Not for All Seasons, Newsday, June 9, 2019. "I have often commented that May could have been a successful prime minister in a different age, because she has genuine talents. Above all, inside a settled system, she was an effective administrator. Unfortunately, she was tasked with presiding over Brexit, an unsettled system."

Here's the Media Script for a Presidential Trip

Trump’s UK Visit Was A Glowing Success, Daily Signal, June 6, 2019. "The media has a simple script. When the president is a Republican abroad, the correct approach is to blame everything on him and play up as many negatives as possible. But when the president is a liberal, anything less that fulsome applause is a betrayal of the tradition that politics stops at the water’s edge."

So, Why Not Boris?

Theresa May Will Be Gone in Days. Why Not Meet With Boris Johnson?, Daily Signal, June 3, 2019. "There are big issues at stake in this visit, as there always are in the Anglo-American relationship. And big issues are often controversial ones. From Britain’s relationship with Huawei to its support for the Iran nuclear deal, and most importantly of all, Brexit, the president has lots to discuss."

And the Abuse Keeps Coming

Interpol Abuse By Palestinian Authority And Others Shows Strengths And Weaknesses Of The System, Forbes, May 31, 2019. "Over the past few days, four cases of Interpol abuse, or attempted abuse, have demonstrated several of the weaknesses, and strengths, of the Interpol system. Interpol is supposed to be limited to ordinary crime. Interpol abuse happens when it is used for political, racial, religious, or military purposes."

Yet Again, No Definitions . . . .

Alleged Russian Violations Of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Make New Case For U.S. Withdrawal, Forbes, May 30, 2019. "It is impossible to say for certain whether or not Russia is violating the CTBT because while the CTBT bans explosive nuclear testing, it does not define that term. The U.S. interpretation is that the CTBT bans testing to a “zero yield” standard – because the CTBT bans “any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion” -- but that is only the U.S. interpretation."

The Dull Side of International Relations

Treaties in the Age of Donald Trump, Newsday, May 28, 2019. "When President Donald Trump said last month that the United States was dropping out of the arms trade treaty, The Washington Post sighed that it was “the latest illustration of his aversion to international agreements and world governance.” Obviously, Trump doesn’t like some treaties. But would it surprise you to learn that he’s approved only one fewer treaty in his first two years than President Barack Obama did in his last two?"

Good Riddance

Prime Minister Theresa May to Resign, Daily Signal, May 24, 2019. "The reason for May’s fall is simple. She was given responsibility for negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union, and she made a mess of it by arriving at an agreement that virtually no one in Britain likes. Her efforts to pass the agreement ended up trying to cut a deal with Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party and deeply despised by Conservative voters."

Bound to Vagueness

Trump’s Rejection of the Arms Trade Treaty is Based on Reality, The Hill, May 23,2019. "Why is the treaty so vague? The ATT’s negotiators wanted to get all the world’s nations on board. The only way to do this was to make the treaty as vague as possible. But treaties are contracts that bind the United States. Being bound to vagueness is inherently dangerous."

A Tip For the British Conservatives

In Australia, Conservatives Won A Shock Victory. There’s A Lesson Here for Conservatives Worldwide, Daily Signal, May 22, 2019. "Here’s a tip for our British Conservative friends: Conservative parties that do conservative things win elections. Conservative parties that don’t do them, or don’t know what to do, don’t win elections."

How to Keep Winning on the ATT

Key Steps for the U.S. After the Unsigning of the Arms Trade Treaty, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4963, May 22, 2019. "President Trump’s decision to unsign the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is legal, correct, and wise. The Administration should now take the steps necessary to make this decision fully effective. By following through at the United Nations and in the U.S. Senate, putting financial and diplomatic pressure on the ATT, and withdrawing from the U.N. network of related institutions, the U.S. can put severe pressure on this severely flawed agreement."

Above All, A US-UK FTA

Six Key Priorities for President Trump’s State Visit to the United Kingdom, with Nile Gardiner, Heritage Foundation Issue Brief #4962, May 22, 2019. "President Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom from June 3 to 5, 2019, offers a vital opportunity to strengthen the Special Relationship and transatlantic alliance, advance U.S. leadership in Europe, reaffirm powerful U.S. backing for Brexit, and underscore that a U.S.–U.K. free trade deal will be a top priority for the U.S. Administration post-Brexit. The President should emphasize plain speaking and serious actions. Above all, he must make it clear to the next British government and to the British people that an independent and sovereign Britain will continue to be the United States’ closest ally."