LLRX is highlighting research sources for their relevance and relationship to this site’s Israel-Hamas War Project articles. This guide by Sabrina I. Pacifici will be updated moving forward and currently includes 8 pertinent sources comprising government reports, academic papers, reviews of UN/NGO programs, news, databases, analysis and commentary.
Benjamin Jensen, a war strategy expert from American University School of International Service who served 20 years in the military explained that civilians often become pawns in war when one side does not have a military advantage against a stronger adversary – and looks for other ways to weaken their opponent.
With our new Israel-Hamas War Project – read the first article here – we are doing what we can to help Truth catch up with Falsehood. Our goal is to document accurate, timely and actionable resources for researchers. We hope that providing this guide will assist policymakers, diplomats, analysts, journalists, scholars, and the public. Improved understanding of the law of war should raise the level of public discussion and facilitate better decision-making at this critical time.
On August 30th each year the world is reminded that hundreds of thousands of people in at least 85 countries don’t know where their loved ones are, or even whether they are alive or dead. For the victims of enforced disappearance and their families, every day is the Day of the Disappeared. The unrelenting uncertainty and anguish of not knowing the truth of what has happened to their family member is a recognized form of torture for both the disappeared and their families. The crime of enforced disappearance cuts off the disappeared from any access to legal representation or judicial remedies – they are placed “outside all protection of the law.” “Rampant” global impunity for enforced disappearance has led the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres, and UN bodies to call on all countries to ratify or accede to the Convention for the Protection of all Persons against Enforced Disappearances (Convention or ICPPED). Catherine Morris brings much needed attention to the fact that of the UN’s 193 countries, only 72 have ratified or acceded to the Convention. Canada and the United States (US) are not yet among them. The unrelenting uncertainty and anguish of not knowing the truth of what has happened to their family member is a recognized form of torture for both the disappeared and their families. The crime of enforced disappearance cuts off the disappeared from any access to legal representation or judicial remedies – they are placed “outside all protection of the law.”
Professor Alex McCourt, an expert on gun laws at Johns Hopkins University, explains how red flag laws are supposed to work – and why they weren’t triggered in this case.
Privacy and security issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, health/medical, to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and security, often without our situational awareness. Note – three significant highlights of this week’s column: Consumer genetic testing that it’s now possible for law enforcement agencies to use genetic data to hunt down virtually anyone of European descent; FBI chief says threats from drones to U.S. ‘steadily escalating’; and Voice Phishing Scams Are Getting More Clever.
Beth Wellington’s commentary takes an in-depth look at the divergent positions and issues associated with FOIA and biodefense related appropriations and legislation, from the perspective of legislators, public interest groups and journalists.