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Stronger Diplomatic Action?0
- Analysis
- May 29, 2012
In the aftermath of the terrible murder of over 100 people in Houla, Syria, including dozens of children, Canada’s foreign minister John Baird joined a chorus of international protests against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. But Baird’s comments yesterday…
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Talking Sense With Tehran 0
- Analysis
- May 27, 2012
Published in the Globe and Mail, May 25, 2012.

Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have wrapped up in Baghdad. There was no agreement, but one wasn’t expected and both sides agreed that talks will continue. The broad outlines of …
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Another Great Season at CIPS 0
- Analysis
- May 24, 2012
After several years of strategic hiring, the University of Ottawa now houses a very strong group of international affairs experts across its many departments and schools. Institutional reputations take time to build, but the university is already gaining global recognition …
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Oversold and Underwhelming: John Baird’s First Year on the Job 0
- Analysis
- May 22, 2012
Almost one year to the day after his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird was asked in an interview on CBC Radio’s The House on Saturday to define his foreign policy. “More smart power, less soft power,” he …
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A Good Day for International Criminal Justice?0
- Analysis
- May 17, 2012
by Rachel Kerr

May 16, 2012 was an auspicious day for international criminal justice for two reasons. First, the Special Court for Sierra Leone heard statements from the Prosecutor and from former Liberian President Charles Taylor at his sentencing hearing. …
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Transitional Justice As Subterfuge 0
- Analysis
- May 10, 2012
Transitional justice is trendy. After a civil war or political transition, the new government will often announce one or more of a variety of mechanisms for dealing with the past, such as a special tribunal or a truth commission.

What …
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A Role to Reclaim: Canada as Honest Broker 0
- Analysis
- May 8, 2012
Speaking on Middle East issues at an Ottawa synagogue in April, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae noted that the current impasse in peace talks between Israel and Palestinians offers an opening for constructive Canadian engagement. On his recent trips to …
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Fewer Eyes on the Spies: Going Backwards on Accountability 0
- Analysis
- May 8, 2012
By now it has been widely reported that the Tory government will be abolishing the Office of the Inspector General of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. This astonishing development appeared suddenly from the ether, buried in the government’s now notorious …
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Archive of CSIS Inspector General Reports 0
- Analysis
- May 7, 2012
The Office of the Inspector General of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) was established through legislation in 1984, in the same Act that created CSIS. The model was the U.S. practice of Inspector Generals, with a review and compliance …
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Two Priorities for the Canadian Forces 0
- Analysis
- May 3, 2012
How should we define the priorities of the Canadian Forces? Steve Saideman raises this question in his latest post. In my view, the CF should have two overriding missions: first, the protection of Canada’s coastlines and airspace (along with …
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Foreign Policy Is Not Just Defence 0
- Analysis
- April 30, 2012
I welcome the opportunity to kick off this series on the future of the Canadian Forces (CF), not least because the series invites a broader discussion of the role of the military and the Department of National Defence (DND) …
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Boosting Canada’s Latin American Strategy 0
- Analysis
- April 30, 2012
The recent Latin American Summit in Cartagena didn’t generate much media coverage in Canada. It eventually broke down with controversies over drug policy and Cuba, and was even hijacked by a minor scandal involving the U.S. Secret Service. But it …
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