Joshua Foust ← Writer in international affairs ← Page 2

The Chechen Connection: The Boston bombers have put the region and U.S.-Russia relations in the spotlight

Apr

2013

Over at The American Prospect, I have a brief article asking if the ethnicity of the Boston bombers will effect U.S.-Russia relations. Russian officials are quick to underscore that they are victims of Chechen terrorism, not causes of it. As if to underscore this point, Ramzan Kadyrovv—the Moscow-approved strongman who currently governs Chechnya–left a comment on ...

Displaced: What happened to the people who fled the terror in Chechnya.

Apr

2013

For Foreign Policy, I explained how Chechnya’s experience of war led to displacement, and that it is eventually what brought the Tsarnaev brothers to America. As a result, many Chechens who fled to Central Asia did not find refuge, just harassment and continued uncertainty. It should not be surprising that thousands moved on, as apparently the Tsarnaev ...

Boston bombing: Media haste makes mistakes

Apr

2013

Over at the Christian Science Monitor, I explained that the rush to be first out the gate with coverage of the manhunt in Boston led to the media making some grievous errors. The rush to report a piece of information first can lead to regrettable errors. Despite claims to have cross-checked information, even reputable news organizations can ...

The OpenGlobal Show, Episode 1

Apr

2013

I was a guest on the inaugural episode of The Open Global Show, a product of the Canadian International Council. Panelists: Ivan Sigal, Executive Director, Global Voices Joshua Foust, International affairs writer, analyst, and columnist for PBS Katherine Maher, Director of strategy and engagement at the digital rights organization Access Segments: 1. Yesterday: Was the ...

What the Chechen Connection Might Mean

Apr

2013

The two suspects law enforcement officials named last night in connection to the Boston marathon bombings might come from Chechnya. The police have confronted Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; Tamerlan reportedly died in a shootout, while the police continue to pursue Dzhokhar. Is their connection to Chechnya relevant? There’s a lot that we don’t know about ...

Keep Calm and Carry On

Apr

2013

The tragedy this week in Boston, where homemade bombs ripped through a crowd watching the Marathon, is appalling: 3 confirmed dead so far, over a hundred wounded and dozens in critical condition. What can we learn about this attack? Is it preventable? Are we any less safe? Despite Monday’s tragedy, it’s difficult to avoid the ...

Russia’s Civil Society Crackdown Should Raise Concerns

Apr

2013

This post is adapted from UN Dispatch. One week ago, Russian journalist Mikhail Beketov died from heart failure while choking on a piece of food during lunch. He was badly traumatized five years ago when assailants beat him so badly that several fingers and one of his legs had to be amputated. He was confined to a wheelchair. ...

Talking to the Loopcast about drones

Apr

2013

Last night I spoke with Loopcast’s Sina Kashefipour about drones. You can listen below: <div> <audio controls=”controls” id=”auidoplayerhtml5podbeanc6aa0fbf122664744b336abbc7563b85″> <source src=”http://theloopcast.podbean.com/mf/play/38cdd/Episode20.mp3″ type=”audio/mpeg” autoplay=”no”> Your browser does not support the audio element. </audio> <script type=”text/javascript”> var audioTag = document.createElement(‘audio’); if (!(!!(audioTag.canPlayType) && (“no” != audioTag.canPlayType(“audio/mpeg”)) && (“” != audioTag.canPlayType(“audio/mpeg”)))) { document.getElementById(‘auidoplayerhtml5podbeanc6aa0fbf122664744b336abbc7563b85′).parentNode.removeChild(document.getElementById(‘auidoplayerhtml5podbeanc6aa0fbf122664744b336abbc7563b85′)); document.write(‘<object classid=”clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0″ width=”210″ height=”25″ id=”mp3playerlightsmallv3″ ...

Interviewed in The Telegraph

Apr

2013

I’m quoted in this Rob Crilly story about UN Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson’s comments on the legality of drone strikes. In an interview with CNN, Mr Emmerson, the UN’s special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, said: “If it is lawful for the US to drone al-Qaeda associates wherever they find them, then it is also ...

Security and Human Rights in Central Asia

Apr

2013

I wrote about the tension between security and human rights in Central Asia for the 19.1 Fall/Winter 2012 issue of the Brown Journal of World Affairs. They have kindly given me permission to reprint the text in full below. Security and Human Rights in Central Asia By Joshua Foust In September of 2011, the United States government ...