Upon returning from Moscow, the G-8 summit, and Africa, President Obama – and almost anyone closely following the trip – will be surprised to learn from conservatives that nothing was accomplished. At the G-8, leading economic powers made new commitments on food aid for the world’s poorest and manifested a new unity against Iran’s repression at home and nuclear ambitions abroad – both achievements showcasing US diplomacy and Obama’s personal leadership. The formulaic nature of conservative criticism in response was perhaps best summed up by Oliver North in an op-ed in the Washington Times, which said that “the trip to Chad... produced no serious risks to our future.” Obama’s trip to Chad did produce little – because he never went to Chad.

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A new task-force report from the U.S. Institute of Peace called “Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers” makes a strong statement challenging conventional wisdom: “preventing genocide is an achievable goal. The idea that genocide is somehow completely unpredictable and undeterrable is one of the biggest psychological justifications for doing nothing about it.”

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In recent months pirates have successfully pulled off a number of high profile hijackings off the Horn of Africa. The most dramatic recent incident involves the hijacking of a Saudi supertanker with 2 million barrels of oil. These activities represent a threat to the international system and could hamper trade, significantly raise shipping costs, and impact world oil prices.

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