Two workers’ rights scandals have recently affected the international community.

On April 24^th, Rana Plaza, a building home to several garment factories, collapsed in Bangladesh. More than 1,100 people died in the horrific accident. This week, less than two months after the tragedy in Bangladesh, a fire sparked by an ammonia gas leak in a Chinese poultry plant killed 119 workers.

These accidents could have been prevented.

Just days before the collapse of Rana Plaza, managers disregarded cracks in the building’s walls and reassured workers that the building’s infrastructure was secure. The Chinese poultry factory was touted by local government officials as “one of the top 100 agricultural processing companies” and was praised for “its advanced management concept and business model.” Clearly, these officials ignored or overlooked crucial warning signs that contributed to the gas leak.

What can be done to prevent disasters like these from happening in the future?

The appointment of UN Ambassador Susan Rice as the National Security Advisor and nomination of Samantha Power to replace Rice at the UN is a solid move for the Obama administration, the US and the UN. Both Rice and Power have been close advisors to President Obama since before the 2008 elections.

Amb. Rice greatly improved the United States’ standing at the UN. In 2009, she lead the effort to pay back dues to the UN and erased the US’s status as a “deadbeat” nation. She successfully negotiated new sanctions on Iran and North Korea. She has witnessed the terrible face of genocide as one of the first Americans to enter Rwanda after its mass killings and understands the importance of stopping such atrocities. She led efforts to prevent Muammar Gaddafi from committing mass murders in Libya and to halt a brutal war in Cote d’Ivoire. She worked tirelessly for an election to determine the fate of South Sudan, rather than a civil war. She is a smart choice to head Obama’s national security team.

In light of President Obama's recent speech on closing Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), among other things, I began to think about the situation surrounding his executive promise on May 23rd. He has made it before. Obama campaigned on closing Guantanamo Bay, he signed an executive order to do so in his first term and last week he re-stated his desire to close the facility. Should we (the American people) place confidence in our president? One thing is for sure, the detainees of Guantanamo do not. Recent reports state that over 100 GTMO prisoners are involved in an ongoing hunger strike, of those 35 have to be force fed. For those with strong stomachs, here is a link to see Hillary Swank in Iron Jawed Angels reenact the procedure. It's not a pretty scene. The fact of the matter is, closing Guantanamo is a messy situation and a lot more complicated than the American people realize. 

I have to say, I am way outside of my comfort zone right now. New to D.C., new to GlobalSolutions.org, and new to blogging, I am both excited and nervous about writing my first piece for the blog on a subject matter as difficult as President Obama’s counter-terrorism strategy. Nonetheless, I would like to share some of my thoughts in response to last week’s speech because I considered it a step in the right direction, although perhaps a small one.

I would like to focus on the President’s discussion of the use of drones. In his speech, President Obama addressed many of the issues associated with drone strikes. Though effective and far less risky for American troops, the drone strikes do result in civilian casualties. For civilian populations living in areas hit by drones, these attacks are terrifying and tragic, as discussed in a previous blog post, “A Plea to End Targeted Killing Strikes.” In his speech, President Obama acknowledged this high cost of targeted killing, stating, “For me, and those in my chain of command, these deaths will haunt us as long as we live.” As well, he explained that ordering a drone strike is the hardest thing he does as President. In the end, the President feels that more lives are saved by these targeted killings than are lost.