Iran and the middle east are extremely important to the interests of the U.S. and the rest of the world. We have finally gotten a significant breakthrough in diplomacy and we must continue--it is the only real alternative to military action as the primary tool for guiding foreign policy.

Tsunami of Human Rights Violations in Balochistan, as revealed by the unearthing of mass grave in Tootak area of Khuzdar.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, provides, in Article 19, that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Our ineffective, decades-old broken relationship with Cuba is a result of the Cold War, where Cuban government was responsible for allowing Russians to invade their government and place missiles there. Our government continues this relationship and embargo on Cuba with no purpose, denying Americans the right to travel to Cuba, and allowing for 11 million Cubans, our next-door-neighbors to be persecuted by their government. Cuba is the second worst offender of unjust imprisonments, behind China. China? China is the worst offender of unjust imprisonments and yet our very intimate trading partner. Why do we keep Cuba on the list of terrorist countries just for a decade-old grudge initiated by the Russian government? If we really wanted to prevent terrorism in (or from) Cuba, we would begin the process of fixing the relationship and end the embargo to truly impact and end the government regime in Cuba. Opening trade with Cuba would guarantee not only freedoms for Cubans, but would also benefit both countries' economies, as Cuba has resources like Cuban tobacco, sugar, and Cuban coffee, which are resources that we lack. We must denounce the government, not the people of Cuba. By taking these steps to normalize relations with Cuba, we would have more influence on the country, and could pressure the government to change, or encourage the people to begin their fight for freedom. But we must first open the door...

President Obama is trying to negotiate a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear program, but a bill introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) forcing devastating new sanctions against Iran could undermine those negotiations and result in military action. Even worse: 58 other senators—including 15 other Democrats—have joined with Menendez by co-sponsoring his bill. Right now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is stopping this bill from passing. As majority leader, he has prevented this bill from coming to a vote on the floor of the Senate—effectively keeping negotiations alive and keeping war off the table for now. Sign the petition from Daily Kos, the Nation, USAction, Code Pink and Win Without War telling Harry Reid: Thank you for standing strong against pro-war senators. Please continue to stand strong and we’ll have your back.

We appreciate that President Obama has opened the door part way for travel to Cuba. His remarks in Miami in November suggest he is preparing to take the next step: “we have to be creative. And we have to be thoughtful. And we have to continue to update our policies” Ten days later Secretary of State Kerry, speaking to the Inter-American Dialog at the hall of the Organization of American States, added specificity: “We are committed to this human interchange, and in the United States we believe that our people are actually our best ambassadors. They are ambassadors of our ideals, of our values, of our beliefs.” One year ago Cuba gave greater freedom of travel to it citizens than Americans possess when it abolished rules requiring government authorization to come to the US. The President has the power by granting general licenses to enable non-tourist purposeful travel (with no application required) for every organization, travel agent and tour operator, as well as for individual Americans who cannot afford or do not like group tours or who wish to make additional trips independently for professional or personal reasons. This is the same freedom he has already given to Cuban Americans, universities and religious organizations. By extending it to the rest of us, President Obama will embrace the convictions of two-thirds of Americans, including a majority of Cuban Americans, and liberate US policy from control by a diminishing minority. [for further background: http://thehavananote.com/2013/12/maximizing_potential_travel ]

The New Jersey Coalition For Fair Elections in El Salvador was started by members of Pax Christi, several prominent Labor Unions and concerned citizens to advocate for neutrality in the upcoming Feb 2, 2014 elections in El Salvador.

Christians rejoicing in the streets and happy that gays are being imprisoned for life, beaten to death, burned in street and murdered. For no other reason but they are gay.

Our country has already spent way too much (in terms of money and lives) , we cannot afford another war in the Middle East. President Obama's deal with Iran is the best chance to avoid war. Do not force these sanctions and undermine a real chance for peace (or better understanding between our two countries).

I do not want Congress to give Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a blank check to draw America into another senseless - and in this case unnecessary - war in the Middle East. America cannot afford another war and war with Iran would be far more disastrous than Iraq and Afghanistan combined with unforeseeable consequences.

After months of international negotiations and hard-fought diplomacy, Iran agreed to not only limit its uranium enrichment to 5 percent, the grade commonly used to power reactors, but to neutralize its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium, which could be used to create weapons-grade material. Additionally, Iran has agreed to open its doors to daily inspections by the international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This unprecedented agreement will last for six months and lays the groundwork for a final deal that could permanently end the impasse. Right now, a misguided effort for harsh new sanctions -- led by Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) -- threatens to permanently derail the negotiations. These next six months are critical, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive plan that could verifiably end the nuclear crisis. With reckless disregard for the magnitude of the opportunity and the complexity of the diplomacy involved, Sen. Menendez is leading the Senate’s charge to needlessly expand sanctions and drive Iran from the negotiating table. If diplomacy fails, the likely alternatives are a nuclear-armed Iran or a march to war. Our voices matter in foreign policy issues. Now is your chance to tell the Senate to oppose the Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act ( S.1881). We can’t afford to take diplomacy off the table.

Breaking news: House majority leader Eric Cantor is working on a hawkish bill that would torpedo President Obama's interim agreement with Iran by setting unrealistic goals for the final deal. A bill in the Senate would add sanctions now. The President is THE negotiator for the United States and needs space to work with his Secretary of State and staff. Iran is cooperating; let's exploit this opening for long-term peace.

The Huffington Post and other media have reported that House Democratic whip Steny Hoyer, the #2 House Democrat, has been in talks with House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor on introducing a bill that would sabotage President Obama's diplomatic engagement with Iran. As the White House, the Senate Democratic leadership, and the U.S. intelligence community have said, blowing up diplomacy with Iran would put the U.S. on a path to war. Steny Hoyer must answer the question: "Which side are you on?" Is he with the President and diplomacy, or is he with the Republicans and war?