August 5 — Africa: KENYA
The Kenyan voters approve a new constitution in a referendum, which is hailed as the most important political step in independent Kenya. The reformed constitution decentralizes political system by limiting presidential powers and replacing corrupt provincial governments with local counties. It also creates the second parliamentary chamber, the senate, introduces the bill of rights, and provides for land reform by stating that land acquired illegally can be reclaimed. It is hoped that the reform will end the tribal disagreements that brought the violence after the 2007 general election, when more than 1,000 people were killed.
August 7 — North America: UNITED STATES
Elena Kagan, U.S. President Barack Obama’s second appointee, is sworn in as a Supreme Court justice. At age 50, she is the youngest Supreme Court justice and only the fourth woman ever to serve on this unelected nine-member highest panel. Kagan replaces liberal justice John Paul Stevens.
August 9 — North America: UNITED STATES
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates proposes reallocation of about $100 billion in the military by cutting the use of outside contractors, eliminating about 50 positions of generals and admirals, and closing the Joint Forces Command, which trains troops from different branches of the military on how to work together. The saved funds would be invested in other areas, such as modernization. The U.S. Department of Defense’s budget for this year exceeds $700 billion, more than in any other country in the world.
August 9 — Latin America: MEXICO
Mexico’s former president, Vicente Fox, calls for legalization of drugs, saying that years of prohibition strategies have failed. Since 2006, when President Felipe Calderon took office, more than 28,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence. Fox argues that legalization would weaken the drug cartels. The opponents, however, say that cheaper drugs would lead to millions more addicts. President Calderon calls on the public debate on the legalization of drugs despite personally being against it.
August 10 — Africa: RWANDA
Rwandan President Paul Kagame wins a second term in the presidential election. His supporters say that under his watch the country achieved stability and economic growth. His critics, however, accuse him of suppressing opposition. He won the election with over 90 percent of the vote.
August 10 — Latin America: VENEZUELA/COLOMBIA
Venezuela and Colombia restore their diplomatic relations, vowing to cooperate despite their differences. Venezuela denies helping the Colombian leftist organizations, the accusation which caused the most recent break in diplomatic relations. Both countries depend on one another’s trade, which has been reduced by 70 percent due to the diplomatic row.
August 11 — Europe/Former Soviet Republics: RUSSIA/GEORGIA
Russia deploys anti-craft missiles to Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia, saying the system will defend both Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s other separatist region. Russia, as well as a couple of other states, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and the Pacific island of Nauru, has recognized Abkhazia’s independence. In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia over South Ossetia.
August 17 — Middle East: LEBANON/PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
Lebanon passes a law that allows the Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon to work legally, but not in the public sector and not in such fields as medicine, law, and engineering. The law also comes short in allowing the Palestinians to buy property. Lebanon’s 400,000 Palestinians have been living in refugee camps since 1948, and performing menial jobs for four generations.
August 19 — Europe: FRANCE
France begins a controversial crackdown on the Roma people by dismantling their illegal camps and deporting several hundreds of its inhabitants back to Romania and Bulgaria. Human rights groups have criticized the operation and have questioned whether it complies with the European Union’s anti-discrimination and freedom of movement laws. However, France says the camps, in which the Roma have lived in appalling conditions, are a breeding ground for crime, prostitution, trafficking, and child exploitation. Also, until 2014, the citizens of the newest EU members, Romania and Bulgaria, are required to have work or residency permits to stay in EU countries for longer than three months.
August 31 — North America/Middle East: UNITED STATES/IRAQ
Seven years after the U.S.-led invasion on Iraq, the United States ends its combat operations and withdraws its last combat troops from Iraq. It will, however, keep 50,000 non-combat troops, which will help train Iraqi troops and support counter-terrorism operations. At some point during the war, the U.S. had 165,000 troops in Iraq, the number that was reduced in January this year. Since the beginning of the war in 2003, 4,421 Americans and more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed. As many as 1.6 million of Iraqis, about 5.5 percent of its population, have been displaced. By the end of 2011, the U.S. will have spent $802 billion for the war in Iraq. Some sources put this cost at $3 trillion.