The French should come up with a plan, seek NATO support, and begin its operation. This would force America's hand at not wanting to be seen deserting its oldest ally....another "special relationship" one might say.

Callous though it may sound, the needle on the horror-meter has not yet gone high enough.

We need a twin-pronged approach in Somalia. Continued humanitarian assistance for the poorest families, but also aid to help them plant crops again and rebuild their lives.

The death sentence passed two weeks ago by the Iraqi courts on the exiled Vice President of Iraq, Dr. Tariq al-Hashemi, is another milestone on that country's pathway to disaster and civil war.

As the results of the 2011 election begin to emerge, Ellen and Liberia are about to embark on the next step in their future. But whatever the outcome, Merlin is committed to doing everything in our power to save lives and improve the health of a wonderful nation.

As the war in Libya drags on, the difficulty now is not that the international community is stuck for ideas, in fact, the opposite is true. The real problem is that there are too many strategies floating around with various players pulling in different directions.