The Foreign Service Journal, September 2006

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 11 ges_for_a_postelection_mexico. html?breadcrumb=default ). Even apart from the sensitive im- migration issue, U.S.-Mexican rela- tions are vitally important. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemi- sphere Affairs Elizabeth A. Whitaker emphasized in testimony before the House Committee on International Relations in April, the U.S. must stay intensively engaged with Mexico on issues of trade; law enforcement, including border security; and democ- racy throughout the hemisphere ( http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm /2006/q2/65334.htm ). Mexico will not inaugurate its new president until December. In the meantime, Sweig advises, “no one in Washington should have any illusion that a bilateral agenda with the new president will be any easier to carry out than it was with Fox, who came in with a much stronger mandate.” For updated news sources on Mexican politics, visit Mexico Online at http://www.mexonline.com/head line.htm . For profiles of theMexican presidential candidates, visit the BBC at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/amer icas/5114388.stm . — Eirene Busa, Editorial Intern The Supreme Court on Guantanamo: Victory for Justice or Toothless Ruling? The June 29 Supreme Court ruling that President Bush overstepped his authority, in violation of U.S. laws as well as the Geneva Convention, in ordering military tribunals for Guan- tanamo Bay detainees was a sharp blow to the administration’s assertion of executive power. Surveying Italian, British, French and German newspapers for reactions, Jefferson Morley of the Washington Post observed: “The consensus was that the court’s ruling was a victory for American law, international law, and the image of the United States” ( http: / /blog.washingtonpost.com/world opinionroundup/2006/07/guantan amo_reaction_seen_as_us.html ). Morley cites coverage in the Italian right-wing newspaper, Il Giornale , which read: “Ask yourself if in any country outside the liberal democratic West it could have happened that the highest constitutional court ruled against the decisions of the extremely powerful head of the executive branch at the request of a terrorist prisoner who has sworn to destroy the nation.” Coverage in the Arab and Islamic media, though less strong, was also positive, Morley found. In Europe, the ruling “fueled hopes that the detention center’s days are over,” writes Craig Whitlock of the Washington Post ( http://www.wash ingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/art C YBERNOTES Site of the Month: www.cdc.gov Is there a risk for malaria in Kuwait? Which mosquito repellent works the best? How do I know if I need yellow fever vaccinations? As the most experi- enced travelers know, anxiety over health care concerns never goes away. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a Web site for travelers’ health at http://www.cdc.gov/travel . Basing its information on scientific stud- ies, disease surveillance and best practices, the site assists travelers and their health-care providers in deciding what vaccines, medications and other mea- sures are necessary to prevent illness and injury during international travel. Simply type in your destination country, click enter, and you will be provid- ed with the latest travel notices, the necessary vaccines you should take, a list of diseases in the region you should be aware of, advice on what you should bring with you, what you should do while you’re there, and what you should do when you get home. You can also search for information according to specific topics: Vaccinations, Diseases, Insect and Arthropod Protection, Safe Food and Water, Travel Medicine Clinics, and more. The site also provides information for specific groups and settings, including special-needs travelers and disaster-relief workers, and offers links to other online resources. The CDC is one of the 13 major operating components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. — Eirene Busa, Editorial Intern