U.S. and the World
U.S. Army Scanning Eyeballs in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, the American military is using handheld high-tech devices to scan the irises and record the fingerprints of Afghans to store in a database that allows soldiers to identify and capture insurgents.
The U.S. Army reportedly has ... read more
U.S. Judge Okays Terrorism Lawsuit against Bank of China
Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has allowed a lawsuit to proceed against one of China’s largest banks for allegedly helping finance the terrorist group Islamic Jihad.
The case was brought by the p... read more
China Holds Back Rare Minerals to Pressure U.S. and Japan
Taking advantage of its virtual monopoly of rare earth minerals, China recently has reduced exports of the vital materials to the West. Chinese experts say the moves may be an indication of Beijing flexing its economic muscle and demonstrating i... read more
More than a Million Haitians Still Living in Refugee Camps 9 Months after Earthquake
More than 1.3 million people in Haiti still find themselves with no permanent home more than nine months after the January 12 earthquake, relying instead on 1,354 refugee camps for shelter. But most of the camps provide little in the way of supp... read more
Obama Administration Accuses China of Helping Iran Develop Nuclear Weapons
Officials in Washington are convinced that a number of Chinese banks and businesses are helping Iran develop its military and civilian nuclear programs. The Obama administration has been careful to emphasize that it is not accusing the Chinese g... read more
Chinese Government Stops Christians from Leaving Country for Conference
More than 200 Christian worshippers from China have been banned from attending a huge international evangelical conference being held in South Africa on October 16. Attending the Lausanne Congress in Cape Town has been deemed a threat to the nat... read more
Charities Ask U.S. to Remove Logos in Pakistan
Branding is dangerous business in Pakistan when it involves humanitarian aid and the old red, white and blue.
A coalition of 160 charities, including Oxfam, Save the Children, World Vision and Care International, have warned leaders in Washi... read more
U.S. Jumps from 31st to 19th Place in Gender Equality
The United States is moving up in the world in terms of gender equality. The latest Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum shows the U.S. is now ranked 19th out of 134 countries when it comes affording opportunities for women. Th... read more
Short of Arabic- and Urdu-Speaking Spies? U.S. Has Million Native Speakers at Home
From the U.S. military to the FBI to the State Department and the Pentagon, there seems to be no shortage of demand for people who speak Arabic or Urdu (the official language of Pakistan). But there’s no need to look outside the United States’ b... read more
Deportations at Record High
Just weeks before the November election, the Obama administration has announced a record number of arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants, countering attacks by Republicans that Democrats have not been tough on the immigration issue.
... read more
U.S. Afghan Bases Guarded by Taliban, Criminals and Spies
This week’s lesson on how to win the Afghanistan War: Don’t hire friends of the enemy to guard your bases.
A lengthy review of Department of Defense security contracts by the Senate Armed Services Committee found that the U.S. had hired Afgh... read more
Syrian Sues after Being Tortured by Both Al-Qaeda and United States
Abdul Rahim Abdul Razak al-Janko has not had an easy life the past nine years.
First, al-Qaeda tortured him because they thought Janko was an American spy. They subjected him to electric shocks and near-drowning. Then he was held prisoner by t... read more
Operation Dark Heart: More on What the Pentagon Censored
More details have surfaced regarding sensitive or classified information that the Department of Defense tried to keep from reaching the public as a result of Operation Dark Heart being published. The memoir by Army Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Sha... read more
Beware of Anonymous Chinese Communist Propaganda Online
Online comments posted on blogs and websites defending China’s policies may be the work of the “Fifty Cent Party” (wu mao dang), a term used to describe those paid by the Chinese government to influence public opinion about the Asian giant. Fift... read more
Iraq Sets Record for Longest Time without Forming a Government after an Election
Iraq, the Netherlands thanks you. No longer do the Dutch own the unwanted distinction of going the longest period after parliamentary elections without being able to form a government.
Back in 1977, the Netherlands took 207 days. So far in 2... read more
GAO Accuses Bush, Obama and Congress of Careless Arms Sales to Persian Gulf
The White House and Congress should do a better job of considering the foreign policy implications of making billion-dollar arms sales to the Middle East, says the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
The report reviewed sales from 2005-2... read more