U.S. and the World
Did Illegal Logging Add to the Flooding Disaster in Pakistan?
Illegal logging and deforestation have compounded the flooding disaster in Pakistan, where heavier than normal rains during the monsoon have wreaked havoc on large areas of the country. Experts blame Pakistan’s “timber mafia” for stripping hillsid... read more
The $40 Million Prison that was Never Used
As the United States downsizes its commitment in Iraq, it leaves behind billions of dollars in wasted reconstruction efforts, such as the $40 million spent to partially build a prison north of Baghdad that sits abandoned.
Work on the prison in... read more
South Sudan Prepares to “Un-Refugee” 1.5 Million People before Independence Vote
In an effort to bolster their plan to secede and form their own country, officials in southern Sudan want to bring home 1.5 million refugees living in the northern part of the country and Egypt so they can vote in an independence referendum schedu... read more
Renamed Combat Brigades Carry on in Iraq
In order to fulfill his promise to the American people that all U.S. combat units would be withdrawn from Iraq by August 31 of this year, President Barack Obama’s Department of Defense has simply altered the designation of brigades from “combat” t... read more
All Security Contractors Out of Afghanistan? There’s a Loophole
President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan wants all foreign private security contractors out of his country by January 2011…but there’s a loophole.
The U.S. relies heavily on security contractors for a range of important functions, from guarding s... read more
Iranian Journalist Sues Nokia and Siemens for Helping Iranian Dictators Spy
Journalist Isa Saharkhiz of Iran is suing Nokia and Siemens in U.S. federal court claiming the European companies facilitated his capture and torture at the hands of the Iranian government. Saharkhiz, a one-time reporter for the Islamic Republic N... read more
Military Leaders Want to Stay in Afghanistan…10 Years Not Enough
Polls show that a majority of Americans would like to see the bulk of U.S. troops leave Afghanistan within the next two years, but military leaders are not as enthusiastic about ending the war. President Barack Obama has said that he wants to begi... read more
China and Japan Hold $1.6 Trillion in U.S. Debt
Next time the White House appears to back down from a confrontation with China or Japan, keep in mind the following: these two Asian powerhouses control more than $1.6 trillion of the United States’ debt.
China possesses more Treasury securiti... read more
Obama Administration Prepares to Sell $30 Billion in Weapons to Saudi Royal Family
Despite complaints from officials in Israel, the Obama administration plans to sell $30 billion in advanced fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, making it one of the biggest weapons sales of its kind.
Israel, which has long maintained military superi... read more
Is Obama Following Jesus’ Position on War?: John W. Whitehead
President Barack Obama considers himself a devout Christian who uses the teachings of Jesus Christ to guide his conduct and ideals—but how does that jive with Obama’s gusto for warfare, writes John Whitehead, founder and president of The Rutherfor... read more
State Dept. Trafficking Report Shows Bad Shift: Janice Shaw Crouse
Janice Shaw Crouse, a former speechwriter for George H. W. Bush and now political commentator for the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, is not happy with the latest Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, issued by the State D... read more
Ex-Guantánamo Prisoner Running for Office in Afghanistan
Spending five years locked up in America’s Guantánamo Bay detention facility did not ruin Izatullah Nasrat Yar’s belief in the democratic process. The former detainee is running for a seat in Afghanistan’s national legislature, hoping to become th... read more
House Subcommittee Votes to Raise Missile Defense Aid to Israel to Highest Level Ever
Lawmakers on a U.S. House subcommittee have boosted missile defense funding to Israel beyond what President Barack Obama requested, elevating support to its highest level ever, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The House Appropriations Subcommi... read more
U.S. Ambassador to Attend Hiroshima Bomb Ceremony for First Time
It’s taken more than 60 years, but finally the U.S. government is sending a representative to the Hiroshima memorial service on August 6 in Japan. U.S. Ambassador John Roos will attend the event, along with diplomats from the United Kingdom and Fr... read more
Fort Bragg Battalion Hit by Four Fatal Attacks in 5 Weeks
Being an engineering battalion instead of an infantry one has not made life any safer for the 700 members of a U.S. Army unit out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 20th Engineer Brigade’s 27th Engineer Battalion has suffered eight fatalities in t... read more
U.S. Diplomat Tries to Mediate Dispute in Islamic Nation of 315,000 People
Hoping to help resolve the constitutional crisis unfolding on the tiny Islamic island nation, the U.S. government dispatched Robert Blake, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, to the Maldives. The country of little more than 30... read more