U.S. and the World
Haitians Suspicious of Monsanto Seeds Distributed by USAID
Agricultural biotech giant Monsanto is having a hard time giving away free plant seeds in Haiti, thanks to the company’s reputation for using genetically-modified crops to exploit farmers in other countries.
Through the U.S. Agency for Interna... read more
Appeals Court Allows Interpreter to Sue L-3 for Keeping Him in Slavery in Iraq
Abdulwahab Nattah, hired by a subsidiary of L-3 Communications to work as a translator in Kuwait, is suing the defense contractor for breach of contract, including allegations of being “sold” as a slave to the U.S. military.
A dual citizen of ... read more
First-Ever Hearing for Afghans Held by U.S.
Due process of law (of sorts) is becoming available to detainees held in Afghanistan. With approval from American officials, a local court presided over by three Afghan judges held the first hearing involving those accused of being insurgent threa... read more
Gaza Flotilla American was Also Survivor of Deadly 1967 Israeli Attack on U.S. Navy
For one member of the flotilla that tried reaching the Gaza Strip with supplies, a military strike by Israel was an all-too-familiar experience.
Joe Meadors was aboard the Greek-flagged ship Sfendoni on Memorial Day when Israeli forces interce... read more
Obama Administration Puts Squeeze on Pakistan for More Traveler Information
Tensions between the United States and Pakistan are growing over demands from Washington for Pakistani officials to turn over flight travel information to American counterterrorism operations.
Pakistan already provides the names of those flyin... read more
U.S. Defense Lawyer Arrested in Rwanda
American attorney Peter Erlinder has been arrested in Rwanda for helping defend his client, presidential candidate Victoire Ingabire, against charges that she violated the country’s Genocide Ideology Law.
Ingabire, a Hutu who returned after 16... read more
U.S. Extradition Demand Leads to More than 70 Dead in Jamaica
Security forces in Jamaica spent most of this week shooting up a working-class neighborhood in an attempt to capture drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke, wanted in the United States on gun and narcotics charges. Acting on a longstanding extradition... read more
Pentagon Gets Around Troop Ban in Pakistan by Outsourcing Weapons Transport
Unable to deploy troops in Pakistan, but still in need of ways to transport weapons across it and into Afghanistan, the U.S. government is looking for defense contractors who can take on the task of logistical support through Pakistani territory. ... read more
Pentagon Rushing Mine-Resistant Vehicles to Afghanistan
Wanting better protection for American soldiers from roadside bombs and other attacks, the U.S. military is rushing the delivery of special “mine-resistant, ambush-protected” (or MRAP) vehicles to Afghanistan. But some variations of the MRAP are s... read more
U.S. Troops More Likely to Suffer PTSD than British Troops
Despite fighting in the same wars, troops from the United Kingdom have suffered far fewer cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than their counterparts in the United States. A British study has determined that about 4% of soldiers returni... read more
Are Mexican Trucks Good for U.S. Business?
For decades the United States and Mexico have been the closest of trading partners. Yet a recent trade dispute has created a rift between the two neighbors. The issue began in 2007 when the United States began a pilot program allowing Mexican truc... read more
Murder in America’s Backyard
Despite the media attention calling for action and anti-drug campaigns launched by Mexico’s government, the border town of Ciudad Juárez continues to be killing field for men and women, Mexicans and Americans.
Since 1993, nearly 500 young wome... read more
Justice Dept. Loses Again; Judge Orders Ballet Dancer Released from Guantánamo
Ravil Mingazov, ballet dancer and former member of Russia’s army, has spent the past eight years behind bars at Guantánamo Bay. But he may soon be freed, following a ruling by a U.S. court judge who found the government had no grounds to keep him ... read more
Red Cross Confirms Secret U.S. Prison in Afghanistan
American Special Operations forces have been running a secret prison in Afghanistan, according to information gathered by the Red Cross. Known as the “Tor” or Black Jail by detainees, the facility is reportedly part of the U.S. military’s larger p... read more
Vietnam War Hero May Get Medal of Honor 40 Years after Death
Leslie Sabo should have been awarded the military’s highest honor 40 years ago, after he was killed in action during the Vietnam War. But the Department of Defense’s bureaucracy lost sight of the paperwork, causing the matter to be forgotten until... read more
U.S. Arrests Guatemalan Mass Murderer in Florida
A special unit of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service has tracked down four immigrants accused of participating in one of the bloodiest episodes of Guatemala’s civil war. Agents working in ICE’s Human Rights Violators and War Cri... read more