U.S. and the World
Pentagon Gave Billion-Dollar Fuel Supply Contracts to Suspicious Companies
In order to provide airplane fuel to American military operations in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, the Department of Defense’s logistics agency has been doing business with two companies that have questionable backgrounds. Approximately $1.4 billion... read more
Iraqi Torturers Carry on Tradition from Saddam and Americans
Hundreds of Sunni men in Iraq were held without charge and tortured by the Shiite-controlled government for months in a secret facility, according to Human Rights Watch and media sources. Abuses included being hung upside-down, deprived of air, ki... read more
One of Five in U.S. Speak Language other than English at Home
Language diversity in the United States continues to expand, with 20% of the population age 5 and older reportedly speaking a language other than English at home. However, only 5% said they cannot speak English well.
A new report from the U.S.... read more
The Big Winners in Arizona’s Immigration Law? Lawyers: Michael Gerson
Michael Gerson, adviser and speechwriter to President George W. Bush, wants to see the United States establish “effective border enforcement” for the Southwest. But the new immigration law adopted by the state of Arizona is not the way to go, Gers... read more
Iraq War Soldiers Returned with Lung Disease Caused by Sulfur Mine Fire
American soldiers exposed in 2003 to smoke from the burning Mishraq Sulfur Mine in northern Iraq have developed serious lung disorders not identifiable using x-rays or CT scans. In June 2003, Iraqi forces opposing the U.S. invasion set fire to the... read more
Mexico Extradites Drug Cartel Leader Wanted in U.S. for 25 years; U.S. Sends Noriega to France
Former drug kingpins have been on the move, with the United States playing both receiver and sender in two high-level extraditions.
After wanting for years to get their hands on Juan José Quintero Payán (aka Don Juanjo), U.S. law enforcement o... read more
Most Afghans Want to Reconcile with Taliban, Not Fight Them
In June, the U.S. military is planning to expand campaigns in key Afghanistan provinces, including Kandahar, where more than 90% of the populace prefers peace and reconciliation with the Taliban. An opinion survey funded by the U.S. Army found tha... read more
U.S. Citizen May be Charged with Genocide in Rwanda
Sixteen years after one of the world’s most horrific genocides, the government of Rwanda has accused its former United Nations ambassador, Jean-Damascène Bizimana, of being a party to the killings. Bizimana, now a U.S. citizen living in Alabama, w... read more
Why Does the U.S. Spend $1 Trillion a Year to Fight an Enemy with No Ships, Warplanes or Tanks?: George C. Wilson
The United States spends more than $1 trillion a year on national defense, argues George C. Wilson of Congress Daily—an amount that seems ridiculous considering the nature of the enemy.
Total spending on America’s security goes far beyond the ... read more
U.S. Mining Company Hopes to Break Chinese Monopoly of Rare Minerals
Molycorp Minerals wants to get back into rare earth minerals to challenge China, which now controls 97% of the market.. But reopening its open-pit mine in Mountain Pass, California, could be challenging economically due to the costs and because ra... read more
Longest Sentence Ever Imposed for Bribing Foreign Officials
Charles Jumet, former vice president of Ports Engineering Consultants Corp. in Virginia, has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for bribing officials in Panama with $200,000 during the late 1990s. The U.S. Department of Justice anno... read more
U.S. Popularity Abroad Moves into Positive Territory
America’s popularity throughout the world has risen over the past year, according to the BBC’s World Service Poll. While not the most popular nation on the block, the United States has nonetheless lowered its negative ratings by nine points, and... read more
Texas Oil Drilling Firm Sued over Bribes in Saudi Arabia, Libya, 7 Other Countries
One of the world’s largest offshore drillers, Houston-based Pride International, has been accused of bribing governments all over the world, according to a shareholder lawsuit. The corporation announced on February 16 that it was creating a $56 mi... read more
More Shades of the Taliban: School Bells Banned in Somalia for Being Too Christian
First, it was radio music. Now, it is school bells that have been outlawed in Somalia, under orders from al-Shabab, the country’s most powerful Islamist insurgent group. Al-Shabab ordered teachers in the town of Jowhar, north of the capital city o... read more
Yemen Government Refuses to Support U.S. Assassination Plans
American efforts to assassinate the controversial Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki will not be aided by the government of Yemen. Al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen now living in Yemen, was recently added to a CIA hit list, but Yemeni officials have refused to... read more
U.S. Killing of Civilians Blamed on Ignorance of Afghan Society…After 8 Years
There is much the U.S. military and intelligence community don’t know about Afghanistan’s politics and culture, resulting in decisions that are born of ignorance and the product of suspect information from local sources with personal agendas. Beca... read more