An unverified report quotes Iraqi President Jalal Talibani as claiming that the United States has "threatened to use any means to seize Iraqi assets if we do not support the security pact." The quote reportedly comes from the Arabic language Marsadiraq, by way of...
British Envoy: Prepare Public for “Acceptable Dictator” in Afghanistan
Investigative French weekly magazine La Canard Enchaîné has obtained a leaked copy of a coded diplomatic message from French diplomat Jean-François Fitou. The message, sent on September 2nd, gives an account of a previous meeting with British Ambassador to Afghanistan...
At Least 21 Killed in US Strike in North Waziristan
A US missile strike destroyed a house in a North Waziristan village today, killing at least 21 people according to a senior Pakistani official. Of the 21, a local official said 16 of them foreigners. He also added that the house belonged to two Afghan refugees who...
Taliban Rejects Karzai Call for Talks
Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave an interview on Pakistani television in which he implored Taliban leader Mullah Omar to return to the country and compete in the next presidential election. Karzai promised to be "wholly solely responsible for his safety." But top...
2008 Vice Presidential Debate – A Foreign Policy Breakdown
The first and only 2008 Vice President Debate is over, and between Governor Sarah Palin's "shout out" to third-graders from a particular elementary school and imploring "Joe Six-packs" and "Hockey Moms" to band together or Senator Joe Biden's quip about the "ultimate...
Iran May Rethink Uranium Enrichment for Supply Guarantees
Iran has repeatedly vowed to continue its uranium enrichment program, but in a sign that they may be softening on that position, chief delegate to the IAEA Ali Ashgar Soltanleh suggested that Iran would "reconsider the position" if there were a "legally-binding...
State Department Struggles to Keep Iraqi Refugees Out of Michigan
With the United States admitting an increasing number of Iraqi refugees it is only natural that Michigan, with its large Arab-American population (and particularly Iraqi-American Chaldeans), would be a prime destination for those fleeing their war-torn nation. Indeed,...
Considerable Distrust as Iraqi Government Takes Control of Awakening Forces
Iraq's Awakening Council, a Sunni fighting force whose control the US military has just transferred to the Iraqi government, has warned the Shi'ite dominated government against any attempt to abandon the force's membership. The group wants its members to secure...
Gen. McKiernan: More Troops Needed for Afghanistan ‘as Quickly as Possible’
General David McKiernan, the top military commander in Afghanistan, insists that he needs more troops and aid "as quickly as possible." This seems unlikely in the near term, however, as President Bush has already accepted a Pentagon recommendation that keeps troop...
At Least Nine Killed in North Waziristan Drone Strike
Updated 10/1 10:35 PM EST An apparent unmanned US drone attacked a house in North Waziristan last night, killing at least nine and wounding several others. Some reports say that foreign militants are among the dead, and others claim the drone came under fire from the...