In an interview today with Suddeutsche Zeitung, Iranian parliament speaker Larijani said that the Iranian government was "ready to talk without pre-conditions" with the United States, adding that he believes the nuclear issue is not unsolvable. However, Larijani says...
Gen. Craddock: Afghan Drug War to Escalate in ‘Next Several Days’
NATO Supreme Commander General John Craddock made headlines recently when a leaked classified "guidance" document showed he urged NATO commanders operating in Afghanistan to kill anyone involved in the drug trade in Afghanistan, whether or not they were involved in...
Schism That May Be Key to Israeli Elections
The presumptive key to Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu's ability to credibly form a coalition government (assuming he is not able to put together his unity government) has been a right-far-right coalition. Polls suggest that Likud, Shas, and Yisrael Beiteinu would...
Grim Appraisal in Afghanistan
The national security team in Afghanistan gave a grim assessment of the war in Afghanistan today, pointing to the growing strength of the Taliban and the long, difficult struggle ahead. CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus, a long time advocate of the proposed...
Israeli MP: Military Rabbi Turned Gaza Into Holy War
The controversial booklet distributed to Israeli soldiers during the Gaza invasion by chief Israeli military rabbi Brigadier General Avichai Rontzki was "unsuitable for military publication," according to the Israeli Defense Ministry. In a letter to opposition MP...
Kyrgyzstan Base Closure Decision ‘Final’
While the United States has continued to express hope that it would retain its base outside of Bishkek, the government of Kyrgyzstan has reiterated that their decision to oust the US from the base is final, and that there are no discussions on them keeping the base....
With Time Running Out, Israel Election Too Close to Call
The Israeli elections are just three days away now, and the polls show a continuing trend: the Yisrael Beiteinu party of Avigdor Lieberman is gaining by leaps and bounds, and his gain is narrowing the gap between the frontrunning Likud Party and the Kadima Party. The...
Official: NATO Kills Seven Civilians in Afghanistan
The civilian death toll in Afghanistan continued to rise today as US forces launched an overnight operation killing six men in Zabul. The military insists that those killed were militants, but a member of Zabul's provincial council insisted that the six killed were...
UN Halts Gaza Aid, Citing Hamas Thefts
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has announced that it is suspending all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, citing yesterday's reported theft of several truckloads of food by the Hamas government. Most of the 1.5 million residents of the Gaza...
Pakistani Military Kills At Least 52 in Khyber Attack
Pakistani military helicopters, troops and artillery attacked several militant hideouts in the Khyber Agency today, killing at least 52 militants. The attack also destroyed an ammunition dump and eight vehicles. The strike came hours after an attack on a Khyber...