U.S. and the World
Biofuel Backlash
Rather than helping reduce global warming, biofuels may be exacerbating climate change and causing other environmental and social problems, according to a new study from Christian Aid, a British missionary organization. Researchers concluded that ... read more
Are U.S. Enemies Really Worth Billions in Military Spending?: Doug Bandow
The United States’ military spending, which currently costs almost as much as that of all the other nations of the world combined, is unnecessarily large, according to Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. Compared to World War II an... read more
The Dark Side of Fiji Water
The producers of Fiji Water like to tell their customers that drinking their bottled water saves them from having to go all the way to the Pacific island nation just to enjoy it. Not making the trek is good for others reasons too—like avoiding the... read more
Killer of Iran’s Neda Soltan May be Identified
Neda Soltan, the young woman whose murder symbolized the crackdown of Iranian protesters following the June elections, was killed by a pro-government militiaman (Basiji) named Abbas Kargar Javid, according to an Iranian doctor studying at Oxford B... read more
No Withdrawal Yet; U.S. Troops To Move North in Iraq
Efforts to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq are being adjusted to handle a growing security problem in the northern part of the country where civil war between Arabs and Kurds is at risk of breaking out. U.S. ArmyGeneral Ray Odierno an... read more
Mexico Replaces All Customs Agents
Government leaders in Mexico moved to combat corruption and curb trafficking over the weekend by dumping all 700 of its customs inspectors and replacing them with newly-trained agents. The decision, which also doubled the number of customs agents ... read more
Afghan Translator Blown Up and Then Fired
Basir “Steve” Ahmed’s story is similar to other Afghans who have helped the U.S. military as translators in Afghanistan. Ahmed worked with American soldiers for four years, helping them communicate with locals, and then was fired by his U.S. emplo... read more
What Happened to Iraq’s Stolen Museum Treasures?
Six years after the invasion of Iraq, which resulted in widespread looting of Baghdad’s antiquities, the country is still trying to reclaim thousands of historical pieces that are not only important to Iraqi cultural heritage, but world civilizati... read more
Obama Administration Weakens Stance on Honduras, Zelaya
Having already taken what some South American leaders considered a weak response to the coup that ousted Honduras’ leader Manuel Zelaya, the Obama administration signaled last week that it may further back away from helping the former president re... read more
Number of Foreign Visitors to U.S. Almost Back to Pre-9/11 Level
The effects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are starting to wear off, at least as far as tourists and business travelers coming to the United States. Following the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, the number of visitors nationwide dropped... read more
India Issues Arrest Warrant for Former U.S. CEO
A judge in India last Friday ordered the arrest of Warren Anderson, former head of Union Carbide Corp., whose chemical plant in Bhopal released deadly gas killing at least 10,000 people in 1984. Another 50,000 were permanently disabled. Anderson w... read more
Cyberwarfare Can Cause Collateral Damage
As the Obama administration begins formulating the first cyber-command operation in the federal government, officials will have to weigh the value of conducting attacks on foreign computer systems against collateral damage on unintended targets. R... read more
Remains of Only Gulf War MIA Finally Found
Eighteen years of waiting and wondering officially came to an end when the Department of Defense announced on Sunday that the remains of the Gulf War’s only MIA had been found. U.S. Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher, an F-18 fighter pilot, was s... read more
Two Choices: Taliban or Child Raping Police
The Taliban may be known for their harsh rule of law, but at least they enforce it. This sentiment captured the feelings of many in Afghanistan’s Helmand province who were not displeased to see Taliban fighters forced out by advancing U.S. Marines... read more
Iraq, Birthplace of Agriculture, Now Imports 80% of Food
A combination of drought, foreign dams, and failed policies is threatening to turn much of Iraq’s fertile land into a dust bowl reminiscent of what happened in the United States during the Great Depression. Faced with what some are calling an envi... read more
Why is Iraq Attacking Iranian Opposition?
With the withdrawal of U.S. forces from certain areas in Iraq, the fate of an Iranian opposition group has been left in the hands of the Iraqi government—which is seeking to establish friendly ties with the regime in Iran. The forging of closer ti... read more