U.S. and the World

Major Swiss Bank Secretly Cultivated Thousands of U.S. Tax Evaders

Clients were brought to meetings in a remote-controlled elevator without buttons. One client told the subcommittee that a Credit Suisse employee delivered the customer’s bank statements hidden in a copy of Sports Illustrated magazine. The bank also opened a branch at Zurich airport to make it easy for U.S. clients to open and use accounts. read more

Researchers Predict Radiation from Fukushima Nuclear Disaster to Hit U.S. West Coast by April

The earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan three years ago are still having an impact, only now it’s along the West Coast of the United States. Scientists say radiation released from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has traveled across the Pacific Ocean and may reach American beaches in April. Scientists in Canada have reported only “minute traces of pollution from the beleaguered Japanese power plant” along their nation’s western shore, the BBC News says. read more

Germany Embraces Creation of European Data Networks as Shield from NSA

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that her country would consider establishing new data networks in Europe that could shield individuals’ private communications from NSA prying. Merkel said her proposal would create European systems that would keep emails and other communications from passing through U.S. networks that the NSA taps into for intelligence purposes. read more

In About Face, Lithuania Investigates Claim of CIA “Black Site” Imprisonment

Officials in Lithuania have decided to investigate whether the Baltic nation participated in the CIA secret rendition program of harboring terrorism suspects at “black site” prisons. The decision marks a turnaround for Lithuania, which previously refused to probe its government’s involvement in the counterterrorism scheme. Lithuanian prosecutors are trying to learn if detainee Mustafa al-Hawsawi was imprisoned at a secret CIA location between 2004 and 2006. read more

Could California Drought be Ended by Stopping Alfalfa Exports to China?

Imperial farmers are growing vast amounts of the hay for export to China and other countries. In doing so, the state is indirectly exporting billions of gallons of water overseas, due to alfalfa’s water-hungry biology. “It’s a huge amount. It’s enough for a year’s supply for a million families — it’s a lot of water, particularly when you’re looking at the dreadful drought throughout the South-west,” said University of Arizona's Robert Glennon. read more

UK Court Links Journalism with Terrorism in Supporting Use of Statute to Detain Courier at U.S. Request

Police argued Miranda was subject to the anti-terror law because he was “likely to be involved in espionage activity” and was “knowingly carrying material, the release of which would endanger people’s lives” and was promoting a “political or ideological cause.” “The clause in this act is not meant to be used as a catch-all that can be used in this way,” countered Parliament's Tom Watson. “It’s almost impossible...to conclude that [he] was a terrorist suspect.” read more

USAID Cancels Controversial Contract Proposal for “Positive Images” of Its Work in Afghanistan

USAID quickly canceled a request for proposals for photographers to present “positive images” of the agency’s work in Afghanistan. USAID had hoped to use social media to counteract what it said were negative images of the agency’s work. “USAID should instead be focusing on accomplishing mission goals, not glossy propaganda,” said POGO's Scott Amey. “Waste, fraud, and poor performance have already resulted in billions being lost, let’s not throw additional money down the drain.” read more

Pakistani Activist against U.S. Drone Strikes Claims Torture by Unknown Assailants

A Pakistani anti-drone activist who was released more than a week after being kidnapped says he was tortured and interrogated about his work on drone strikes during his detention. The action came as Kareem Khan was preparing to leave Pakistan to testify before German, Dutch, and British parliamentarians about drone strikes. Khan has taken legal action against former Islamabad CIA station chief Jonathan Banks and the government of Pakistan over their roles in drone strikes. read more

NSA Revelations Prompt EU Call for Shift Away from U.S. Internet Governance

European leaders want to loosen the United States’ grip over governance of the Internet, which originally began as a creation of the Pentagon. The move comes in the wake of how extensively the National Security Agency (NSA) has used the Internet and other means to spy on people across the globe. But it remains to be seen whether the U.S. will be willing to accede to Europe’s wish for Internet governance to become more global. read more

Journalists and Rights Activists in U.S. among Targets of Cyberattacks by Foreign Regimes

Foreign governments have taken to using cyberattacks to intimidate journalists and human rights activists in the United States and elsewhere who expose injustices around the globe. Citizen Lab says it has identified numerous accounts of foreign hackers using commercial spyware to infiltrate the computers of activists and reporters. “To invade the privacy of American citizens and legal residents, violating the sovereignty of the U.S. and Europe, is mind-boggling,” said Neamin Zeleke. read more

Is Latest U.S. Drop in Press Freedom Rankings Due to Obama’s Attacks on Whistleblowers and Journalists for Their Sources?

Today, countries like Ghana, Poland, and El Salvador rank higher for press freedom than the U.S. Reporters Without Borders, which produces the annual rankings, says the decline in U.S. position is due to the Barack Obama administration crackdown on whistleblowers who have leaked classified information to journalists. The administration, in fact, has gone after more whistleblowers through criminal prosecution than any other presidential administration in history. read more

Federal Program Delivers Speedy 25-Second Trials to Illegal Immigrants, Then Jail

Known as Operation Streamline, the government hauls groups of unwashed immigrants captured near the border into courtrooms and gives them less than 30 seconds a piece to hear the charges against them, enter a plea and receive their sentence. Critics have labeled the process assembly-line justice. "Compressing a decision about someone’s future in a minutes, seconds...has a devastating social and human impact,” said Tucson-based Mexican Consul Ricardo Albarrán. read more

Tracking Cell Phone SIM Cards Is Key to NSA Role in U.S. Drone Strikes

The U.S. drone program often foregoes waiting for on-the-ground confirmation from human sources before giving the order to take out a threat. Instead, it relies solely on the NSA to tell drone operators where someone is located based on data intercepted from their cell phone. This strategy fails to take into account that pinpointing the exact longitude and latitude of a SIM card doesn’t mean the person holding it is the al Qaeda or Taliban member wanted dead by the U.S. read more

Obama Administration Debates Whether to Kill another American Citizen with Drone Strike

“The targeted killing of an American being considered right now shows the inherent danger of a killing program based on vague and shifting legal standards, which has made it disturbingly easy for the government to operate outside the law. The fact that the government is relying so heavily on limited and apparently unreliable intelligence only heightens our concerns about a disastrous program in which people have been wrongly killed and injured." read more

Hundreds in U.S. Military Guilty of Sex Crimes in Japan got Slap on Wrist

The U.S. military’s habit of not punishing rapists and others accused of sex crimes has been prevalent in Japan, home to multiple American naval and air installations. An investigation by AP discovered that most service members stationed in Japan and who were found guilty of sex crimes did not go to prison. Instead, these personnel were fined, demoted, sent a letter of reprimand, or received some other kind of punishment. read more

Record Number of Americans Renounce Citizenship

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which goes into effect this year, requires foreign financial institutions to report account information for U.S. citizens and permanent residents to the U.S. government. Some foreign banks, faced with having to file more documentation on their U.S. customers, have simply closed accounts held by Americans. read more