U.S. and the World

U.N. Launches its First Drone, Joining U.S.-Led Proliferation across 70 Nations

The UN drone fleet currently consists of just two aircraft, made in Italy. They’re being deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to monitor the border with Rwanda and Uganda. The Falco drones, manufactured by Selex ES, will observe the movements of a Rwandan Hutu rebel group, FDLR, and Ugandan rebels, ADF-NALU. Both operate in the DRC’s east, which is rich in minerals. read more

Civilian Afghan Deaths from U.S. Drone Strikes Continue to Build Hatred of U.S.

It was 19-year-old Abdul Ghafar’s pick-up truck that was hit by the drone. The truck carried his mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew, all of whom were killed. “We have the ID cards of these civilians,” he told the Times. “We have their graves. If someone can prove these were Taliban, I would accept any punishment.” He insists the U.S. was responsible for the loss of his loved ones, and he now wants vengeance. “If I could attack them, I would.” read more

UAE Arrests U.S. Citizen for Posting Satire Video

Shezanne Cassim is the first foreign national to be charged under a 2012 cybercrimes law that targets threats to national security made via the Internet. It was only after five months of incarceration that Cassim was told what the charges are against him. His crime was posting a 19-minute video on YouTube about the fictional Satwa Combat School. The mock documentary was intended to satirize teenagers in Dubai who act like “gangstas,” but really are mild-mannered. read more

Man Charged with Murdering U.S. Diplomat 13 Years Ago Captured in Mali

Bultemeier, a Department of Defense employee assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Niger, was shot to death in the capital city of Niamey as he left a restaurant with colleagues in December 2000. Armed with a handgun and an AK-47 assault rifle, Cheibani and an accomplice accosted the group. Bultemeier was shot by Cheibani, and again by the accomplice, after Cheibani demanded the keys to his U.S. Embassy SUV read more

Robert Levinson Now the Longest-Held American Hostage Ever

Levinson disappeared on March 9, 2007, while working as a private investigator looking into cigarette smuggling on the Iranian resort island of Kish. On November 27, his captivity hit 2,455 days, one more than journalist Terry Anderson, who was held by Hezbollah in Lebanon until 1991. U.S. officials suspect that Iranian intelligence services are holding Levinson. His family last received photos of him in April 2011. read more

U.N. Privacy Resolution Proceeds after Dilution by U.S. and “Five Eyes” Allies

The United Nations is close to adopting a resolution that calls for the end of excessive government surveillance and reaffirms the “human right to privacy.” The resolution was introduced by representatives of Germany and Brazil, following revelations of NSA spying on those countries, as well as on the phone calls of their two leaders, respectively, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Dilma Rousseff. The resolution was amended under pressure from U.S. officials. read more

Chevron and ExxonMobil Top List of 90 Biggest Industrial-Age Polluters

Ninety corporations have been identified as the biggest producers of greenhouse gas emissions over the last two centuries, with oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil topping the list. Fifty-six of the 90 polluters were oil and gas businesses, 37 were coal companies, and seven were cement producers. Together those companies bear responsibility for 914 billion tons of greenhouse gas pollution. Half of those industrial emissions were released only during the last three decades. read more

FBI, Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Center Declare Cyber-Attacks Bigger Threat than Terrorism

At a recent hearing of the Senate homeland security and government affairs committee, the heads of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) told lawmakers that cyber-attacks were likely to surpass terrorism as a domestic danger over the next decade. “That’s where the bad guys will go,” FBI Director James Comey said. “There are no safe neighborhoods. All of us are neighbors [online].” read more

Lawmakers Vote against Disclosing Victims of U.S. Drone Attacks

Barely three weeks after largely avoiding historic first-person testimony by Pakistani victims of U.S. drone strikes, Congressional lawmakers killed a proposal to force the government to publish an annual count of the casualties caused by American drone attacks. In fact, none of the 15 members of the House Intelligence Committee who voted against the idea bothered to attend the victims’ hearing. read more

Pentagon Finally Stops Buying Helicopters from Shady Russian Company

Since 2011, the Pentagon has paid $1 billion to Rosoboronexport to provide 63 Mi-17s. Those helicopters are either on order or have already been delivered to Afghanistan. Lawmakers and good government groups complained about the contract, saying the U.S. shouldn’t be doing business with a company accused of selling weapons to Iran and Syria. read more

U.S. Triathlete Forced to Pay Blood Money after Hitting Volunteer on Course in Abu Dhabi

Starykowicz,was found guilty of four charges and told that a payment of $54,000—which he claims the prosecutor referred to as “blood bond money”—would result in the return of his passport. Starykowicz blamed the accident on IMG, saying it was dangerous to design the bike course with aid stations in the center of the road. read more

Secret Deal with British Intelligence Gave NSA Data on U.K. Citizens, Overriding Allied Pact

The United States has been spying on British citizens for at least six years now, despite a multilateral treaty banning such surveillance. The National Security Agency (NSA) has been collecting the phone, Internet and email records of United Kingdom citizens not suspected of any wrongdoing—and all with the blessing of British intelligence. read more

State Department Acts to Block Iraq War Bush-Blair Communications from British Report

A British inquiry into how the government of the United Kingdom decided to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 is being held up by officials in the White House and the U.S. State Department, which have refused to allow the publication of secret documents revealing conversations between former President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Tony Blair. read more

Justice Department Takes Lead in International Investigation of Big Banks

The trading of foreign currencies represents the richest of all exchanges in the financial world, what with $5 trillion in monies changing hands every day. Now the U.S. Department of Justice is going after traders at the world’s largest banks who may have conspired via instant messaging to manipulate the price of currency exchanges.. read more

Border Patrol Dealing with Increased Illegal Immigrants from China

In recent years, immigrants from China have increasingly tried entering the U.S. through the Mexican border. The numbers are substantial enough for the federal government to now post signs near the international crossing that feature warning messages in English, Spanish and Mandarin. read more

Albania Still the Go-To Country for Dirty Work as U.S. Asks it to Take Syria’s Chemical Weapons

Despite its success in eradicating its own chemical weapons, some Albanian officials want nothing to do with Syria’s lethal agents, not after their country stopped being “Europe’s garbage dump,” a distinction that evolved after years of importing non-hazardous waste from its neighbors, like Italy. In fact, a two-year campaign led by environmentalists produced a referendum that resulted in a government-sanctioned ban on importing waste products into the country. read more