U.S. and the World
U.S. Supplying Dictators with their Surveillance Needs
Governments of all stripes, including authoritarian regimes, have plenty of opportunities to shop for the last technology to spy on their citizens. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the surveillance industry has exploded in size, so... read more
Hungary Outlaws Homelessness
Conservative lawmakers in Hungary have outlawed homelessness. The crackdown comes as the number of people living on the streets of the country’s capital, Budapest, has grown to about 10,000. Charitable organizations have blasted the new law, calli... read more
China Ups Definition of Poor…to Those Earning $1 a Day
To hear some in the media speak about it, you’d think that China was a nation of rich and middle-class people with enough money to load up on new consumer goods. In fact, most of China isn’t like that at all.
On Tuesday, the Chinese government... read more
10th Anniversary of First U.S. “War on Terror” Death…CIA Interrogator
Current and former members of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) this week commemorated the 10th anniversary of Johnny Micheal Spann’s death in Afghanistan. Spann was the first American casualty of the United States’ war-on-terror campaign that... read more
Dictator of the Month: Ali Khamenei of Iran
To hear some commentators, you would think that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, was the most dangerous man in the world. In reality, he has almost no power whatsoever. He does not control Iran’s nuclear program. He does not control Ira... read more
Egypt’s Military Dictatorship Still Using U.S.-Made Tear Gas on Demonstrators
Protesters in Egypt are once again being subjected to tear gas made in the U.S.A.
Demonstrators rallying against the military dictatorship told the British media that spent tear-gas cartridges used by police bear the name and address of Combin... read more
National Press Club Suspends Journalist for Confronting Saudi Prince
Washington, DC’s prestigious media club has suspended one of its members for taking a Saudi prince to task during a press conference. Prince Turki al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia is a former director of the Saudi intelligence agency and ambassador to th... read more
U.S. Shifting Military Forces Closer to China
In an effort to counterbalance China’s growing military prowess, the U.S. is working to station naval and Marine forces in the Asia-Pacific region.
The most controversial move, as far as the Chinese are concerned, is the decision to base some ... read more
Russian Hackers Accused of Damaging Water System in Illinois
In what cyber security experts say is a first, foreign hackers compromised the computer system of an American utility company and damaged equipment.
Infiltrators using an IP address in Russia gained remote access into the control system of the... read more
China and Russia Lead in Stealing U.S. Economic Secrets
When it comes to fighting off cyber espionage against American corporations, it is China and Russia that the U.S. has to worry about the most.
A report from the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive says Chinese hackers “are the... read more
Syrian Dictatorship Uses U.S. Technology to Spy on Internet Users
As part of its campaign to crush the ongoing political uprising, Syria’s government has utilized U.S.-manufactured technology to conduct Internet spying and block online access.
The technologies in question were developed by Blue Coat Systems ... read more
Mexican Boxer Márquez Wore Political Party Logo on Trunks during Fight against Pacquiao
One of Mexico’s political parties is miffed at native son and boxer Juan Manuel Márquez for wearing shorts during his recent title fight against Manny Pacquiao that had the logo of a rival political party.
Márquez’s trunks bore the Institution... read more
Sarkozy Disses Netanyahu; Israeli Bomb Shrapnel Injures French Diplomat in Gaza
It has been a rough couple of weeks for Israeli-French relations, bookended by political insults and rocket attacks.
Tensions arose last week after France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, was overheard by reporters calling Israel’s prime minister... read more
U.S. Ambassador Finally Apologizes for George H.W. Bush’s Betrayal of Iraqi Shiites
Twenty years after its betrayal, the U.S. government has finally apologized to the Shiites of Iraq for abandoning them at the end of the Gulf War.
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush publicly urged Shiites, who constitute a majority of Iraq’s... read more
10 of 12 Supercommittee Members Received Contributions from Foreign Lobbyists
Nearly all 12 members of the congressional “Supercommittee” charged with cutting more than $1 trillion from the federal budget have accepted donations from foreign lobbyists this year.
The fact that 10 lawmakers have taken contributions recent... read more
Counterfeit Computer Chips from China Compromised U.S. Military Equipment
Faulty procurement by the Department of Defense has allowed counterfeit computer chips made in China to wind up in the parts inventory of advanced weapons systems.
The embarrassing revelation was exposed by the U.S. Navy and the Immigration an... read more