U.S. and the World
Is the Fighting in Syria a Behind-the-Scenes Return to Cold War?
Diplomats from Washington and Moscow have been sparring over the ongoing turmoil in Syria, reminding some of the Cold War days when the two superpowers engaged in surrogate wars and jockeyed for influence in the Middle East.
American declara... read more
Gen. Petraeus and the Phantom Capture of Thousands of Taliban Fighters
Doubts have surfaced over the claims by U.S. General David Petraeus that American military forces captured thousands of Taliban warriors in 2010.
Petraeus, then the top commander in Afghanistan, and soon to be the Director of the CIA, said l... read more
Chinese Torture Victims Sue Cisco for Helping Communists
When Cisco Systems helped China build its program for censoring and spying on Internet communications, it became an accomplice in the arrest and torture of political dissidents, according to a lawsuit filed against the high-tech company.
Thr... read more
U.S. Defense Firms Make Billions from UAE and Bahrain Dictatorships
Tiny oil-rich sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf have been great customers for U.S. defense contractors, which have enjoyed arms deals worth billions of dollars from the region.
In order to become a stronger military presence in the Gulf and challe... read more
Iran Sanctions Backfire against Pro-Democracy Iranian-Americans
Sanctions by the U.S. government against Iran have caused a multitude of problems for Iranian-Americans with ties to their home country even though Americans of Iranian origin are overwhelmingly opposed to the ruling regime in Iran.
For inst... read more
14 Foreign Countries Where Most Americans are Murdered
Since October 2002, the U.S. State Department has kept track of American citizens who die in other countries from non-health-related causes. The State Department notes that their database is unavoidably incomplete, particularly because most U.S.... read more
13 Foreign Countries in Which U.S. Citizens are Most Likely to Commit Suicide
Since October 2002, the U.S. State Department has kept track of American citizens who die in other countries from non-health-related causes. The State Department notes that their database is unavoidably incomplete, particularly because most U.S. c... read more
Hedge Funds Muscle into African Agriculture
British hedge funds and European financial speculators are buying up large tracts of land in Africa as part of investment schemes for American universities. The “land grab,” as described by critics, threatens to force thousands of people off the... read more
15 Child Prisoners of Guantánamo
It turns out that more children were detained at Guantánamo than the U.S. government previously admitted.
Based on documents newly released by WikiLeaks, the Center for the Study of Human Rights in Americas at the University of California Da... read more
Osama bin Laden Claimed U.S. Embassy in Kenya was CIA Station…He was Right
After al-Qaeda bombed the U.S. embassy in Kenya on August 7, 1998, Osama bin Laden said the American diplomatic mission was targeted because it was serving as a major CIA station.
It turns out the former terrorist leader was right.
Among... read more
Saudi Royal Family Organizes Fight against Arab Democracy
Under the guise of combating instability in the Middle East and countering Iranian influence, the royal family of Saudi Arabia has taken military and diplomatic steps to reduce the likelihood of more democratic revolutions gaining power in the r... read more
Iceland Ranked World’s Most Peaceful Nation, Somalia Worst; U.S. Improves to 82nd
World peace has been on a downward trend in recent years, according to an annual gauge of domestic and foreign conflict.
The 2011 edition of the Global Peace Index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, concludes that the levels... read more
Gaddafi Invested Heavily in Wall Street and U.S. Bonds
Once the United States removed Libya in 2006 from its list of states sponsoring terrorism, American banks and investment houses jumped at the chance to handle some of the country’s lucrative oil revenue.
An internal document produced by the ... read more
Saudi Woman Arrested for Driving a Car
It’s hard to believe that in the second decade of the 21st century there still exists a government so repressive that it does not allow women to drive. But such is the case in one of the United States’ closest allies: Saudi Arabia.
Manal al-... read more
Maryland First State to Demand Holocaust Records of Companies Bidding for Contracts
Maryland has become the first state in the nation to require companies bidding on railway contracts to reveal any role they played in the Holocaust during World War II. The new law primarily targeted Keolis, a Paris-based company whose majority ... read more
U.S. Court Accepts Mercedes-Benz Human Rights Abuse Case
Lawyers for Daimler AG (DCAG) will have to defend their company in U.S. court over allegations that the auto manufacturer’s subsidiary, Mercedes-Benz, helped the military junta in Argentina do away with political dissidents four decades ago.
... read more