THE AMERICAS :

Washington Post, 02 Mar 10, by John Pomfret
White House wary of growing military ties between Burma, N. Korea
'The Obama administration is concerned that Burma is expanding its military relationship with North Korea and has launched an aggressive campaign to convince Burma's junta to stop buying North Korean military technology, U.S. officials said.'

Washington Post, 03 Mar 10, by John Pomfret
U.S. floats plan to lift ban on training Indonesia's Kopassus unit
'As President Obama prepares to travel to Indonesia, his administration is seeking to reverse a 12-year-old ban on training an elite unit of the Indonesian military whose members have been convicted of beatings, kidnappings and other abuses.'

Washington Post, 20 Feb 10, by Carrie Johnson and Julie Tate
Authors of waterboarding memos won't be disciplined
'Bush administration lawyers who wrote memos that paved the way for waterboarding of terrorism suspects and other harsh interrogation tactics "exercised poor judgment" but will not face discipline for their actions ...'

Washington Post, 12 Feb 10, by Ed O'Keefe and Jennifer Agiesta
75% back letting gays serve openly
'Three-quarters of Americans say that they support openly gay people serving in the U.S. military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a finding that could lend momentum to the Obama administration's effort to dismantle the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Feb 10, by Tim Rogers
Could Honduras crisis prompt a power grab in Nicaragua?
'Strongarm tactics used during the seven-month political crisis in Honduras set a bad example for the region's other fragile democracies and could lead to a power grab in Nicaragua, critics say.'

PBS NewsHour, 03 Feb 10, with Jim Lehrer
Debate Reignites on Legal Rights of Terror Suspects
'The suspect in the attempted Christmas Day bombing incident is speaking to authorities again, but some lawmakers are worried the administration's handling of the case poses a risk to national security. Jim Lehrer speaks with experts about how the U.S. should prosecute terror suspects.'

New York Times, 04 Feb 10, by John Markoff
Google Asks Spy Agency for Help With Inquiry Into Cyberattacks
'By turning to the N.S.A., which has no statutory authority to investigate domestic criminal acts, instead of the Department of Homeland Security, which does have such authority, Google is clearly seeking to avoid having its search engine, e-mail and other Web services regulated as part of the nation’s “critical infrastructure.”'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Feb 10, by Sibylla Brodzinsky
Colombia's 'neo-paramilitaries' on the rise
'"Successor groups" of right-wing paramilitaries are growing fast, causing a steep rise in violence in many areas, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.'

PBS NewsHour, 28 Jan 10, by Larisa Epatko
Obama Vows to Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
'President Barack Obama promised Wednesday during his State of the Union speech to work with Congress to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays and lesbians in the military. Two experts with opposing views offer their takes.'

New York Times, 27 Jan 10, by Helene Cooper
In Speech, Little Time Spent on National Security
'President Obama spent exactly nine minutes on national security issues in the first State of the Union speech of his presidency, promising Americans that he would fight terrorism and warning Iran that its leaders will face “growing consequences” if they continue to ignore international calls to rein in their nuclear ambitions.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Jan 10, by Gordon Lubold
Afghanistan summit: Why is the US backing talks with the Taliban?
'Heading into this week's summit of Afghan allies in London, the top US general in Afghanistan said he supported President Hamid Karzai's plan to reach out to the Taliban.'

New York Times, 26 Jan 10, by Mark Landler and Helene Cooper
U.S. Wrestling With Olive Branch for Taliban
'The debate, still in its early stages, could shape the next phase of America’s engagement in Afghanistan, officials said, and is every bit as complicated as the decision on whether to commit more soldiers ...'

New York Times, 20 Jan 10, by Diana B. Henriques
F.B.I. Charges Arms Sellers With Foreign Bribes
'The play-acting ended on Tuesday, when 22 top-level executives, including a senior sales executive at Smith & Wesson, were arrested in what Justice Department officials called the first undercover sting ever aimed at violations of the federal ban on corporate bribes paid to get foreign business.'

New York Times, 19 Jan 10, by Marc Lacey
U.S. Troops Patrol Haiti, Filling a Void
'... the troops’ presence underscored the rising complaints that the Haitian government had all but disappeared in the week since a huge earthquake struck.'

Washington Post, 20 Jan 10, by William Booth and Scott Wilson
U.S. troops move into Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to help keep order, distribute aid
'Hundreds of U.S. troops surged into the epicenter of Haiti's earthquake-ravaged capital Tuesday to guard convoys and food distribution sites, while thousands more stationed themselves on ships and helicopters offshore to bolster relief and recovery efforts.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Jan 10, by Dan Murphy
Haiti earthquake: Is the US aid effort too slow?
'On Tuesday, the US military airdropped 3,700 gallons of water and 14,000 pre-packaged meals into Port-au-Prince, in an area secured by US troops.'

New York Times, 19 Jan 10, by Ray Rivera
U.S. Marines Land in Villages on the Edge
'The relief effort was the United States military’s first significant mission outside Port-au-Prince, the devastated capital, where the needs remain daunting.'

New York Times, 17 Jan 10, by Helene Cooper and Mark Landler
Experts Mull U.S. Role in Haiti After Cameras Leave
'President Obama’s aggressive response to the deadly earthquake in Haiti has led to criticism from the far right that the United States is taking on too much, at a time when its foreign-policy plate is already full.'

The Times (London), 17 Jan 10, by Christina Lamb and Marjorie Korn
President Barack Obama throws full military might into aid effort
'The American secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, flew into Haiti yesterday to spearhead a huge aid operation that the US administration hopes will serve as a symbol of America’s humanitarian spirit and an example of the prowess of its armed forces.'

New York Times, 13 Jan 10, by Helene Cooper and Liz Robbins
U.S. Mobilizes to Send Assistance to Haiti
'Within hours of Mr. Obama being informed of the quake in Haiti on Tuesday, United States officials were plotting a response that included ships, transport planes, helicopters and thousands of Marines.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan 10, by Peter Grier
Did the CIA follow its own rules on double agents?
'How do you run a double agent?'

Washington Post, 09 Jan 10, by Spencer S. Hsu and Karla Adam
International cooperation a challenge for air security
'... the Obama administration will find that the greatest challenge to tightening aviation security worldwide lies in persuading foreign governments and airports to adopt its proposals ...'

Washington Post, 08 Jan 10, by Karen DeYoung and Michael A. Fletcher
U.S. was more focused on al-Qaeda's plans abroad than for homeland, report on airline bomb plot finds
'By concentrating on the strategic threat posed by the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen and its plans for attacking U.S. targets there, U.S. intelligence agencies failed to focus on the group's preparations for a direct strike in this country, a White House review of the Dec. 25 attempted airline bombing has concluded.'

Washington Post, 08 Jan 10, by Spencer S. Hsu
U.S. to push foreign governments to use full-body scanners at airports
'In his remarks [Thursday], Obama focused on expanding international aviation security partnerships.'

BBC News, 08 Jan 10
Excerpts: Obama intelligence review speech
'... in which he outlines the conclusions of a review of the intelligence failures uncovered by the White House inquiry into the attempted airliner bombing on 25 December.'

Washington Post, 06 Jan 10, by Karen DeYoung and Michael A. Fletcher
Attempt to bomb airliner could have been prevented, Obama says
'President Obama said Tuesday that U.S. intelligence agencies could have prevented the attempt to bomb an airliner on Christmas Day, and used a grim and forceful White House statement to demand rapid improvements in efforts to protect Americans from attack.'

Washington Post, 06 Jan 10, by Colum Lynch
At U.N., China insists it's not 'right' time for sanctions on Iran
'The Chinese remarks underscore the challenges the United States faces in rallying international backing for its effort to punish Iran for nuclear violations.'

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