AMERICAS ARCHIVE :

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Christian Science Monitor, 23 Dec 08, by Howard Lafranchi
Bush pushes Persian Gulf nuclear agreement
'But critics say the US should go slowly on a deal that would help Iran's biggest trading partner.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Dec 08, by Mark Landler and Helene Cooper
Clinton moves to widen role of State Department
'Even before taking office, Hillary Rodham Clinton is seeking to build a more powerful State Department, with a bigger budget, high-profile special envoys to trouble spots and an expanded role in dealing with global economic issues at a time of crisis.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Dec 08, by Neil Macfarquhar
U.S. proposes going ashore to hunt pirates
'In an effort to curb piracy off Somalia's coast, the United States began circulating a Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would significantly beef up interdiction efforts by permitting foreign forces to attack pirate bases on land.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Dec 08, by Charlie Savage
Bush defends military intervention tactics and warns Pakistan
'President George W. Bush defended his doctrine of military intervention to shut down potential national security threats before they mature, and he issued a pointed message to Pakistan that "we will do what is necessary to protect U.S. troops and the American people."'

Washington Post, 10 Dec 08, by Dan Eggen
Continue Pressing Al-Qaeda, Bush Urges
'Addressing cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., Bush vigorously defended his performance as commander in chief, arguing that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other operations were part of a concerted strategy to "keep unrelenting pressure" on terrorist groups and rogue states after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Dec 08, by William J. Broad
Deadly nuclear club growing more slowly than feared
'Two new books by atomic weapons insiders examine why the world is not awash with countries armed with nuclear weapons.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Dec 08, by Howard LaFranchi
Bigger US role battling genocide?
'A genocide prevention task force concludes that US leadership, early warnings, preventive diplomacy, and coordinated international action are crucial elements of any effort to prevent the kind of mass killings that have ravaged Sudan's Darfur and the Congo.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Dec 08, by Sara Miller Llana
As Mexico's drug war rages, military takes over for police
'Tijuana's anticorruption police chief was fired and replaced with an Army officer Monday, following three days of drug-related violence that left 37 people dead.'

Washington Post, 02 Dec 08, by Carrie Johnson and Spencer S. Hsu
A Pragmatic Pair Chosen to Confront Terrorism Threat
'In nominating former federal prosecutors to lead the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, President-elect Barack Obama yesterday selected two Democrats with sterling law-and-order credentials but less experience in detecting threats and gathering intelligence in the age of international terrorism.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Dec 08, by David E. Sanger
Obama's advisers to back soft power
'President-elect Barack Obama's national security team, introduced Monday in Chicago, includes two veteran Cold Warriors and a political rival whose records are all more hawkish than the new president who will face them in the White House Situation Room.'

New York Times, 01 Dec 08, by Michael Falcone
The Early Word: Foreign Policy Rollout
'President-elect Barack Obama plans to name key members of his national security and foreign policy team today, including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, his pick for secretary of state, and Robert M. Gates, whom Mr. Obama has asked to stay on as defense secretary. Along with Gen. James L. Jones, the future national security adviser, the three appointees will form the nucleus of the Obama administration's efforts in the international arena.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Dec 08, by Michael R. Gordon
Afghan strategy poses stiff challenge for Obama
'After more than seven years of war, Afghanistan presents a unique set of problems: a rural-based insurgency, an enemy sanctuary in neighboring Pakistan, the chronic weakness of the Afghan government, a thriving narcotics trade, poorly developed infrastructure and forbidding terrain. Intelligence reports underscore the seriousness of the threat. In some recent months, the violence in Afghanistan outpaced the fighting in Iraq. Almost half of the insurgent attacks have been directed against U.S. and other foreign forces. The other attacks have been focused on Afghan security forces and civilians.'

Washington Post, 02 Dec 08, by Joby Warrick
Nuclear or Biological Attack Called Likely
'The odds that terrorists will soon strike a major city with weapons of mass destruction are now better than even, a bipartisan congressionally mandated task force concludes in a draft study that warns of growing threats from rogue states, nuclear smuggling networks and the spread of atomic know-how in the developing world.'

New York Times, 29 Nov 08, by David Barstow
One Man's Military-Industrial-Media Complex
'Through seven years of war an exclusive club has quietly flourished at the intersection of network news and wartime commerce. Its members, mostly retired generals, have had a foot in both camps as influential network military analysts and defense industry rainmakers. ... Few illustrate the submerged complexities of this world better than Barry McCaffrey.'

Washington Post, 19 Nov 08, by Colum Lynch
Report: U.S. Uses Aid to Promote Non-Humanitarian Goals
'Survey respondents say military objectives prioritized over humanitarian ones.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Nov 08, by James Risen and Eric Lichtblau
Early test for Obama on domestic spying views
'President-elect Barack Obama will face a series of early decisions on domestic spying that will test his administration's views on presidential power and civil liberties. ... When he takes office, Obama will inherit greater power in domestic spying power than any other new president in more than 30 years, but he may find himself in an awkward position as he weighs how to wield it.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Nov 08, by Bryan Bender, The Boston Globe
Obama urged to scrap some Pentagon programs
'A senior Pentagon advisory group, in a series of bluntly worded briefings, is warning President-elect Barack Obama that the Defense Department's current budget is "not sustainable" and that he must scale back or eliminate some of the military's most prized weapons programs.'

Washington Post, 19 Nov 08, by Peter Finn
Guantanamo's Yemeni Detainees Epitomize a U.S. Security Concern
'The single biggest opportunity -- and potential difficulty -- for the incoming administration's plan to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, comes from the same group of Yemeni prisoners, who make up fully 40 percent of the detainees still held there.'

Washington Post, 20 Nov 08, by William Booth
Democracy in Nicaragua In Peril, Ortega Critics Say
'[Daniel] Ortega, the former Marxist revolutionary comandante who returned to the president's office in 2006, is at the center of a chaotic new struggle. Critics charge that he and Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America, are marching backward, away from relatively peaceful, transparent, democratic elections to ones that are violent, shady and stolen.'

International Herald Tribune, 07 Nov 08, by Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Robert Pear
Bush warns of vulnerability in a transition
'President George W. Bush, warning that terrorists "would like nothing more than to exploit this period of change," said Thursday that he intended to talk to President-elect Barack Obama on Monday about issues that will face his administration, including the turmoil in the financial markets and the war in Iraq.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Nov 08, by Sibylla Brodzinsky
In Colombia, Army acknowledges civilian killings
The head of Colombia's Army resigned Tuesday after 20 top military officials were fired.

International Herald Tribune, 31 Oct 08, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt
McCain and Obama advisers briefed on deteriorating Afghan war
'Two weeks ago, senior Bush administration officials gathered in secret with Afghanistan experts from NATO and the United Nations at an exclusive Washington club a few blocks from the White House. The group was there to deliver a grim message: the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Oct 08, by Eric Lichtblau
Terrorist investigators in U.S. accused of profiling
'An operation in 2004 meant to disrupt potential terrorist plots before and after that year's presidential election focused on more than 2,000 immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries, but most were found to have done nothing wrong, according to newly disclosed government data.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Oct 08, by Alexei Barrionuevo
Army drills heighten Brazil-Paraguay Tensions
'Tensions between Brazil and Paraguay, already high because of land invasions of Brazilian-controlled farms inside Paraguay, intensified this week after Brazil's army began exercises in the border region.'

Family Security Matters/The Heritage Foundation, 22 Oct 08, by Jena Baker McNeil and Richard Weitz, Ph.D.
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: A Preventable Homeland Security Catastrophe
'While many non-federal homeland security authorities in many U.S. states express concern about an EMP attack, a comprehensive survey found that state-based emergency responders and National Guard units have done little to prepare for such an incident.'

Washington Post, 15 Oct 08, by Joby Warrick
CIA Tactics Endorsed In Secret Memos
'The Bush administration issued a pair of secret memos to the CIA in 2003 and 2004 that explicitly endorsed the agency's use of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding against al-Qaeda suspects -- documents prompted by worries among intelligence officials about a possible backlash if details of the program became public.'

Washington Post, 09 Oct 08, by Glenn Kessler
U.S. Seems Set to Take N. Korea off Terror List
'The move would keep alive a faltering effort to eliminate Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs. President Bush had promised to delist North Korea in June but never took action after U.S.-North Korean talks on a plan to verify North Korea's assertions on its nuclear programs broke down.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Oct 08, by Scott Shane
U.S. Senate panel to study military eavesdropping
'The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator John Rockefeller IV, said Thursday that the committee would investigate claims by two military eavesdroppers that they routinely listened in on private calls home from American military officers, aid workers and journalists stationed in Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Oct 08, by William Glaberson
Appeals panel halts release of Guantánamo detainees
'A U.S. appeals court panel issued a temporary stay of a federal judge's order that had directed the Bush administration to free 17 Guantánamo detainees by releasing them in the United States on Friday.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Oct 08, by Bernd Debusmann, Reuters
McCain's foreign policy echoes interventionist era
'Roosevelt, one of the four presidents whose faces are hewn into the rock of Mount Rushmore, is the political patron saint of what McCain has called "national greatness conservatism," a belief that the United States is the greatest force for good in the world.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Sep 08, by Simon Romero
Fears of turmoil in an increasingly divided Bolivia
'The dominant question confronting Bolivia today is whether President Evo Morales can redress the indigenous majority's historical grievances without causing national chaos.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Sep 08, by Howard LaFranchi
US, Russia announce breakthrough on new Iran resolution
'The move shows a willingness to act on common goals despite deteriorating relations.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Sep 08, by David E. Sanger
New debate territory: Pakistan and Iran policy
'For months, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have argued over whether Iraq was the right war to fight in 2003. On Friday night they delved for the first time into the problems one of them will face on Jan. 20: Whether America has to be ready to carry out military action inside Pakistan, an important ally, and against Iran's nuclear program.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Jul 08, by Neil A. Lewis
U.S. spy cases raise concern on China's intentions
'Bergersen and Kuo, along with a third accomplice, are awaiting sentencing in a federal court for their involvement in one of many cases brought in the last year involving the illegal transfer of information to China. The cases have intensified the evaluation in American intelligence and law enforcement circles about the breadth of the threat from Beijing.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Jul 08, by Eric Lichtblau
U.S. Senate backs wiretap bill to shield phone companies
'More than two and a half years after the disclosure of President's Bush's domestic eavesdropping program set off a furious national debate, the Senate gave final approval on Wednesday afternoon to broadening the government's spy powers and providing legal immunity for the phone companies that took part in the wiretapping program.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by William Glaberson
U.S. court overturns Pentagon's case against Guantánamo detainee
'In the first case to review the U.S. government's secret evidence for holding a detainee at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a U.S. appeals court found that accusations against a Chinese man held for more than six years had been based on bare and unverifiable claims.'

The Economist, 03 Jul 08
Colombia's hostage triumph
'The government scores a big success against the FARC, freeing Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Janine Zacharia, Bloomberg News
U.S. forced to confront its Bolivian problem
'As the United States has shifted its focus to hot spots like the Middle East and North Korea, coca growth has increased in Latin America, defying U.S.-funded eradication efforts. And President George W. Bush hasn't been able to get Congress to pass free- trade deals with Colombia and Panama, disappointing these allies.'

NewsHour, 27 Jun 08, with Kwame Holman et al
Long Legislative Fight Led to Iraq War Funding Bill
'In 2006, Democrats took over Congress with a promise to bring U.S. troops home. Kwame Holman looks at what's happened since then and the legislative fight over a bill to fund the Iraq and Afghan wars.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jun 08, by James Glanz
Government study criticizes Bush administration's measures of progress in Iraq
'Beyond the declines in overall violence in Iraq, several crucial measures the Bush administration uses to demonstrate economic, political and security progress are either incorrect or far more mixed than the administration has acknowledged, according to a report released Monday by the Government Accountability Office.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Jun 08, by Austin Bogues
Laptop searches at U.S. airports draw fire at Senate hearing
'The U.S. government says the searches are necessary for national security and for legal action against people who bring illegal material into the country.'

Washington Post, 19 Jun 08
GAO Criticizes U.S. Strategy on Afghan Forces
'After six years and $16.5 billion in spending, the Defense and State departments still lack a "sustainable strategy" for developing Afghanistan's army and police force, government auditors said yesterday. ... In a written response, the Pentagon said the program was "well-reasoned [and] successful ... despite numerous challenges" and disagreed with a GAO recommendation that Congress consider conditioning future funding on the development of a more comprehensive strategy.'

News Hour, 12 Jun 08, with Jeffrey Brown et al
Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal Detentions
'A Supreme Court ruling Thursday granted Guantanamo detainees the right to challenge their cases in civilian courts. Experts examine the case and its impact on anti-terror efforts.'

New York Times, 12 Jun 08, by Adam Liptak
Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in Speech
'As more countries move to ban or restrict hate speech, some legal scholars say the U.S. should reconsider the broad scope of First Amendment protection.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Jun 08, by Scott Shane
Congress presses interrogation issue with administration officials
'In a flurry of oversight that some critics say comes years too late, Congress is pressing Bush administration officials on a still unanswered question: How did the United States come to embrace harsh interrogation methods it had always shunned?'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Jun 08, by Simon Romero
Timely reversals show Chávez's political instincts
'Venezuelan democracy may be fragile, but it does serve as a check on President Hugo Chávez, who has withdrawn a much-criticized overhaul of the intelligence services and ended his support for the leftist rebels of neighboring Colombia.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 04 Jun 08
U.S. to make foreign visitors register online
'The United States said Tuesday that visitors from closely allied countries like Britain and Japan will soon have to register personal details online at least three days before they arrive. The U.S. homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, who announced the changes Tuesday, said they would help the United States boost the security of its visa-free travel program by allowing the government to screen visitors before they travel.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Jun 08, by Helene Cooper and Isabel Kershner
Rice calls Iran talks pointless while enrichment continues
'Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice escalated the Bush administration's anti-Iran rhetoric, accusing its government of pursuing nuclear weapons and calling any dialogue with its leaders pointless until they suspend the country's enrichment of uranium.'

National Post, 05 Jun 08, by Sheldon Alberts, Canwest News Service
Israel's Security 'Sacrosanct': Obama
'Barack Obama vowed yesterday to do "everything" in his power as U. S. president to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, but said the United States should not fear "aggressive, principled diplomacy" with the regime's leadership. In a major foreign policy ... Mr. Obama also sought to reassure Jewish leaders he has an "unshakable commitment" to Israel's security.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jun 08, by Michael Cooper
McCain sharpens his foreign policy attacks on Obama
'... Senator John McCain honed his national security message before Jewish leaders on Monday, saying Senator Barack Obama's policies toward Iraq and Iran would create chaos in the Middle East and endanger the United States and Israel.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 04 Jun 08
Concerns after top U.S. nuclear weapons lab lays off hundreds
'The top U.S. nuclear weapons design lab has laid off hundreds of workers, raising concerns about a brain drain and stirring fears that some of these highly specialized scientists will sell their expertise to foreign governments, perhaps hostile ones.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jun 08, by Simon Romero
Chávez decree tightens hold on intelligence
'Sweeping changes to Venezuela's intelligence agencies by President Hugo Chávez have provoked concerns that citizens will be forced to inform on one another.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 08, by Gordon Lubold
U.S. rebuilds French connection
'The Pentagon hopes better ties will strengthen NATO and boost the mission in Afghanistan.'

BBC News, 29 May 08
Rice defends Bush over Iraq claim
'US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected claims from a former White House press aide that President George W Bush misled the US over the Iraq war.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 May 08, by Bryan Bender and Kevin Baron, The Boston Globe
U.S. searches for missing World War II pilots
'A kinship between generations of soldiers drives them to come to Papua New Guinea to search for pilots who were never found.'

Asia Times, 28 May 08, by Heather Maher
Russian think-tank rattles US
'Even before opening its doors, the first Russian think-tank based in the United States has sparked controversy. While the Russian Institute for Democracy and Cooperation says it wants to study US democracy, critics see it as a new propaganda tool for the Kremlin as it sharpens its attacks on the West.'

Washington Post, 22 May 08, by Robin Wright
U.S. on the Outside in Peace Efforts
'Just days after President Bush returned from the Middle East, the Middle East is moving beyond the Bush administration. Two major peace efforts -- a surprise announcement of indirect talks between Israel and Syria brokered by Turkey and an eleventh-hour deal to prevent a new Lebanese war brokered by Qatar -- were launched without an American role, and both counter U.S. strategy in the region.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 May 08, by Steven Lee Myers
U.S. criticizes new report about Iran
'The White House sharply criticized a news organization on Tuesday for the second time in two days over reports about administration policy toward Iran, dismissing an Israeli report that President George W. Bush was preparing to order an attack on Iran before leaving office in eight months.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 May 08, by Helene Cooper
White House's advice given, but not always followed
'Israel, America's staunchest ally in the Middle East, just became the latest example of a country that has decided it is better to deal with its foes than to ignore them. The announcement that Israel has entered into comprehensive peace talks with Syria is at odds with the course counseled by the Bush administration ...'

Washington Post, 15 May 08, by Walter Pincus
U.S. Has Detained 2,500 Juveniles as Enemy Combatants
'The United States has detained approximately 2,500 people younger than 18 as illegal enemy combatants in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay since 2002, according to a report filed by the Bush administration with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.'

Washington Post, 15 May 08, by Juan Forero
Venezuela Offered Aid to Colombian Rebels
'High-ranking officials in Venezuela offered to help Colombian guerrillas obtain surface-to-air missiles meant to change the balance of power in their war with the Colombian government, according to internal rebel documents.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 May 08, by Larry Rohter
Obama affirms pro-Israel stance
'Asked whether he thought Israel was a "drag on America's reputation overseas," he said it was not. But referring to tensions in the Middle East, he said that "what I think is that this constant wound, that this constant sore does infect all of our foreign policy."'

International Herald Tribune, 07 May 08, by Judy Dempsey
U.S. could look beyond Poland for a missile-shield base
'In what is becoming a game of brinkmanship between the United States and one of its closest European allies, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday that Washington was prepared to seek a different location for part of its planned antiballistic missile shield if the Polish government could not agree on the terms.'

Washington Post, 01 May 08, by Joby Warrick
CIA Chief Sees Unrest Rising With Population
'Swelling populations and a global tide of immigration will present new security challenges for the United States by straining resources and stoking extremism and civil unrest in distant corners of the globe, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said in a speech yesterday. The population surge could undermine the stability of some of the world's most fragile states, especially in Africa ...'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Apr 08, by Steven Lee Myers
Bush says Syria nuclear disclosure intended to prod North Korea and Iran
'... last week's disclosure of what senior American officials called evidence of a nearly completed nuclear reactor in Syria was intended to warn North Korea and Iran about the dangers of spreading nuclear weapons. Bush also defended his administration's decision to keep that evidence secret for more than seven months after Israeli bombers destroyed the Syrian building on Sept. 6.'

BBC News, 30 Apr 08
Al-Qaeda 'greatest threat' to US
'Al-Qaeda is still the greatest terrorist threat to the US and its allies, according to a report from the US state department.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Apr 08, by Gail Russell Chaddock
Congress complicates war funding with new demands
'Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are signaling that the White House can expect a struggle over this year's $108 billion war-funding request. As ever, the bill that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan sets up a test of whether lawmakers can rally enough votes to force a change of course. So far, all efforts to mandate a timetable to end the war have failed.'

New York Times, 22 Apr 08, by Simon Romero
Ecuador’s Leader Purges Military and Moves to Expel American Base
'Chafing at ties between American intelligence agencies and Ecuadorean military officials, President Rafael Correa is purging the armed forces of top commanders and pressing ahead with plans to cast out more than 100 members of the American military from an air base here in this coastal city.'

Washington Post, 10 Apr 08, by Michael Abramowitz and Karen DeYoung
Analysis: Next President Will Discover If U.S. Footprint Stabilizes Iraq
'In deciding to leave behind a large presence of U.S. forces in Iraq at the end of his term, President Bush has made clear that he believes he will be doing the next president a favor, with more troops boosting the chances that his successor will inherit a more stable country.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 07 Apr 08, by Terence Hunt, AP
White House fights to spin missile defense talks as a success
'On paper, Putin said Russia appreciated U.S. efforts to address Moscow's concerns about Bush's plans to base an anti-missile shield for Europe in Poland and the Czech Republic.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Apr 08, by Eric Lipton
U.S. struggles to keep exports from falling into wrong hands
'Roadside bombings of U.S. troops in Iraq were occurring with unnerving regularity when military investigators made a disturbing discovery: U.S.-made computer circuits sold to a trading company in the United Arab Emirates had turned up in the bomb detonators. ... Administration officials said aircraft parts, specialized metals and gas detectors that have a potential military use had also moved through Dubai, one of the emirates, to Iran, Syria or Pakistan.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Apr 08, by Simon Romero
Gritty Dutch war games raise eyebrows in former colony
'The Dutch are not the only Europeans honing their fighting techniques in this part of South America. In neighboring French Guiana, where France once banished its worst convicts, the French Foreign Legion operates its own jungle warfare school. Until starting their course a few years ago, the Dutch even sent some of their soldiers there.'

Washington Post, 27 Mar 08, by Karen DeYoung
U.S. to Stop Green Card Denials for Dissidents
'The U.S. immigration service said yesterday that it will temporarily stop denying green cards to refugees and other legal immigrants tied to groups that sought to topple foreign dictatorships, placing their cases on hold while it determines more "logical, common-sense" rules for judging them.'

Washington Post, 27 Mar 08, by Peter Baker
After Recent Discord, Bush to Meet With Putin in Russia
'President Bush announced yesterday that he will make an unexpected trip to Russia after a NATO summit next week to meet with President Vladimir Putin in hopes of repairing relations that have grown strained over missile defense, Kosovo independence and NATO expansion.'

Washington Post, 22 Mar 08, by Juan Forero
Colombia's Rebels Face Possibility of Implosion
'The slaying this month of Manuel Jesús Muñoz, a member of the ruling directorate of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, was a dramatic signal that a rebel group known for its resilience is engulfed in an internal crisis that could lead to its implosion after four decades of armed struggle.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Mar 08, by William J. Broad
A Cold War mission, deep in the Arctic
'A new book, "Unknown Waters," recounts the 1970 voyage of a submarine, the Queenfish, on a pioneering dive beneath the ice pack to map the Siberian continental shelf. The United States did so as part of a clandestine effort to prepare for Arctic submarine operations and to win any military showdown with the Soviet Union.'

Washington Post, 13 Mar 08, by Karen DeYoung
Public Is Less Aware of Iraq Casualties, Study Finds
'The survey, by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, found that public awareness of developments in the Iraq war has dropped precipitously since last summer, as the news media have paid less attention to the conflict.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 12 Mar 08
White House denies dissent is punished
'The White House on Wednesday rejected charges that it quashes dissenting views in the military, an accusation brought to light by the resignation of Admiral William Fallon as commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Mar 08, by Richard Bernstein
Muddy waters in Iraq keep public protest at a murmur
'In key respects Iraq and Vietnam are quite different, and the differences go a long way toward explaining the apparent unwillingness of the public to go into outright opposition.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Mar 08, by Sheryl Gay Stolberg
Bush invokes faith to defend war policy
'With the fifth anniversary of his invasion of Iraq coming next week, and a decision on troop cuts in Iraq on his plate, Bush used a 30-minute speech before an enthusiastic audience - the National Religious Broadcasters association - to make the case that liberty is on the march, so long as the United States does not lose its nerve.'

Washington Post, 06 Mar 08, by Karen DeYoung
No Need for Lawmakers' Approval of Iraq Pact, U.S. Reasserts
'The Bush administration yesterday advanced a new argument for why it does not require congressional approval to strike a long-term security agreement with Iraq, stating that Congress had already endorsed such an initiative through its 2002 resolution authorizing the use of force against Saddam Hussein.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Mar 08, by Simon Romero
Regional bloc says Ecuador's sovereignty was violated
'The Organization of American States approved a resolution on Wednesday declaring the Colombian military raid into Ecuador a violation of sovereignty, in a move aimed at easing a diplomatic crisis in the Andes involving Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.'

Washington Post, 06 Mar 08, by Juan Forero
Diplomats Closer To Ending Crisis In Latin America
'Probe of Colombian strike authorized as neighbors dispatch troops.'

BBC News, 06 Mar 08
Colombia raid 'must be condemned'
'The leaders of Ecuador and Venezuela have called for clear international condemnation of Colombia for its raid against rebels inside Ecuador.'

Washington Post, 05 Mar 08, by Michael Abramowitz
Bush Attends to Foreign Policy Issues
'President Bush sought to cope with foreign policy crises on multiple fronts yesterday, reaching out to the president-elect of Russia for the first time and seizing on military tensions in Latin America to renew his quest for congressional approval of a free-trade pact with Colombia.'

Washington Post, 06 Mar 08, by Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Ellen Nakashima
National Dragnet Is a Click Away
'Several thousand law enforcement agencies are creating the foundation of a domestic intelligence system through computer networks that analyze vast amounts of police information to fight crime and root out terror plots.'

Washington Post, 20 Feb 08, by Juan Forero
The Two Paths of Castro's Legacy in Latin America
'More leaders inspired to adapt revolution than embrace it.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Feb 08, by Anthony Depalma
Castro circle likely to hold power after his resignation
'Fidel Castro, bedridden for 19 months, on Tuesday gave up the almost unlimited power he has wielded in Cuba for nearly 50 years, but whether the surprise announcement represented a historic change or a symbolic political maneuver remained unclear.'

Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb 08, by Warren Richey and Linda Feldmann
Castro exit unlikely to thaw U.S.-Cuba relations
'The State Department said Tuesday that Castro's departure won't lead to a change in policy or the lifting of the embargo.'

Washington Post, 20 Feb 08, by Manuel Roig-Franzia
Raúl Castro, Leader with a Freer Hand
'Raúl Castro has long operated in the backstage of Cuban politics. But his public record, which has emerged over his 19 months as interim president, suggests he might pursue reforms to allow more political and economic latitude on the island.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Feb 08, by Mark Mazzetti and Scott Shane
In CIA tape inquiry, ex-spymaster in the middle
'The destruction of the tapes is hardly the first time that the CIA's mission to take risks and to counter threats abroad has come into conflict with American notions of justice, legality and human rights.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Feb 08, by Eric Lichtblau
FBI, through error, gained unauthorized access to e-mail
'A technical glitch gave the FBI access to the e-mail messages of an entire computer network - perhaps hundreds of accounts or more - instead of simply the lone e-mail address that was approved by a secret intelligence court as part of a national security investigation, according to an internal report of the 2006 episode.'

Washington Post, 14 Feb 08, by Michael Abramowitz
U.S. Increases Sanctions On Syria Over Terrorists
'President Bush ordered a new round of financial sanctions against Syria yesterday after concluding that its government is not doing enough to stem the flow of fighters into Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 Feb 08, by Eric Lichtblau
U.S. Senate votes for expansion of spy powers
'After more than a year of wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory on Tuesday by voting to broaden the government's spy powers and to give legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President George W. Bush's program of eavesdropping without warrants.'

Washington Post, 14 Feb 08, by Dan Eggen
Senate Passes Ban On Waterboarding, Other Techniques
'... the Senate approved an intelligence bill that limits the CIA to using 19 less-aggressive interrogation tactics outlined in a U.S. Army Field Manual. The measure would effectively ban the use of simulated drowning, temperature extremes and other harsh tactics that the CIA used on al-Qaeda prisoners after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.'

Washington Post, 14 Feb 08, by Josh White
Defendants' Lawyers Fear Loss of Potential Evidence at Guantanamo Bay
'Lawyers representing military detainees at Guantanamo Bay have expressed concern that the government has violated a federal court order by losing or erasing several years' worth of digital video recordings that could shed light on the legality of detainee treatment.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 07 Feb 08
U.S. confirms it is training Pakistani special forces
'U.S. military advisers are helping the Pakistanis double the size of their elite commando force in a continuing effort to blunt the rising threat of terror groups and anti-government militants operating in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas, a senior Defense Department official said.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Feb 08, by Mark Mazzetti
Intelligence chief cites Qaeda threat to U.S.
'Al Qaeda is gaining in strength from its refuge in Pakistan and is steadily improving its ability to recruit, train and position operatives capable of carrying out attacks inside the United States, the director of national intelligence told a Senate panel on Tuesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Feb 08, by Matthew Wald
U.S. money for Russia is linked to Iran nuclear plant
'The U.S. Energy Department is subsidizing two Russian nuclear institutes that are building key parts of a reactor in Iran that the United States spent years trying to stop, according to a House committee.'

Financial Times, 31 Jan 08, by Demetri Sevastopulo and Bernard Simon
Canada in threat to withdraw Afghan mission
'Canada will withdraw its soldiers from Afghanistan next year unless Nato sends additional troops to the southern region of Kandahar, Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, said on Wednesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jan 08, by Alissa J. Rubin and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
On Iraq, Bush shows a more restrained optimism
'In his final State of the Union address, the president appeared to be preparing the country for a long stay in Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jan 08, by Elisabeth Bumiller
Good times for Washington think tanks
'Experts who study these organizations say big money is increasingly narrowing the focus of research institutions and undermining their quality.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jan 08, by Ian Austen
Canada discloses it stopped sending prisoners to Afghans
'The Canadian military secretly stopped transferring prisoners to the Afghan government in November after Canadian monitors found evidence that they were being abused and tortured.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Jan 08, by Ian Austen
Canadian panel questions role in Afghanistan
'A government panel said Tuesday that the Canadian military should withdraw from a combat role in Afghanistan next year unless it is reinforced with 1,000 additional troops from other NATO countries.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Jan 08, by Matthew Wald
U.S. plan to shepherd former Soviet scientists goes off course
'An American effort set up after the fall of the Soviet Union to hire its former weapons scientists, to keep them from selling their know-how to nations seeking nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, is now paying people who were never weapons scientists and are too young to have worked in the old Soviet program, according to Congressional auditors.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jan 08, by David M. Herszenhorn
After veto, House passes a revised military policy measure
'The House on Wednesday approved a sweeping $696 billion military policy measure after revising a single provision in the 1,300-page bill that had prompted a surprise veto by President George W. Bush.'

Washington Post, 17 Jan 08, by Philip Rucker
Scrutiny of Veterans Charities Continues
'Help Hospitalized Veterans is one of several military-oriented charities whose spending practices are the subject of a congressional investigation.'

Washington Post, 10 Jan 08, by Thomas E. Ricks and Karen DeYoung
For U.S., The Goal Is Now 'Iraqi Solutions'
'In the year since President Bush announced he was changing course in Iraq with a troop "surge" and a new strategy, U.S. military and diplomatic officials have begun their own quiet policy shift. After countless unsuccessful efforts to push Iraqis toward various political, economic and security goals, they have decided to let the Iraqis figure some things out themselves.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jan 08, by Steven R. Weisman
Doubts raised on sales of U.S. high-tech equipment to China
'Six months ago, the Bush administration quietly eased some restrictions on the export of politically delicate technologies to China. The new approach was intended to help U.S. companies increase sales of high-tech equipment to China despite tight curbs on sharing technology that might have military applications. But today the administration is facing questions from weapons experts about whether some equipment - newly authorized for export to Chinese companies deemed trustworthy by Washington - could instead end up helping China modernize its military.'

2007 Americas archive

"Hunt for the Somali Pirates" airs soon on the National Geographic Channel.
When Somali pirates hijack the Maersk Alabama -- and international headlines -- Navy SEALs launch a sneak attack to rescue the ship's American captain. Pirate Hunters recounts the harrowing five days from hijack to final fatal shots, and reveals sophisticated Navy SEAL training methods that prepare the world's most elite reconnaissance teams for daring missions with no second chances.