 A Pakistani Journalist's View Of Afghanistan
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Ahmed Rashid says the United States needs to understand that his country's stance toward Afghanistan is affected by its long-standing rivalry with India. He says the international community should back talks between Pakistan and India.
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North Korea's Challenges Await Obama
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The incoming Obama administration will inherit ongoing nuclear weapons negotiations with North Korea. One expert says that, though an agreement is likely to take years, the only way to rein in the reclusive nation is by continuing talks.
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Economic Crisis Dampens Gulf Building Boom
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The international economic turmoil is beginning to be felt in the oil-rich Persian Gulf states, where a massive building boom is being supported by migrant workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some wonder how the countries might handle large numbers of unemployed expatriate workers.
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Using Anthropologists In Afghanistan Proves Complicated
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The U.S. military has been embedding social scientists with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. These anthropologists offer their knowledge about local cultures to help troops avoid misunderstandings, but the program, called the Human Terrain System, has seen many problems in recent months.
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Who Needs Luxury? Overnight In A Nuclear Bunker
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The world's first "zero-star" hotel recently opened its single concrete door to tourists in Switzerland. Though the aesthetic in the $9-a-night converted bunker may be stark, it's conceived as a social place. And in case of nuclear disaster, guests should be safe.
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Russia Hopes For Better Relations With Obama
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U.S.-Russia relations are at a low point, following Russia's invasion of Georgia in August. Some analysts, however, say the Kremlin is hoping things will improve when President-elect Barack Obama moves into the White House in January.
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Iran Has Uranium For One Bomb, If Enriched Further
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The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran has produced close to 1,400 pounds of low-enriched uranium. If that material were to be enriched further, experts say it would probably be enough to make a single atomic bomb.
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Sadr's Supporters Protest Iraq Security Agreement
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Thousands of Iraqis gathered Friday at a central square in Baghdad to demonstrate against a security agreement that would keep U.S. forces in Iraq for another three years. The protesters are supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who opposes the accord. Iraqi lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the agreement Monday.
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5 Detainees Ordered Released From Guantanamo
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A federal judge in Washington has ordered the Bush administration to release five detainees from the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The men have been held there for seven years on evidence the judge finds insufficient. The ruling is the first by a trial judge since the Supreme Court declared in June that the Guantanamo prisoners have the right to challenge their detentions in U.S. courts.
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Trading Foreign Oil For Foreign Electric Car Parts?
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A rush to build electric cars could also mean a rush to get minerals that are produced in unstable parts of the world. Lithium-ion batteries require large amounts of cobalt, which comes primarily from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Tibet and Siberia. Easing dependence on foreign oil could mean increasing dependence on foreign minerals — from even less reliable trading partners than the Persian Gulf states.
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Analysts: By 2025, U.S. Won't Be Top World Power
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Top U.S. intelligence analysts have released a report on what they think the world could look like in 2025, if current trends continue. They predict that the U.S. probably won't be the dominant world power. Countries will be fighting over food, water, energy and other scarce resources. But there's some good news: Terrorism may wane.
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Judge Orders 5 Freed From Guantanamo
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The judge said there was no evidence to justify the detention of the Algerians, who have spent seven years in detention. They could be sent to Bosnia, where they were arrested in connection with an alleged terrorist plot.
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Afghan Official: Engaging Taliban 'Necessary Evil'
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Said Jawad, Afghan ambassador to the U.S., defended talks between his country's government and the Taliban. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said he thinks the way to achieve stability is by reaching out to the Afghan people.
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Argentine Farmers Try To Weather Economic Woes
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Until just a few months ago, farmers in Argentina were thriving like never before. Now, they are facing the pressures of a worsening international economy, as well as drought. Demand for crops is plummeting as costs for fertilizers, herbicides and other necessities have gone up.
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Mexico A Leading Danger Zone For Journalists
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Last week, Mexican journalist Armando Rodriguez was brutally murdered by gunfire outside his home in Juarez. Rodriquez is the 24th journalist to be murdered in Mexico since 2000, making Mexico one of the most dangerous countries for reporters. Journalist Arturo Chacon and Monica Campbell, from the Committee to Protect Journalists, discuss the situation.
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