Subscribe3 more EU nations seeking visa-free travel to U.S.
March 17, 2008
“At least three recent newcomers to the European Union will opt this week for agreements with Washington on visa-free travel, the U.S. secretary for homeland security said Sunday.” (International Herald Tribune)
Hussein’s Iraq and al Qaeda not linked, Pentagon says
March 14, 2008
“The U.S. military’s first and only study looking into ties between Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and al Qaeda showed no connection between the two, according to a military report released by the Pentagon.
The report released by the Joint Forces Command five years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq said it found no “smoking gun” after reviewing about 600,000 Iraqi documents captured in the invasion and looking at interviews of key Iraqi leadership held by the United States, Pentagon officials said.” (CNN)
EU and U.S defuse crisis over visas — for now
March 13, 2008
“The European Union and the United States agreed on Thursday to defuse a crisis over visa deals by allowing talks between Washington and individual EU states to run in parallel with EU-U.S. negotiations.” (Reuters)
Jordan releases leading al-Qaida mentor
March 12, 2008
“Jordanian authorities on Wednesday released Jordanian Sheik Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, a leading al-Qaida mentor, after several years imprisonment without trial, security sources said.” (MSNBC)
U.S. eyes terror listing for Venezuela over links to FARC
March 11, 2008
“The Bush administration has launched a preliminary legal inquiry that could land Venezuela on the U.S. list of nations that support terrorism, following reports of close Venezuelan links with Colombian rebels, a senior government official has confirmed.” (Houston Chronicle)
London police targeted in al-Qaeda spy ring
March 10, 2008
“MI5 agents claim to have uncovered al-Qaeda spies in Britain’s police force.
According to a News Of The World report, four London Met officers were targeted after Scotland Yard secrets were passed on.” (Malaysia Sun)
Palestinians and Israel agree to resume peace talks
March 6, 2008
“Israel and the Palestinians may resume peace talks this week, Israeli media reported on Thursday, but progress looked set to hinge on stemming bloodshed in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.” (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia Arrests 28 Militants
March 5, 2008
“Police have arrested 28 militants suspected of trying to rebuild the al-Qaida network in Saudi Arabia and start a terror campaign in the kingdom, the government said Monday.
Police had found a message from Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida’s No. 2 leader, on the memory card of one of the men’s mobile phones, urging the militants to collect money for needy families in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry.” (AP)
Pentagon says China is developing ability to limit use of space by adversaries
March 4, 2008
“China is developing the ability to limit or prevent the use of satellites by potential adversaries during times of crisis, the Pentagon said Monday in a report to Congress.
The report, the latest in a series of annual assessments of China’s military power, highlights developments in China’s commercial space program and asserts that some can be of military use. And it says Chinese leaders have been silent on the question of a military motivation for their space programs.” (GovExec)
Vienna meeting reignites Iran nuclear debate
March 3, 2008
“Last Monday, the chief United Nations nuclear inspector gathered ambassadors and experts from dozens of nations in a boardroom high above the Danube in Vienna and laid out a trove of evidence that he said raised new questions about whether Iran had tried to design an atom bomb.
For more than two hours, representatives to the International Atomic Energy Agency were riveted by documents, sketches and even a video that appeared to have come from Iran’s own military laboratories. The inspector said they showed work “not consistent with any application other than the development of a nuclear weapon,” according to notes taken by diplomats.” (International Herald Tribune)