The Obama administration’s latest strategy review on the war in Afghanistan has, in general, drawn praise from government officials, military leaders and lawmakers from both parties. Some of that praise is, however, well seasoned with concerns, and at least one lawmaker thinks the administration's approach is off the mark.
The Obama administration is setting conditions' to initiate the 'responsible reduction of US troops in Afghanistan, the White House review of Afghan war stated. The troop withdrawal is likely to commence in July as the review maintained that US strategy in the conflict zone has been showing progress.. It also stated that the Al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan is at its weakest since 2001.
The war in Afghanistan is unlikely to be won, US Intelligence reports suggest. Even as President Barack Obama is all set to announce policy review on the war in Afghanistan, two classified reports state that it could be improbable to end Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgency in the Tribal regions of the country. The reports however, have fueled a bitter row between the intelligence agencies and the military over who has a better perspective and proximity in the war zone.
The anonymous hacker group that brought down the websites of Visa and MasterCard Wednesday also attacked Republican Sarah Palin's website SarahPAC.com early on Thursday. The website remained inaccessible for hours following the attack, whcih was part of the group's Operation Payback.
Saudi Arabia is under pressure from the U.S. to keep a tab on funds for Islamic insurgents, leaked diplomatic cables reveal. Washington claims that the kingdom remained a critical financial support base for Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Hamas and other extremist organizations. United States officials alleged that proscribed organizations have been managing to raise millions of dollars as funds from donors in Gulf, mainly during Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage and Ramadan month.
The Obama administration has been left red-faced by disclosures made by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks pertaining to French president Nicholas Sarkozy that describes him as an “emperor without clothes”, Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as ‘Hitler’ and Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin as an “Alpha Dog”.
Wikileaks, the website that was responsible for leaking thousands of documents related to U.S. diplomacy, should be classified as a terrorist organization, according to U.S. Representative Peter King, CNet News reported.
The year 2010 was not good for Google in China and the hacking was, indeed, part of a sabotage attempt carried out with help from the government quarters, reveal the classified U.S. documents released by Wikileaks on Sunday. China to Germany, US diplomacy generally smacks of quid-pro-quo dealings, as ever.
Traveling gets more complicated with new rules to keep up with and comply everyday. Added to this are the new security measures by the U.S. Federal Government and high baggage costs by carriers.
Saudi security forces have detained 149 people Al-Qaeda suspects over the past eight months, the Kingdom's interior ministry said on Friday. According to authorities, the detainees were from 19 different cells plotting to carry out attacks on oil installations, government and military infrastructure.
The United States is considering abandoning the 8-year-old color coded terror alert system amid criticism from U.S. lawmakers and public protests, according to media reports.
In what looks like a setback for the Obama administration in matter of trial of terrorism suspects in civil court, the first suspect transferred from Guantanamo military prison to face a U.S. civilian trial was found not guilty by a Manhattan federal court jury on all but one charge in the 1998 African embassy bombings.
Al Qaeda's recent Cargo-bomb plots which were foiled by the Saudi intelligence cost them just $4200, according the group's propaganda magazine. The Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) detailed the plot it called Operation Hemorrhage in its latest edition of the Inspire magazine.
The coalition of nations waging war against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan declared their intention, dependent on actual conditions on the ground, to hand over full responsibility the nation by 2014.
Majority of Afghan population from the conflict-mired Helmand and Kandahar province never knew of the 9/11 attacks in New York, a new study suggested on Saturday.
Coordination on exiting the Aghanistan war, a missile shield system over Europe to protect against Iranian threats, and forging closer ties with Russia will be on the agenda for the NATO summit in Portugal over the next two days.
France is verifying the authenticity of a broadcast message by an al-Qaeda off-shoot demanding troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in return for the safety of their nationals kidnapped in Niger. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) also suggested direct negotiations with al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden over hostages' issue. Five French nationals along with two Africans, all employees of French firms Areva and Vinci operating in the mining town of Arlit in Niger were kidnapped on September 16.
Lawmakers critical of President Barack Obama's efforts to try some accused terrorists in civilian courts continued in their opposition after a jury in New York convicted Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani of just one of 285 counts related to the 1998 twin U.S. embassy suicide bombings in Africa.
A suspect package believed to be containing components of a bomb was reportedly found at the Namibian Capital of Windhoek on Thursday. A suitcase checked on to a plane en-route to Munich Germany was intercepted during the loading of an Air Berlin flight. Initial reports from the Germany's Federal Crime Office suggest that the X-ray device revealed batteries that were attached with wires to a detonator and a ticking clock.
The Orlando Sanford International Airport has decided to opt out of the Trasnportation Authority's (TSA) new screening measures and go for one of the five private screening companies, instead.
According to government figures, in 2008, merchandise shipped into the U.S. by airplane accounted for 20 percent of the nation’s imports, with a value of $417 billion. That’s a great deal of items and only one, or two, would have to explode to have, through terror, a crippling effect upon the nation’s economy, to say nothing of the nation’s spirit.
In anticipation of a busy holiday travel season ahead of the Thanksgiving and Christmas, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is launching a campaign -- If You See Something, Say Something -- to raise public awareness and strengthening security.
