News and Analysis

[posted 5/12/08]

More indefinite detentions and domestic spying continue to erode liberties and national security:

• Ex-Gitmo Suicide Bomber Fuels Pentagon Propaganda (Antiwar.com)
• Domestic Spying Far Outpaces Terrorism Prosecutions (Los Angeles Times)

Pakistan experts say US should focus less on military solutions and shed ties to Musharraf to adapt to new changes in Islamabad’s policies:

• As Pakistan Changes, Should U.S. Policy? (Christian Science Monitor)

While a tense calm presides over Beirut, the deaths from fighting in other parts of Lebanon continue to mount:

• Mountain Clashes Bring Lebanon Death Toll To 81 (Reuters/Washington Post)

Analysts speculate the assault on Khartoum by Darfurian militants is about challenging government authority and Chad’s payback for an earlier assault on its capital by Sudanese-supported militias:

• After a Quixotic Attack in Sudan, a Question Lingers: Why? (New York Times)

Indonesia’s President unveils a new plan to spur economic growth through encouragement of private sector investment:

• SBY to Issue New Economic Package (The Jakarta Post)

Iran seeks to snub effects of Western sanctions through a quixotic approach of inefficiently developing its own oil fields without financial investment or technological ability:

• Iran Looks to Tap Key Oil Field with Homegrown Crews (Associated Press/Wiredispatch)

[posted 5/11/08]

Gitmo’s parallel legal system comes under attack again after a military judge disqualifies a top Pentagon lawyer from further participation in the process due to pushing prosecutors “to use evidence under coercive interrogations”:

• Judge’s Guantánamo Ruling Bodes Ill for System (New York Times)

Whistleblowers reveal a memo showing Scott Bloch, head of the Office of Special Counsel, inverting the agency’s mission by retaliating against people for political purposes:

• Memo Shows Frustration With Special Counsel (Washington Post)

Tensions in Lebanon remain high as fighting continues in other parts of the country despite Hezbollah withdrawal from West Beirut:

• Clashes in Northern and Eastern Lebanon, Outside Beirut (Associated Press/Washington Post)

• Lebanon Troops Patrol Beirut After Hezbollah Pullout (Reuters/Washington Post)

Sudan ends its relations with Chad after accusing it of training militants involved in a failed attack on Khartoum:

• Sudan Cuts Chad Ties After Attack (Associated Press/New York Times)

Pakistan’s “little Switzerland” sees a reprieve from violence as local Taliban militants sign a truce and agree to enter into peace talks…

• Pakistani Militants Agree Truce (BBC News)

…meanwhile talks among coalition parties on judge restoration remain deadlocked:

• Talks On Judges Go Up In Smoke (The News)

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