All Security Watch
- Iraq’s Maliki brings wish list to Washington. Why are officials unmoved?
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meeting with President Obama Friday, is asking for equipment to help fight a growing insurgency. A half-dozen senators wrote an open letter outlining their concerns about Iraq.
- Iran warns US not to let nuclear deal slip away
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned threats and sanctions are no solution to his country's nuclear program.
- OpinionTo get a deal with Iran, US must suspend – not increase – sanctions
Some in Congress want to impose additional punitive sanctions on Iran. These are unnecessary and could scuttle the diplomatic process and strengthen Iranian hardliners. The proven strategy now is to offer partial relief from sanctions as an incentive to encourage Iranian concessions.
- Fury over US spying spreads to Asia
Allegations have surfaced that the US used allies' embassies in Asia to spy on other countries, prompting fresh fury from leaders and apologetic words from Secretary of State John Kerry.
- Syria meets first chemical weapons deadline, but much harder ones ahead
Syria has destroyed its equipment for making chemical weapons, but now it must destroy its stockpile. Similar efforts in the US show that the process is long and complicated.
- Israel blamed for airstrikes at Syrian missile base
Israel was behind the Wednesday night airstrike in Syria, an anonymous US official said. The Israeli government has declined to comment on the accusation.
- Maliki asks US to help arrest Iraq's slide into war
Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has lost control of crucial parts of Iraq, and is in the US to appeal for military support, including F-16s and armed drones.
- Syria's chemical weapons plants destroyed – but actual weapons remain
International chemical weapons inspectors declared Syria's production facilities destroyed, but the task of disposing of large stockpiles remains.
- Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader as country heads for court showdown
Essam el-Erian became just the latest Muslim Brotherhood to be arrested since the military overthrow the group's president in July. A court showdown is looming for next week.
- NSA chief fires back: European spying reports 'completely false'
The head of the NSA told Congress Tuesday that his agency is not collecting millions of phone records across Europe. Another official said the outrage over spying on German Chancellor Angel Merkel is overblown.
- Why Syria still isn't tipping Lebanon into civil war
Syria's war has certainly heightened tensions in Lebanon, leading to sporadic sectarian violence, but there is a difference between spates of attacks and a full-scale war.
- OpinionNSA revelations threaten Obama's soft power and America's global influence
After revelations that the NSA has spied on its allies in Europe, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it's worth considering: Is this just a tricky moment for President Obama, or is it a harbinger of a broader trend of waning US influence, even over its allies?
- Rumors pin blame on China's Uighurs in Tiananmen Square crash
China's Uighers, an ethnic minority in western China, have long been accused by Beijing of terrorist tactics. Focus has turned to them after an apparent attack in Tiananmen Square.
- 'New chapter' for talks on Iran nuclear program?
Assessments of meetings today between Iran and the IAEA were optimistic, with IAEA officials planning to head to Tehran Nov. 11 to finalize a deal on inspections of key sites.
- Afghanistan and Pakistan scramble for the favor of Al Qaeda
As the US military presence winds down, Afghan leaders are hedging their bets, looking to protect themselves. Like allying with the very groups the US ousted in 2001. Messy? You bet.
- US spying fiasco: Will 'additional' constraints ease European fury?
President Obama may order the NSA to halt all eavesdropping on the heads of state of US allies.
- US spying scandal: Why Germany and France won't get Britain's deal
Germany and France likely want a no-spying agreement with the US similar to the one Britain made after World War II, but US intelligence needs are far different today, experts say.
- German accusations of US spying run fast and furious
German media cite unnamed NSA sources saying Obama knew Merkel was tapped. US sources on and off the record say it isn't so.
- 'American Blackout': Is National Geographic's take on cyberattack accurate?
The National Geographic Channel’s fictionalized account of a 10-day blackout following a major cyberattack draws on previous events and expert opinions to paint a rather bleak picture.
- Why would US spy on friends? Because it can, and it makes sense, experts say.
The scandal suggests US technological capabilities have outstripped prudent policy, but even friendly countries have divergent interests and 'it’s really a polite fiction' they don't spy on each other.