All Security Watch
- The Israeli-Palestinian 'peace process' and US befuddlement
It's like a never-ending upside-down waterfall of groundhog days.
- A look behind surging violence in Iraq
The civil war in Syria and a resurgent Al Qaeda are the proximate causes for rising bloodshed in Iraq. But persistent government failure deserves a closer look.
- A look behind surging violence in Iraq
The civil war in Syria and a resurgent Al Qaeda are the proximate causes for rising bloodshed in Iraq. But persistent government failure deserves a closer look.
- Israelis seethe over Palestinian prisoner release ahead of peace talks
The release of 26 Palestinian prisoners and the approval of West Bank settlement expansions has both Israelis and Palestinians crying foul.
- Ahead of Bahrain protests, a sweep against citizen journalists
Bahrain's protesters are promising anti-government protests on Aug. 14. Ahead of it, the country appears to be moving to silence citizen journalists.
- Finally something that Mike Huckabee and Richard Dawkins can agree upon
The former conservative Arkansas governor and Baptist minister and the curmudgeonly English atheist are on the same page today.
- Al Qaeda's 'conference call' and claims that the group is on the rise
There are some strange elements to this report.
- Pakistan: After terror threat, US consulate in Lahore closes
A specific threat prompted a move of US personnel to Islamabad. The Pakistani government is also on high alert.
- Are US drone killings in Yemen working?
The US has hit Yemen with seven drone strikes in a little more than a week.
- Syrian rebels claim direct assault on Assad
Claims that the rebels targeted Syrian President Assad's convoy have not been verified. Some question whether Assad's death would alter the balance of the conflict.
- Yemen plot foiled: Could it have been an Al Qaeda ruse?
Yemen plot foiled, but the intercepted chatter that preceded it has raised a few eyebrows. Some think it might have been an attempt to goad the US into action. Others reject that theory.
- Does Ayman al-Zawahiri have a bulk calling rate?
The claim of US 'officials' that Ayman al-Zawahiri conducted a 12-country conference call is both weird and troubling.
- Obama cancels visit to Putin: It's about much more than Edward Snowden
Obama cancels visit to Moscow for a September summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Edward Snowden's asylum was a major reason, but it's only one of many.
- Al Qaeda plot revealed? Yemen says it stopped massive militant operation
Yemeni officials say Al Qaeda operatives were targeting oil pipelines and port cities, with an eye on the country's export infrastructure.
- Fort Hood killer Nidal Malik Hasan's 'big fellow' moment
Disgraced Army major Nidal Malik Hasan admitted he killed 13 at Fort Hood in 2009 and tried to make himself out as a 'holy warrior.'
- Do we know how much US money is going to the Taliban in Afghanistan?
The short answer is 'no.' But there are worrying signs to be found in US auditing of its own contracting practices in Afghanistan.
- Kashmir attack could put India-Pakistan peace talks on ice
The killing of five Indian soldiers along the Kashmir border last night comes as the two nuclear powers prepare to restart negotiations.
- Shuttered embassies, the NSA, and the balance between fear and safety
The decision to close the embassies also speaks to how US intelligence collection has changed – and how it is used.
- How much influence will Iran have in post-US Afghanistan?
Though Iran has been sponsoring projects in Afghanistan for years, Afghans have grown skeptical of their neighbor's intentions.
- Al Qaeda threat: 19 US diplomatic sites to remain closed through next weekend
Al Qaeda threat: Despite the seriousness of the Al Qaeda threat, the apparent targeting of US interests abroad – rather than in the US proper – suggests the group's aspirations have contracted since 9/11.