All Security Watch
Syria fires more Scud missiles as refugee projections climbNATO condemned Syria for firing Scud-type missiles yesterday, which Syria denies doing. The UN says the violence could result in as many as 1 million refugees over the next six months.
Palestinians begin returning to Yarmouk refugee camp in SyriaPalestinians are returning to their refugee camp after fighting sent them fleeing, but the number fleeing Syria or facing internal displacement continues to rise.
Panel on Benghazi attack heaps blame on State, citing 'systemic failures'An independent panel investigating the 9/11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi released a report finding that the State Department failed at securing the compound on multiple fronts.
Richard Engel freed, but news blackout debate remainsNBC Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and two other reporters are free today after five days of captivity in Syria.
NBC's Richard Engel released in Syria, a journalist danger zoneThe Syrian conflict is making 2012 the deadliest year on record for journalists.
Syria's VP calls for peaceful resolution to crisis – possibly without AssadMr. Sharaa says that both the regime and rebels will need to work together to resolve the conflict in Syria, since neither has exclusive rights to dictate the country's future.
Russia insists it stands by Syria's Assad, despite earlier commentsThe Russian deputy foreign minister said yesterday that the Syrian regime might fall – a bold declaration because Russia has been a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad.
Japan scrambles F-15s after China flies over disputed islandsThe Chinese plane had already left the islands – known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan – by the time the Japanese F-15s arrived.
Will US recognition of Syrian opposition group open channels for weapons support?The US has refused Syrian rebels weapons because of the presence of jihadi groups fighting there. Could recognition of the Syrian Opposition Coalition change this?
Vast sums of aid continue to be stolen in AfghanistanDespite years of supposed effort to stop money laundering out of Kabul airport, billions continue to flow from the country unchecked.
Will Egypt's military choose to make or break the referendum process?By granting the Egyptian military the power to arrest citizens during the referendum process, Morsi has given it enormous influence over the outcome of the controversial constitutional vote.
US designates Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra front a 'terrorist' group at lightning speedThe US State Department designated Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra, one of the militias fighting Bashar al-Assad, a foreign terrorist organization.
Muslim Brotherhood's unlikely new ally? Egypt's militaryEgyptian President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood have made their peace with a military elite that hounded them for decades.
Will Morsi's security request give Army renewed clout?President Mohamed Morsi has asked the military, whose power he curtailed earlier this year, to help keep the peace as Egypt's Dec. 15 constitutional referendum nears.
With Hamas's confidence waxing, Khaled Meshaal arrives in GazaThe Hamas leader's return to Palestinian territory, his first visit since 1967, coincides with the party's increased sway after an eight-day conflict with Israel and UN recognition of Palestine.
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood's 'trial of power'In Egypt a few years ago, the Muslim Brotherhood was making promises. The protesters in Cairo say the group isn't keeping them.
Tanks deploy to Egypt's presidential palace amid lull in deadly protestsThe deployment of Egyptian tanks marks the first time since Mohamed Morsi's power grab that the military has gotten involved.
The politics of post-Mubarak Egypt have brokenDemonstrators against a proposed Egyptian constitution in Cairo have devolved into confrontations between pro- and anti-Muslim Brotherhood protesters.
And the most corrupt nation this year is....It's a tie between Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia. Elsewhere, bankrupt Greece, one-party China, and various 'Arab Spring' nations stand out in Transparency International's annual rankings.
Did Egypt's President Morsi overplay his hand?A sea of protesters angry at a draft constitution championed by Egypt's President Morsi surrounded the presidential palace. But whether they'll force Morsi to back down remains to be seen.
