All Security Watch
Syria's opposition groups convene in Qatar – can they build a unified front?The opposition's Syrian National Council began a conference in Qatar yesterday to overhaul its structure. Many, including the US, have lost confidence in the fragmented group.
War crimes and the fantasy of 'controlling' Syria's rebelsAn atrocity in the strategic Syrian town of Saraqeb is a reminder that the landscape of that country's civil war is a place where angels fear to tread.- Obama 'Mideast surprises'? Unlikely.There are plenty of reasons to question Niall Ferguson's musings about possible last-minute Obama 'surprises' aimed at winning the election. His most recent column in particular.
War-crime accusations emerge as Syrian rebels take strategic townSyrian regime forces may face logistical problems after withdrawing from the strategic town of Saraqeb. The UN says a video that has emerged appears to show rebels committing war crimes.- Report: $800 million is snuck out of Iraq each weekIt's a staggering claim, but it was made by the country's Supreme Audit Bureau.
US backs new Syrian opposition council in bid to unite rebelsSecretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Syrian National Council could no longer be viewed as the 'visible leader of the opposition.' The group failed to attract broad support from Syrians.
Bahrain bans public demonstrations as protest movement rises againAn uptick in clashes between Bahrain's pro-democracy protesters and the government prompted Bahrain to take its most extreme steps to quash dissent since the uprising began in 2011.
Myanmar unrest threatens to destabilize democracy and regionA week of clashes in western Myanmar has left at least 84 people dead and forced some 22,000 into crowded camps along the coast, putting pressure on the government.
Is the detritus of the Iraq war harming the babies of Fallujah?The claim has been made for years. Now, there's a medical report about the Iraq war that appears to back it up.
Airstrikes, car bombs in Syria leave brief cease-fire in tattersEstimates say at least 110 people were killed on Sunday in fighting between rebels and regime forces, with both sides accusing the other of having broken the UN-brokered cease-fire.
Shades of Iraq in Afghanistan? Problems with shoddy contracting workA Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report singled out a $78 million contract to build a garrison for the Afghan National Army as of particular concern.
Holiday cease-fire in Syria pocked with bulletsTwo previous cease-fire attempts failed, and both the Syrian Army and rebels have hedged their commitment to this one.- Last post on US politics and the Benghazi attackI hope.
In US politics, foreign things are very suspicious ...... and market-oriented approaches to greenhouse-gas emissions are 'radical.' But I missed the moment when corndogs became un-American.
Revisiting the tragic Italian earthquake manslaughter verdictTrying to be a little fairer to the Italian prosecution that sentenced seven men to prison for failing to 'adequately warn' about the L'Aquila earthquake.
Did Israel just blow up an Iranian weapons factory in Sudan?The Sudanese government blames Israel for an explosion at a munitions plant in Khartoum. Israeli media have reported the factory is owned by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and made arms for Hamas.
Brahimi's plan for Syria cease-fire takes two steps forward, one step backUnited Nations Syria envoy Brahimi said both the Syrian government and rebels agreed to a cease-fire for Eid al-Adha, but major disagreements could foil its chances of success.
Qatari emir comes to Gaza bearing gifts – maybe with some strings attachedSheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani's visit, pegged to the delivery of a hefty aid package, is the latest iteration of Qatar's efforts to expand its political influence in the region.
Earthquake predictions and a triumph of scientific illiteracy in an Italian courtAn Italian court sentenced scientists to jail time for not having a functioning crystal ball ahead of the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila. The arguments of science and reason fell on deaf ears.- Women in power are good for women's rights, right?Not necessarily.
