U.S.: Democrats Get a Push from the Left

National progressive groups are gearing up for the 2010 Congressional elections by targeting centrist Democrats in the U.S. Congress and supporting their more left-leaning opponents.

U.S.: Aborted Bombing Puts Yemen in the Limelight

The attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner by a Nigerian allegedly associated with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has propelled long-neglected Yemen into the media spotlight here.

U.S.: Triage for a Terminally Ill Health System

Early on Christmas Eve morning, the United States Senate will vote on the health care reform legislation that has been at the forefront of President Barack Obama's domestic agenda since he was sworn into office just over 11 months ago.

US-LEBANON: Hard Line on Hezbollah Clashes with Political Reality

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman visited Washington last week, for his first visit with President Barack Obama. The meeting was a quick one, tucked in amongst the myriad of domestic issues that are demanding Obama's attention.

U.S.: White Supremacists Crash Anti-Obama Tea Party

It began with Apr. 15 Tax Day protests as thousands rallied in a number of cities across the country.

U.S.: The Guantanamo Shell Game?

Human and rights advocates and members of the Republican Party found unusual common ground Monday.

U.S.: Activist Groups Press for Sticks Against Khartoum

Despite major progress in recent days in forging an agreement over a 2011 referendum on independence for south Sudan, activist groups here are calling on President Barack Obama to impose tough new sanctions against the government in Khartoum.

RIGHTS-US: Guantanamo Prisoners Not “Persons”

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's refusal Monday to review a lower court's dismissal of a case brought by four British former Guantanamo prisoners against former Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the detainees' lawyers charged Tuesday that the country's highest court evidently believes that "torture and religious humiliation are permissible tools for a government to use".

POLITICS: U.S. Silent About Taliban Guarantee Offer on al Qaeda

The Barack Obama administration is refusing to acknowledge an offer by the leadership of the Taliban in early December to give "legal guarantees" that it will not allow Afghanistan to be used for attacks on other countries.

U.S.: Clinton Calls for “Principled Pragmatism” on Human Rights

Replying to growing criticism that the administration of President Barack Obama has not been tougher on abusive governments, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday declared a policy of "principled pragmatism" on human rights designed "to make a difference, not prove a point".

POLITICS: Poll Finds Optimism for Obama’s Mideast Diplomacy

Israeli attitudes toward U.S. President Barack Obama aren't nearly as dismal as previous reports have implied, according to a poll released Thursday by the Washington-based think tank, the New America Foundation.

US: Soldiers Forced to Go AWOL for PTSD Care

With a military health care system over-stretched by two ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, more soldiers are deciding to go absent without leave (AWOL) in order to find treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE: Obama’s $3B Settlement Not Enough?

Though pleased with the Barrack Obama administration’s decision to compensate the indigenous tribes for unjust occupation of their lands, American Indian activists are saying that Washington has to do more to heal their nations’ wounds.

DISARMAMENT: DPRK and U.S. Recommit to 2005 Joint Statement

United States Envoy to North Korea Stephen Bosworth announced Thursday that his three-day visit to Pyongyang has produced no commitment from the North Koreans to return to multilateral talks aimed at ending Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. However, both sides recommitted to a 2005 joint statement in which the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) committed to dismantle its nuclear programme in exchange for economic aid and other incentives.

US: Nobel Speech Places Obama Within Realist-Liberal Tradition

In formally accepting the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama enunciated a worldview that places him squarely within the realist and liberal internationalist thinking that dominated post-World War II U.S. foreign policy - at least until his predecessor's "global war on terror."

AFGHANISTAN: More Questions Than Answers

Last week President Obama made what is probably the most crucial announcement in the past five years of war.

US: One Step Closer to Unilateral Sanctions Against Iran

Congress has given new momentum to a bill imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran - a move seen by many as an ineffective form of sanctions and potentially antagonistic against valuable U.S. allies on the U.N. Security Council. This comes ahead of the end of the year deadline set by U.S. President Barack Obama for Tehran to respond to a proposed agreement to export most of its enriched uranium for processing in Russia and France.

US: Increased Focus and Growing Pressure on Pakistan

While President Barack Obama’s announcement last week that he will "surge" 30,000 more U.S. troops into Afghanistan has received all of the attention here over the past week, Pakistan appears to be looming larger than ever in Washington’s strategic calculations and concerns.

US: Obama Launches Freedom of Information Initiative

Advocates for greater freedom of information are expressing approval of the Obama administration’s new ‘Open Government Directive’ - but some are sounding cautionary notes that executive agencies are still hiding behind "national security" to conceal government misconduct.

AFGHANISTAN: Troop Surge Spurs Obama’s Popularity

A poll released today finds that support among the United States public for President Barack Obama’s troop "surge" in Afghanistan has risen sharply since he delivered his speech last week. But, a plurality of the U.S. public do not believe Obama will follow through on his commitment to begin a withdrawal of U.S. forces in 18-months.

US-SRI LANKA: Senate Report Urges Warmer Ties

Despite ongoing concern about the country’s human-rights situation, the United States should seek a more positive relationship with strife-torn Sri Lanka, primarily for geo-political reasons, according to a new report released here Monday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.