..but continues to negotiate with kidnappers. From Reuters: ADEN, Yemen – Yemen’s president pledged on Sunday to eradicate kidnappings in his country, a day after five German hostages were freed by tribesmen who held them captive for three days. Armed tribal groups in Yemen, where central government control is often weak, seize tourists frequently, but […]

Sudan joins the Philippines in making political concessions to kidnappers in Iraq. From the LA Times: KHARTOUM, Sudan “” Al Qaeda militants in Iraq released five Sudanese Embassy staff members Saturday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said, after Khartoum announced that it was shutting its Baghdad mission in an effort to secure their release. The militants […]

From the Jerusalem Post: The United States government reportedly began coordinating with NATO its plans for a possible military attack against Iran. The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel collected various reports from the German media indicating that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are examining the prospects of such a strike. According to the report, CIA Director […]

“Iraq Insurgents Kill Senior Sunni Leader” But were they really “insurgents”? From AP via Interest Alert: Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader on Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law on the outskirts of Baghdad, his brother and an interior ministry official said. Khadim […]

From AFX via Forbes: TEHRAN – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani wrapped up a landmark visit to neighbouring Iran today, saying he had won promises of support for his bid to end the insurgency ravaging his country. ‘Iran is interested in our security just as it is interested in its own security. We should use all […]

From VOA: The United States has decided to resume the sale of lethal military hardware to Indonesia. The State Department announced Tuesday that in the interest of U.S. national security it has exercised its authority under a law passed earlier this month to waive conditions on U.S. military relations with Indonesia. The State Department statement […]

But Tony Blair talked him out of it. So says the Washington Post, also known affectionately as the “Bandar Beacon”: LONDON — President Bush expressed interest in bombing the headquarters of the Arabic television network al-Jazeera during a White House conversation with Prime Minister Tony Blair in April 2004, a British newspaper reported Tuesday. The […]

“Islam United to Stop Female Genital Mutilation” From AllAfrica.com with thanks to Eric. Ministers, politicians and religious leaders from almost 50 Muslim states were gathered for two days in the Moroccan capital at the first Islamic childhood conference. The resulting “Rabat Declaration” puts special emphasis on female genital mutilation and other harmful practices discriminating girls, […]

Bronwen Maddox says reining-in Iran’s ambitions could also help others to explore alternative fuels in this article in TimesOnline, with thanks to Interested. IN FOUR months of extravagantly bad-tempered diplomacy, Iran’s new President has pulled off one small success. He has sidestepped a fight with the rest of the world tomorrow over his country”s nuclear […]

From Reuters: KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan police on Wednesday found the decapitated body of an Indian man who Taliban insurgents said they kidnapped and executed, a provincial official said. The body of the engineer, who had been working on a road project, was found on a dirt road in the southern province of Nimroz, said […]