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Perhaps the Obama Administration’s foreign policy is becoming so indefensible that even its best and brightest academic defenders are becoming tongue tied defending it. At the Center for American Progress, Georgetown professor of international affairs Charles Kupchan recently said, “Obama is probably out in front of this issue, that he made, perhaps I would go so far as to say a signature part of his first term policy, engaging.” But, he added, “I would say that the jury is still out, but that the glass is more half-full than half-empty, or you might say empty.” He dove into several examples...

The US soldiers' role is to advise and assist Iraq's security forces in fighting insurgents Iraq will ask the US to keep troops in the country beyond an end-of-2011 pullout deadline, says the nominee to be the next US defence secretary. Outgoing CIA director Leon Panetta said he had "every confidence that a request like that will be forthcoming". Mr Panetta was speaking at a US Senate committee considering his nomination. The US currently has about 47,000 troops in Iraq, none in a combat role. Under a 2008 deal, they are expected to leave by 31 December 2011. Inducements? "It's...

Two British-born Pakistanis were among eight gunmen arrested by Indian authorities following the Mumbai massacre. An explosive gun battle is now taking part as commandos attempt to take back the Taj hotel. Indian commandos are locked in a standoff with terrorists at two locations in Mumbai as the battle to save hostages intensifies. The siege is continuing at the Taj Mahal hotel in the city, which has been brought to its knees by two days of gun battles after terrorists went on the rampage. Shots are ringing out from the building and the terrorists have even fired at the world's...

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces captured and detained the driver of Abu al-Masri, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, during a raid Sept. 28 in here. In other developments, the Ministry of Interior issued a no-notice recall of an Iraqi police brigade, which will be pulled out of service and given corrective retraining. “Based on information from a recently detained al-Qaida in Iraq member, coalition forces on September 28th detained a former driver and personal assistant of Abu al-Masri along with 31 others during a series of raids that were conducted in the Baghdad area specifically targeting al-Qaida in Iraq targets,”...

India must stand by the Balochs The Pakistan Air Force and Army, using aircraft, helicopters and communication sets given by the US and missiles given by the Chinese, claims to have killed Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, one of the founding fathers of the Baloch independence struggle. Thirty six other freedom-fighters belonging to the Bugti and Marri tribes were killed in a three-day operation which began August 24 in the Bhambore Hills, an area between the towns of Kohlu and Dera Bugti. According to Pakistani media reports, Balach Marri, who was believed to be the chief of the Balochistan Liberation Army...

During the discussion of the 'amnesty' announcement it was announced the 4 diplomats from Russia had been executed. Now posted as breaking banner on CNN.com headline.

Sarajevo WHILE FRENCH AND DUTCH VOTERS are only now venting their discontent with the European Union, the Bosnians have held Brussels in contempt since the onset of their civil war, some 13 years ago. Back then, Europe actively obstructed Bosnian self-defense. The British and French instigated a U.N. weapons embargo that prevented the Bosnians from legally importing arms. A staggering 250,000 people were killed in the ensuing war (out of a population now around 4.5 million). In the decade since the massacre at Srebrenica, where Serbs slaughtered 8,000 Muslim men and boys, Brussels has ruled Bosnia, as provided for under...

A poison attack planned by al-Qa'eda-trained operatives was aimed at the busy Heathrow Express rail link and would have been "our September 11", the Metropolitan Police has revealed. A plot to bring death and terror to the country was disclosed last week after Kamel Bourgass, 32, an Islamic extremist from Algeria, was convicted at the Old Bailey and jailed for 17 years. Senior Whitehall officials have told The Telegraph that Bourgass and some of his associates intended to target the busy rail link between central London and Heathrow Airport. The plan was to place ricin, a fast-acting and potentially lethal...

Al Queada's Next Terror Target: The American Way of Life By: Richard Brzakala With the announcement of an increased security alert, it would apear that America's focus has been primarily on airlines and airport security in the hopes of staving off another 9/11 type attack. One would hope that ALL of the "intelligence chatter" and leads that are coming in to the Homeland Office from "reliable sources" are not part of a larger misinformation campaign hatched by Al Queada operatives and designed to serve as a red-herring.

    E-Mail this document Special Dispatch Series - No. 601 October 31, 2003 No.601 2nd Issue of 'Voice of Jihad' Al-Qa'ida Online Magazine: Strategy to Avoid Clashes with Saudi Security Forces, Convert the World's Countries to Islam The second issue of "The Voice of Jihad," the new biweekly on-line magazine identified with Al-Qa'ida has been posted. 1 The following are excerpts from the latest issue, which includes a sequel to an interview with Abd Al-'Aziz bin 'Issa bin Abd Al-Mohsen, 2 also known as Abu Hajjer, who isone of the high-ranking Al-Qa'ida members on Saudi Arabia's most-wanted list....

DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- A U.S. Central Command spokesman said Thursday that "we may never know" precisely what happened at a Baghdad marketplace, but the destruction seen on Iraqi television probably was not caused by a coalition bomb. Iraqi officials said 15 people were killed in the Shaab district when a U.S. missile struck the market. "We think it's entirely possible that this may have been in fact an Iraqi missile that either went up and came down, or given the behaviors of the regime lately, it may have been a deliberate attack inside of town," said Brig. Gen. Vincent...