Free Republic

ISTANBUL—The point man for the Obama administration's financial wars on Iran, North Korea and al Qaeda, Stuart Levey, has decided to leave his senior U.S. Treasury Department post at what is turning out to be a particularly critical time. Mr. Levey's departure will leave President Barack Obama without the principal architect of Washington's economic-sanctions campaign against Tehran, just as that campaign is likely to be ramped up following the breakdown of talks among Iran, the U.S. and a bloc of global powers on Saturday. The negotiations, held in Turkey, were aimed at curtailing Iran's nuclear program. With no date set...

Insurers Poised To Reap Benefits From Healthcare Overhaul The final bill may well reflect an industry group's strategy of shaping universal coverage to benefit companies. Noam N. Levey and Lisa Girion October 26, 2009 Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington - As President Obama's push for a healthcare overhaul moves toward its final act, the oft-vilified health insurance industry is on the verge of seeing a plan enacted that largely protects its financial interests. That achievement, should it stand up in the final legislation, would be the capstone of a sophisticated lobbying and strategic campaign that began even before Obama...

US mulls reimposing economic sanctions on N Korea over missiles By Krishna Guha in Washington Published: July 31 2006 03:00 | Last updated: July 31 2006 03:00 The US is considering the reimposition of a full suite of bilateral economic sanctions against North Korea following its recent missile tests, a senior US official has said. The sanctions - including a travel ban, a broad trade ban and restrictions on investment and remittances - were lifted in 2000 after Pyongyang agreed to a missile test moratorium. ADVERTISEMENT Stuart Levey, under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the US Treasury, told the...

Korea-US Alliance Cracking By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter South Korea finds itself increasingly at odds with the United States over how to deal with the adamant North Korea as Pyongyang adopts a more hardline policy in the face of growing pressures from the outside. North Korea’s missile tests on July 5 initially brought the allies to a united front. But there is now a widening rift over decisions regarding sanctions on North Korea since the United Nations Security Council resolution on July 15. Hardliners in Washington and Tokyo proposed stronger measures to tame the Stalinist North but President Roh Moo-hyun...

Comets, Meteors & Myth: New Evidence for Toppled Civilizations and Biblical Tales By Robert Roy Britt Senior Science Writer posted: 07:00 am ET 13 November 2001 "...and the seven judges of hell ... raised their torches, lighting the land with their livid flame. A stupor of despair went up to heaven when the god of the storm turned daylight into darkness, when he smashed the land like a cup." -- An account of the Deluge from the Epic of Gilgamesh, circa 2200 B.C. If you are fortunate enough to see the storm of shooting stars predicted for the Nov. 18...