Former Oil-For-Food Director Accused in Investigation
August 5, 2005 --
Oil-for-Food Probe to Accuse Director
A U.N.-established inquiry into corruption in the $64 billion oil-for-food program will accuse the defunct program's director, Benon V. Sevan, of receiving cash kickbacks for steering lucrative Iraqi oil contracts to an Egyptian oil trader, according to Sevan's lawyer. (Washington Post)
Britain to Institute New Deportation Measures
Foreigners who preach hatred, sponsor violence or belong to extremist groups could be deported from Britain under strict new measures that Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Friday, nearly a month after suicide bombers killed 52 people on London's transit system. (AP)
Britain Goes on High Alert, Spurred by Hint of Attack
Exactly four weeks after a team of bombers attacked London with a deadly strike, the British police on Thursday mounted their largest security campaign here since World War II as intelligence officials said they had picked up information that another team might be planning a synchronized bombing in London or elsewhere in Britain. (NY Times)
Afghanistan Agrees To Accept Detainees
Officials announce plan to transfer hundreds of Afghans held by U.S. at various facilities. (Washington Post)
U.S. Military to Increase Domestic Surveillance
Pentagon says it plans 'support role,' but critics worry new plan will encroach on domestic laws. (CS Monitor)
How Britain Helped Israel Get the A-bomb
Newsnight reporter Michael Crick tells the story of how Britain helped Israel build the bomb - without telling the Americans. (BBC)
EU Puts Nuclear Proposals To Iran
The European Union has given Iran a package of proposals aimed at resolving questions over its nuclear programme. (BBC)
N. Korean Terms Deadlock Nuclear Negotiations
North Korea's envoy to six-nation disarmament talks said Thursday that the Pyongyang regime was adamant about its right to "peaceful nuclear activities," an issue that has deadlocked the meeting, but participants said the talks were continuing. (AP)
Jordan Busts Terror Cell, Detains 17
Jordanian authorities have smashed a new terror cell after arresting 17 suspects who belonged to al Qaeda branches in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, police sources said yesterday. (Arab News)
Qaeda on the Run? Raids Seem to Belie Pakistani's Word
President Pervez Musharraf has declared that his forces have smashed sanctuaries of Al Qaeda and have its last remnants "on the run" in his country's remote tribal reaches. (NY Times)
Sudan Crash Cause Is 'Not Clear'
The cause of the helicopter crash which killed veteran southern Sudanese leader John Garang is "not clear", Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said. (BBC)
Md. Man Accused of Plot to Aid Terrorists
Federal authorities yesterday charged a Baltimore County resident with conspiring to support a terrorist organization, alleging that he said during a conversation secretly recorded by the FBI that he had attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan. (Washington Post)
U.S. Indicts 2 in Case of Divulged Secrets
Former employees of pro-Israel lobbying group are charged with illegally receiving classified data. (Washington Post)
U.S. Begins Big Push in Iraqi Area Held by Insurgents
The American military said today that it had begun a major offensive in the insurgent-controlled desert region of western Iraq, where at least 22 marines have been killed since Monday, in one of the deadliest weeks of the war for American troops. (NY Times)
Al Qaeda Is Now an Idea, Not An Organization
Bin Laden may not be capable of organising terror attacks directly, but then he does not need to. (The Guardian)
Afghanistan's Forgotten War
Pakistan's ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, seems to invest far more energy in explaining his government's tolerance of Taliban activities than he does in trying to shut them down. (NY Times)
After John Garang
Helicopters do crash, especially in bad weather, and the weekend crash that killed John Garang, the longtime leader of Sudan's southern rebels, does not appear to have been the result of foul play. (Washington Post)
Iran Has a Good Case in Its Nuclear Dispute
The talks over Iran's nuclear ambitions are now slithering helplessly between low farce and high drama. (The Independent)
Stupid, Brazen, and Uncivilized
By even suggesting that Makkah could be bombed in retaliation for a terrorist attack, Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has made the world a more dangerous place. (Arab News)
Basic Questions About Bases
The Bush administration talks freely of its plans to reduce its military footprint in Iraq next year. But when it comes to the issue of permanent bases in the country, it has turned rhetorical cartwheels to avoid the question of a long-term presence, even though clarity is crucial in determining the longevity of the insurgency. (Asia Times)
