Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is the only Pentagon chief in U.S. history to be asked to remain in the post by a newly-elected president. Gates was sworn in under President Barack Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, in 2006, at a crucial point in the war in Iraq. He oversaw a troop surge in […]
Gates Tenure Spans Two Administrations, Two Wars
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:50 am (UTC-5)
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Gaza Flotilla Organizers Accuse Israel of Sabotaging 2nd Ship
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
Organizers of an international flotilla are accusing Israel of sabotaging a second ship that they planned to include in a mission to break an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The organizers said Thursday they had discovered damage to the engine of the Irish boat Saoirse in the Turkish port of Gocek, where it […]
India to Test Telecom Equipment for Spyware
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
India’s government is responding to fears that equipment and software for its booming mobile phone sector could be used to spy on the country and its businesses. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal announced Thursday India will build a $11 million facility in Bangalore to test all foreign-made telecommunication products. Indian regulations already require their country’s telecom […]
Assailant Grabs French President Sarkozy in Brief Scuffle
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:20 am (UTC-5)
A man in a crowd grabbed French President Nicolas Sarkozy by the shoulder on Thursday, nearly knocking him to the ground before being tackled by security officers. The French leader was walking along a crowd barrier in the town of Brax in southwest France and shaking hands when the brief incident occurred. The assailant reached […]
US Senate Expected to Confirm Petraeus as CIA Head
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:15 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. Senate is expected to confirm U.S. General David Petraeus as the new head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The 58-year-old is expected to easily win confirmation in the Thursday afternoon vote. At his nomination hearing, the four-star general said he supports U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision for withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan, although […]
NATO Airstrike Kills Militant Leader Linked to Kabul Hotel Attack
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:15 am (UTC-5)
NATO says it has killed a top Haqqani network leader in Afghanistan who is suspected of aiding militants who attacked a Kabul hotel earlier this week. In a statement Thursday, NATO said it killed Ismail Jan and several Haqqani fighters in an airstrike in Paktiya province near the Pakistani border. The coalition said Jan was […]
General Petraeus, A Prominent Wartime Commander
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:05 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama’s pick to head the Central Intelligence Agency, General David Petraeus, is a prominent wartime commander who has led the way for U.S. troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The 58-year-old assumed command of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan in July of last year, after overseeing a wider region encompassing Afghanistan, […]
WFP Recovers 2 Missing Aid Workers in Ethiopia
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
The U.N. World Food Program has confirmed the safe recovery of two aid workers who disappeared in Ethiopia on May 13. The WFP said Thursday that the two Ethiopian staffers have been transferred to the capital, Addis Ababa. They were to be reunited with family members after receiving medical care and counseling in the capital. […]
Clinton Emphasizes Democracy In Hungary
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 11:00 am (UTC-5)
The top U.S. diplomat is urging Hungary to strengthen its democratic institutions in the face of sharp criticism that the eastern European nation is becoming more autocratic. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday called for Budapest to commit to an independent judiciary, free press and government transparency. Critics of the Hungarian government have […]
Gates Honored on Final Day as Defense Chief
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 10:55 am (UTC-5)
U.S. President Barack Obama has awarded retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Obama presented the medal to Gates at an armed forces farewell tribute Thursday, Gates’ last day as defense chief. Mr. Obama called Gates one of the nation’s finest public servants and one of the best defense secretaries in […]
