In the News: Sep-16

'Regrettable' if Canada quits Afghanistan: Chertoff - 16 Sep 2009 at 7:45am - Michael Chertoff, who served as U.S. secretary of homeland security from 2005 to 2009 under former president George W. Bush, calls it "regrettable" that Canada plans to withdraw from the conflict in Afghanistan.

It certainly would be regrettable were Chertoff not to express gratitude toward Canada for carrying the ball in Afghanistan while the U.S. concentrated its military efforts on Iraq.

Obama sets Afghanistan, Pakistan objectives: document - 16 Sep 2009 at 2:47pm - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has set objectives for countering al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, from boosting Islamabad's counterinsurgency capabilities to building up Afghan security forces so U.S. assistance can be reduced, according to an internal document obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

EPA scraps Bush-era smog rule and will start over - 16 Sep 2009 at 1:09pm - WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency is scrapping a controversial Bush-era rule that set stricter limits for the amount of smog allowed in the air, because it fell short of scientific recommendations.

Judge tosses 'birthers' complaint, puts lawyer on notice - 16 Sep 2009 at 1:00pm - U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land today tossed out a complaint by an Army captain fighting deployment to Iraq by questioning the legitimacy of President Barack Obama.

AP Sources: Delay sought in Gitmo trials - 16 Sep 2009 at 12:04pm - WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is seeking another two-month delay in a handful of key military commission trials of terrorism detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Military says mental wounds of war run deep - 16 Sep 2009 at 11:26am - ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed frustration Wednesday with the pace of government work to heal the mental health wounds of war.

World's hungry reach record 1B - 16 Sep 2009 at 11:14am - The number of hungry people has passed a record one billion this year at the same time that food aid is at a 20-year low, the United Nations World Food Programme said Wednesday in London.

U.S. Justice Dept wants surveillance methods extended - 16 Sep 2009 at 11:12am - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has asked the U.S. Congress to extend three surveillance techniques for intelligence agencies tracking suspected militants that expire this year, according to a letter to lawmakers.

'Massive fraud': Observers cast doubt on Afghan vote - 16 Sep 2009 at 10:14am - EU observers have branded 1.5 million votes from Afghanistan's presidential election as suspicious and refused to be party to any "massive fraud," flinging the polls into deeper controversy.

3 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan - 16 Sep 2009 at 9:00am - Three U.S. soldiers died when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, a NATO spokesman said Wednesday.

Hungary to accept Guantanamo detainee - 16 Sep 2009 at 8:54am - Hungary said Wednesday it will accept a detainee from Guantanamo Bay, inching President Obama closer to his pledge to close the ...

Thought for the day:
If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known. -George C. Marshall (1880 - 1959)