Bipartisan Opposition to Surveillance
Current Events vs. Founding Documents Entry 159 Current Event According to the Wall Street Journal, Sept 12,2012 President Pushes to Extend Surveillance Law The Obama administration is lobbying for renewal of a controversial 2008 surveillance law, warning that the U.S. would lose a critical intelligence-collection tool if Congress allows the measure to expire at year’s [...]
Nigerian Terror Attacks Might Indicate Escalation of MEND Terrorist Organization
The October 1, 2010 attack during the celebration of Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence has been attributed to a terrorist organization known as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), but there are questions as to whether MEND actually carried out the attack. Initially, MEND claimed responsibility for the car bomb attack [...]
Another Israel-Hezbollah War Looming?
Four years after the Hezbollah terrorist organization and the state of Israel waged war against one another, Hezbollah’s strength—militarily and politically—has never looked better. In 2006, Hezbollah captured two Israeli border patrolmen and initiated strategic rocket attacks on Israeli towns, provoking a war with Israel. The month-long war was devastating, killing about 1,200 Lebanese (many [...]
U.S. Weighs Unprecedented Aid Package for Yemen
Yemen, particularly in the south, has recently emerged as a new safe haven for a variety of terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda. Today, Yemen yields the perfect breeding ground for terrorist networks on many accounts. For one, it is a poor country, ranked by the Foreign Policy Failed States Index as #18 in the world. [...]
The Curious Case of Anwar al-Awlaki
The Central Intelligence Agency concluded early this year that a man named Anwar al-Awlaki has been actively involved in planning and launching attacks against the United States, and the Obama administration has since designated him to be captured or killed. A lawsuit brought by Mr. Awlaki’s father, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties [...]
The Revival of Islamic Terror in Africa
On July 11th, Al Shabab, the Somalia-based terrorist organization, killed 76 people watching the World Cup in Uganda. Al Shabab is a growing threat to Somalia, neighboring countries and the United States. It began as an insurgency against the Somali government but has since grown into a dangerous organization which is now capable of attacks [...]
Opinions Mixed About Recent American Success Against Al-Qaeda
Very recently, the news wires have been abuzz with speculation and conjecture that al-Qaeda’s third-in-command, Mustafa al-Yazid, aka Saeed al-Masri, has been killed by a CIA drone bombing. While few doubt that the man is in fact dead, or what his position was within al-Qaeda’s hierarchy, the relative importance to the group itself is debatable. [...]
Kyrgyzstan Revolution Indicator That Russia Is Still a Player
On Wednesday, April 7, 2010, the government of Kyrgyzstan was overthrown after a series of protests became violent and led to the president of the country, Kurmanbek Bakiyev leaving the country. The Prime Minister resigned and turned power over to the country’s former Foreign Minister, Roza Otunbayeva. Kyrgyzstan is a small, mountainous country located on [...]
