Moscow’s recent offensive in the Caucasus region has former Soviet republics worried. They see it as a return to old imperialist policies and fear they could be the next victims of Russian aggression. How much at risk are Ukraine and Moldova?

Ironically, these countries are not just members of the European Union, but are also protected under NATO’s mutual defense guarantee. Hence, it comes as no surprise that citizens of Moldova and Ukraine, members of neither the EU nor NATO, see the situation as even more troubling.

Georgia has decided to cut diplomatic ties with Russia, days after Moscow recognised the independence of Georgia’s two breakaway regions.

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war over the issue earlier this month.

The refrain here in the Chapare jungle about Americans is short but powerful: “Long Live Coca, Death to the Yanquis!”

With Vietnam-era Huey helicopters donated by the United States swirling above the base and dozens of Bolivian officers who have been trained alongside the Green Berets at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia, Bolivia ranks among the most muddled fronts of the Andean drug war.

Several MPs have dismissed any possibility that the Parliament will approve a proposal to waive off Iraqi debts, but welcomed moves to hold negotiations to settle a number of issues between Iraq and Kuwait, reliable sources told the Arab Times Wednesday.

Mexican police have found decapitated bodies of 12 people, some of which show signs of torture.

Eleven headless male bodies were found piled on top of each other and covered with blankets in a suburb of Merida, the capital of Yucatan state.
A twelfth body was found in a town called Buctzotz, 70km northeast of Merida. Its head is also missing.

Israel will not agree to allow Iran to achieve nuclear weapons and if the grains start running out in the proverbial egg timer, Jerusalem will not hesitate to take whatever means necessary to prevent Iran from achieving its nuclear goals, the government has recently decided in a special discussion.

According to the Israeli daily Ma’ariv, whether the United States and Western countries will succeed in toppling the ayatollah regime diplomatically, through sanctions, or whether an American strike on Iran will eventually be decided upon, Jerusalem has put preparations for a separate, independent military strike by Israel in high gear.

Islamic leaders tied by federal investigators to the radical Muslim Brotherhood in America - including one under active investigation for alleged terror-financing - have recently donated to Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign for president, according to Federal Election Commission records reviewed by WND.

A federal court affidavit alleges “Barzinji is not only closely associated with PIJ (as evidenced by ties to al-Arian, including documents seized in Tampa), but also with Hamas.” The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or PIJ, and Hamas are two known terrorist groups outlawed by the U.S.

The Bush Administration in its final days will be sorely tempted to create a “legacy” by rushing to bro ker an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, the holy grail of the American Presidency. Secretary of State Condo leezza Rice traveled to Israel earlier this week as part of her seventh trip to the region since the peace nego tiations were re-launched last November at the Annapolis conference, which set the ambitious goal of reaching a final agreement by the end of the Bush Administration. But a realistic assessment suggests that the best that can be achieved in the limited time remaining is an interim agreement, not a final settle ment of the many thorny issues in the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the process, the Bush Administration should not press for concessions that would sacrifice Israel’s security or undermine the broader war against terrorism.

The accused are Ishaq Kanmi, 22, Abbas Iqbal, 23, and Iqbal’s 21-year-old brother Ilyas, all from Blackburn.

Abbas and Ilyas Iqbal both face two charges, including possessing an article which police suspect is for “a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism”.

And I didn’t go even though I live in Colorado.

I was reading this.

Now I’m reading the Obama speech. Which is, evidently, what he did.

I doubt that I will even post on it tomorrow.

I doubt that it will get much US press but a conviction could be explosive.

Venezuelan government officials received kickbacks in schemes involving the country’s bonds, state oil company and National Guard, U.S. prosecutors said before the trial of a Venezuelan businessman.

... U.S. prosecutors say the two men were acting at the direction of the Venezuelan intelligence agency when they tried to pressure Antonini to tell no one that the cash was destined for the election campaign of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. She was elected president of Argentina on Oct. 28.

We have two choices left. The less messy one is sending them home.

The U.S. military has secretly handed over more than 200 militants to the intelligence services of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries, nearly all in the past two years, as part of an effort to reduce the burden of detaining and interrogating foreign fighters captured in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to U.S. military officials.

But there are significant differences; the prisoners can block their transfers to home countries, military officials say.

Officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross interview all detainees before they are returned to their home countries, said Bernard Barrett, a Red Cross spokesman.

Iraq is considering building a giant observation wheel in Baghdad in an attempt to promote the city as a potential tourist destination.

“We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on ground below.”

I posted on this a couple of months ago. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

A Briton accused of hacking into secret military computers has lost his appeal against extradition to the US.

The 42-year-old admitted breaking into the computers from his London home but said he sought information on UFOs.

Agents of Hizbullah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard have deployed special forces in Venezuela intended to kidnap Jewish businessmen and smuggle them to Lebanon, Israel Radio reported Thursday.

An expert on counter-terrorism warned in an interview with The Los Angeles Times that Iranian-backed agents have managed to recruit collaborators among Venezuelan citizens living in the capital Caracas.