Obama ACLU

An ACLU report describes Obama's failings on civil liberties etc.

From the ACLU here. And the actual report is here.

US India nuclear deal

Impact of the US nuclear deal with India. Indo-US nuclear deal.

Obama wants to boost arms exports

Article here, the US is already the world's leading arms exporter.

Asbestos in Quebec

An article from Le Monde and a report here.

Crack cocaine sentence

The House voted to bring to 28 grams (crack) and 500 g (powder cocaine) the required amounts to go to prison for 5 years, as opposed to 5 g (crack) and 100 g (powder) today.

Very good summary from DPA here.

US pays media in Afghanistan

US pays media in Afghanistan to run its stories as they did in Iraq.

Iran sanctions

Good summary of US, EU and UN sanctions on Iran.

Private contractors surge in Iraq

The State Department wants more private contractors in Iraq as regular troops are withdrawing, Jeremy Scahill reports.

Sanctions

Andrew Cockburn reviews sanctions.

Britain's rendition program

Britain appeared to have have used rendition to transfer a detainee from Belgium to London.
Until now, it was known that Britain had been associated with the US rendition program, but not that Britain could have had its own rendition program.

NATO attacks lead to rise in insurgent attacks

NATO attacks on civilians in Afghanistan appears to motivate more attacks by insurgents on NATO, according to a new report.

Libya, Megrahi

Counterpunch has a good summary article of the evidence in the Megrahi case. It is very unlikely he was the bomber; rather it is most probably going back to Iran, not Libya.

Kyrgyzstan drugs

Peter Dale Scott on Kyrgyzstan, drugs, banks, etc.

Obama Kopassus

Obama restores links with Indonesia's Kopassus, after a 12 year break.

Kosovo

The ICJ ruled that Kosovo had a right to secede, but the ICJ judgment was wrong.