Stories tagged "security"

Rockets fired from Lebanon hit northern Israel, but it's not quite clear who fired them. Lebanon's prime minister is condemning the attacks and Hezbollah is not stepping up to claim responsibility. The attacks threaten to open a second front in Israel's ongoing struggles, a possibility for which Israel claims they are prepared. Natalia Antelava is covering this story from Beirut for our partners the BBC she joins us now to talk about the simmering tensions in the region.

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Rumors of a potential ceasefire in Gaza are swirling through the international press. A government spokesman says Israel "welcomes" a proposed cease-fire cobbled cobbled together by France and Egypt so long as that cease-fire will stop Hamas rocket fire. Hamas says it will only support a deal that includes opening of Gaza's borders. Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy claims that both parties have agreed to the cease-fire. To parse out the welcome news are Rob Watson, the BBC Defense Correspondent, in London and Steven Erlanger of the New York Times joins us from Jerusalem.

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Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution when Fidel Castro established himself as the Cuban leader and began one of the longest and most controversial relationships in U.S. diplomatic history. Now almost an anachronism of the Cold War, how has the country changed over the last fifty years? How will it look fifty years from now? The BBC's Michael Voss joins John and Adaora from Havana.

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Violence continues in the Gaza Strip today despite global pleas for a ceasefire. France's foreign minister says he and President Nicolas Sarkozy are considering going to Israel to try and end the violence in Gaza after Jerusalem rejected a proposed 48-hour pause in the fighting. Alan Johnstone is the former Gaza correspondent for our partner, the BBC. Hamas arranged for his freedom when he was kidnapped by an Islamic militant group. He has been closely following the strife in Gaza. He joins us from London where he has been monitoring the diplomatic efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in this conflict.

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Despite pleas from the U.S., the European Union, United Nations and Russia, Israeli officials say the country has decided to reject an immediate 48-hour pause in fighting. The decision came today after overnight meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and France's foreign minister. Mike Sargent is covering this story for our partner, the BBC World Service, in Jerusalem.

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In a speech today, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak said his country will not fully open the border crossing into Gaza. He said that it will remain that way until the Palestinian Authority is in control of the border post. This decision comes despite criticism of Egypt from the Arab world for refusing to open the Rafah crossing in the past year, which has helped complete an Israeli blockade of the territory. Since the violence in Gaza began on Saturday, Egypt has allowed some of the wounded to cross for treatment and some humanitarian supplies. For more, we go to the BBC's Christian Fraser live at Rafah Crossing, on the border between Gaza and Egypt.

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The conflict between Israel and Hamas rages in the aftermath of a six month truce, which expired earlier this month. Today marks day four of what Israel’s Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, describes as a “war to the bitter end.” As of Monday the death toll had topped 360 with 1400 wounded. For an assessment of how this will end and what America’s responsibility will be under an Obama Administration, we are joined by Daniel Levy. Mr. Levy is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Initiative at the New America Foundation. Mr. Levy was a member of the official Israeli delegation to the Taba negotiations with the Palestinians in January 2001, and previously served on the Israeli negotiating team to the "Oslo B" Agreement from May to September 1995, under Prime Minister Rabin.

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In the fourth day of violence along the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Israel each claim wins and losses. The Israeli military is continuing its campaign of air strikes against targets in Gaza. A Gaza official puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 360 with 1400 wounded. Rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli cities killed four people yesterday. Meanwhile, the international community, led by the United Nations, calls for an immediate ceasefire as civilian casualties mount up in the densely-populated region. From the protests in Syria to the pleas from the United Nations, Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem bureau chief with at the New York Times, and Jim Muir, the Beirut bureau chief for the BBC, give us a road map to the global reaction to the ongoing strife.

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The State Department announced yesterday that it recommended that the U.S. drop Blackwater, the main private security contractor for American diplomats in Iraq. Blackwater has had an international reputation as the big Baghdad bully who is exempt from Iraqi law and U.S. oversight. All of that changed last year when its guards opened fire in Baghdad, killing 17 Iraqi civilians. Five Blackwater employees have since been charged with manslaughter. If the Blackwater contract is not renewed next year, the big question is, who will rush in to fill the security vacuum? Joining us for some answers is Washington Post foreign correspondent Steve Fainaru, who was embedded with thousands of private security contractors while researching his new book, "Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq."

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People around the world are still talking about the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush. The BBC are reporting that the clip of this encounter had over one milllion hits in over 24 hours. Marc Sirois, the managing editor of Beirut's The Daily Star, joins The Takeaway to discuss the global reaction to the incident.

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An unpublished 513-page federal history of the American-led reconstruction of Iraq ("Official History Spotlights Iraq Rebuilding Blunders", the New York Times, Dec. 14, 2008) depicts an effort crippled before the invasion by Pentagon planners who were hostile to the idea of rebuilding a foreign country, and then molded into a $100 billion failure by bureaucratic turf wars, spiraling violence and ignorance of the basic elements of Iraqi society and infrastructure.

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Recent terrorism in South Asia poses challenges for the CIA.

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Five employees of Blackwater are indicted in the killing of 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians.

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In what was expected to be a routine hearing, the five men charged with plotting the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks surprised the court by asking to make full confessions.

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Roberto Lovato hopes an Obama administration can "turn the tortilla" on immigration reform.

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With the attacks in India this past weekend President Elect Barack Obama will make his official announcement for the anchor position of his security team today with new found immediacy… Obama and his former rival for his parties nomination Senator Hillary Clinton will seal the deal in Chicago- Obama will announce Senator Clinton as his nomination for secretary of state. Senator Clinton is not the only announcement likely to come today. The Takeaway talks to Peter Baker of the New York Times about the other members of Obama’s security team.

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While President-elect Obama does not plan to officially unveil his national security team until after Thanksgiving, one thing seems pretty clear among Washington insiders: Defense Secretary Robert Gates is not going anywhere. For the first time, a Pentagon commander will be asked to keep his post during a transition between presidents of two different parties. The Takeaway talks to Peter Baker ("Obama Plans to Retain Gates at Defense Department " [New York Times]) about Obama’s decision.

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"That would be taking the catastrophe of the last seven years and enshrining it in our law." — Ben Wizner on creating a new "National Security Court" to replace Guantanamo Bay

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