World News Center

Judge's Order Could Keep Public From Hearing Details of 9/11 Trials

January 7, 2009

The military judge overseeing proceedings against five of the men accused of planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks signed an order designed to protect classified information that is so broad it could prevent public scrutiny of the most important trial at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to lawyers and human rights groups.

Panetta's Peers Back Him for CIA

January 7, 2009

As a top official at the White House in 1996, Richard A. Clarke was looking for an ally after concluding that the CIA and FBI needed an additional $1 billion for counterterrorism programs. Officials at the Office of Management of Budget were dismissive of the request, so Clarke sought an audience with Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta.

Bush Condemns Hamas in Radio Address

January 7, 2009

President Bush issued a sharp condemnation of Hamas late today, accusing the Palestinian militant group of provoking Israeli military action with rocket attacks and increasing the death toll by secreting its arms within civilian populations.

Retiree Charged With Passing U.S. Documents to Israel in the 1980s Pleads Guilty

January 7, 2009

A retired engineer from New Jersey whose clandestine activities went undetected for more than two decades pleaded guilty yesterday to a criminal charge accusing him of serving as an unregistered agent for Israel.

Bush's Time at Ranch in Crawford, Tex., Coming to Quiet End

January 7, 2009

CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 30 -- The sun is setting on this rural corner of President Bush's empire.

Little Blue Pills Among the Ways CIA Wins Friends in Afghanistan

January 7, 2009

The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.

Army Officials Say Many More Active-Duty Troops Are Needed

January 7, 2009

The Army needs to add at least 30,000 active-duty soldiers to its ranks to fulfill its responsibilities around the world without becoming stretched dangerously thin, senior Army officials warn.

Families of Americans Killed in 1989 Bombing See Victory Over Libya Nullified

January 7, 2009

As the State Department reviews hundreds of claims from people who lost family members in Libyan-sponsored terrorist attacks, controversy is building over a case that is so low-profile it is sometimes called "the forgotten flight."

Obamas Arrive in Hawaii for Surfside Respite

January 7, 2009

HONOLULU, Dec. 20 -- With his Cabinet selections now complete, President-elect Barack Obama left Chicago on Saturday with his family and close friends for a 13-day beachside vacation in Hawaii that will serve as his final reprieve before moving into the White House next month.

Ethnic Divide in Iraqi City a Test for Nation

January 7, 2009

KIRKUK, Iraq -- Darawan Salahadin, dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans, strolled out of his home in the Kurdish part of his ethnically fragmented neighborhood, passing concrete barriers and a checkpoint guarded by a Kurdish fighter. He entered the Arab section and walked swiftly to his tan, flat-roofed school.