Clinton Orders Review to Enhance ‘Smart Power’

In a new initiative designed to reduce the imbalance between "hard" and "soft" power in U.S. policies abroad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has launched a planning process designed to better coordinate U.S. foreign and development policies in...

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Israeli Spy Ring Threatens Fragile Peace

RAMALLAH - The UN Security Council has warned that the existence of a large Israeli-run espionage network in Lebanon could threaten a fragile peace established between the two countries following the end of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. Lebanon's citizens and its...

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The Remaking of Iraq

Anthony Shadid has, without a doubt, been the finest American mainstream journalist to cover Iraq in the period after the 2003 invasion. He's now back in Baghdad for the Washington Post, telling the saddest story of all ("In the City of Cement"). Here's part of what...

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Tuesday: 1 US Soldier, 10 Iraqis Killed; 13 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:25 p.m. EDT July 14, 2009 Vehicle bans continued in Christian areas of Ninewa province. Across the country however, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded. One of the victims may have been dead since the Iran-Iraq War. Meanwhile, several legal cases are winding their way through Spanish, British, and even U.S. military courts. Also, one U.S. soldier died of non-combat injuries yesterday in Baghdad.
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Israel and EU Clash Over Settlements

RAMALLAH - The Israeli Foreign Ministry's concern over an "unusually harsh statement" by the European Commission over Israel's settlement policy indicates a growing unease between Israel and the EU. The European Commission (EC), the executive arm of the EU,...

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