Many Muslims Reject Terror Tactics, Back Some Goals

Strong majorities of people in predominantly Muslim countries reject terrorism but support key goals of al-Qaeda, notably expelling U.S. military forces from the Islamic world, according to a major new study of public opinion in seven nations and the Palestinian...

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Lugar Report Calls for New Cuba Policy

Monday's call by Sen. Richard Lugar for a major reassessment of Washington's nearly half-century effort to isolate Cuba increases the likelihood that U.S. President Barack Obama will make substantial changes in policy toward Havana beyond those he promised during his...

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U.S.-Israel Storm Clouds Ahead?

After eight years of the closest possible relations, the United States and Israel may be headed for a period of increasing strain, particularly given the likelihood that whatever Israeli government emerges from last week's election will be more hawkish than its...

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Rightward Shift in Israeli Polls Creates New Headaches

The strong showing by right-wing parties in Israel's elections is likely to create new obstacles to U.S. President Barack Obama's hopes for achieving a swift and substantial progress, if not a breakthrough, in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians,...

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US Advised to Back Somalia Reconciliation Efforts

Two years after the administration of President George W. Bush backed Ethiopia's invasion of Somalia, President Barack Obama is being urged to pursue a much more flexible policy toward the East African nation than his predecessor and let Somalis, including Islamist...

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Hawks Urge Boosting Military Spending

Despite a shrinking national economy and a record defense budget, U.S. neoconservatives and other hawks are mounting a spirited – if misleading – campaign to persuade Congress that the military should get a bigger slice. They are calling on Congress and...

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Report: Most Citizens Kept in Dark on Govt Spending

The vast majority of the world's governments effectively deny citizens basic information they need to understand how public monies are being spent, according to a new report [.pdf] released Sunday by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), a Washington-based...

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