US had 'frighteningly simplistic' view of Afghanistan, says McChrystal
General who led Obama's 'surge' strategy says even now the military does not have the local knowledge to end the conflict
One of America's most celebrated generals has issued a harsh indictment of his country's campaign in Afghanistan on the 10th anniversary of the invasion to topple the Taliban.
The US began the war with a "frighteningly simplistic" view of Afghanistan, the retired general Stanley McChrystal said, and even now the military lacks sufficient local knowledge to bring the conflict to an end.
The US and Nato are only "50% of the way" towards achieving their goals in Afghanistan, he told the Council on Foreign Relations.
Socialists set to crown Hollande in France's first open primary
Friday, 7 October 2011
French politics will stray into uncharted, transatlantic territory this weekend when left-wing voters will be invited to take part in the country's first "open" presidential, primary election.
If pollsters are correct, little doubt remains about the identity of the centre-left challenger to President Nicolas Sarkozy next spring. In the last few days, the former Socialist party leader, François Hollande, 57, has extended his lead in the opinion polls.
Iran targets relatives of BBC journalists
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
October 7, 2011
Iran has arrested, questioned and intimidated relatives of journalists working for the London-based BBC Persian Television in its latest crackdown on press freedom.
It comes just two weeks after the arrests in Tehran of documentary film-makers accused of secretly working inside the country for the BBC Farsi-language TV service.
Peter Horrocks, the head of global news at the BBC, said yesterday (5OCT) that relatives and friends of about ten of the channel's Iranian staff who work in the UK have been approached by the authorities
Is an Arab Spring activist set to win the Nobel Peace Prize?
With the committee expected use the Nobel Peace Prize to promote human rights and social media, experts predict an Arab Spring activist will win.
Experts predict the Nobel Peace Prize will be given tomorrow to an Arab Spring activist – though which one is under debate – as part of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s expected focus on human rights and the role of the social media this year.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo, believes the award will go to Esraa Abdel Fattah, co-founder of Egypt's April 6 movement, which was established first as a Facebookgroup in the spring of 2008. The movement is credited with playing arole in the 2011 uprisings that led to regime change in Egypt.
Asle Sveen, a Norwegian historian, predicts the award may go to Lina Ben Mhenni, a Tunisian blogger and university lecturer, who was critical of the Tunisian regime prior to the uprising of December 2010.
China ploughs a new corn furrow
By Peter Lee
The world's major seed companies are trying to outrun skepticism and bad economics to dominate the world's seed supply with expensive proprietary products. Billions of dollars and the future of the world's food supply are at stake.
The Chinese government is caught between its desire to radically increase agricultural output and its fear of growing concerns by citizen activists over its lackadaisical enforcement of its food safety responsibilities.
As China struggles to cope with rocketing corn demand and a tightening international market, the spotlight has been turned on the DuPont Corporation and its "Xianyu" aka XY335 corn seed.
The Chinese government is caught between its desire to radically increase agricultural output and its fear of growing concerns by citizen activists over its lackadaisical enforcement of its food safety responsibilities.
As China struggles to cope with rocketing corn demand and a tightening international market, the spotlight has been turned on the DuPont Corporation and its "Xianyu" aka XY335 corn seed.
COLUMN ONE
Hostages of child prostitution
Las Vegas social worker Marisela Quintero tries to help girls who have all but sold their souls to pimps. Some run even when offered a way out. Others wind up dead.
By Ashley Powers, Los Angeles Times
Marisela Quintero read the headline. She winced, as if she'd been punched.
Emma had been killed.
Emma was 17. She had recently been arrested on prostitution-related charges in a Motel 6 parking lot, wearing a skin-hugging tank top, high heels and booty shorts. She'd flashed a fake driver's license and, in her purse, carried eight latex condoms and a bottle of vodka.
Emma had been killed.
Emma was 17. She had recently been arrested on prostitution-related charges in a Motel 6 parking lot, wearing a skin-hugging tank top, high heels and booty shorts. She'd flashed a fake driver's license and, in her purse, carried eight latex condoms and a bottle of vodka.
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