http://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news and broadcast organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries http://www.rferl.org/img/rssLogo.gif http://www.rferl.org en-US Copyright 2009 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:13:08 +0000 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL In Sarajevo, international negotiators are meeting to discuss the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which suffered through three years of war in the 1990s and has struggled ever since to overcome ethnic divisions and establish a peaceful, unified government. They'll discuss whether the time has come to close the international post responsible for supervising the country's elected officials. http://www.rferl.org/content/Brokering_Bosnias_Future_No_Easy_Task_/1882249.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Brokering_Bosnias_Future_No_Easy_Task_/1882249.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:36:17 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Brokering_Bosnias_Future_No_Easy_Task_/1882249.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Phillip Gordon says that in less than a year, U.S. foreign policy under President Barack Obama has brought a stronger relationship with Europe, more constructive dealings with Russia, and much-needed engagement with Iran. http://www.rferl.org/content/Senior_US_Diplomat_Says_Obama_ForeignPolicy_Approach_Paying_Off/1871972.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Senior_US_Diplomat_Says_Obama_ForeignPolicy_Approach_Paying_Off/1871972.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:42:01 +0000 News The government of Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska, is stepping up efforts to gain greater autonomy and bringing an end to the international community's supervision of Bosnia's daily affairs. Representatives from the Republika Srpska government are in Washington this week to lobby members of the U.S. Congress to abandon attempts to strengthen Bosnia's central institutions through constitutional reforms. And back in Bosnia, Republika Srpska today received strong backing from a powerful ... http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1870687.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1870687.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:01:51 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1870687.html#relatedInfoContainer Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, people in countries that were once behind the Iron Curtain have mixed feelings about the changes democracy and capitalism have brought to their lives. A new survey finds general satisfaction but also disappointment. http://www.rferl.org/content/Poll_Finds_Generational_Split_In_View_Of_Postcommunist_Reforms/1868199.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Poll_Finds_Generational_Split_In_View_Of_Postcommunist_Reforms/1868199.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:52:01 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Poll_Finds_Generational_Split_In_View_Of_Postcommunist_Reforms/1868199.html#relatedInfoContainer After a year in which Twitter and Facebook catalyzed protest movements in Iran and Moldova and authoritarian regimes around the world unleashed new tools of Internet control, a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing in Washington heard how new media and the Internet affect the balance of power between human rights activists and authoritarian governments. http://www.rferl.org/content/Twittering_The_Tyrants_New_Medias_Role_In_Authoritarian_Regimes/1860083.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Twittering_The_Tyrants_New_Medias_Role_In_Authoritarian_Regimes/1860083.html Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:50:52 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Twittering_The_Tyrants_New_Medias_Role_In_Authoritarian_Regimes/1860083.html#relatedInfoContainer (Intro) A two-day event got underway Tuesday in Washington that aims to match U.S. businesses and investors with economic opportunities in Iraq. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened the U.S. government-sponsored conference by urging the audience of business leaders and investors not to delay or they might miss out. RFE/RL correspondent Heather Maher reports. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1856857.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1856857.html Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:57:16 +0000 News As discussions intensify in Washington over the direction of U.S. foreign policy, President Barack Obama has deployed his defense and diplomacy chiefs to make the administration's case. http://www.rferl.org/content/Gates_Clinton_Present_Common_US_Policy_Front_On_Iran_Afghanistan/1844792.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Gates_Clinton_Present_Common_US_Policy_Front_On_Iran_Afghanistan/1844792.html Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:58:09 +0000 News The top ranks of the White House's national security team meet today to discuss with President Barack Obama a request for 40,000 more troops in Afghanistan by U.S. and NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Top_Officials_Meeting_To_Debate_Afghan_Strategy/1840091.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Top_Officials_Meeting_To_Debate_Afghan_Strategy/1840091.html Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:58:08 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Top_Officials_Meeting_To_Debate_Afghan_Strategy/1840091.html#relatedInfoContainer The G-20 emerged on September 25 from its two-day summit with a pledge to launch a framework for joint action that will encourage balanced, reasonable growth, and to impose strict new reforms on international financial institutions that will change the way the world does business. http://www.rferl.org/content/Upbeat_G20_Takes_New_Lead_Role_On_Global_Economy/1836785.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Upbeat_G20_Takes_New_Lead_Role_On_Global_Economy/1836785.html Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:55:37 +0000 News A new world order is emerging at the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh with a decision by the group to become the premier coordinating body on economic issues. A joint communique was expected to show that emerging countries like China and India will be given more of a voice in how the global economy is run. http://www.rferl.org/content/New_World_Order_Emerging_At_G20_Summit/1836684.html http://www.rferl.org/content/New_World_Order_Emerging_At_G20_Summit/1836684.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:24:41 +0000 News Leaders of the world’s 20 biggest and developing economies are in Pittsburgh for their third meeting since the global financial crisis hit last year. This time, there is less panic and more planning. The White House says leaders have endorsed the G-20 as the "premium forum" to discuss international economic cooperation, giving emerging economies a greater say on global economic issues. http://www.rferl.org/content/G20_To_Take_Expanded_Role__In_World_Economy/1835839.html http://www.rferl.org/content/G20_To_Take_Expanded_Role__In_World_Economy/1835839.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:10:08 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/G20_To_Take_Expanded_Role__In_World_Economy/1835839.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. President Barack Obama is taking his case for a world free of nuclear weapons to the UN Security Council on Thursday, where he will become the first U.S. president to chair a meeting of the Council. The topic will be nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, and before the meeting adjourns, there will be a vote on a U.S.-sponsored resolution aimed at breathing new life into the issue. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Set_To_Bring_Nonproliferation_Case_To_UN/1829380.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Set_To_Bring_Nonproliferation_Case_To_UN/1829380.html Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:30:04 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Set_To_Bring_Nonproliferation_Case_To_UN/1829380.html#relatedInfoContainer President Barack Obama said this week that "there is no immediate decision pending" on whether he will send more combat troops to Afghanistan, but members of Congress are already staking out their positions and bracing for a contentious debate. http://www.rferl.org/content/White_House_Girds_For_Afghan_Troop_Debate/1825710.html http://www.rferl.org/content/White_House_Girds_For_Afghan_Troop_Debate/1825710.html Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:02:42 +0000 News The U.S. State Department has confirmed its first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities. According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the creation of the post sprang from the Obama administration's desire to be "fully engaged" with the Muslim world. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Appoints_First_Special_Representative_To_Muslim_Communities/1823817.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Appoints_First_Special_Representative_To_Muslim_Communities/1823817.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:18:28 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Appoints_First_Special_Representative_To_Muslim_Communities/1823817.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. ambassador to Iraq has made his first appearance before Congress since taking up his post last April. In testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Christopher Hill was asked whether U.S. troops are still on schedule to come home by next August, what kind of relationship Iraq has with Iran, and whether the Iraqis are at all grateful for what America has done. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Will_Stick_To_Plan_For_Iraq_Pullout_Ambassador_Says/1820049.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Will_Stick_To_Plan_For_Iraq_Pullout_Ambassador_Says/1820049.html Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:52:52 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Will_Stick_To_Plan_For_Iraq_Pullout_Ambassador_Says/1820049.html#relatedInfoContainer A new report from the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is making its way through the White House bureaucracy, as debate intensifies in Washington on the best way forward in the conflict. The report comes as polls show more and more Americans want to see U.S. troops return home, putting added pressure on commanders and ultimately on U.S. President Barack Obama. http://www.rferl.org/content/Pentagon_Defends_Afghan_Strategy_As_Public_Support_For_War_Ebbs_/1814766.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Pentagon_Defends_Afghan_Strategy_As_Public_Support_For_War_Ebbs_/1814766.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:04:22 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Pentagon_Defends_Afghan_Strategy_As_Public_Support_For_War_Ebbs_/1814766.html#relatedInfoContainer The White House has launched a criminal investigation into CIA questioning of terror suspects during the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. http://www.rferl.org/content/White_House_To_Investigate_BushEra_Practices_Launch_New_Detainee_Interrogation_Unit/1806842.html http://www.rferl.org/content/White_House_To_Investigate_BushEra_Practices_Launch_New_Detainee_Interrogation_Unit/1806842.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:58:28 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/White_House_To_Investigate_BushEra_Practices_Launch_New_Detainee_Interrogation_Unit/1806842.html#relatedInfoContainer The latest attacks in Baghdad have prompted speculation about whether the security situation is deteriorating and if the United States might have been too hasty in its military pullback from cities and towns. But on both sides, there is reluctance to have U.S. troops return, as it would mean serious political fallout for both the Obama administration and Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's administration -- which faces election in a few months and has staked its reputation on demonstrating that it ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Iraq_Begins_Security_Review_In_Wake_Of_Explosions/1805070.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Iraq_Begins_Security_Review_In_Wake_Of_Explosions/1805070.html Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:04:06 +0000 News U.S. President Barack Obama met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House for what was Mubarak's first visit to Washington in five years. His August 18 visit came as the Obama administration has been looking to resume the stalled Middle East peace process and win the support of Arab states in those efforts. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Meets_Mubarak_Says_He_Sees_Positive_Steps_In_Mideast/1802857.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Meets_Mubarak_Says_He_Sees_Positive_Steps_In_Mideast/1802857.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:54:18 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Meets_Mubarak_Says_He_Sees_Positive_Steps_In_Mideast/1802857.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. President Barack Obama has told a group of veterans that the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan will not be quick or easy but that the war is necessary to protect Americans from terrorist attacks. Obama spoke to the audience of 5,000 U.S. military veterans and their families just days before Afghans go to the polls for provincial and presidential elections in an atmosphere of escalating Taliban violence. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Defends_Afghan_Strategy_In_Speech_Before_Veterans/1802015.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Defends_Afghan_Strategy_In_Speech_Before_Veterans/1802015.html Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:34:23 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Defends_Afghan_Strategy_In_Speech_Before_Veterans/1802015.html#relatedInfoContainer At a Congressional hearing in Washington this week, legislators heard from the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs that the United States and Russia have begun cooperating in several areas of common interest -- from nuclear nonproliferation to narcotics trafficking. http://www.rferl.org/content/Top_US_Diplomat_Tells_Congress_Reset_Button_With_Russia_Has_Been_Pushed/1788768.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Top_US_Diplomat_Tells_Congress_Reset_Button_With_Russia_Has_Been_Pushed/1788768.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:39:03 +0000 News Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held talks on July 22 at the White House with President Barack Obama to discuss a range of issues, including the transition of U.S. troops out of the country and what comes next in U.S.-Iraqi relations. http://www.rferl.org/content/With_AlMaliki_At_The_White_House_Obama_Says_Iraqi_Withdrawal_On_Schedule/1783446.html http://www.rferl.org/content/With_AlMaliki_At_The_White_House_Obama_Says_Iraqi_Withdrawal_On_Schedule/1783446.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:57:47 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/With_AlMaliki_At_The_White_House_Obama_Says_Iraqi_Withdrawal_On_Schedule/1783446.html#relatedInfoContainer There has been praise across the region for an open letter that was sent to U.S. President Barack Obama this week from a distinguished group of Central and Eastern European thinkers. http://www.rferl.org/content/CEE_Region_Welcomes_Open_Letter_To_Obama_Administration/1779893.html http://www.rferl.org/content/CEE_Region_Welcomes_Open_Letter_To_Obama_Administration/1779893.html Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:08:44 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/CEE_Region_Welcomes_Open_Letter_To_Obama_Administration/1779893.html#relatedInfoContainer A group of pro-American intellectuals and former policy makers from former Soviet bloc countries have written an open letter to the Obama administration urging it to significantly strengthen its diplomatic and security ties with the region. The signatories warn that the post-Cold War alliances with the United States that helped usher in democracy and bring the region into trans-Atlantic security agreements are in danger of slipping away. http://www.rferl.org/content/In_Open_Letter_CEE_Leaders_Warn_Obama_That_US_Ties_May_Be_Slipping/1779022.html http://www.rferl.org/content/In_Open_Letter_CEE_Leaders_Warn_Obama_That_US_Ties_May_Be_Slipping/1779022.html Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:15:11 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/In_Open_Letter_CEE_Leaders_Warn_Obama_That_US_Ties_May_Be_Slipping/1779022.html#relatedInfoContainer After missing two overseas trips due to surgery to repair a broken elbow, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a major foreign-policy speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington on the eve of her trip to India and the Association of South East Asian Nation conference in Thailand. She took the opportunity to remind Iran that time is running out on the U.S. offer to negotiate. http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Warns_Iran_That_Offer_To_Talk_Wont_Always_Be_On_Table/1778075.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Warns_Iran_That_Offer_To_Talk_Wont_Always_Be_On_Table/1778075.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:46:32 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Warns_Iran_That_Offer_To_Talk_Wont_Always_Be_On_Table/1778075.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. State Department’s first-ever special representative to Muslim communities says her job is about “conversation and communication” and thinking “out of the box” about new ways the United States can foster dialogue with Muslims around the world. But can a single person relate and respond to the vast diversity that is the Muslim world? http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Appoints_FirstEver_Special_Representative_To_Muslim_Communities/1767605.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Appoints_FirstEver_Special_Representative_To_Muslim_Communities/1767605.html Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:38:10 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Appoints_FirstEver_Special_Representative_To_Muslim_Communities/1767605.html#relatedInfoContainer The White House approach has prompted some critics, mostly Republicans, to accuse Barack Obama of staying on the sidelines and not being tough enough. But at a press conference this week, the U.S. president significantly hardened his administration's position toward Iran, condemning the violence and telling the protesters they are "on the right side of history." http://www.rferl.org/content/With_Latest_Remarks_Obama_Seeks_To_Silence_His_Critics_On_Iran/1761554.html http://www.rferl.org/content/With_Latest_Remarks_Obama_Seeks_To_Silence_His_Critics_On_Iran/1761554.html Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:27:33 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/With_Latest_Remarks_Obama_Seeks_To_Silence_His_Critics_On_Iran/1761554.html#relatedInfoContainer Iranian state-run broadcasters have cited reports saying seven people were killed in violent clashes at a rally in Tehran on June 15. Shots were fired at demonstrators where hundreds of thousands of Iranians were expressing outrage over the recent presidential election. Many people have been wounded in the clashes. http://www.rferl.org/content/Seven_Reported_Killed_In_Iran_Clashes/1754908.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Seven_Reported_Killed_In_Iran_Clashes/1754908.html Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:42:58 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Seven_Reported_Killed_In_Iran_Clashes/1754908.html#relatedInfoContainer The first terrorism detainee from Guantanamo Bay to appear in a U.S. court has pleaded not guilty to involvement in terrorist acts in Africa in 1998. With his historic appearance in court, Ahmed Ghailani has become the face of the White House’s plan to close the Cuban prison and try some suspects in the U.S. civilian criminal court system, despite criticism from some lawmakers that bringing terror suspects to America will endanger the public. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1750685.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1750685.html Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:41:50 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1750685.html#relatedInfoContainer In choosing a venue for a speech to the Islamic world, U.S. President Barack Obama faced a dilemma. Since fewer than 15 percent of Muslims are Arab, picking a location within the Arab world risked a failure to appeal to the wider Muslim world; but selecting a site outside the Arab world could have been criticized as an exceedingly "safe" choice. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Sets_Off_For_Mideast_Tour_That_Features_Key_Cairo_Address/1745730.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Sets_Off_For_Mideast_Tour_That_Features_Key_Cairo_Address/1745730.html Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:12:12 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Sets_Off_For_Mideast_Tour_That_Features_Key_Cairo_Address/1745730.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. President Barack Obama has vowed to press on with his pledge to close Guantanamo Bay, despite suffering a setback over the plans in Congress. In a speech on national security, Obama said the operation of the prison for terrorism suspects had set back what he called America's moral authority in the world. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Defends_Plan_To_Close_Guantanamo_Transfer_Prisoners/1737193.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Defends_Plan_To_Close_Guantanamo_Transfer_Prisoners/1737193.html Fri, 22 May 2009 08:48:10 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Defends_Plan_To_Close_Guantanamo_Transfer_Prisoners/1737193.html#relatedInfoContainer In a strong message to the new administration, the U.S. Senate has denied President Barack Obama’s request for funds to close the controversial detention center at Guantanamo Bay, while also voting to block the transfer of the remaining 240 detainees to U.S. prisons. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Congress_Hands_Obama_Defeat_On_Plan_To_Close_Guantanamo/1736250.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Congress_Hands_Obama_Defeat_On_Plan_To_Close_Guantanamo/1736250.html Thu, 21 May 2009 06:08:44 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Congress_Hands_Obama_Defeat_On_Plan_To_Close_Guantanamo/1736250.html#relatedInfoContainer The military establishment in Washington is still trying to come to terms with what happened on May 11 at a U.S. Army base in Iraq called Camp Liberty. That’s where a U.S. Army sergeant walked into a clinic for troops suffering from stress-related disorders and shot five people dead. http://www.rferl.org/content/Letter_From_Washington_The_Invisible_Scars_Of_War_/1733004.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Letter_From_Washington_The_Invisible_Scars_Of_War_/1733004.html Sat, 16 May 2009 10:55:38 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Letter_From_Washington_The_Invisible_Scars_Of_War_/1733004.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on May 11 replaced the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, U.S. Army General David McKiernan, less than a year after he took over the war effort there. http://www.rferl.org/content/Pentagon_Replaces_Top_Afghanistan_Commander/1683572.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Pentagon_Replaces_Top_Afghanistan_Commander/1683572.html Mon, 11 May 2009 18:58:49 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Pentagon_Replaces_Top_Afghanistan_Commander/1683572.html#relatedInfoContainer The European Union reached out to six former Soviet republics on Thursday at summit aimed at drawing them closer to its orbit. EU leaders said the new “Eastern Partnership” will benefit both the bloc as a whole and individual members on a bilateral basis. Not surprisingly, Moscow views the EU outreach as a challenge to its sphere of influence. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1623812.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1623812.html Thu, 07 May 2009 20:44:28 +0000 News U.S. President Barack Obama met today with the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to gain more cooperation from both countries in the fight against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. The two leaders and their delegations spent the day in intense talks over their respective roles in the White House’s new strategy in the region. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1623060.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1623060.html Thu, 07 May 2009 01:22:10 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1623060.html#relatedInfoContainer While he said he is "gravely concerned" about the situation in Pakistan, U.S. President Barack Obama says he is confident in the security of the country's nuclear arsenal and believes Pakistan's army is beginning to realize that homegrown militants and not India pose the biggest threat to the country's stability. Obama spoke to reporters on his 100th day in office. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Says_Hes_Gravely_Concerned_About_Pakistan_Situation/1618820.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Says_Hes_Gravely_Concerned_About_Pakistan_Situation/1618820.html Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:57:28 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Says_Hes_Gravely_Concerned_About_Pakistan_Situation/1618820.html#relatedInfoContainer The United States' new president has other reasons than a high-profile Senate defection to be happy on the domestic front as he marks 100 days in office. New polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans -- nearly 70 percent -- approve of the job he's done so far in Washington. http://www.rferl.org/content/Hope_Still_Key_To_Domestic_View_Of_Obama/1618368.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Hope_Still_Key_To_Domestic_View_Of_Obama/1618368.html Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:49:42 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Hope_Still_Key_To_Domestic_View_Of_Obama/1618368.html#relatedInfoContainer Today marks U.S. President Barack Obama’s 100th day in office. It’s a milestone that has no official meaning beyond offering an opportunity to review what new presidents have -- and haven't -- accomplished in thier first three months in the White House. The list of urgent problems facing Obama today is no shorter than it was on January 20. But even the president's critics acknowledge that he is working at a blistering pace (eds: fast). RFE/RL correspondent Heather Maher looks at Obama's ... http://www.rferl.org/content/With_First_100_Days_Obama_Seeks_New_Basis_For_Relationships_Abroad/1618285.html http://www.rferl.org/content/With_First_100_Days_Obama_Seeks_New_Basis_For_Relationships_Abroad/1618285.html Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:13:51 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/With_First_100_Days_Obama_Seeks_New_Basis_For_Relationships_Abroad/1618285.html#relatedInfoContainer In her first appearance before Congress as U.S. secretary of state, Hillary Clinton stressed the "mortal threat" emanating from South Asia. She described the centerpiece of the U.S. counterterrorism strategy as the dismantling of Al-Qaeda and the prevention of its fighters' return to safe havens in Afghanistan and Pakistan. http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Warns_Of_Mortal_Threat_In_South_Asia_Imperatives_On_Iran/1614236.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Warns_Of_Mortal_Threat_In_South_Asia_Imperatives_On_Iran/1614236.html Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:39:09 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Warns_Of_Mortal_Threat_In_South_Asia_Imperatives_On_Iran/1614236.html#relatedInfoContainer Washington is still talking about U.S. President Barack Obama's recent exchange with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez -- a man known for his fiery anti-American positions. The spectacle offers a chance to examine how Obama's nascent foreign policy approach is being judged at home. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obamas_Outreach_To_Foes_Angers_Some_In_Washington/1613560.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obamas_Outreach_To_Foes_Angers_Some_In_Washington/1613560.html Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:18:13 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obamas_Outreach_To_Foes_Angers_Some_In_Washington/1613560.html#relatedInfoContainer For eight years, U.S. security strategy has been guided by the "global war on terror." First introduced after 9/11 to describe U.S. determination to stamp out terrorism worldwide, the phrase for many came to represent Washington's controversial means of combating the phenomenon -- including secret detention centers and interrogation techniques that violated international conventions. Now, the Obama administration has quietly dropped the phrase in favor of the language of diplomacy and ... http://www.rferl.org/content/The_End_Of_The_US_War_On_Terror/1609936.html http://www.rferl.org/content/The_End_Of_The_US_War_On_Terror/1609936.html Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:57:07 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/The_End_Of_The_US_War_On_Terror/1609936.html#relatedInfoContainer A panel of experts has told the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, that the United States must renew its commitment to help the Western Balkans along the road to European integration. The committee heard from Paddy Ashdown, among others, on April 2 that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is especially critical and the country will suffer further democratic setbacks unless the United States fully engages with the European Union on a new ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Helsinki_Commission_Urged_To_Renew_US_Engagement_In_Western_Balkans/1602962.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Helsinki_Commission_Urged_To_Renew_US_Engagement_In_Western_Balkans/1602962.html Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:45:52 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Helsinki_Commission_Urged_To_Renew_US_Engagement_In_Western_Balkans/1602962.html#relatedInfoContainer By every account, the first three days in Europe for U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have been a huge success, and that was true even before the G-20 meeting ended on a high note of agreement. But the golden couple can't take all the credit for the smooth performance. A good part of it is due to the more than 500 White House officials and staff that are traveling with them on their trip. http://www.rferl.org/content/DC_Notebook_Obamas_Travels_Smoothed_By_The_Beast_And_500_Companions/1601442.html http://www.rferl.org/content/DC_Notebook_Obamas_Travels_Smoothed_By_The_Beast_And_500_Companions/1601442.html Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:14:49 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/DC_Notebook_Obamas_Travels_Smoothed_By_The_Beast_And_500_Companions/1601442.html#relatedInfoContainer The International Monetary Fund has released a grim economic forecast for Central Asia and the Caucasus, as the effects of the global financial crisis rock the region. Plummeting energy prices, a fall in remittances from Russia, and the difficulty in obtaining foreign capital are all contributing factors. http://www.rferl.org/content/IMF_Issues_Grim_Economic_Outlook_For_Former_Soviet_States/1507959.html http://www.rferl.org/content/IMF_Issues_Grim_Economic_Outlook_For_Former_Soviet_States/1507959.html Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:13:31 +0000 News In his first prime-time news conference, U.S. President Barack Obama said the country is in a "full blown crisis" and warned if Congress doesn't pass his economic plan immediately, the results could be catastrophic. On foreign policy, he warned of difficult challenges ahead in Afghanistan and said his administration is looking for opportunities to engage diplomatically with Iran. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Urges_Passage_Of_Stimulus_Bill_Looks_For_Openings_With_Iran/1469808.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Urges_Passage_Of_Stimulus_Bill_Looks_For_Openings_With_Iran/1469808.html Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:42:10 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Urges_Passage_Of_Stimulus_Bill_Looks_For_Openings_With_Iran/1469808.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has told Congress that Afghanistan is America's "greatest military challenge" and said he gives the effort against insurgents poor marks for coordination. http://www.rferl.org/content/Defense_Chief_Calls_Afghanistan_Greatest_Military_Challenge_For_US/1375703.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Defense_Chief_Calls_Afghanistan_Greatest_Military_Challenge_For_US/1375703.html Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:27:50 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Defense_Chief_Calls_Afghanistan_Greatest_Military_Challenge_For_US/1375703.html#relatedInfoContainer Now that U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to close the controversial detention center for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, what comes next? Among the remaining 245 detainees are men who can be released, others who can be tried, but some whose cases are too complex to go before a judge. Complicating matters is the reluctance of some European countries, and U.S. states, to absorb the freed prisoners. http://www.rferl.org/content/Closing_Guantanamo_Was_Easy_Compared_To_What_Comes_Next/1374448.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Closing_Guantanamo_Was_Easy_Compared_To_What_Comes_Next/1374448.html Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:10:29 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Closing_Guantanamo_Was_Easy_Compared_To_What_Comes_Next/1374448.html#relatedInfoContainer Human rights activists and advocates of open government are cheering U.S. President Barack Obama's decisions to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center and secret CIA prisions abroad, and to signal the start of a new era of clean government by signing strict new rules on transparency and ethics. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Moves_Quickly_To_Open_Government_To_Scrutiny_Close_Guantanamo/1373714.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Moves_Quickly_To_Open_Government_To_Scrutiny_Close_Guantanamo/1373714.html Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:01:05 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Moves_Quickly_To_Open_Government_To_Scrutiny_Close_Guantanamo/1373714.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. President Barack Obama has named special envoys for the violent Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the long-troubled Middle East and promised U.S. help in ensuring a lasting truce in Gaza. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Names_Envoys_For_Mideast_Afghanistan/1373697.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Names_Envoys_For_Mideast_Afghanistan/1373697.html Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:21:09 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Names_Envoys_For_Mideast_Afghanistan/1373697.html#relatedInfoContainer