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 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:34:01 +0000 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Iran has rejected a UN-proposed deal under which it would export its lightly enriched uranium for further enrichment. What options does that now leave for the United States? http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Faces_Difficult_Decisions_After_Iran_Rejects_UN_Nuclear_Plan_/1882001.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Faces_Difficult_Decisions_After_Iran_Rejects_UN_Nuclear_Plan_/1882001.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:01:27 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Faces_Difficult_Decisions_After_Iran_Rejects_UN_Nuclear_Plan_/1882001.html#relatedInfoContainer Talks between Russia and the United States on a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty have hit a snag over technical issues. Does that mean there will be no further weapons cuts by the world's leading nuclear powers in the foreseeable future? http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Hints_At_Delay_In_START_II_Negotiations/1880759.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Russia_Hints_At_Delay_In_START_II_Negotiations/1880759.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:08:43 +0000 News President Barack Obama has begun a nine-day tour of Asia at a time when the U.S. economy is struggling to emerge from a deep recession. He'll be visiting Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea. The focus of his trip will be trade, but economists say progress in that area might boost global security. http://www.rferl.org/content/Trade_Issues_Key_To_Obamas_Asia_Trip_Agenda/1877242.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Trade_Issues_Key_To_Obamas_Asia_Trip_Agenda/1877242.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:03:08 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Trade_Issues_Key_To_Obamas_Asia_Trip_Agenda/1877242.html#relatedInfoContainer German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked this month's 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a speech to the U.S. Congress. She said Germany will never accept the idea of Iran having nuclear weapons and called for trans-Atlantic unity in the fight against global climate change. http://www.rferl.org/content/In_Speech_To_US_Congress_Germanys_Merkel_Says_Iran_Must_Not_Acquire_Nuclear_Bomb/1868859.html http://www.rferl.org/content/In_Speech_To_US_Congress_Germanys_Merkel_Says_Iran_Must_Not_Acquire_Nuclear_Bomb/1868859.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:19:14 +0000 News Iran has given an initial response to the UN's nuclear watchdog on a proposal that Tehran would export most of its uranium for enrichment, but Western officials have said privately that they fear the deal has been rejected. http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_Hands_Over_Response_On_Nuclear_Fuel_Deal/1864152.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_Hands_Over_Response_On_Nuclear_Fuel_Deal/1864152.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:17:56 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_Hands_Over_Response_On_Nuclear_Fuel_Deal/1864152.html#relatedInfoContainer Hillary Clinton is on her first visit to Pakistan as the U.S. secretary of state. Her arrival coincided with a massive bombing in the northwestern city of Peshawar that took at least 90 lives. Clinton assured Pakistanis that they are not alone in the fight against terrorism -- but she still faces an uphill battle in securing full support for the United States’ antiterror strategy in South Asia. http://www.rferl.org/content/feature/1863300.html http://www.rferl.org/content/feature/1863300.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:44:34 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/feature/1863300.html#relatedInfoContainer In two weeks, Afghans will vote for president again in a runoff election made necessary because of widespread fraud in the original vote of August 20. The United States' special ambassador to Afghanistan and Pakistan says the new vote isn't a sign of trouble in the country, but shows that it's strong enough to resolve them. http://www.rferl.org/content/Holbrooke_Says_He_Expects_Afghan_Runoff_Vote_Will_Go_More_Smoothly/1859984.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Holbrooke_Says_He_Expects_Afghan_Runoff_Vote_Will_Go_More_Smoothly/1859984.html Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:51:24 +0000 News Madeleine Albright, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and secretary of state under former President Bill Clinton, told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Russia continues to view NATO as a hostile alliance, two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union. http://www.rferl.org/content/Albright_Says_Russia_Still_Concerned_With_NATO/1859178.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Albright_Says_Russia_Still_Concerned_With_NATO/1859178.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:41:00 +0000 News In April, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a speech in Prague that his administration had begun work on an effort to eliminate nuclear weapons from the world's arsenals. In Washington on October 21, Obama's secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, followed up by urging stronger UN authority to crack down on proliferators. http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Urges_Stronger_Commitment_To_Vision_Of_NuclearFree_World_/1858121.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Urges_Stronger_Commitment_To_Vision_Of_NuclearFree_World_/1858121.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:12:38 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Urges_Stronger_Commitment_To_Vision_Of_NuclearFree_World_/1858121.html#relatedInfoContainer For years, the United States has relied on economic sanctions in an effort to persuade the government of Sudan to end what's being called a "genocidal" civil war -- so far with no results. Now the Obama administration is shifting Washington's strategy. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Modifies_US_Darfur_Policy_To_Include_Incentives_/1856140.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Modifies_US_Darfur_Policy_To_Include_Incentives_/1856140.html Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:42:15 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Modifies_US_Darfur_Policy_To_Include_Incentives_/1856140.html#relatedInfoContainer For anybody else, winning the Nobel Peace Prize would be a huge reward. For U.S. President Barack Obama, however, it could be a mixed blessing. http://www.rferl.org/content/Is_Winning_Nobel_Peace_Prize_Good_Or_Bad_For_Obama_/1848500.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Is_Winning_Nobel_Peace_Prize_Good_Or_Bad_For_Obama_/1848500.html Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:26:24 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Is_Winning_Nobel_Peace_Prize_Good_Or_Bad_For_Obama_/1848500.html#relatedInfoContainer Washington has decided to end funding to a key Iranian human rights group. The news comes as the United States and Iran are for the first time negotiating face-to-face on Iran's nuclear program. Is this cutoff of money for the group a cynical effort to achieve success in the talks, or a necessary concession to persuade Tehran that Washington is negotiating in good faith? http://www.rferl.org/content/Necessary_Gesture_Or_Bad_Decision_US_Cuts_Funds_To_Iran_Rights_Group/1847526.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Necessary_Gesture_Or_Bad_Decision_US_Cuts_Funds_To_Iran_Rights_Group/1847526.html Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:27:52 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Necessary_Gesture_Or_Bad_Decision_US_Cuts_Funds_To_Iran_Rights_Group/1847526.html#relatedInfoContainer The spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, is in Washington, but he won't be meeting with President Barack Obama just yet. That won't happen until after Obama meets with China's leader in Beijing next month. The White House says careful engagement with China is the only way to bring it into the mainstream both economically and in terms of human rights. But not everyone agrees. http://www.rferl.org/content/Will_Engaging_China_Myanmar_Improve_Their_Human_Rights_Records_/1846621.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Will_Engaging_China_Myanmar_Improve_Their_Human_Rights_Records_/1846621.html Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:05:40 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Will_Engaging_China_Myanmar_Improve_Their_Human_Rights_Records_/1846621.html#relatedInfoContainer When representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, sit down with Iranian representatives in Turkey in October, they will do so with renewed violence and harsh rhetoric coming from Tehran fresh in their minds. http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_Say_US_Should_Talk_With_Iran_But_Keep_Expectations_Low/1827060.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_Say_US_Should_Talk_With_Iran_But_Keep_Expectations_Low/1827060.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:52:19 +0000 Iran http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_Say_US_Should_Talk_With_Iran_But_Keep_Expectations_Low/1827060.html#relatedInfoContainer Every four years, the U.S. intelligence community compiles a national intelligence strategy that focuses on foreign challenges to America's interests. This year, four countries are at the top of the list: Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China. http://www.rferl.org/content/Intelligence_Report_Lists_Russia_China_As_Top_US_Concerns_/1823807.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Intelligence_Report_Lists_Russia_China_As_Top_US_Concerns_/1823807.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:01:58 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Intelligence_Report_Lists_Russia_China_As_Top_US_Concerns_/1823807.html#relatedInfoContainer Americans recently have been saving more and spending less even as the economy shows new signs of life. Should they continue to do so? Or would that hurt the global economic recovery? http://www.rferl.org/content/Economists_Debate_Government_Role_In_Global_Recession/1800780.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Economists_Debate_Government_Role_In_Global_Recession/1800780.html Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:33:51 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Economists_Debate_Government_Role_In_Global_Recession/1800780.html#relatedInfoContainer Richard Holbrooke, the special U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, says an important part of Washington's strategy to defeated the Taliban and Al-Qaeda is recognizing that Afghanistan doesn't exist in a vacuum. http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Strategy_More_Than_Counterinsurgency_Holbrooke_Says/1799002.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Strategy_More_Than_Counterinsurgency_Holbrooke_Says/1799002.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:27:39 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghan_Strategy_More_Than_Counterinsurgency_Holbrooke_Says/1799002.html#relatedInfoContainer The United States will soon have a new deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. The man who is vacating the post after four years, Matthew Bryza, has announced he will be replaced by Tina Kaidanow, a longtime diplomat with more than 10 years of experience in the Balkans, who most recently served as the first U.S. ambassador to Kosovo. http://www.rferl.org/content/Likely_New_US_Diplomat_For_Eurasia_Gets_Things_Done/1798877.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Likely_New_US_Diplomat_For_Eurasia_Gets_Things_Done/1798877.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:31:08 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Likely_New_US_Diplomat_For_Eurasia_Gets_Things_Done/1798877.html#relatedInfoContainer Former President Bill Clinton went to North Korea as a private citizen, not as an official representative of the U.S. government, though his actions clearly were in the nation's interest. But was it enough that he secured the release of the two American journalists? Or did he, as some say, play into the hands of North Korea's leader? http://www.rferl.org/content/Clintons_North_Korea_Mission_Success_For_Obama_Or_Kim/1793773.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clintons_North_Korea_Mission_Success_For_Obama_Or_Kim/1793773.html Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:28:21 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Clintons_North_Korea_Mission_Success_For_Obama_Or_Kim/1793773.html#relatedInfoContainer On July 13, the EU and Turkey signed what's been hailed as a historic deal to start work on the Nabucco pipeline, which is designed to give Europe an alternative to the unreliable supply of natural gas from Russia's Gazprom by connecting directly to Azerbaijan and other Caspian sources. But even if Azerbaijan does have the gas to fill the initial need, some question if it has the political will. http://www.rferl.org/content/Is_There_Enough_Caspian_Gas_And_Political_Will_To_Make_Nabucco_A_Success/1778164.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Is_There_Enough_Caspian_Gas_And_Political_Will_To_Make_Nabucco_A_Success/1778164.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:09:37 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Is_There_Enough_Caspian_Gas_And_Political_Will_To_Make_Nabucco_A_Success/1778164.html#relatedInfoContainer A new poll conducted in 20 countries representing more than 60 percent of the world's population says feelings toward the United States haven't changed much since Barak Obama became the U.S. president. Yet the respondents also told worldpublicopinion.org that they believe Obama's presidency will be good for the world, as well as for the United States. http://www.rferl.org/content/International_Poll_Finds_US_Still_Viewed_As_Worlds_Bully/1771375.html http://www.rferl.org/content/International_Poll_Finds_US_Still_Viewed_As_Worlds_Bully/1771375.html Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:55:02 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/International_Poll_Finds_US_Still_Viewed_As_Worlds_Bully/1771375.html#relatedInfoContainer A year ago, during a diplomatic dispute with the United States, the government of Belarus jailed Russian-born U.S. lawyer Emanuel Zeltser for alleged industrial espionage and carrying forged documents. Today, however, Minsk's relations with the West are improving, and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka pardoned Zeltser in an effort to normalize relations with the United States. http://www.rferl.org/content/Lukashenka_Pardons_Imprisoned_US_Lawyer_/1766387.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Lukashenka_Pardons_Imprisoned_US_Lawyer_/1766387.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:24:16 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Lukashenka_Pardons_Imprisoned_US_Lawyer_/1766387.html#relatedInfoContainer German Chancellor Angela Merkel met today with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, and at a news conference they jointly condemned Iran's crackdown on its political opposition and agreed on the prospect for greater engagement with Russia. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Merkel_Speak_With_One_Voice_On_Iran/1763783.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Merkel_Speak_With_One_Voice_On_Iran/1763783.html Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:35:32 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Merkel_Speak_With_One_Voice_On_Iran/1763783.html#relatedInfoContainer Turkmenistan is, for all practical purposes, a closed country, and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov rules it with an authoritative hand. But the Obama administration has noted the importance of being pragmatic at a time when his country is struggling in a deep recession and has limited sources of energy. http://www.rferl.org/content/Senior_Turkmen_Visit_Highlights_US_Dilemma/1762471.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Senior_Turkmen_Visit_Highlights_US_Dilemma/1762471.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:15:30 +0000 News For much of the 20th century, the U.S. policy on Latin America was to resist communism there by supporting any national leadership that wasn't communist, even some rightist regimes. But following the recent resumption of talks with Cuba and overtures to El Salvador's new leftist president, some observers say these small actions could possibly lead to a broader U.S. engagement with the rest of the Americas. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Reaches_Out_To_Cuba_Sending_Message_To_All_Latin_America_/1745963.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Reaches_Out_To_Cuba_Sending_Message_To_All_Latin_America_/1745963.html Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:46:24 +0000 News President Barack Obama has nominated federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the daughter of immigrants from Puerto Rico and is the first Hispanic to be nominated to the nine-member tribunal. Some observers see her nomination as a political move, because it would give the court a representative of the United States' fastest-growing minority group and could have an impact on future elections. http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_See_Politics_In_Obamas_Nomination_Of_Hispanic_Woman_To_Court_/1741098.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_See_Politics_In_Obamas_Nomination_Of_Hispanic_Woman_To_Court_/1741098.html Wed, 27 May 2009 17:43:51 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_See_Politics_In_Obamas_Nomination_Of_Hispanic_Woman_To_Court_/1741098.html#relatedInfoContainer Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has given his most vigorous defense yet of the antiterrorism policies of the administration of former President George W. Bush. Cheney stood up for the use of what he called "enhanced interrogation techniques" applied to suspected terrorists, including waterboarding -- simulated drowning -- which many critics call torture. And he said future historians will regard the Bush administration favorably because of its response to 9/11. http://www.rferl.org/content/Former_US_Vice_President_Defends_Bush_Terror_Policies_/1737211.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Former_US_Vice_President_Defends_Bush_Terror_Policies_/1737211.html Fri, 22 May 2009 09:06:00 +0000 News A group of U.S. and Russian experts has issued a report that says Iran is years away from being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to Europe, much less develop a nuclear warhead, and that the missile shield to be set up in Poland and the Czech Republic wouldn't be a credible deterrent once that capability is reached. http://www.rferl.org/content/Report_May_Give_Obama_A_Potential_Out_On_Missile_Shield/1736325.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Report_May_Give_Obama_A_Potential_Out_On_Missile_Shield/1736325.html Thu, 21 May 2009 07:52:44 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Report_May_Give_Obama_A_Potential_Out_On_Missile_Shield/1736325.html#relatedInfoContainer Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met for more than two hours with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on May 18 to discuss the Middle East peace process and Iran's nuclear program. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Netanyahu_Meet_Amid_USIsraeli_Differences/1734463.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Netanyahu_Meet_Amid_USIsraeli_Differences/1734463.html Mon, 18 May 2009 19:47:19 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Netanyahu_Meet_Amid_USIsraeli_Differences/1734463.html#relatedInfoContainer When Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, there will be public handshakes and smiles. But in private, the two leaders will have to face their differences on how to achieve peace in the Middle East. http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_May_Prove_Divisive_Issue_As_Obama_Netanyahu_Meet_/1734071.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_May_Prove_Divisive_Issue_As_Obama_Netanyahu_Meet_/1734071.html Mon, 18 May 2009 11:21:35 +0000 News Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has charged that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deliberately misled her and other members of Congress about the use of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques," which many consider to be torture. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_House_Speaker_Says_CIA_Misled_Congress_On_Torture/1732309.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_House_Speaker_Says_CIA_Misled_Congress_On_Torture/1732309.html Fri, 15 May 2009 09:35:06 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/US_House_Speaker_Says_CIA_Misled_Congress_On_Torture/1732309.html#relatedInfoContainer A U.S. Senate panel has heard testimony about policies under former President George W. Bush that permitted harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. Members of President Barack Obama's Democratic Party said this and future hearings are aimed at exploring the efficacy of such methods and whether using them was a mistake. http://www.rferl.org/content/Congress_Begins_Hearings_On_BushEra_Interrogation_Policy/1731465.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Congress_Begins_Hearings_On_BushEra_Interrogation_Policy/1731465.html Thu, 14 May 2009 08:03:24 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Congress_Begins_Hearings_On_BushEra_Interrogation_Policy/1731465.html#relatedInfoContainer At issue during the May 12 hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was proposed legislation that Holbrooke supports to give Pakistan $7.5 billion over the next four years to fight extremists, particularly Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants hiding in lawless northwestern Pakistan. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Envoy_Urges_Congress_To_Back_Increased_Aid_To_Pakistan/1730629.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Envoy_Urges_Congress_To_Back_Increased_Aid_To_Pakistan/1730629.html Wed, 13 May 2009 08:11:12 +0000 News Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Washington for meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in what both sides have described as an effort to "reset" relations that declined under the previous administration. http://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_Foreign_Minister_In_Washington_Looks_To_Reset_Ties/1624197.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_Foreign_Minister_In_Washington_Looks_To_Reset_Ties/1624197.html Fri, 08 May 2009 10:22:02 +0000 News Israeli President Shimon Perez met with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington as a prelude to a visit from the Jewish state's new, hard-line prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. The Obama administration is moving ahead with the "two-state solution" to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a goal that hasn't been embraced by Netanyahu, at least publicly. Instead, he has shifted his focus from the Palestinians to Iran and stopping its suspected nuclear-weapons program. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Presses_New_Israeli_Government_To_Back_TwoState_Solution/1622529.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Presses_New_Israeli_Government_To_Back_TwoState_Solution/1622529.html Wed, 06 May 2009 09:04:03 +0000 News Two of the most important problems facing the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama during the current worldwide recession is putting more Americans back to work and reducing the country's huge deficit. Obama has announced a program that he says will address both by eliminating the tax shelters for companies that outsource jobs to other countries and giving tax incentives to those who create jobs in the United States. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Announces_New_Plan_To_Close_US_Tax_Shelters/1621790.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Announces_New_Plan_To_Close_US_Tax_Shelters/1621790.html Tue, 05 May 2009 10:00:59 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Announces_New_Plan_To_Close_US_Tax_Shelters/1621790.html#relatedInfoContainer Speculation has been rife that Turkey may be close to reopening its border with Armenia and restoring the diplomatic ties it broke over the Armenia-Azerbaijan war. But Ankara's desire to include progress over Nagorno-Karabakh could signal a more go-slow approach. http://www.rferl.org/content/Turkey_Signals_Opening_To_Armenia_Must_Include_NagornoKarabakh_Progress/1613844.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Turkey_Signals_Opening_To_Armenia_Must_Include_NagornoKarabakh_Progress/1613844.html Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:17:00 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Turkey_Signals_Opening_To_Armenia_Must_Include_NagornoKarabakh_Progress/1613844.html#relatedInfoContainer Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama approved the release of legal government memos written during George W. Bush’s presidency that approved the use of interrogation techniques by the CIA that many consider a form of torture, including waterboarding. The release of those secret memos was opposed by some CIA employees, who felt it was a betrayal of their efforts to protect their country. Obama went to CIA headquarters outside of Washington to reassure them that the White House supports their ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Seeks_To_Soothe_Feelings_At_CIA_After_Document_Release_/1612860.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Seeks_To_Soothe_Feelings_At_CIA_After_Document_Release_/1612860.html Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:46:16 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_Seeks_To_Soothe_Feelings_At_CIA_After_Document_Release_/1612860.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. President Barack Obama discussed relations with Russia and other issues with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in a 45-minute meeting at the White House. http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_NATO_Chief_Agree_Ties_With_Russia_Must_Improve_/1517121.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_NATO_Chief_Agree_Ties_With_Russia_Must_Improve_/1517121.html Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:10:21 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Obama_NATO_Chief_Agree_Ties_With_Russia_Must_Improve_/1517121.html#relatedInfoContainer Six weeks ago, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner raised expectations that the Obama administration was ready to take quick action to restore health to the country's banking system. Geithner had scheduled what was promoted as an important statement on the economy. But the resulting speech, lacking specifics, dashed expectations. Geithner has finally announced a concrete plan. The new program has its critics, but it also has supporters, including the U.S. stock market. http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Market_Responds_Well_To_Obamas_Toxic_Debt_Plan/1515739.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Market_Responds_Well_To_Obamas_Toxic_Debt_Plan/1515739.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:31:14 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Market_Responds_Well_To_Obamas_Toxic_Debt_Plan/1515739.html#relatedInfoContainer As NATO prepares to mark its 60th anniversary next month, France's defense minister, Herve Morin, has made what some observers might regard as some counterintuitive suggestions: Consult Russia before any further expansion of the alliance, and abandon any idea that NATO's role could become global, rather than Eurocentric. Is this the right vision for a military alliance that was created to confront the once-growing sphere of the Soviet Union? Or is it a capitulation to Moscow? RFE/RL discussed ... http://www.rferl.org/content/Could_Frances_View_Of_Moscow_Help_Or_Hurt_NATO_/1512166.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Could_Frances_View_Of_Moscow_Help_Or_Hurt_NATO_/1512166.html Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:55:25 +0000 Features Concerns about Obama's timeline -- as well as his plans for the size of the residual force -- have been raised by opponents of the war, including two leaders of Obama's own Democratic Party. http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_Obama_Iraq_Timeline/1505368.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_Obama_Iraq_Timeline/1505368.html Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:57:08 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Analysts_Obama_Iraq_Timeline/1505368.html#relatedInfoContainer Last week, President Barack Obama signed a $787 billion spending program designed to revive the U.S. economy, just the latest in a series of government interventions aimed at "stimulating" growth as consumer demand and industrial production slump. Other rich countries have also opened the taps of government spending. But countries like Ukraine and Latvia, which have been forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund for loans, are being told they must do the opposite -- slash ... http://www.rferl.org/content/As_Rich_Countries_Spend_IMF_Borrowers_Have_To_Swallow_Bitter_Pill/1498562.html http://www.rferl.org/content/As_Rich_Countries_Spend_IMF_Borrowers_Have_To_Swallow_Bitter_Pill/1498562.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:24:18 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/As_Rich_Countries_Spend_IMF_Borrowers_Have_To_Swallow_Bitter_Pill/1498562.html#relatedInfoContainer Hillary Clinton begins her first foreign tour as U.S. secretary of state with a weeklong trip to Asia. The tour, which begins in Japan, will also take her to Indonesia, South Korea, and China. The trip is meant to underscore President Barack Obama's ties for closer ties with Asia, particularly Beijing, where Clinton will holding talks on both countries' roles in the global economic crisis and climate change. North Korea's nuclear program will also figure high on the secretary of state's agenda. http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_In_Asia_To_Talk_Economy_Climate_Proliferation/1493910.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_In_Asia_To_Talk_Economy_Climate_Proliferation/1493910.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:50:11 +0000 News Barack Obama, sworn in on January 20 as the 44th president of the United States, urged his fellow Americans to cast aside their political and social divisions and instead face the challenges of economic chaos, two difficult wars and a growing environmental crisis with what he called a "unity of purpose." http://www.rferl.org/content/Barack_Obama_Sworn_In_As_US_President/1372515.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Barack_Obama_Sworn_In_As_US_President/1372515.html Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:30:08 +0000 News http://www.rferl.org/content/Barack_Obama_Sworn_In_As_US_President/1372515.html#relatedInfoContainer The departure of George W. Bush and the arrival of Barack Obama represents one of the most abrupt shifts of power in its modern history. RFE/RL asked two veteran political observers if future historians will regard Bush more positively than his contemporaries, and whether Obama can meet expectations. http://www.rferl.org/content/Bush_Legacy_Considered_As_Obama_Prepares_To_Take_Office/1371930.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Bush_Legacy_Considered_As_Obama_Prepares_To_Take_Office/1371930.html Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:23:13 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Bush_Legacy_Considered_As_Obama_Prepares_To_Take_Office/1371930.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, gave an articulate accounting of the incoming administration's foreign-policy goals in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which must decide whether to recommend that her appointment be confirmed by the full Senate. http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Suggests_New_Foreign_Policy_Attitudes_If_Not_New_Policies/1369826.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Suggests_New_Foreign_Policy_Attitudes_If_Not_New_Policies/1369826.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:00:04 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Clinton_Suggests_New_Foreign_Policy_Attitudes_If_Not_New_Policies/1369826.html#relatedInfoContainer Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze has said the U.S.-Georgian accord signed on January 9 will help Tbilisi reclaim the breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. http://www.rferl.org/content/Georgian_Foreign_Minister_Hopeful_About_Accord_With_US_/1368524.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Georgian_Foreign_Minister_Hopeful_About_Accord_With_US_/1368524.html Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:09:35 +0000 Features http://www.rferl.org/content/Georgian_Foreign_Minister_Hopeful_About_Accord_With_US_/1368524.html#relatedInfoContainer Forget suicide bombings, chemical weapons, and even so-called "dirty" bombs that can contaminate a city center for decades with radioactive debris. In November, 10 men armed only with assault rifles, explosives, and stolen cell phones held downtown Mumbai hostage for 72 hours, killing more than 170 people and grabbing the attention of the world. Speaking to a Congressional security committee, three leading U.S. security officials said that the Mumbai attack suggests that such low-tech ... http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Congress_Warned_That_Mumbai_Will_Inspire_Similar_Attacks/1368160.html http://www.rferl.org/content/US_Congress_Warned_That_Mumbai_Will_Inspire_Similar_Attacks/1368160.html Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:53:19 +0000 News U.S. President George W. Bush today said his administration is prepared to loan $17.4 billion to the three major American automakers. The offer comes a little more than a week after the U.S. Congress refused to come to the rescue. But Bush said he really had no alternative but to step in. http://www.rferl.org/content/After_Congress_Refuses_Bush_Gives_174_Billion_Loan_To_US_Carmakers_/1361747.html http://www.rferl.org/content/After_Congress_Refuses_Bush_Gives_174_Billion_Loan_To_US_Carmakers_/1361747.html Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:40:40 +0000 News