When Rodrigo Rosenberg turned up dead on Mother’s Day in an upscale neighborhood in Guatemala City, his murder was seen as little more than another execution-style shooting in one of Latin America’s most dangerous countries.
Tag Archives: government
Red carpet beauties at Cannes premiere
The 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival opened in style on Wednesday as the film world descended on the French Riviera for the premiere of Pixar’s new 3D animated film "Up" — the first time an animated movie has ever opened the festival. Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Holder repeated Obama’s assertion that the decision to oppose the photos’ release had been made “consistent with the best interests of our troops.” Holder emphasized Obama’s conclusion that making the photos public would endanger U.S. troops and have a “negative impact” on the military situation in Iraq and Afghanistan
Terrorism-Linked Charity Finds New Life Amid Pakistan Refugee Crisis
Just five months after Pakistan banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa over its links to the terrorist organization blamed for last November’s Mumbai massacre, the Islamist charity group’s flags are flying high over a relief effort for refugees fleeing the fighting in the Swat Valley. The banned group’s signature black-and-white banner bearing a scimitar flew in the heart of Mardan as tens of thousands of refugees poured into the northwest garrison town, fleeing the military campaign to oust the Taliban from Swat and its surroundings.
North Korea sets trial date for American journalists
Two American journalists will be tried in a North Korean court on June 4, Pyongyang’s official news agency said Thursday. The two reporters for Current TV, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, are accused of entering the country illegally and intending “hostile acts.” Ling and Lee were taken into custody March 17 along the China-North Korea border
ACLU sues over patents on breast cancer genes
Patents on two human genes linked to breast and ovarian cancers are being challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argues that patenting pure genes is unconstitutional and hinders research for a cancer cure. “Knowledge about our own bodies and the ability to make decisions about our health care are some of our most personal and fundamental rights,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero.
Al Qaeda figure who provided link to Iraq reportedly dead in Libya
The accused terrorist who said he was tortured into making a false connection between al Qaeda and Iraq has died in a Libyan prison, human rights monitors said Tuesday. Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi’s allegation that Iraqi agents trained al Qaeda operatives in the use of chemical and biological weapons was “pivotal” to the Bush administration’s case for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, said Stacy Sullivan, a counterterrorism adviser for the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch. “He’s a fairly significant figure in the counterterrorism world, and his testimony I would say provided the linchpin for the invasion of Iraq,” she said.
Stan McChrystal: America’s New Commander in Afghanistan
Guatemala rejects slain lawyer’s assassination claim
The Guatemalan government has dismissed allegations that it was behind the death of a lawyer who left a video saying President Alvaro Colom would be to blame if anything happened to him. The lawyer, Rodrigo Rosenberg, was shot dead Sunday while bicycling in Guatemala City. On Monday, a video surfaced, in which Rosenberg — seated behind a desk and speaking into a microphone — linked Colom and an aide to his death
Why the Pentagon Axed Its Afghan Warlord
Public beheadings in Afghanistan are usually associated with the Taliban, but on Monday it was Defense Secretary Robert Gates metaphorically wielding the axe from the Pentagon platform. Gates announced that he had asked for and requested the resignation of his top commander in Afghanistan, Army General David McKiernan, after only 11 months in that theater. The 37-year veteran will be replaced by Army Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal
China marks earthquake anniversary
China on Tuesday marked the first anniversary of a devastating earthquake that left nearly 90,000 dead or missing one year ago in mountainous Sichuan province. In the city of Dujiangyan, a moment of silence was held amid the ruins of collapsed buildings and debris. Mourners placed flowers at a memorial to quake rescue efforts, sang the national anthem and a stone carving of a clock that stopped at 2:28, when the temblor hit, with the date underneath