Syria Applies to UN Chemical Weapons Convention
On September 12, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem sent a letter to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) — which describes itself as “the implementing body...
About: Warren Mass
Posts by Warren Mass
The 40th Anniversary of Pinochet’s Rise to Power in Chile
Chileans observe their own anniversary on September 11, as today marks the 40th anniversary of the military coup that removed the revolutionary Marxist President Salvador Allende from office and...
Pope Leads Prayer Vigil for Peace in Middle East
During his Sunday Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis made an appeal for peace in Syria and across the entire Middle East. Speaking after the traditional noontime prayer,...
Obama, Putin Discuss Syria at the G20 Summit
Following a 20-minute discussion on the sidelines of the eighth Group of Twenty (G20) summit at St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 6, President Obama remains committed to a military...
Western Leaders Consider Options for Syria Intervention
As the crisis in Syria heats up amidst allegations that the government has used chemical weapons against civilians, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel — speaking on August 26...
Obama, Russia Address Syrian Chemical Weapons
President Obama — when asked about allegations made by anti-government activists in Syria that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons in an attack said to have killed...
Egypt Update: Police Killed, Christians Attacked
At least 24 Egyptian policemen riding on two buses near the town of Rafah — a city in the Sinai Peninsula on the Egyptian-Gaza border — were killed in...
Muslim Brotherhood Stages “Day of Rage” in Egypt
Protests by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi continued across Egypt on August 16, as the Muslim Brotherhood staged a “Day of Rage.” The protests were often violent,...
Egyptian Security Forces Storm Pro-Morsi Protesters
Egyptian government security forces conducted operations on August 14 to clear two camps in Cairo occupied by supporters of the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, many of them followers of...
North Carolina Governor Signs Voter Photo ID Law
North Carolina Republican Governor Pat McCrory signed a voter ID bill into law on August 12. The new law, which will go into effect for the 2016 elections, will...
State Department Warns Americans Against Travel to Pakistan
On August 8 the U.S. State Department warned U.S. citizens “to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan,” stating that “The presence of several foreign and indigenous terrorist groups poses...
Yemen Says It Has Foiled al-Qaeda Plot
Rajeh Badi, press advisor to Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa, announced on August 7 that government security forces have thwarted a plot by al Qaeda to seize oil...
U.S. Embassies Close Due to Al-Qaeda Threat
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced on August 4 that U.S. embassies and consulates in 19 Muslim nations will remain closed at least until the end of this week....
Rand Paul Opposes New FBI Director, and FBI’s U.S. Surveillance Drones
After writing to FBI Director Robert Mueller expressing concerns about the FBI’s use of surveillance drones, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) received a letter from Stephan Kelly, the assistant director at...
In Retrospect: AARP Likes Ike, Not Taft
In the July-August 2013 issue of the AARP Bulletin, the periodical’s editor in chief, Jim Toedtman, wrote an editorial headlined “All Together, Let’s Like Ike.” The headline was, of...
Federal Government Demands Internet Passwords
A story broken by CNET on July 25 stated that the U.S. government has “demanded” that major Internet companies provide federal agencies with their customers’ passwords. The report identified...
Christians Attacked in Egypt by Muslim Brotherhood Supporters
Reports from Egypt indicate that attacks against Egypt’s Coptic Christians have increased since former President Mohamed Morsi was forced from power on July 3. Copts claim that they have...
Gen. Dempsey Favors Building “Moderate Opposition” in Syria
In an appearance before a reconfirmation hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 18, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he favors...
State Attorney Employee Who Testified in Zimmerman Case Fired
As media pundits continue to discuss the “not guilty” verdict rendered by the jury on July 13 in the nationally watched George Zimerman trial, a particular aspect of the...
Snowden Requests Temporary Asylum in Russia
The Guardian newspaper (U.K.) and other news outlets reported on July 12 that during a meeting with human rights activists at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden said...