WASHINGTON - During a trip to the United States this week, Jordan’s King Abdullah is seeking to refocus American attention on Middle Eastern concerns, some of which have been ongoing since he assumed power after his father’s death in 1999.
Much like his late father, King Hussein did, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has to juggle a […]

WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney today detailed the administration’s argument against efforts in Congress to limit the war in Iraq.
Cheney told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) it is time Congress shifted its attention from leaving Iraq to winning the war there.
There have been moves in both the Senate and the […]

PENTAGON - The U.S. Defense Department says it held hearings on Friday and Saturday at the Guantanamo Bay detention center for three of the most notorious terrorism suspects it is holding, including the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks.
Spokesman Bryan Whitman says Saturday’s hearing reviewed the status of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who U.S. officials […]

WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — The key players at the March 10 international security conference in Baghdad are calling it a good first step. And all have agreed to hold a second, higher-level meeting soon.
But the United States, Iran, and Syria still very much differ on the ultimate goal of their talks.
The Baghdad security conference brought together […]

WASHINGTON - American lawmakers continue debating Democratic opposition to President Bush over new U.S. troop deployments to Iraq. Democrats in the House of Representatives have proposed legislation calling for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by 2008, at the latest.
The Senate last week tried, but failed, to win Republican support for a plan to […]

BAGHDAD - At a regional security conference in Baghdad, Iraqi leaders focused on the positive role Iraq’s neighbors can play in improving security, but they also warned the country must not be used as a battleground for international conflicts. Representatives from the United States and Iran talked with each other during the meeting about security […]

Why Muslims Object to Piggy Banks

By Wolfgang Polzer
Special to ASSIST News ServiceWETZLAR (ANS) – Islam is slowly but surely taking a grip on the European culture, warns the German journalist and university lecturer Udo Ulfkotte. Traditional values, customs and judicial standards are gradually customized to meet Muslim requirements.
Islam is slowly but surely taking a grip […]

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY - President Bush travels to Bogota Saturday amid extremely tight security in the Colombian capital.  He is going to show his support for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
Colombia is the biggest U.S aid recipient in Latin America.
Most of the money - an estimated $4 billion since 2000 - has gone to fund Plan Colombia, […]

CAPITOL HILL - Democrats controlling the U.S. Congress are confronting President Bush on a broad range of issues regarding his handling of the war in Iraq, and the larger war on terrorism, as well as domestic issues.  Congressional committees have launched investigations on numerous topics, including U.S. efforts to train Iraqi military forces, waste by […]

NAIROBI - Illiteracy is high in Kenya’s northeastern province, especially among the nomadic, largely ethnic Somali communities that eke out a living in the bush. Many in the province have little or no access to books in the rural areas. But the Kenya National Library Service is aiming to change all that. The provincial library […]

CAPITOL HILL - President Bush faces new challenges from the Democratic-controlled Congress over new troop deployments in Iraq and funding for military operations. Democrats in the House of Representatives are proposing legislation calling for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq as early as this year, and by 2008 at the latest, as the White […]

SAO PAULO - The United States and Brazil are forming an informal alliance to push the production of ethanol. The development and promotion of biofuels made from plants is the focus of President Bush’s visit to Brazil.
In this bustling city - where the potential and problems of Latin America are on vivid display - cars […]

PENTAGON - The top U.S. military officer says there are indications that the Iraqi people want the new Baghdad security plan to work, but he and Defense Secretary Robert Gates both also said that while the plan is going well so far, it is too early to predict success.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of […]

By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service 
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) – “Vagrants” were speculated to be the cause of a recent fire in an abandoned motel. At least, that’s according to a local official in Albuquerque, New Mexico, speaking on a recent local newscast.
But as this individual spoke, I began thinking about the word “vagrant” as […]

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News ServiceMIDLAND, TEXAS / HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA (ANS) – After intensive international pressure, local police released 33 arrested house church leaders and three leaders from South Korea.
After intensive international pressure, local police released 33 arrested house church leaders and three leaders from South Korea.One leader, pastor Dong Quanyu, was sentenced […]

WASHINGTON  (RFE/RL) — The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has voted unanimously to cut almost half its aid programs to Iran as part of UN sanctions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, adopted the aid cuts during today’s meeting of its 35-nation board of governors in Vienna. The cuts were proposed […]

BAGHDAD (RFE/RL) — Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says he hopes an international conference hosted by Baghdad will help build a regional consensus on how to end violence in his country.
The Baghdad security conference starts on March 10 and will include representatives from neighboring countries as well as the five permanent members of the UN […]

CAIRO - Emotions remain high in Cairo, even after Egypt asked for Israel to investigate whether Israeli soldiers killed Egyptian POWs during the 1967 war.  Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met Tuesday in Brussels to discuss the issue on growing political outrage in Egypt over the allegations. 
The Associated […]

CAPITOL HILL - Jordan’s King Abdullah is urging the United States to make a new commitment to peace in the Middle East. The king told a joint meeting of Congress that inaction is pushing the region toward greater danger and encouraging terrorism.
The king told members of the House and Senate that renewed U.S. leadership toward […]

WASHINGTON - Iran remains a top concern for the United States because of Iran’s refusal to restrict its nuclear program. The U.S. also accuses Iran of supporting terrorist groups in the Middle East.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee met in Washington Tuesday to hear testimony on Iran from Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.
Committee […]

MIAMI - President Bush’s latest aid package for Latin America is aimed at combating poverty and strengthening democracy across the region. But some regional experts say the plan, announced just days before Mr. Bush’s trip to Latin America, is designed to blunt Venezuela’s growing clout on the continent. 
The announcement of the aid package showed a […]

WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — The U.S. State Department today released its “2006 Country Reports On Human Rights Practices.”
This year’s annual report, which is mandated by the U.S. Congress, painted a gloomy picture in many countries for 2006, but noted some hopeful trends.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented the findings to reporters in Washington and said […]

UNITED NATIONS (RFE/RL) — Major powers on the United Nations Security Council have been holding talks on possible additional sanctions on Iran, but no agreement has been reported yet.
A new resolution is being discussed following Iran’s refusal to comply with a 60-day Security Council deadline to halt uranium-enrichment activities. A trade ban on sensitive weapons-related […]

CAPITOL HILL - A prominent House of Representatives lawmaker is proposing legislation to step up economic pressure on Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Tom Lantos, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, detailed his plans in a hearing [Tuesday] at which a State Department official said the United States is pursuing multiple avenues, including action at […]

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News ServiceMIDLAND, TEXAS / HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA (ANS) – Local police raided a house church Bible study in Wancheng District, Nanyang city, Henan province on March 6, 2007. Thirty-four Chinese Christian leaders and three church leaders from South Korea were taken to the police station for interrogation.
Local police raided a […]