Despite U.S. Efforts, Tension Mounts in Pakistan

Despite a flurry of efforts to broker a truce, Pakistan’s government and leading opposition politicians continue to stagger toward a head-on collision. As Washington and its allies watch with mounting anxiety, the government has broadened its crackdown, requisitioning troops and silencing a leading TV news channel

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Amid Pakistan Chaos, Musharraf Fancies a Comeback

When Pakistan’s civilian politicians united, last August, to force General-turned-President Pervez Musharraf from power, the moment was hailed as a democratic milestone in country long ruled by military men. But now, as the country’s two main political parties remain locked in an endless power struggle while Pakistan’s security and economic crises spiral dangerously out of control, Musharraf has stepped back into the public eye

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Sarkozy to announce French return to NATO

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will Wednesday make one of the largest foreign policy gestures of his tenure when he announces France’s return to NATO’s high command. Sarkozy is expected to say that he wants France to rejoin the military alliance as a full member at its 60th anniversary summit next month. Charles de Gaulle took France out of NATO more than 40 years ago in protest at U.S

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Army desertions hurting Mexico’s war on drugs

In the face of spiraling drug violence that has shaken the country, the Mexican army has taken a lead role in attempting to thwart the narcotraffickers. But its ability to do so has been hurt by a large number of desertions, government officials say. At present, some 40,000 forces are deployed throughout the nation against the traffickers, according to the secretary of defense

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Suicide car bomber kills seven in Pakistan

A suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a police car on the outskirts of Peshawar Saturday, killing seven security personnel. But two high-ranking officers are doing just that, hoping that by going public they can remove the stigma that many soldiers say keeps them from getting help for post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Mexico pours troops into border city stricken by drug war

Nearly 7,000 Mexican soldiers and federal police arrived in the U.S.-Mexico border city of Ciudad Juarez this week to restore security to a city plagued by a long-standing, bloody drug war. Random vehicle checkpoints, patrols of masked soldiers and police in SWAT gear are some of the signs of the massive military buildup ordered by Mexico’s president, Ciudad Juarez police spokesman Jaime Torres Valadez said Thursday. Another 1,500 soldiers are expected to join the 3,500 that rolled into Juarez earlier this week to support municipal police in street patrols and ultimately take control of their operations, Torres said

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Dealing with Hamas: Can the U.S. Avoid It Much Longer?

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised the U.S. Congress on Wednesday to “work tirelessly with you for peace in the Middle East.” But Britain clearly has some ideas of its own about how to move the process forward, and those ideas clash with the orthodoxies still in place in Washington. Even as Brown spoke on Capitol Hill, his government announced that it has scrapped its boycott of Hizballah, and would hold talks with the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi’ite movement, whose militia is on its — and Washington’s — list of terrorist organizations.

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Chinese leaders to consider welfare for all

China National People’s Congress will consider landmark legislation that would make social benefits universal when it meets Thursday. The NPC — the climax of China’s political calendar — will convene as 3,000 delegates from across the country and overseas gather in the capital, Beijing. The delegates will represent China’s central leadership, the military, every province, including minority groups such as Tibetans, and overseas Chinese.

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