The U.S. and its allies are counting on a heavy turnout and a clear result to produce an administration strong enough to turn around an escalating war with Taliban militants that is killing record numbers of foreign troops and Afghan civilians.
Rocket [...]
The president has called next Thursdays election the most important event all year in Afghanistan. The first phase of the reordered counterinsurgency strategy Obama announced in March is hinged to it, and the U.S. is taking no chances, pressing a new military offensive this week to make sure the voting comes off well.
The Taliban has [...]
After marching through several blocks of downtown Washington, more than 200 people rallied in front of the White House. They shouted demands for President Barack Obama and leaders of other countries to “reject the sham elections, impose complete sanctions.”
They also shouted “death to Ahmadinejad,” referring to the Iranian president whose disputed June 12 re-election prompted [...]
Carville, who has close ties to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said his advisory role to former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani shouldnt be interpreted as tacit backing by the U.S. for a change of leadership in Afghanistan.
In an interview before [...]
Police fired ammunition into the air and beat demonstrators protesting in central Tehran against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Associated Press reported, citing witnesses. Some protesters fought back, AP said.
“The Islamic establishment and people will never give in to [...]
Despite the challenge from reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi to incumbent hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many officials and experts believe a Mousavi victory will result in only incremental shifts toward the U.S.
Because real power in Tehran is still wielded by religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, some say an Ahmadinejad re-election may, in fact, make it easier [...]
Biden is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years and the second from the Obama administration in about a month, following in the footsteps of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The attention underscores Washingtons concerns about a possible win by Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group.
The White House [...]
They arent.
Personal disposable income, which has dropped in seven of the last 12 months, is forecast to begin growing steadily by early this fall, and it counts more than unemployment when voters go to the polls, research shows. Gross domestic product [...]
Clinton arrived unannounced in Lebanon a day after a similarly secret trip to Iraq to show support for the countrys fragile democracy before the June 7 vote. Hezbollah is gaining strength and some fear turmoil if it wins enough votes to play a dominant role in a coalition.
A strong showing by the militant Shiite Muslim [...]
The Democrat has less than half the campaign cash he had at a comparable point in his last re-election bid, when he faced far fewer hurdles. Last year, he emptied an account built up largely through financial-company employees donations to pay for a presidential run; now, he has to replenish his coffers even as the [...]