Past Articles by Dina Temple-Raston
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Obama Speech Expected To Touch On Drones, Guantanamo On Thursday, President Obama is expected to explain how the fight against al-Qaida has changed, and how the U.S. will adapt its counter-terrorism policies to the evolving threat. The president will speak at the National Defense University. |
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Obama Speech Expected To Touch On Drones, Guantanamo On Thursday, President Obama is expected to explain how the fight against al-Qaida has changed, and how the U.S. will adapt its counter-terrorism policies to the evolving threat. The president will speak at the National Defense University. |
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White House Again Raises Possibility Of Closing Guantanamo President Obama is scheduled to give a major address on national security Thursday, and the Guantanamo Bay prison is expected to feature prominently. Obama had promised to shutter the facility when he first took office, but that has proven more difficult than he expected. |
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Obama Renews Call To Close Guantanamo Amid Hunger Strike For months now prisoners at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay have been on a hunger strike. It started in January with dozens of men refusing meals. Now more than 100 of the 166 detainees at Guantanamo have joined the protest. More than a dozen of them are being force-fed. Defense attorneys say the reason for the strike can be summed up in one word: Hopelessness. The men think they will never leave Guantanamo. But now the protest appears to have worked. On Tuesday, the White House appeared to be paying attention. President Obama said he would make a fresh attempt to close the prison. |
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Osama Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Set To Appear In N.Y. Court Former al-Qaida spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was captured by U.S. officials in February. His arrest is significant, analysts say, because the Obama administration has decided to try him in a federal court instead of using a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. |
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Osama Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Set To Appear In N.Y. Court Former al-Qaida spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was captured by U.S. officials in February. His arrest is significant, analysts say, because the Obama administration has decided to try him in a federal court instead of using a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. |
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Pakistan's Ambitious Program To Re-Educate Militants Pakistan's isolated Swat Valley is ground zero for a quiet experiment by the Pakistani army: a little-known program aimed at re-educating thousands of young men who were taken in by the Taliban. Using international funds and a contingent of army officers, Pakistan is trying to turn would-be terrorists into law-abiding citizens. |
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Pakistan's Ambitious Program To Re-Educate Militants Pakistan's isolated Swat Valley is ground zero for a quiet experiment by the Pakistani army: a little-known program aimed at re-educating thousands of young men who were taken in by the Taliban. Using international funds and a contingent of army officers, Pakistan is trying to turn would-be terrorists into law-abiding citizens. |
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Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Arrested, Brought To U.S. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith may be best known for his appearance in videos. He was sitting next to bin Laden when the al-Qaida leader took credit for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Ghaith may appear in a Manhattan court on Friday. |
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Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Arrested, Brought To U.S. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith may be best known for his appearance in videos. He was sitting next to bin Laden when the al-Qaida leader took credit for the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Ghaith may appear in a Manhattan court on Friday. |
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Sept. 11 Trial Judge Gives Defense Attorneys Access To 'Camp 7' The secret section of the prison is nestled in the crevice of a hill at Guantanamo Bay. It is considered so secret that that the only time outsiders see it is on approach to the airfield at the naval base. |
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Sept. 11 Trial Judge Gives Defense Attorneys Access To 'Camp 7' The secret section of the prison is nestled in the crevice of a hill at Guantanamo Bay. It is considered so secret that that the only time outsiders see it is on approach to the airfield at the naval base. |
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Hints Of Progress After Investigation At Guantanamo Court A pretrial hearing in the Sept. 11 case was suspended briefly last week to investigate allegations of eavesdropping. The commissions' chief prosecutor launched an investigation, and said no one was "listening, monitoring, recording" the proceedings. Defense attorneys seemed to take his word, which given the history of the commissions, is a baby step toward progress. |
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Alleged Sept. 11 Plotters In Court, But Lawyers Do The Talking The brief courtroom session provided a glimpse of the accused plotters, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. But the discussion focused on whether U.S. intelligence is listening to attorney-client conversations. |
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Procedure Questions Expected To Bog Down Hearings For Alleged Sept. 11 Planners Pretrial hearings resume on Monday for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men accused of helping plot the Sept. 11 attacks. There will be two competing narratives in the courtroom, however, with the prosecution focusing on the attacks, while the defense wants the trial to be about the defendants' treatment after they were captured. |
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New Threat Emerges At Intersection Of Terrorism, Syndicated Crime Analysts and administration officials are talking about terrorist groups not just as part of an ideological movement, but rather as criminal syndicates. With funding sources drying up, local terrorist groups are going beyond traditional deep pocket donors. Now they are bilking local economies. Al-Qaida is robbing banks in Iraq, the Taliban is taking hostages in Afghanistan and al-Shabab is laundering money in Somalia. |
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Algerian Gas Plant Seizure May Mark New Stage In Al-Qaida Evolution America's chief terrorism concern used to be al-Qaida's core, led by Osama bin Laden. Then the group's affiliates, like its arm in Yemen, became the most serious threat. Now, analysts say, the Algerian attack by a group that had left al-Qaida's fold may be the latest iteration in terrorist threats. |
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French Troops, Air Power Could Attract More Foreign Fighters To Mali Those who have been fighting al-Qaida for a decade have learned never to underestimate the group's affiliates. The groups may start out with local agendas, but they eventually morph into jihadists with global ambitions. The U.S. learned that lesson on Christmas Day four years ago when al-Qaida's arm in Yemen put a suicide bomber on a plane bound for Detroit. Now al-Qaida has affiliates in Mali and the U.S. is watching closely. So far, Al-Qaida's arm there has focused on fighting government troops, but that could change. |
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Pakistani Cafe Is Oasis In Desert Of Civil Discourse Pakistan's Second Floor cafe is listed in a local Karachi social blog as one of the coolest cafes in town. Since it opened its doors five years ago, it has become a haven in a city more known for its violence than its civil discourse. |
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Pakistani Military Hopes Rehab Will Lead Men To Paralympics The Pakistani military's Armed Forces Institute for Rehabilitative Medicine in Rawalpindi is the top rehab center for veterans wounded in what they call "the war on terror." Most of the young men there are from the country's Frontier Corps and have fought in Waziristan. They have lost arms and legs to roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. Pakistan is doing its best to get them artificial limbs. But a new program goes a step further. The hospital is furnishing some men with blade legs and training them for the Paralympics. |
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After Fighting To Go To School, A Pakistani Woman Builds Her Own   Humaira Bachal's father thought it was a waste of time for her to go to middle school. For years, she had to sneak out of the house to attend. When he found out, he was furious. Now, at 25, she runs a school serving more than 1,000 kids in a Karachi slum. |
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After Fighting To Go To School, A Pakistani Woman Builds Her Own Humaira Bachal's father thought it was a waste of time for her to go to middle school. For years, she had to sneak out of the house to attend. When he found out, he was furious. Now, at 25, she runs a school serving more than 1,000 kids in a Karachi slum. |
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The Tony Soprano Of Karachi: Gangster Or Politician? Gangsters in Karachi are a little different from the American variety. They often control armed groups linked to political parties. Uzair Baloch is known as the don of Karachi's Lyari slum. But ask him if he's a gangster, and he'll laugh. He says he's a politician and a social worker. |
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The Tony Soprano Of Karachi: Gangster Or Politician? Gangsters in Karachi are a little different from the American variety. They often control armed groups linked to political parties. Uzair Baloch is known as the don of Karachi's Lyari slum. But ask him if he's a gangster, and he'll laugh. He says he's a politician and a social worker. |
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Pakistan's 'Patriot Act' Could Target Politicians A Pakistani bill would allow intelligence and law enforcement agencies to tap phones, monitor Internet traffic, and follow people they suspect are terrorists. Security agencies in Pakistan already do this, but the new bill will give them the legal cover to do so. |
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Pakistan's 'Patriot Act' Could Target Politicians A Pakistani bill would allow intelligence and law enforcement agencies to tap phones, monitor Internet traffic, and follow people they suspect are terrorists. Security agencies in Pakistan already do this, but the new bill will give them the legal cover to do so. |
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'One Pound Fish': A Pakistani Man's Passport To Fame  A Pakistani man who went to London to sell fish has become an unlikely YouTube music star, thanks to the catchy song he made up to lure customers. The video for the song, "One Pound Fish," became a Web hit, and even brought him a record deal. |
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'One Pound Fish': A Pakistani Man's Passport To Fame A Pakistani man who went to London to sell fish has become an unlikely YouTube music star, thanks to the catchy song he made up to lure customers. The video for the song, "One Pound Fish," became a Web hit, and even brought him a record deal. |
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Multiple Feuds Bring A Record Year Of Violence To Karachi The sad truth about Karachi in 2012 was that whatever your religion, business affiliation, or political party, someone was willing to kill you for it. The murder rate in Pakistan's largest city and commercial hub hit an all time high last year. |
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Multiple Feuds Bring A Record Year Of Violence To Karachi The sad truth about Karachi in 2012 was that whatever your religion, business affiliation, or political party, someone was willing to kill you for it. The murder rate in Pakistan's largest city and commercial hub hit an all time high last year. |
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Street Signs Intended To Give Pakistani City New Direction In one of Pakistan's oldest cities, Lahore, street signs are rare, and people constantly ask for directions. Two young entrepreneurs are hoping to change that with a project to make street signs commonplace. |
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Street Signs Intended To Give Pakistani City New Direction In one of Pakistan's oldest cities, Lahore, street signs are rare, and people constantly ask for directions. Two young entrepreneurs are hoping to change that with a project to make street signs commonplace. |
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In Pakistan, Tax Evaders Are Everywhere — Government Included Tax evasion is a national problem in Pakistan. Only an estimated 2 percent of the population pays taxes. Now, a new investigative report says many politicians are part of the problem. |
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In Pakistan, Tax Evaders Are Everywhere — Government Included Tax evasion is a national problem in Pakistan. Only an estimated 2 percent of the population pays taxes. Now, a new investigative report says many politicians are part of the problem. |
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Gunmen In Pakistan Target Polio Vaccinators Gunmen staged new attacks Wednesday on health workers carrying out a nationwide polio vaccination program. On Tuesday, six workers were killed as they went house to house. |
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Gunmen In Pakistan Target Polio Vaccinators Gunmen staged new attacks Wednesday on health workers carrying out a nationwide polio vaccination program. On Tuesday, six workers were killed as they went house to house. |
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Gunmen In Pakistan Target Polio Vaccinators Gunmen staged new attacks Wednesday on health workers carrying out a nationwide polio vaccination program. On Tuesday, six workers were killed as they went house to house. |
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Arab Spring Provides Opportunities For Al-Qaida The Pentagon's top lawyer has talked about how the U.S. would deal with terrorism after al-Qaida's core was defeated. But experts say the talk is premature. The Arab Spring has helped al-Qaida affiliates proliferate over the past year. And while they might not be able to pull off large scale attacks, they are still a very real threat. |
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Arab Spring Provides Opportunities For Al-Qaida The Pentagon's top lawyer has talked about how the U.S. would deal with terrorism after al-Qaida's core was defeated. But experts say the talk is premature. The Arab Spring has helped al-Qaida affiliates proliferate over the past year. And while they might not be able to pull off large scale attacks, they are still a very real threat. |
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Petraeus Testifies On Benghazi At Closed Hearing Former CIA Director David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill on Friday. In his first appearance since he resigned from the CIA over an extramarital affair, Petraeus, briefed members of Congress on the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The secret session focused, according to members of Congress, on how the attack began and whether the Obama administration mischaracterized events. |
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Recovery To Take 'Quite A Long Time' In Storm-Ravaged Breezy Point The beachfront, blue-collar town in Queens, N.Y., was hit hard not only by Superstorm Sandy's raging winds and floodwaters, but also by a massive fire that tore through the area. More than a hundred homes were destroyed as firefighters battled for nearly 10 hours. A local fire commander says he's hopeful Breezy Point will recover but knows it will take time. |
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As Jihadists Spread, Connecting The Dots Proves Hard Over the past decades, officials have been quick to look for an al-Qaida link in terror attacks. But as Islamist groups spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, their relationships with - and differences from - al-Qaida are growing increasingly complex. |
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Minnesota Case Re-Opens Wounds Among Somalis A Minneapolis jury convicted Mahamud Said Omar, a 46-year-old janitor at a local mosque, of conspiring to help recruit two dozen Somali-American men to fight in Somalia. One man, whose nephew died in Somalia, said the case was particularly painful because he knew the man who did the recruiting. |
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Court Overturns Conviction Of Bin Laden Driver It said Salim Ahmed Hamdan's conviction for providing material support for terrorism had to be overturned because his actions - driving the al-Qaida leader around - were not a war crime at the time. The ruling does not directly affect Hamdan, who was released in 2009, but may have a big impact on cases at Guantanamo Bay that have yet to be litigated. |
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Minnesota Trial Offers Window On Jihadi Pipeline Several years ago, young Somali immigrants living in the Minneapolis area were disappearing. They later resurfaced in Somalia, where they joined a terrorist group called al-Shabab. Now some are back in Minnesota and are testifying against a man accused of recruiting them. |
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Predicting The Future: Fantasy Or A Good Algorithm? The intelligence community has always been in the business of forecasting the future. The question is whether tapping into publicly available data - Twitter and news feeds and blogs - can help them do that faster and more precisely. Now, a cutting-edge tech company is trying to use data to predict seminal events before they happen. |
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U.S. Drones Navigate Murky Legal Path In Pakistan One of the big legal questions surrounding the controversial drone program is whether the U.S. can conduct deadly strikes in a sovereign country with which it is not at war. Also unclear: whether Pakistan actually has agreed to the drone program despite its public opposition. |
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Benghazi Attack Raises New Questions About Al-Qaida As U.S. officials investigate the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi, they are trying to determine if al-Qaida urged a Libyan group to launch the assault. If confirmed, this would point to a new al-Qaida tactic. |
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U.S., Libyan Versions Of Consulate Attack Diverge The Libyans say it was a premeditated strike by foreign fighters tied to al-Qaida. The Obama administration has called the attack spontaneous, staged by local extremists. For the first time, however, a U.S. official on Wednesday described the incident as "terrorism." |
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Percent Of Detainees Who Return To Terrorism After Release Edges Up Almost 28 percent of the detainees transferred out of the U.S.-run detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have either returned to terrorism or are suspected of having done so, the Director of National Intelligence says. |
