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U.S.-Canada reach border agreement
The U.S.-Canada border security pact reached earlier this year by President Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper is nearing completion
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NATO: 10,000 Libyan shoulder-fired missiles unaccounted for
Senior NATO officials said that at least 10,000 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles are unaccounted for in Libya, and that at least some of them may have fallen in the hands of al Qaeda operatives; the missiles are known as SAM-7 by NATO designation and 9K32 Strela-2 in Russia, and typically have a range of about four kilometers and an infra-red guidance system; more than forty civilian aircraft have been hit by these portable surface-to-air missiles since 1975, causing about twenty-eight crashes and more than 800 deaths around the world
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New Libyan regime to cooperate in Lockerbie investigation
Libya’s new government said that it will cooperate with Scottish prosecutors in their ongoing investigation of the Lockerbie bombing; so far only one man has been convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland which resulted in the deaths of 270 people; Scottish prosecutors are seeking assistance from Libya’s National Transitional Council to gain evidence that could lead to the conviction of others involved in the atrocity; Libya’s interim justice minister Mohammed al-Alagi recently said, “The case is closed,” but later retracted his statement; Scottish authorities said, “The police investigation into the Lockerbie bombing remains open, and the Police should follow the evidence wherever it leads them”
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Pakistan seeks to improve relations with Saudi Arabia, China, as U.S. relations sour
As U.S.- Pakistan relations continue to deteriorate following the clandestine raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Pakistan has sought to improve relations with Saudi Arabia and China to offset the United States rising anger; Pakistan promised China it would root out any Uighur militants hiding out in its territory and promised to hold war games with Saudi Arabia; analysts believe Pakistan is hedging against a potential downgrade in its relationship with the United States; China has long been a close Pakistani ally and the two share a wariness of India and a desire to curb growing U.S. influence in the region
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China teams up with Ukraine to fight terrorism
Last week, top Chinese and Ukrainian security officials agreed to strengthen law enforcement cooperation between the two countries to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and trans-national crime; Ukrainian officials said it would work with China to combat cybercrime and other forms of trans-national organized crimes as well as the “three forces of evil” — terrorism, extremism, and separatism; Ukraine also pledged to provide more convenience for Chinese citizens entering and exiting its border; during China’s minister of public security Meng Jianzhu’s visit, the two countries signed cooperation documents
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Pakistan promises to help China combat terrorism
On Monday Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari pledged his country’s full support in helping China combat terrorism by rooting out Uighur insurgents hiding in its territory; Zardari’s remarks come after a meeting with Chinese state councilor Meng Jianzhu; Zardari promised to bring the two country’s bilateral relations to a new level citing strong support for each other on major international and regional issues; Meng echoed Zardari’s comments and said that the country has always viewed its relationship with Pakistan as one of its diplomatic priorities
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India tells Pakistan to get "serious" on dismantling terror training camps
India’s external affairs minister S. M. Krishna said Pakistan can no longer take a “selective approach” to fighting terrorism and hoped that it will get “serious” in dismantling the terrorist training camps on its soil; “I am sure they (Pakistan) will realize and they have, by now they should have (realized) that terrorism cannot be fought selectively,” Krishna said; he added, “I hope Pakistan gets serious about dismantling all the terror training camps which are existing in the country….We expect that Pakistan will live up to their pronouncements”
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Belief that others can change could bring peace
Psychologists find that members of groups engaged in conflict are more willing to compromise if they believe people are capable of changing; when researchers presented Israelis and Palestinians with evidence that groups of people are capable of change, the information increased the subjects’ willingness to compromise on key political issues
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Counter piracy security expert: "The system is broken"
Piracy off the Horn of Africa has continued to flourish despite the concerted efforts of the world’s navies; a security expert said, “The system is broken here” and called the international counter piracy task force “one of the most expensive catch and release programs” ever; last year the task force spent more than $2 billion responding to sixty-four incidents, or roughly $30 million per incident
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U.S. and Belgium to share biometric data
Under a recently signed agreement, the United States and Belgium will begin sharing biometric data in an effort to combat international crime
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U.S. looks to keep Libyan WMD scientists away from terrorists
With Libyan rebels consolidating their hold over the country, the United States is looking to restart a State Department program designed to keep top Libyan biological and nuclear scientists from working for terrorist organizations or hostile nations; Libya’s new leaders have expressed their interest in working with the United States to keep track of Libyan WMD scientists and on other counter-proliferation programs, but the interim government has yet formally to respond to U.S. requests
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U.S. - Australia announce cyber defense treaty
Last week, the United States and Australia announced a mutual defense treaty that declared a cyberattack on one would result in retaliation by both nations; this new agreement appears to be the first instance of a mutual defense treaty in the cyber realm outside of NATO
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Libyan rebels attack last Gaddafi strongholds
Anti-Gaddafi rebels have begun what they call an “all-out attack” on Moammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte meeting with fierce resistance; at the same time, rebels have mounted an offensive against Bani Walid, where their advance has been stalled; in the deep southern desert, rebels have captured and air force base and two nearby towns
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Emergency cleanup plans for potential Cuban oil spill
With Cuba set to begin offshore drilling, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pressing the United States to immediately begin developing emergency plans to assist Cuba in the event of a major oil spill
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Mexican border agents cross into U.S. again without permission
A national watchdog group warns that incursions along the southern border by the Mexican government could be a serious potential security threat
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