Africa
Boko Haram war spills into Chad
Authorities in Chad announced the arrest of key Boko Haram leaders amid a wave of deadly suicide bombngs in the capital, N'Djamena.
Tag: arms traffic
Greater Middle East
Yemen war fuels dope-for-guns trade
Both sides in Yemen's bitter Sunni-Shi'ite divide—equally intolerant of hashish-smokers and khat-chewers—are turning to the dope trade to fund their arsenals.
Mexico
Latin America: cartels build own arms industry
Mexican authorities busted another Zetas "narco-tank factory" in Nuevo Laredo on the Texas border—days after Brazilian police made a similar find in Sao Paulo.
Africa
Sahara drug trade funds Boko Haram insurgency
Traffickers have established a dope-for-guns pipeline across the Sahel and Sahara, integrating Boko Haram into drug-smuggling networks that stretch to Asia.
Southern Cone
Argentina: many are suspected in AMIA cover-up
It's not clear that anyone in Argentina's political class really wants the AMIA case solved. Israel and the US don't look much better. And suspect suicides are nothing new in Argentina.
The Andes
Colombia: will government answer FARC ceasefire?
With peace talks set to resume, Colombia’s FARC rebels charge that the military is continuing “offensive operations” despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by the guerillas.
Mexico
Sentencing in Sinaloa Cartel’s Chicago connection
A case related to the Sinaloa Cartel's Chicago connection provided further fodder for the increasingly plausible theory that the DEA protected Mexico's biggest crime machine.
Mexico
Mexico: Supreme Court rejects energy referendum
The plans for opening Mexico's oil industry to private investment are popular in the US media, but are they popular with Mexicans? The courts have nixed a vote on the subject.
South Asia
Zionist-Hindutva anti-Muslim alliance
India has opted to buy Israel's Spike anti-tank guided missile, beating a rival US deal—an advance for the Tel Aviv-Delhi "anti-terrorist" alignment.
Mexico
Mexico: protests for imprisoned vigilante leader
Supporters of José Manuel Mireles Valverde, imprisoned leader of the self-defense forces in violence-torn Michoacán, are holding a protest mobilization to demand his release.
Iraq
Obama sees long war against ISIS
The Obama administration is preparing to carry out a campaign against ISIS that may take three years to complete, involving a coalition of some 40 countries.
North Africa
Sudan arming Libyan Dawn rebels?
The Libyan government—now exiled to the eastern city of Tobruk—formally accused Sudan of smuggling weapons to the Islamist-led rebel alliance that controls Tripoli.