Iran Charges American Scholar

US military prepares to remove equipment from Iraq

(NEWSER) - As the US military reduces its presence in Iraq, it faces the logistical challenge of moving all the equipment it brought to the country during the nearly six-year war effort, the Los Angeles Times reports. Unlike personnel, much of the equipment used in Iraq will remain in the region, stored in huge warehouses in Kuwait and Qatar in case the military needs it again. More»

(NEWSER) - President Bush is optimistic about his legacy in the Middle East, saying the region is a “more hopeful and more promising place than it was in 2001,” the Washington Post reports. Bush does acknowledge some missteps: “As with any large undertaking, these efforts have not always gone according to plan, and in some areas we have fallen short of our hopes.” More»

Tougher procedures born of Iraq failure result in nuke reversal

(NEWSER) - In reversing its 2005 finding that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons, the US intelligence community is putting into practice changes adopted after crucial failures in the run-up to the Iraq war. The original used weak sourcing and less than rigorous fact-gathering, critics say. “I think people should take comfort from the fact that they’ve changed their view," a former CIA official tells the New York Times. More»

Esfandiari recalls determination not to 'succumb to despair'

(NEWSER) - It took a daily routine for Haleh Esfandiari to stay level-headed during her 105-day stint in Iran's notorious Evin prison. The Iranian-American scholar paced her room for 3 to 4 hours a day, read, and wrote a book in her head to ward off depression. She was treated respectfully, but "a prison is a prison," she said upon returning to the US. More»

Held on charges of plotting revolution

(NEWSER) - One of two Iranian-American scholars jailed in Iran on charges of conspiring with the US government to foment revolution will be freed from prison today if bail is posted. Held in Teheran’s infamous Evin prison since May, Haleh Esfandiari will be released on a $333,000 bail, the AP reports. More»