The United States has no intention of putting boots on the ground in Libya and should not become militarily involved in unrest shaking Syria, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in portions of an interview that aired May 16 on "The CBS Evening News."

CBS anchorwoman Katie Couric spoke with the secretary over the last several weeks, and portions of those interviews aired on the "60 Minutes" program May 15.

Asked if the U.S. is at war with Libya, Secretary Gates said that from the U.S. standpoint, "we are involved in a limited, kinetic action."

SUCCESS IN URUZGAN
ISAF and Afghan forces have had a successful week of operations in Uruzgan province.
http://www.sofmag.com/week-successes-uruzgan

Fed. judge’s ruling on concealed carry faces appeal

This morning’s Seattle Times – the newspaper that significantly overlooked one of the biggest local stories of 2010, that being the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation’s victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago – reports that a federal judge in California has ruled there is no constitutional right to carry a concealed handgun in public.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/fed-judge-s-ruling-on-conc...

Article by Dave Workman

Burma began releasing thousands of prisoners Tuesday under a limited clemency program that will have little impact on the nation's political prisoners.

Human rights groups and the U.S. State Department have said the government must go further and immediately release Burma's estimated 2,200 political prisoners. U.S. President Barack Obama renewed American economic sanctions on Burma for another year Monday, saying the large-scale repression of the democratic opposition in that country has not been resolved.

Anti-terror allies Pakistan and the United States are struggling to mend their often uncomfortable relationship which has been strained by the secret U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottatad, Pakistan.

Now, it appears Pakistan is looking to its northern neighbor, China, for support.

On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Gilani kicked off a four-day visit there, describing Beijing as Islamabad's "best and most trusted friend." He also pointed out that China was the first country to show its solidarity with Pakistan after the killing of bin Laden.

Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom has told the nation that Guatemala must stand up to drug-related violence.

He made the remark in a televised address late Monday after visiting the site of a mass murder in Guatemala's Peten province. Officials have blamed the killing of nearly 30 field workers, including two women and at least two children, on the Zetas drug cartel.

Colom said drug-related violence affects not just Guatemala, but the whole region. He announced a state of emergency that gives security forces increased authority.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has convicted two former military chiefs for their role in the country's 1994 genocide.

The court in Arusha, Tanzania on Tuesday found former army chief Augustin Bizimungu guilty of genocide charges and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.

Judges ruled the former army chief conspired to exterminate Rwanda's Tutsi population and had complete control over soldiers and militia who were involved in the killings.

According to court documents, Bizimungu instructed his men to begin killing Tutsis and to start in their own neighborhoods.

The work of Afghan National Security Forces and their International Security Assistance Forces partner’s, Combined Team Uruzgan, continue to enhance security, governance and reconstruction in their province.

An Afghan and International Security Assistance Force captured a Taliban facilitator along with several other suspected insurgents in Panjwa’i district, Kandahar province yesterday.

The Taliban facilitator was involved in building improvised explosive devices for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.