The director of the CIA, General Michael V. Hayden, has admitted that the interrogation technique of "waterboarding" may be illegal under current laws. His comments seemed to contravene those of Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, who argued that the use of waterboarding could be sanctioned by the attorney general and the White House.
A demonstration of waterboarding as seen on the US network MSNBC:
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The UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith signed the extradition papers of the radical Islamist preacher Abu Hamza, potentially dispatching the cleric to the United States where he would face charges of terrorism and a possible life sentence. Abu Hamza's fiery preaching in the Finsbury Park mosque in north London earned him public scrutiny and a seven year sentence in the UK for "inciting hatred". Abu Hamza's lawyers have two weeks to appeal the extradition.
Ethiopians targeted in Somalia
Al Shabaab, a Somali Islamist group linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 20 Ethiopian migrants. The blast took place in the port of Bosasso in the northern, semi-autonomous region of Puntland. Ethiopian troops currently prop up the Somali government, which faces ongoing attacks from tribal and Islamist rebels.
Sharia in bishopric
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, suggested in a controversial speech that the British government should accommodate elements of Sharia law to allow Muslims in the UK to take recourse in Islamic legal codes in family affairs. Williams' soft and modest statement has whipped up a hysterical media storm, with the BBC flashing images of Taliban execution squads next to the Archbishop's words. The former home secretary David Blunkett described the adoption of certain Sharia principles as "catastrophic". Follow the debate on openDemocracy's OurKingdom blog, a conversation on the future of Britain.
Recrimination in India
India's ruling Congress Party has reacted strongly to criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused the government of failing to adequately respond to terrorist threats. Congress spokesman questioned the record of the BJP when in power, asking why former Home Minister LK Advani couldn't prevent numerous attacks on major public sites in previous years.
Ceasefire and doubt in Pakistan
Washington has cautiously accepted news of ceasefire deals in the rugged border regions of Pakistan. Taliban-allied leader Baitullah Mehsud, who Pakistani authorities also link to the killing of Benazir Bhutto, declared a unilateral ceasefire in South Waziristan earlier this week. The move came after the Pakistani army scaled down its operations in both North and South Waziristan. Though US State Department spokesmen refused to be drawn into approving or denouncing the deal, the ceasefire is eerily reminiscent of the infamous "Waziristan Accords" of 2006 that many American analysts blame for allowing Taliban and al-Qaida elements to regroup in Pakistan's northwest.
Pakistani politician and ex-cricketer Imran Khan has insisted that there will be no stability in Pakistan without greater provincial autonomy and without an independent judiciary.
