RIGHTS: U.S. Concerned Over Curbs on NGOs, Press, Internet Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, 11 Mar (IPS) - Releasing its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, the U.S. State Department Thursday said it was increasingly concerned about curbs imposed by foreign governments on civil society groups, the press, and Internet use. more...   SOMALIA: U.S. Should Accept Islamist Authority, Report Says Charles Fromm and Mohammed A. Salih WASHINGTON, 11 Mar (IPS) - The United States should accept an "Islamist authority" in Somalia as part of a "constructive disengagement" strategy for the war-torn country, according to a new report released here by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Wednesday. more...   FINANCE: Self-Policing of Extractive Industries a "Dismal" Failure Charles Fromm WASHINGTON, 9 Mar (IPS) - An international initiative that seeks to reform how governments profit from their natural resources should not reduce its existing standards of membership solely because candidate countries have been reluctant or incapable of meeting them, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. more...   POLITICS: U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Web Services Eli Clifton WASHINGTON, 9 Mar (IPS) - After U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's January address on the role of internet freedom in U.S. foreign policy, the Barack Obama administration appears to be taking the first steps to introduce specific legislation and policies to exploit the role of the internet in opening up those countries ruled by oppressive or authoritarian governments. more...   RIGHTS: Fewer Jobs, Less Money, Same Old Story Haider Rizvi UNITED NATIONS, 9 Mar (IPS) - "What do I get from them? Nothing but bullsh*t," says Nupur Acharya, reflecting about how she is treated by her husband and two grown sons on daily basis. more...   IRAQ: Elections Bring Joy and Uncertainty Mohammed A. Salih WASHINGTON, 8 Mar (IPS) - The holding of Iraq's third parliamentary elections on Sunday has generated a sense of satisfaction in Washington, but there is a feeling of anxiety about how the post-election negotiation process to form a new government might proceed. more...   HAITI: U.S. Acts Quickly on Debt Relief Ahead of Preval Visit Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, 8 Mar (IPS) - With U.S. President Barack Obama preparing to host Haitian President Rene Preval at the White House Wednesday, Congress is moving quickly to show support for far-reaching debt relief and additional aid for the earthquake-stricken Caribbean nation. more...   U.S.: ACLU Ad Challenges Military Commissions William Fisher NEW YORK, 8 Mar (IPS) - Civil libertarians hit back hard Sunday at reports indicating that the Barack Obama administration is about to cave in to pressure from Congress and local groups in New York City and is not only considering transferring the cases of suspected terrorists to another federal court, but even moving them to the military commission system. more...   POLITICS: Fiction of Marja as City Was U.S. Information War Gareth Porter* WASHINGTON, 8 Mar (IPS) - For weeks, the U.S. public followed the biggest offensive of the Afghanistan War against what it was told was a "city of 80,000 people" as well as the logistical hub of the Taliban in that part of Helmand. That idea was a central element in the overall impression built up in February that Marja was a major strategic objective, more important than other district centres in Helmand. more...   IRAQ: Secular Candidates Have Their Best Chance Mohammed A. Salih WASHINGTON, 6 Mar (IPS) - As Iraqis go to the polls on Sunday, a key question in the minds of many in Iraq and Washington is whether secular candidates can continue their recent rise and possibly come out as winners. more...