Rep. Betsy McCollum - Tag Search

Debating Goldstone in the House

Final update: The final vote on the anti-Goldstone resolution was 344-36, with 22 people voting "present." The resolution passed.

Just so everyone's clear, this is a non-binding resolution. It urges the president and the secretary of state to keep condemning the report and to block it from reaching the Security Council, the International Criminal Court, and other world bodies. It's a symbolic victory for Israel, but it has no binding legal authority.

We'll post a link to the roll call later tonight so you can see who voted yes or no. Our live-blogging of the debate follows after the jump.

EU's Stevenson alleges further voter fraud in Baghdad

Jumblatt to Assad: I'm sorry!

Petraeus: Israeli-Arab conflict endangering U.S. interests

Al-Akhbar: Our weekly brief

Peace Processing

Fallout from Biden's visit: West Bank sealed off; proximity talks appear stalled

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas greets U.S. vice president Joe Biden in Ramallah. (Photo: AFP)
As Joe Biden wraps up his Middle East tour, Palestinian officials say they're unwilling to move forward with proximity talks unless Israel cancels its new construction in East Jerusalem; and the Israeli Defense Forces have sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, reportedly for security concerns. Several people were injured and arrested in fighting at the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Peace Processing

Biden arrives in Israel amid serious Palestinian doubts

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife arrived in Israel on Monday.
As Joe Biden lands in Israel, the Israeli government -- obviously keen to demonstrate that it's serious about restarting peace talks -- announced Monday that it will violate its West Bank settlement freeze and build 112 new homes in Beitar Illit, a settlement west of Bethlehem.

Iraqi Elections

Polls close in Iraq; media reports suggest strong turnout, relative calm

An Iraqi man on a bicycle displays his ink-stained finger after voting in Baghdad on March 7, 2010. (Photo: AP)
A handful of insurgent attacks around the country killed two dozen people, but Iraqi security forces seemed generally confident; the vehicle ban in Baghdad, scheduled to last all day, was lifted before noon. Anecdotal reports suggest a strong turnout across the country.