Ambassador of Syria Rostom Al-Zoubi Syria Feeling Weight of U.S. Scrutiny Sean OíDriscoll Syrian Ambassador Rostom Al-Zoubi looked a lot more relaxed during our second interview than he did the first time we met. The first occasion came just after Secretary of State Colin Powellís visit to Syria. The United States had been making heavy gestures toward military action against Damascus if it harbored members of the Iraqi regime or allowed terrorists to cross into Iraq. At the same time, the annual State Department ìPatterns of Global Terrorismî report listed Syria as a sponsor of international terrorism, a position it has held since the list began in the late í70s. Less than a week after Powellís visit, however, Al-Zoubi looked a lot less worried. He says he is confident that the visit was ìpositive and constructive,î and he goes to enormous lengths to stress Syriaís desire for peace with the United States. ìYou know in Syria we always welcome dialogue as the best way to resolve the controversial issues between our two countries, and it is better than sending wrong signals from a far distance,î he says. ìWe always look forward to normal and good relations with the U.S.î...more... Victor Davis Hanson Military Historian Explains Importance of 9/11, U.S.-Led War in Iraq by John Shaw Last fall as the Bush administration was considering its next moves in the war on terrorism and preparing for an invasion of Iraq, Vice President Richard Cheney invited Victor Davis Hanson to his residence for a private conversation and then dinner with a small group of guests. Hanson is a military historian, a professor of classics and a columnist for the conservative magazine National Review. Well known in his areas of academic expertise, Hans on recently gained national prominence for a series of powerful, pungent and provocative essays that were written after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks...more.... Expulsions Leave Cuban Envoy Questioning U.S. Relations by Larry Luxner As U.S.-Cuban relations sink to their lowest depths in years, Havanaís top diplomat in Washington said thereís no telling what the Bush administration might do next. On May 13, the State Department ordered the expulsion of 14 Cuban diplomats from the United States. Seven officials from the Cuban Interests Section in Washington and seven from the Cuban Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York were declared persona non grata for having engaged in ìactivities incompatible with their official dutiesîóState Department lingo for espionage. Dagoberto RodrÌguez Barrera, chief of Cubaís Washington mission, said the spying allegations are ìsillyî and motivated by politics rather than facts...more...

Culture Section Check out the arts section for the latest in museum exhibits, dance, theater and much more. Washington and Khartoum May Be Mending Their Fences by Larry Luxner If the United States had only listened to Sudan back in the mid-1990s, the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, might have been avoided. So says Khidir Haroun Ahmed, the countryís top diplomat in Washington. Ahmed, in a lengthy interview last month, insists his government desperately tried to tip off the Clinton administration about Osama bin Ladenís operatives in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. But U.S. officials, who eyed Sudan with open hostility, rebuffed those efforts...more... Uganda Sets Example of How to Control Spread of AIDS by Sanjay Talwani The AIDS crisis in Africa appears to be one of the worldís most intractable problems, but Uganda has fought the disease in ways that have attracted global notice. In Uganda, HIV infection rates have plummeted in some districts. The disease is still devastating the country, stifling economic growth with its sheer reduction of working adults. But the nation, under the grip of President Yoweri Museveni, has brought the disease into the public discourse, reducing stigma, changing behavior, and keeping more people alive...more... Eating Healthy, Not Trendy May Be Best Diet Solution by Gina Shaw If you crave donuts and french fries, and the most exercise you get is looking for the remote control under the couch cushions, the past few weeks havenít brought you much good news. Two major new studies have highlighted the potential health hazards of being overweight or obese, including an elevated risk of many forms of cancer and an increased danger of giving birth to babies with brain, spinal cord and heart defects...more...