CNN reports that Al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn (aka Azzam the American) released a video to apologize for innocent victims killed in Afghanistan and other nearby regions: "We express our condolences to the families of the Muslim men, women and children killed in these criminal acts... We also express the same in regard to the unintended Muslim victims of the mujahedeen's operations against the crusaders and their allies and puppets, and to the countless faceless and nameless Muslim victims of the murderous crusades." With the upcoming American troop surge, CNN says Al Qaeda "appeared to be trying to improve the group's image." more ›

Hundreds of Georgians living in NYC, which has the largest enclave of Gerogians in the country, prayed for the Georgian-Russian conflict to end at a Georgian Orthodox church in Williamsburg yesterday. While a cease-fire was signed last week, St. Nino's Father Alexander Tandilashvili told NY1, "They said several times that they are going to stop the fire, but fire continues. Now they are stop the fire but concerns to the withdrawal of the troops. I would love to see that they keep their word, but they already broke their word several times so it's very difficult to believe what they say." As it happens, though Russia agreed to withdraw from Georgia over the weekend, U.S. officials say, per the NY Times, that Russian military is "moving launchers for short-range ballistic missiles into South Ossetia, a step that appeared intended to tighten its hold on the breakaway territory." more ›

The Daily News reports that "local Georgians are planning to march from the UN to the Russian Consulate Thursday afternoon to protest the conflict in their native country." They will meet at 3 p.m., in front of hte U.N., and will begin the march at 4 p.m. In the meantime, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says Russia will, per the Times, "act as an international guarantor of the two pro-Russian enclaves at the center of the crisis," which flies in the face of President Bush's request that "the sovereign and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.” U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation." more ›

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered a halt to military action in Georgia, saying, "I have taken the decision to end the operation to force Georgian authorities into peace...The aggressor has been punished and suffered significant losses." The aggressor being Georgia, which tried to take back separatist state South Ossetia back, leading to the Russian army to step in. However, fighting has seems to be continuing. Yesterday, President Bush denounced Russia's earlier actions, "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century," and that the incident had "substantially damaged Russia's standing in the world." The U.S.'s largest Georgian enclave is in NYC, mostly in Brooklyn. more ›

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