1 | Washington
Pot Persecution Up in Smoke
The U.S. Department of Justice has instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue medical-marijuana users or distributors as long as they are in compliance with state laws. Attorney General Eric Holder couched the directive as a commitment to the "efficient and rational use" of the Justice Department's limited resources. It marks a significant shift from Bush Administration policy, under which authorities raided dispensaries in the 13 states that currently permit residents with specific medical conditions, including AIDS and glaucoma, to toke up. While some advocacy groups hailed the measure--which codifies a plan loosely outlined by the Obama Administration in March--critics warned the guidelines could pave the way for more states to relax their marijuana laws or weaken enforcement.
2 | Boston
Terrorism Arrest
Federal authorities charged Tarek Mehanna, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen from Massachusetts, with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, alleging he planned to carry out a "violent jihad" by killing U.S. politicians, attacking American troops in Iraq and targeting customers at U.S. shopping malls. U.S. attorneys claim that Mehanna sought terrorist training in the Middle East in 2004 and worked with two other men on various plots designed to "kill, kidnap, maim or injure" U.S. citizens and soldiers from 2001 to 2008. Mehanna was indicted in January for lying to the FBI during another terrorist investigation.
3 | Warsaw
Mending Fences
One month after President Obama said he would scrap his predecessor's plans to place a U.S. missile-defense shield in Poland, Vice President Joe Biden announced that the East European ally would, in fact, host interceptors in a revamped version of the system. Obama's decision to remove Poland from the antiballistic-missile program had irked Warsaw, which viewed the deal as providing integral protection against potential long-range attacks.
4 | Vatican City
A Papal Power Play
In an apparent bid to boost its ranks by capitalizing on a rival's internal friction, the Vatican said it would make it easier for Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church while retaining their own traditions. The world's 80 million Anglicans have grown increasingly divided in recent years over their church's stance on same-sex unions and the ordination of women and gays, prompting fears of a schism. Some analysts say the Vatican's move could be perceived as predatory, potentially imperiling efforts in recent decades to foster dialogue between the churches.
5 | Madrid
Rolling Up ETA
Aitor Elizarán Aguilar, the political leader of the Basque separatist group ETA, and a top aide were captured in France on Oct. 19 amid a crackdown against the organization. The arrests followed the detention earlier this month of 10 accused members of a banned, ETA-linked political party; three military leaders have also been snared in the past year. Authorities have intensified their pursuit of the Spanish group since a 2006 bombing at Madrid's airport. ETA has been blamed for more than 820 deaths since 1968.
6 | Sudan
Carrots and Sticks