Over the past several months, more than 200 civilians have been killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance, remnants of Syria’s civil war. The overthrow of former dictator Bashar al-Assad last December, has led to 1.2 million Syrians returning home. But many cities, homes and farms are littered with lethal landmines left by the Syrian Army and other warring parties. Human rights groups are now calling for Syria’s interim government to make removing landmines a top priority.
(“Landmines in Syrian Kill Hundreds of Civilians Returning Home After the Fall of Assad,” Guardian, March 17, 2025)
U.S. citizen George Glezmann was released by the Taliban in Afghanistan on March 20 after two years in captivity. His release came after the first known visit by U.S. officials to Kabul since 2021, when the nation fell to the Taliban insurgency.
(“Trump Quietly Ups US Engagement with the Taliban,” Foreign Policy, March 26, 2025; “American Detained by the Taliban is Freed in Deal Mediated by Qatar,” CNN, March 20, 2025)
The Trump administration is limiting prosecution of cryptocurrency related crimes, and disbanding a key taskforce at the U.S. Department of Justice: The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, which was active in enforcement actions under the Biden administration. This is more evidence of the Trump regime backing off on white-collar criminal enforcement.
(“Justice Dept Scales Back Crypto Cases in Line With Trump Directives,” Washington Post 360, March 8, 2025)
