US adds 7 nations to human trafficking blacklist

The Bush administration on Tuesday added seven nations, including several key US.allies in the Middle East, to its human trafficking blacklist, making them subject to possible sanctions. Among the new countries getting a failing grade were Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, which along with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Malaysia, join perennial offenders like Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria in the State Department's annual "Trafficking in Persons Report."