Gates asked for Gen. McKiernan’s resignation after talking with Petraeus, getting Pres. Obama’s okay. Ouch. And that’s the door that just hit you, sir. Abu Muqawama, who served with McChrystal: I do know that many policy-makers and journalists think that McChrystal’s work as the head of the super-secret Joint Special Operations Command was the untold [...]
Tag Archives | military
No Guts
If this plays out like this story is being reported, nobody should feel good about it. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and officer in the Army National Guard who is fluent in Arabic and who returned recently from Iraq, received notice today that the military is about to fire him. Why? Because he came [...]
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What About Israel’s Nukes?
It has finally been uttered, down the chain, but uttered nonetheless. Via Eli Lake: Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, speaking Tuesday at a U.N. meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said Israel should join the treaty, which would require Israel to declare and relinquish its nuclear arsenal. “Universal adherence to the NPT itself, [...]
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Survivor Times
via Huffington Post What do Pres. Karzai of Afghanistan and the current crop of Republicans have in common? George W. Bush was their patron, but isn’t anymore, so they’re finding themselves in dire straights in Obama’s time. There’s a lengthy article in the Washington Post that lays it all out, but this gives you a [...]
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Gingrich Invokes Hitler at AIPAC
It was a real crowd pleaser, greeted with thunderous applause. Mr. Gingrich knows his audience. A large majority of Israeli Jews support military action aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to a survey sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League. – Haaretz Mr. Gingrich’s speech is quite a stem winder. Watch it if you have the [...]
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The Beast that Reagan Built
Hannity isn’t going to like this one. He’s been running back to daddy, aka Ronald Reagan, ever since the Republican collapse became evident. That the message is being sent by Jeb Bush, someone conservatives love, will make it even more difficult to take. Shorter Jeb: Time to leave Reagan behind. “So our ideas need to [...]
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Round the World, and a Saudi Demand
Nobody really pays enough attention to our relationships with the Saudis. But if we want anything done in the Middle East, especially since Egypt and Hamas don’t exactly play well together, according to all the experts I’ve been listening to recently, the Saudis will have to play, perhaps, the major role, beyond the U.S. It’s [...]
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It’s Anyone’s Guess on Iraq
Meanwhile, Gates and Clinton ask for more money, amidst questions about Iraq violence. All of this comes as the first real test to the US-Iraq security pact becomes real. Maliki has called a recent U.S. raid a “crime,” saying he wants U.S. soldiers turned over. Immunity was a big sticking point to the security agreement [...]
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Gen. James Jones: ‘Bad News Doesn’t Improve with Age’
As if on cue, today I get an answer to my piece yesterday, with the revelations in David Ignatius scoop sure to send chills down the neoconservatives over in Netanyahu land. Jones is an activist on the Palestinian issue, which he lists as a top priority for the new administration. He wants the United States [...]
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Avigdor Lieberman: ‘We are not talking about a military attack’
“I am certain it is possible and certainly necessary to act with all our might to achieve peace even before I turn 70, which will be in three years,” said Defense Minister Ehud Barak in his first extensive interview since joining the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. – Via Haaretz We simply cannot fall [...]
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Liveblogging U.S./Saudi Relations Void Equilibrium
*This is a live Twitter feed.* –updated – more here – 9:03:14 AM: Chuck Hagel just arrived, gttng ready to speak. Traffic was murder this morning. 9:06:51 AM: Dr. Zbig just walked by w/ Clemons, who stopped, introdced me: “one of the great blogs.” Z nto blogs. 9:22:07 AM: Hagel: BO n office less than [...]
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Exceptions to Iraq Pull Out Surface
–updated– When I read this report (excerpted below), all I thought of was the debate where Obama and Clinton (as well as Edwards) said they couldn’t promise to be out of Iraq by 2013. Obama stating that we “should” have them out, but that he wouldn’t make promises “not knowing what the situation’s going to [...]
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Remember When 60% Supported the Iraq War?
Does the U.S. have any obligations under treaties and international law regarding torture? Glenn Greenwald did an interview with U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture that sheds light on the answer. An excerpt: MN: Yes. The United States of America is a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture from 1984, which clearly contains the [...]
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CLINTON MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO IRAQ
“Are there going to be bad days? Yes, there are… If you look at the evidence, overwhelmingly the progress that’s been made has been positive.” – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Surprise. Surprise. After bombings and killings all week, Clinton lands in Iraq today. “We want to display and reinforce our continuing commitment to the [...]
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Middle East Gamesmanship, and Michael Oren
“For Israel to get the kind of strong support it’s looking for vis-a-vis Iran it can’t stay on the sideline with respect to the Palestinian and the peace efforts, that they go hand-in-hand.” – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Clinton’s response to Bibi’s ultimatum was clear and cutting. Though this is often like tea leaf [...]
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