httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRVnRNngelU&eurl What seems like ages ago, Rush Limbaugh launched into a ownership tirade of the TV series “24,” but most specifically Jack Bauer, saying he was obviously a Republican. I wasn’t surprised, but as a fan of the show I was infuriated. How could a television show and character belong to any party? After all, [...]
Tag Archives | national security
Panetta and Blair Announced; Steve Kappes Stays
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf1eN7yXWlQ&eurl Today at the announcement (with a brief statement on Iran included in the video above): “… under my administration, the United States does not torture. We will abide by the Geneva Conventions. That we will uphold our highest values and ideals. And that is a clear charge I have given to Admiral Blair and [...]
Obama’s BlackBerry Battle
It says something about the man who will be president that he is fighting hard to stay connected to the outside world. Battling the bubble. It’s critical to remain plugged in to reality. “They’re going to pry it out of my hands,” the president-elect said.[...] But in the interview Wednesday, Obama suggested keeping his BlackBerry [...]
John Brennan as Obama’s Counterterrorism Guru
According to the New York Times, John Brennan is back and it looks like he may get Richard Clarke’s old job. It also appears as if Obama is going to reorganize the way we approach counterterrorism. The plan being discussed would eliminate the independent homeland security adviser’s office and assign those duties to the National [...]
The Set Up and The Sting
by Paul Szep Well, this is getting messy. Jeff Stein is reporting more disgruntled intel folks over the Panetta pick. This is just noise, because Panetta has plenty of support where it’s needed and Obama should get whomever he wants at the C.I.A., but the reaction should have been foreseen and a strong front prepared. [...]
Reaction on Panetta
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4U3OLLTOjk&eurl=http://taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=28945&feature=player_embedded Cressey has a logical argument for Panetta in the video above, while what I’m getting is that sources can’t comment because they don’t know Panetta at all. Others tell me that their intel sources aren’t upset over Panetta. Laura Rozen over at her new blog at FP has collected some reaction from former intel [...]
Smoke Signals
“We cannot and we must not use torture under any circumstances. We are better than that.” – Leon Panetta The New York Times is reporting that Obama’s choice for the C.I.A. is Leon Panetta. It continues the signals the president-elect sent earlier today on Justice. The Office of Legal Counsel is getting a heroine, Dawn [...]
Netanyahu’s Focus is Regime Change in Gaza
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFetOsLOQVk The Israeli government wants to remove the threat of Hamas shooting rockets into Israel. Simple goal, however difficult it might be to achieve. Mr. Netanyahu on the other hand made his position clear today with Wolf Blitzer. Call it an election year dividing line, at the very least. The current Israeli government has one [...]
Madame Secretary
This is a great day. A proud day. It’s hard to know where to begin. I have traveled a long road with Hillary Clinton over the last many months. There have been incredible highs and very low lows. I’ve walked beside her, had her back, cleared the path as best I could for people to [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
Obama’s National Security Team
–updated– “I will be giving Secretary Gates and our military a new mission as soon as I take office. Responsibly ending the war in Iraq, through a successful transition to Iraqi control. … As Bob said not too long ago. Afghanistan is where the war on terror began and that’s where it is where it [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
The New National Security Presence
Today we’ll see President-elect Obama’s team announced, beginning the great shift away from Bush-Cheney. The shift would create a greatly expanded corps of diplomats and aid workers that, in the vision of the incoming Obama administration, would be engaged in projects around the world aimed at preventing conflicts and rebuilding failed states. However, it is [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
Obama’s First Gift
via National Peace Foundation, circa 2006 The article Obama was hoping someone would write: Some in Arab World Wary of Clinton. There is possibly no person President-elect Barack Obama considered for secretary of state who is more reliably pro-Israel than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), the woman to whom he appears likely to give the [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
On Hillary at State
“On track” for Secretary of State. With Clinton at State, reports saying she’s accepted, which I frankly never doubted, the choice of Gen. Jim Jones for national security advisor adds more strength, but one that will likely cause caterwauling. The pieces of the national security puzzle are fitting slowly into place revealing that President-elect Obama [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
Bill ‘Helping’ Hillary to Become the Next Secretary of State
Well no kidding. Reporters have to write something, especially when facing the biggest story of the post-election season. But in their rush, most are stumbling over themselves, as are talking head hosts and their guests on cable. But it was Ken Vogel of Politico who really nailed it today, saying something I’ve already warned about. [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
Military Changes
Remembering Bill Clinton running into this wall brings back horrific political memories. But this 2008. It’s time and there are a lot of flag ranked officers who agree. More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday for repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays so they can serve openly, according [...]
Read full story · Comments are closed
Recent Comments