News Nuggets 761

The Dallol Volvano region of Ethiopia. From the National Geographic.

American Jihadi Samir Khan Killed With Awlaki from ABC News
"A young American who edited al Qaeda's English-language magazine, and had urged Muslims to mount deadly attacks on U.S. targets, was killed in the same CIA drone strike that eliminated Anwar Awlaki in Yemen Friday, U.S. officials said."

More Than a Feeling (Daniel Byman) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Anwar al-Awlaki's killing is more than just a blow to al Qaeda -- it's a real victory for American security."

Afghanistan Haqqani Militant Haji Mali Khan Captured from the BBC
"A senior leader of the militant Haqqani network, Haji Mali Khan, has been captured in Afghanistan, the Nato-led international force Isaf has said."

Obama’s Anti-Terror Doctrine (Eli Lake & John Barry) from the Daily Beast
The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki is the latest prize of President Obama’s strategy of a smaller, quieter war on terror. Eli Lake and John Barry on the mix of “black” and “white” special forces—and the debate over al Qaeda’s current strength."

Another Obama Foreign Policy Success from Taegan Goddard's Political Wire
From First Read: "No president since George H.W. Bush has had more foreign-policy successes happen under his watch than President Obama. The death of bin Laden. The dismantling of al Qaeda. The ouster of Khaddafy. And the end of combat operations in Iraq. Yet when you look at polls and Obama's approval rating, he's getting almost no credit from the American public, a la Bush 41."
There are two links worth checking out here.


A similar sentiment here:
Obama’s Missing Bravado (Michael Tomasky) from the Daily Beast
"Obama has nearly decimated al Qaeda. Why doesn’t he brag about it? Michael Tomasky on liberals’ squeamishness at thumping their chests—and the endless victory lap that Bush would have taken."

Death From Above (Clive Irving) from the Daily Beast
"Comparatively inexpensive compared to other systems, drones like the one that killed Anwar al-Awlaki have demonstrated themselves to be nimble and deadly."

Russians Cling to Putin for Fear of Alternative (Seamus Martin) from the Irish Times
"I asked Russians why they liked Putin was a telling: “He doesn’t drink.” He also brought strict control of sections of the media, notably the national TV stations from which the large majority of Russians get their social and political information. This control, allied to the stability enjoyed by Russia’s citizens, places him in an unassailable position in the run-up to the elections."

Putin's Return and Washington's Reset With Russia: Why the New President Will Have to Play Nice With Obama  (Andrew Kuchins) from the journal, Foreign Affairs
"With Vladimir Putin now set to retake the Russian presidency, many are arguing that Washington's reset with Moscow is in jeopardy. Not so, as a rising China, cheap oil, and a need for international partners will force the Kremlin to play nice with the Obama administration."

Euro Crisis: The Biggest Story In American Politics And Nobody’s Talking About It from Talking Points Memo
"It could easily force the United States back into recession and become the issue on which the 2012 elections turn. But the national political press has all but ignored it, and none of the GOP's Presidential hopefuls have been asked about it in any of their endless series of debates."
This is one of the BIGGEST bug-a-boos I have about the MSM right now -- the Euro crisis and its potential impact on the US economy is TOO COMPLICATED and TOO MESSY and (after decades of treating American voters like dummies when it comes to foreign policy or ignoring the subject altogether), the vast majority of Americans now live in a political landscape distinguished almost solely by domestic political landmarks: the deficit; Obama's a 'socialist'; culture wars; the 2012 election; and on and on and on.  When it has come to foreign policy (and global economics especially) the media (from across the ideological spectrum) simply stopped treating American voters like adults who actually NEEDED TO KNOW SOMETHING and chose instead to go for the easiest-to-write domestic political stories.  Anyone who routinely checks out European news sources immediately gets how stupid and uninformed most Americans are.  NOW we see the cost!  As the Euro crisis unfolds and begins dragging the US economy back into the dumper, most Americans (and even most pundits I will argue) are profoundly unprepared.  Mass incomprehension is what's in store.  But, fear not, our contemporary cast of domestic demagogues will happily fill in ALL of the blanks soon enough!

And if that story hasn't received enough attention, consider this one:
Falling Like a BRIC... (Cullen Roche) from Pragmatic Capitalism
"With everything that’s going on in Europe and the continuing political charade in America, you might easily be distracted. But there’s another far more important story developing in other regions of the world. And in my opinion, it’s as important and perhaps more important than these other headline grabbers out of Europe and America. In the last few months we have seen a persistent weakness in trends out of the BRIC nations."

On the Wall Street Protesters -- Can You Hear Them Now? (Peter Catapano) from the New York Times
"... the image of the pilots provided a strong visual contrast to the ongoing protests, and raised the question of whether the media coverage of them has been sufficient, or fair. In the nearly two weeks since the protests began, that debate has been heated."
An interesting compliment to my discussion from yesterday concerning "what do the protesters want?"  I'm fascinated by the variety of answers people come up with to this (in my view) make-or-break question.

Rich People are Being ‘Demonized’ for Flaunting their Wealth. Poor Dears! (Barbara Ehrenreich) from the Washington Post
"Admirers of the rich, led by pundits and politicians on the right — from Laura Ingraham to Larry Kudlow — have long derided the victimization claims of African Americans, women, gays and the unemployed, but now they’re raising their voices to defend the rich against what they see as an ugly tide of “demonization.” ... But even beyond the taxes-and-deficits debate, in which wealthy Americans have been routinely characterized as yacht owners and corporate-jet fliers, the rich have indeed suffered a few blows to their self-esteem."
A long-form look at how rarely the rich are criticized for anything.

Obama Supporters Score Early Victory in Ohio from ABC News
"Obama campaign volunteers and a coalition of Democratic-aligned advocacy organizations gathered more than 318,000 signatures to effectively block new Republican-sponsored voting restrictions from taking effect through the next year, the groups announced today."

Don’t Do It, Chris! (Matt Lattimer) from the Daily Beast
"If New Jersey Gov. Christie actually joins the 2012 presidential race, he risks a rapid fall from grace. Just ask Rudy, Fred, and Rick. Matt Latimer on the dangers of heeding your fans."

On the GOP Pres Race, Late Night Snark Wins C&J Straw Poll from Daily Kos
Some HILARIOUS excerpts from late night TV!
Example: "[Herman Cain] just kicked Rick Perry's Caucasian ass up and down the state of Florida, proving that politics sometimes is like a porn movie. … Y'know, a pizza guy shows up out of nowhere and fucks you." ---Daily Show "Senior Black Correspondent" Larry Wilmore"

MIRACLE NUGGET!!
Sarah Churman, Deaf Woman, Hears Herself For First Time (VIDEO) from the Huffington Post
"Sarah Churman, 29, was born deaf. Until recently, she had never heard the sound of her own voice. But thanks to a hearing implant, Churman was finally given that ability. Watch the powerful video below in which Churman hears herself speaking for the first time."

WORLD WAR II NUGGET!!
The Nuremberg Scripts (Joe Nocera) from the New York Times
"For the next five months, Burson was one of two soldiers who reported on the trial and produced a daily “script,” which was read over the air by the network’s announcers. ... My response was immediate: Could I see his scripts? A few days later, a thick binder landed on my desk. As I began to read the old, typewritten scripts, I found myself marveling as well, for different reasons than Burson. ... The “you-are-there” quality of Burson’s scripts — written with a fellow corporal, Sy Bernhard — is completely gripping, as good as anything done by the famous correspondents covering the trial, like Howard K. Smith, then of CBS News."