News Nuggets 988

DAYLEE PICTURE: Da Hu Park in Taipei, Taiwan.  From the Daily Mail of the UK.

The Age of Unsatisfying Wars (John Nagl) from the New York Times
"Unsatisfying wars are the stock in trade of counterinsurgency; rarely will they look like a conventional victory."

Panetta: Patience with Pakistan 'Reaching Limits' from Google News 
"Panetta's explicit and repeated criticism of Pakistan's inaction, which he also voiced in his visit to India, appeared to signal a somewhat tougher stance and a suggestion that the U.S. is becoming even more willing and quick to strike terrorist targets inside Pakistan."
No surprise.  The US-Pak relationship is running out of rope, and I think a fundamental reassessment is in the offing from both sides -- if it hasn't already happened. India and Afghanistan and the former soviet central asian republics will become our new best regional buddies.  The Pakistani gov't (more the military really) is simply too much in bed with terrorist groups, and the Pakistani people are in no mood to do anything about it.

Skeptical?  Here's this related item:
New US Leverage Seen in Talks With Pakistan from the Associated Press via ABC News
"Now the U.S. may have a little more leverage on its side, thanks to an agreement struck with some Central Asian countries to carry NATO equipment out through their territory. Before this week's agreement, Pakistan provided the only available land route to pull out gear."

And another:
The Perils of Nation Rebuilding: Sesame Street and the Corruption of Pakistan (Jacob Heilbrunn) from the National Interest
"When an innocent children's show ends up being pilfered for dollars, it's time to rethink Washington's aid plan."

Israel's Military Secret (Bruce Riedel) from the National Interest 
"Revelations about Israel's nuclear-weapons program send a clear message to Tehran. The mullahs are outclassed and outgunned."

China Cuts Lending Rate as Its Economic Growth Slows from the New York Times
The quarter-point cut by China’s central bank is the strongest measure taken by the government to counteract the economic malaise that has infected Europe and the United States."

The Great Recession Once Again Proves Education is Important Matthew O'Brien) from the Atlantic
"The bad economy has been bad for everybody, but especially for people without a degree."

How Romney's Electoral Vote Goal Falls Short (Molly Ball) from the Atlantic
"His "route to 270" strategy relies on faulty math. ... The route to 270 doesn't arrive at its destination, at least not through the states cited alone. If Romney wins the seven states his pollster points to, he winds up with 260 electoral votes."

Bill in a China Shop (John Dickerson) from Slate
"What’s up with Bill Clinton? Has he lost his touch or is he playing a more devious game?

GOP Outplaying Its Wisconsin Hand (Markos Moulitsas) from Daily Kos 
"The reality is, yesterday's election was better than any phone poll, because it gave us the voting preferences of two and a half million actual voters, and this is what the exit polls tell us: If the presidential election were today, for whom would you vote? Barack Obama 51 Mitt Romney 44"

The Cure for the Tea Party? (Norman Ornstein) from Salon
"Norm Ornstein tells Salon how California’s new primary system could help combat the biggest problem in Washington."

George W. Bush Least Popular Living Ex-President, Poll Shows from Politico 
"Three and a half years after leaving office, a survey Thursday shows that former President George W. Bush remains unpopular among a majority of Americans — the only living president with an under 50 percent approval rating. Only 43 percent of respondents had a favorable view of Bush, compared with 54 percent who had an unfavorable view, according to a CNN/ORC poll."

Melvin Sister to be Fired, 8 Aides to be Furloughed from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Nine state Supreme Court employees who worked in suspended Justice Joan Orie Melvin's Downtown office soon will be out of a job while she fights criminal corruption charges, court officials said Tuesday."

NEW SPECIES NUGGET!!
Scientists Unveil 20 New Species ... Including a Giant Blue Scorpion and Massive Hairy Spider from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"To date, they have discovered more than 1,300 species new to science - although so far only 500 or so have been formally described by taxonomists, in terms of classification and naming. And now, to celebrate their 20 years of cataloguing, the group has released 20 of their favourite finds."