NOTE: Blogger, the platform upon which this blog is constructed, was able to reload News Nuggets 629 from Thursday. Check it out if you missed it!!
Two related national security items up front:
Slow Dance: Obama's Romance with the CIA (Michael Hirsh) from the National Journal
"Tough but secret: Obama’s strategy relies on surprise airstrikes and stealth raids. How the president learned to stop worrying and love hard power—as long as it’s covert. The future of American-style war."
Then Came ‘Geronimo’ (Marc Ambinder) from the National Journal
"JSOC was intimately involved in the killing of bin Laden, and the operations command remains one of the most formidable and least-understood elements in America’s military arsenal. The story of how JSOC works is essential to understanding not only how the world’s most-wanted terrorist ended up dead but also how this president and future presidents are likely to wage war."
Osama Bin Laden Wanted To Kill President Obama from ABC News
"Among the things they've learned is that the al Qaeda leader wanted to find a way to kill President Obama. Meanwhile, the first revenge attack for the bin Laden raid has killed 80 outside a military training center in Pakistan, and President Obama has acknowledged that threats against his own grandmother from another al Qaeda group are being closely monitored."
What We've Learned So Far from Bin Laden's Journal (John Hudson) from the Atlantic
"On Wednesday U.S. intelligence officials began leaking a range of intimate details about Osama bin Laden gleaned from his personal journal and hard drives recovered from his compound. The first portraits reveal a tireless leader, deeply enmeshed in Al Qaeda's command structure and involved in a range of projects and functions."
Signs of Leadership Void as Al Qaeda Pushes On from the New York Times
"...with a handful of flawed or little-known candidates ready to succeed Bin Laden, but no one with his status and charisma, the future of the network’s old hub is uncertain. Some American intelligence analysts believe that the fact that more than 10 days have passed without the announcement of a successor could be a sign of a power struggle."
SEAL Helmet Cams Recorded Entire bin Laden Raid from CBS News
"More accurate version of what happened includes details that bin Laden first emerged on third floor, retreated to bedroom after shot fired."
Special Report: The bin Laden Kill Plan from Reuters via RealClearWorld
"The mission to destroy bin Laden, and his network, sparked the creation of a chillingly bureaucratic process for deciding who would be on "kill lists," authorized for death at the hands of the CIA. It revolutionized the use of pilotless drones to find and attack militants; drove the controversially brutal treatment of detainees in U.S. custody; and brought the United States and Pakistan closer together, then wrenched them apart."
Bin Laden Raid: Neighbors Say Pakistan Knew from the Global Post
"Pakistani security agents told residents in Abbottabad to stay inside and turn off their lights hours before the raid took place."
In Pak, Humiliation of the Military Men from the Economist [of London]
"CPakistanis cannot agree what is more shocking, that bin Laden had skulked in a military town so close to the capital, Islamabad, or that Americans nipped in to kill him without meeting the least resistance. Either way, they know to blame the humiliated men in uniform. Columnists and bloggers even call for army bosses to fall on their swagger sticks.."
Confessions of a Vulcan: An Insider's Story of How the Bush Administration Lost Afghanistan (Dov Zakheim) from the Foreign Policy Magazine
It is SO RARE that one ever sees any meaningful self-reflection much less contrition from neo-cons, this is at least a start.
"I was a Vulcan. I was, in other words, one of the original members of a group of eight who advised Bush on foreign and national security policy issues as he made his first run for the White House. ... The administration's shortcomings were not a consequence of criminality, or moral debasement, or stupidity, or a lack of patriotism and good intentions, as so many frenzied anti-Bush ideologues have charged and, to all appearances, actually believe. The shortcomings were instead a consequence, above all, of the inherent novelty and difficulty of the challenges the administration faced but also of deficiencies of management, understanding, and forethought."
I hate to be a bad sport -- but I think the author still dramatically understates the enormous criminality, moral debasement, and stupidity ...
Why Iran Misses Bin Laden (Meir Javedanfar) from The Diplomat
"Osama bin Laden was an enemy of Iran. So why have Iranian politicians and official media been so reluctant to welcome his death?"
Arab Dynasties Lure Jordan, Morocco into Anti-Iran Bloc from Reuters News Service
"Rich Gulf Arab dynasties have reacted to upheaval in the Arab world by inviting fellow monarchies Jordan and Morocco to join their club as they seek ways to combat domestic unrest and a perceived Iranian threat."
Fatah-Hamas Deal Calls Israel's Bluff (Henry Siegman) from the National Interest
"If Prime Minister Netanyahu were more interested in the security of Israel’s citizens, particularly those in Sderot who have been exposed to Hamas’ rocket assaults, than in holding on to Israel’s colonial project in the West Bank, he would have welcomed the reconciliation of Fatah and Hamas and their decision to rely henceforth on diplomacy and nonviolent resistance to the occupation for the achievement of a Palestinian state."
What Four Miles of Yemeni Protesters Looks and Sounds Like (PHOTOS & VIDEO) from the Atlantic
The video of the demonstrations is breath-taking! I had no idea the scope of things in Sanaa!
"On the same day that Ali Abdullah Saleh defiantly pledged to "defend" his country "by all means" and warned protesters to "stop playing with fire," Reuters reports that armored vehicles, troops, and military academy students with batons fanned out across the capital, Sanaa, as a "sea of protesters" gathered in a main street for four miles straight, chanting "we are steadfast, you leader of the corrupt" and "peaceful, peaceful, no to civil war."
The Tony Awards (Roger Cohen) from the New York Times
"Criticism of Israel is not betrayal of Israel. The Kushner affair, like the Judt affair before it, is important in that Israel’s political compass is guided to some degree by its sense of the American mood. That mood, beginning in the White House, is of growing impatience"
As it should be.
Here's Your Reading List of Middle East Blogs, Mr. President (David Kenner) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Well, Mr. President, we have some late-night reading suggestions for you."
Auto Bailout Could be Obama Secret Weapon from Politico
"With General Motors back on its feet — it announced $2 billion in new investments at 18 GM plants Tuesday – and losses from the government’s intervention shaping up to be minimal, Democrats hope to punish Republican presidential candidates for their early opposition. The party is building the groundwork for that argument in the key swing states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania, and using it to target the blue collar voters whose allegiance Obama has struggled to retain. "
Seniors, Guns and Money (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"Well, it’s time, said the signatories, to “wipe the slate clean.” How very convenient — and how very pathetic. Anyway, the truth is that older Americans really should fear Republican budget ideas — and not just because of that plan to dismantle Medicare."
War Fatigue in House GOP from Politico
"A newfound restlessness about the decadelong war in Afghanistan has reached the highest levels of the House Republican leadership, sparking serious concerns about war funding and murmurs about troop withdrawal — a sign that the GOP may be undergoing a shift in thinking about overseas intervention."
I wondered if I would EVER live to see the day ... when Republicans would actually tire of war. Will miracles never cease?! If this is the ONE legacy left by the Tea Party crowd, it will have been worth the years of enduring their nutiness!
How Republicans Became the Party of Deficits (Steve Kornacki) from Salon
"There is very little disagreement: Deficits are one of the chief threats to America -- but they can never be tackled by raising taxes; in fact, taxes must be lowered. The prevalence of this contradictory posture in the GOP is a relatively recent phenomenon. And while the story of how it has taken hold is long and involved, it can be argued that there are really two critical turning points in the modern era."
Mitt Romney’s Illogical, Terrible Health-Care Address (Avik Roy) from National Review
"His effort to make a distinction between Romneycare and Obamacare was not persuasive: If anything, he convincingly made the opposite case, that Romneycare and Obamacare are based on the same fundamental concept."
Tom Coburn Helped Cover Up John Ensign Affair: Senate Ethics Report from the Huffington Post
"Coburn, a friend of Ensign’s who confronted him about the adultery, became involved as an intermediary in negotiations between Ensign and Doug Hampton. The former aide sought money from Ensign in spring 2009. Coburn negotiated the payment to Doug Hampton down from $8 million to about $2.8 million, according to the report."
Wow. Sounds like Coburn was (literally) the bagman! I wonder what his "family values" constituents will think?
Rick Santorum Caught Up In John Ensign Affair: Senate Ethics Report from the Associated Press via the Huffington Post
"Santorum, formerly a Pennsylvania senator and now a presidential candidate touting family values, is only one of many political and spiritual figures drawn into the tale of Ensign's sexual misconduct, political dealings and personal ruin that led to the senator's resignation May 3 and a scathing Senate ethics committee report this week."
Taking Back the States from the Nation
"In Republican "trifecta" states, the backlash against the GOP's radical social agenda has begun."
The Post-Wisconsin Game Plan (John Nichols) from the Nation
"Under attack, labor and its allies are redirecting energy and resources to state-level fights."
Could Scott Walker’s Overreach Cost GOP a Senate Seat They Might Have Won?(Greg Sargent) from the Washington Post
"The months long war in the state over Scott Walker’s effort to strip public employees of their bargaining rights has galvanized the Democratic Party in Wisconsin in a major way and — if polls showing the unpopularity of Walker’s proposals are any guide — has tilted independents and moderates in the state against GOP rule."
Ohio: A New Kind of Battleground (Amy Hanauer) from the Nation
"Facing a state budget that guts public jobs and services, a progressive coalition comes alive."
The Right-Wing Talk-Radio Flame Out (John Avlon) from the Deadly Beast
"Ratings for Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other hyper-partisans are declining as listeners seek honest talk from hosts like Michael Smerconish over angry rants. A more civil conversation will add value to our political debate, writes John Avlon."
The Medical Mystery of Mitt Romney (Dana Milbank) from the Washington Post
"From China this week came the rare news that twin girls had been born with a single body and two heads. Here in America, though, we have an even more unusual case: Two people conjoined in the body of a 64-year-old man. His name is Mitt Romney."
Romney is Not the Front-Runner; No One Is (Michael Barone) from the Washington Examiner
"In two Washington Post articles this morning Mitt Romney is referred to as the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination. ... Presumed by whom? Seen by whom?"
Jon Stewart: Newt Gingrich Is a Boring Old Square (VIDEO) from Talking Points Memo
"No matter how hard he tries, Newt Gingrich will always be uncool, according to Jon Stewart"
HILARIOUS!!
BUDDHISM NUGGET!!
Buddha's 2,555th Birthday Celebrated In South Korea (PHOTOS) from the Huffington Post
"South Koreans took to the streets this week in honor of what is believed to be Buddha's 2,555th birthday"
The photos of these celebrations are an astonishing mix of the traditional and the wildly post-modern. Check them out!
COLD WAR HISTORY NUGGET!!
Not sure what to make of this one.
The Truth About Area 51 Revealed by Annie Jacobsen (Annie Jacobsen) from the Daily Beast
"In her explosive new book, Area 51, investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen reveals top government secrets about what really happened at the site and nuclear accidents. She explains how she uncovered the real story."
TECHNOLOGY NUGGET!!
Is It a Plane? Is It a Train? No... it's BOTH: Levitating Locomotive Developed by Japanese Scientists from the Daily Mail [of the UK]
"It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel - trains that fly through the air. But levitating locomotives are very much a reality thanks to Japanese researchers who have developed a train with wings and propellers that can fly along a track."
ENERGY NUGGET!!
The State of Big Oil from Foreign Policy Magazine
A series of articles dealing with the global situation concerning the big oil companies -- well worth checking out!
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