IPS Writers in the Blogosphere

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New Syrian opposition gains some diplomatic support, US embrace still absent

From On November 16, 2012 · Leave a Comment

via Lobe Log

The Syrian National Coalition, formed in Qatar last week through a US-led international initiative, has gained two important diplomatic victories in the past few days. NATO member Turkey has formally recognized the body as Syria’s legitimate government, while the BBC reports that France — one of the leaders of [...]

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Drones and COIN, Post-Petraeus

From On November 14, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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In what is sure to be one of the most glaringly obvious headlines written about the General Petraeus-Paula Broadwell affair, the Washington Post writes: “Petraeus hoped affair would stay secret and he could keep his job as CIA director.”

Clearly, things did not go according to plan. Right after the [...]

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Just a Tuesday, like any other, for US drone strikes

From On November 9, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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Election Day in the United States was — as it has been since 1845 — a Tuesday, which meant that it also coincided with “Terror Tuesday,” the label attached to the meetings held by President Obama and his inner national security circle to discuss and authorize drone strikes based on the Administration’s [...]

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WaPo on the “disposition matrix,” the CIA’s next-generation kill list

From On October 27, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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The Washington Post‘s Greg Miller has begun a three-part series on the future of the Obama Administration’s counterterrorism drone strike program, which will include a “next-generation targeting list” (aka “kill list”) in the form of a “dipposition matrix”.

Though the White House, CIA, JSOC and ODNI declined comment requests, the article cites [...]

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New York Times reports US to sit down with Tehran; White House issues partial denial

From On October 21, 2012 · Leave a Comment

The New York Times reported this weekend that the Obama Administration has agreed to hold direct negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding its nuclear program.

Both sides have reportedly agreed that the talks will not take place until after the presidential election, a senior administration official was quoted as saying. The Iranian [...]

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Major US Newspapers Criticize Obama’s Approach to Syrian Crisis

From On October 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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The New York Times reports that despite US reluctance to arm Islamist actors in Syria, that’s happening as the US does little to vet the actions of its partners Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Though the amount of aid flowing to the badly-equipped rebels is still relatively small as other on-the-ground [...]

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NYT Public Editor questions paper’s drone coverage

From On October 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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In what is hopefully a wake-up call for US news media, the New York Time’s public editor, Margaret Sullivan, has called on the paper to challenge its sources on the vagueness of the information they provide on drone strikes:

Some of the most important reporting on drone strikes has been done [...]

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Biden, Ryan spar over Iran policy in debate

From On October 12, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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In last night’s vice presidential debate moderated by ABC News’s Martha Raddatz, Vice President Joe Biden and GOP nominee Paul Ryan (R-WI) focused extensively on the Iranian nuclear program and the US-Israeli response to it. Ryan sought to portray Obama Administration’s public disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as [...]

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Former Secretary of Defense Harold Brown urges US arming of Syrian rebels

From On October 11, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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Jimmy Carter’s former Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, who now serves on a the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee, writes that the US should work with regional allies to unite Syrian opposition movements that are in line with Western priorities and arm them:

So, what should be done? In my view, [...]

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Andrea Mitchell challenges Dan Senor on Iran sanctions

From On October 10, 2012 · Leave a Comment

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In a wide-ranging interview, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell discussed Mitt Romney’s foreign policy speech with neoconservative Romney-adviser Dan Senor, challenging him over his intimation that the Obama administration lacked the will to increase sanctions on Iran two years ago:

SENOR: They talk about all these tough sanctions that they [...]

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