Kandahar Update- June 19, 2008 KANDAHAR UPDATE....Yesterday I was puzzled by reports suggesting that the Taliban was preparing for a major, straight-up battle with NATO forces near Kandahar. Today, Afghan and NATO forces swept through the area and it turned out the Taliban didn't want...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013939.php FISA Update- June 19, 2008 FISA UPDATE....The House vote on the "compromise" FISA bill might come as soon as Friday. Details here from bmaz....http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013938.php The End Game in Iraq- June 19, 2008 THE END GAME IN IRAQ....Lt. Col. David Kilcullen, a retired Australian army officer who has worked closely with Gen. David Petraeus, believes it's important for the United States to get out of Iraq. "Our large-scale presence, although essential for current...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013937.php Tort Reform on Steroids- June 19, 2008 TORT REFORM ON STEROIDS....Via Josh, I learn that Blackwater has filed a motion in a lawsuit claiming that since the mishap they're being sued for (a plane crash) happened in Afghanistan, the lawsuit should be adjudicated via sharia law, not...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013936.php More Drilling- June 18, 2008 MORE DRILLING....A reader asks:I'd be interested in your take on what impact extra drilling would have on gas prices and on our dependence on foreign oil.The short answer is: not much. The immediate, direct impact would, of course, be zero,...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013935.php More Curveball- June 18, 2008 MORE CURVEBALL....At this point, we already know as fully and completely as we ever will that "Curveball," the Iraqi source who convinced German and American intelligence that Saddam Hussein had an active bioweapons program, was a complete fraud. At least,...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013934.php Obama's Foreign Policy Brain Trust- June 18, 2008 OBAMA'S FOREIGN POLICY BRAIN TRUST....I'm not on Barack Obama's mailing list, but Matt is, and he's got the complete list of Obama's recently named "National Security Working Group." Turns out it's.....kind of dull: Albright, Christopher, Nunn, Perry, Hamilton, etc. etc....http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013933.php The Latest Polls- June 18, 2008 THE LATEST POLLS....Over at FiveThirtyEight &x2014; a site that's endlessly fascinating and therefore a site to be generally avoided if you want to get any work done &x2014; Nate Silver says that he predicted the unity bounce following Hillary Clinton's...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013932.php Afghanistan- June 18, 2008 AFGHANISTAN....The news from Afghanistan these days isn't just bad, it's weird:Local officials and villagers near Kandahar said the Taliban, who pushed into the area Sunday night, were laying mines, blocking roads and culverts and destroying footbridges, apparently preparing to do...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013931.php Quote of the Day- June 18, 2008 QUOTE OF THE DAY....From Mark Fallon, deputy commander of the Defense Department's Criminal Investigation Task Force, reacting to administration proposals to torture Guantanamo detainees back in October 2002:"This looks like the kind of stuff Congressional hearings are made of. Someone...http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_06/013930.php |