The War on Terror-and-Drugs Turns Inward
The Treasury Department named the US-Central American gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) a Transnational Criminal Organization, meaning it can apply terrorist-type financial sanctions against the group and its members.
This strikes me as a worrying…
Obama Provides Paper Protection for Whistleblowers ... Why Now?
Yesterday, Obama issued an Executive Order setting up nominal protection for national security whistleblowers who go to their chain of command (though not, apparently, the Special Counsel or Congress).
While they caution this doesn't amount…
Someone Doesn't Want the Sanaa Embassy Storming Investigated
I have hesitated to comment on this Thomas Joscelyn piece, which basically plays a game of Six Degrees of Osama bin Laden to suggest al Qaeda "was responsible" for all the attacks on US diplomatic locations last month. Partly, Joscelyn pulled…
Instead of Arab-Specific SARS, Iran Should Be on Alert for Anthrax
On Tuesday, I wrote about the suggestion published by Iran's PressTV that Israeli and British scientists are seeking to develop a version of the SARS virus that would attack only people of Arab descent. Such an approach is not genetically feasible.…
Even Dana Milbank Wonders Why Darrell Issa Is Doing Mike Rogers' Job
After it became clear that the Republicans hoped to use the Benghazi attack to turn Obama into Jimmy Carter, I predicted what would happen as Darrell Issa and Romney surrogate Jason Chaffetz investigated: there would be trouble with classified…
Nation-Building, 12 Years Later
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Remember how central to the 2000 Presidential campaign nation-building was?
It was all in the context of the Kosovo effort, of course, an intervention that elicited horrified cries about Executive overreach…
A New Security Reality Challenges Our Ability to Practice Diplomacy in Dangerous Places
The second witness at the Oversight Hearing on Benghazi, the former Regional Security Officer for Libya, Eric Nordstrom, addressed a topic that has gotten lost in discussions of the attack: the Benghazi attack may well be something new.
Let…
Why Was Eli Lake Getting Documents Democrats on Oversight Committee Not Getting?
I'll be livetweeting the Oversight Hearing on the Benghazi attack.
Elijah Cummings, in his opening statement, laid into Darrell Issa for his partisan treatment of this investigation. He revealed, among other things, that the Committee didn't…
"Brave" Taliban Gunmen Shoot Fourteen-Year-Old Girl in Head Because She Dares to Blog About School
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Three years ago, at the age of 11, Malala Yousafzai gained attention for her outspoken defense of education for girls in the face of Taliban oppression that vowed to bar girls…
Is Obama Preparing the "Vote for Me or Mitt Will Indefinitely Detain You" Pitch?
Jesselyn Raddack catches Obama promising to start talking about civil liberties on the campaign trail.
So on every issue domestically we’ve got differences, and I haven’t even -- we haven’t talked about the fact that my opponent feels…
Not The Onion? PressTV Claims British, Israeli Scientists Developing SARS Virus Targeting Arabs
After Iran's Fars News Agency was fooled last month by an article in The Onion, you might think Iran's press would be a bit more careful in what it chooses to publish, but PressTV today seems to have topped "rural white American voters prefer Ahmadinejad…
Big Bird Says Neither Obama Nor Mitt Know Who Our Bankster Enemies Are
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This ad is justifiably getting a lot of attention. It's well made, dramatic. And somewhat damning to Mitt Romney.
Seriously though. How does this help Obama?
Bernie Madoff. Ken Lay. Dennis Kozlowski. Criminals.…
The Evolution of the "Obama Doctrine" after Benghazi
The other day, I wondered whether using three C-130s to bring a team of FBI Agents to Benghazi was overkill. And while I was able to get some kind of explanation (1 transport, 1 decoy, 1 to bring the toys), given this report on all the Special…
Jonathan Chait Is Wrong about Debate Formats
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I'm not all that hung up on Obama's terrible performance in last Wednesday's debate or in the upcoming ones.
But I do think Jonathan Chait is wrong that the Jim Lehrer format was Obama's best chance because…
Emptywheel: Over 1 Million Amazing Readers Served
Sometime after 2AM ET last night, emptywheel.net received its 1 millionth visitor.
I had planned a big party to celebrate the milestone, but have been buried, as always and missed the event.
But I do want to thank all of the readers here…
Yet More Reason to Question Rafallah al-Sehati's Role in Benghazi Attack
You can't necessarily fault Eli Lake for the title the Daily Beast gave his latest entry in his efforts to help Romney surrogate Jason Chaffetz turn the Benghazi attack into Obama's Jimmy Carter: "Exclusive: Libya Cable Detailed Threats." Who…
Despite Military's Rosy Spin, Truth Coming From Afghanistan Highlights Civilian Casualties, Coming Political Meltdown
Even though ISAF continues its political spin claiming that the military's strategy leading to Afghanistan assuming full control of security in 2014 is progressing as planned, new information from two independent sources indicates that the situation…
Romney Surrogate Jason Chaffetz Goes to Dangerous, Scary Libya
Apparently, Jason Chaffetz would have you believe that Libya is so dangerous it requires we take a full-time military stance. But not so dangerous he can't do a quick political stunt "fact" "finding" trip to Libya with little warning. Predictably,…
What Kind of Custody Is It When You Secretly Hold an American at a Military Base?
Here's a fairly minor point about the Gregory Saathoff report on Manssor Arbabsiar, the Scary Iran Plotter.
For the 12 day period when he was being secretly interrogated without a lawyer, he was being held at a military base.
Although at…
Why Would the US Government Have Deconfliction Issues with Manssor Arbabsiar in 2010?
Before I look at the other ways Gregory Saathoff's report opining that Manssor Arbabsiar is not manic hurts the government's case, I want to discuss a rather curious citation Saathoff includes.
Troutman, D. (2010, January 13). Email to Virginia…