NSN Daily Update 1/12/09 Posted by The National Security Network

NSN's complete daily update, "A Comprehensive Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan," is available here.

What We're Reading

Yemen freed Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s former driver, two months after he was transferred to Yemeni custody from Guantanamo Bay.

Israel continues to push into urban Gaza.  Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that the elements are in place for a ceasefire agreement.  The Gaza crisis has allowed Tony Blair to re-emerge as a choice for a permanent EU president, pending final ratification of the Lisbon Treaty which would create such a position.

President Bush gave his final news conference, discussing Bush administration mistakes.

Time Magazine looks at how Iraq fills its quota for female politicians, sometimes through force.

Commentary of the Day

John R. Bolton criticizes the Bush administration for voting “present” on the UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire resolution and Condoleezza Rice for wanting to support the resolution.

Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at the Russian concept of political succession and the implications for Vladimir Putin.

Patrick Tyler outlines how U.S. presidents have tried to solve the Middle East since President Eisenhower.

William M. LeoGrande and Peter Kornbluh argue that President-elect Obama should normalize relations with Cuba.

Stephen I. Schwartz and Deepti Choubey examine how the United States spends more on its nuclear arsenal than on security from nuclear threats

Comments

[Don Bacon]

American presidents have never had an easy time in the Middle East.

I don't buy it. As the world's preeminent world power with Israel as a client state (or is it the other way around?) the US could have solved the I/P problem with a 'snap of the fingers' and avoided clashes in/with Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Iran if it had so chose. The US did not so choose because disorder = more military options = more power and profit. Thus "national security" becomes a major national industry which is unique in the world (except for the look-alike fore-mentioned client state).

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