Obama National Security

Let's Finally Bury Bin Laden and Al Qaeda Through Our Engagement

Haris Tarin | Posted 05.09.2012

Read More: Government, Islam, Civic Engagement, National Security, American Muslims, Muslims, Community Organizing, Obama National Security, Western Muslims, Civil Rights, Osama Bin Laden, Politics News

It is time to address the proverbial elephant in the room. For the past decade, the relationship between Western Muslims -- especially American Muslims -- and their governments have been unable to move past the events of 9/11.

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Fewer Swords, Smaller Shields: Defining a New National Security Ethos

William Astore | Posted 05.09.2012

Read More: National Security, 9/11, Laissez-Faire, Obama National Security, Romney National Security, U.S. Military, Monroe Doctrine, Decade After 9/11, Politics News

Given all these swords and all these shields (and all of our frustrating wars and all of the lives spent), the key question of the 2012 presidential election should be: Are we truly more secure now than we were twelve years ago?

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National Security Leadership: A Litmus Test

Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld | Posted 05.23.2012

Read More: Iraq War Anniversary, Obama Iraq War, Natural Security Leadership, War-in-Iraq-Annivesary, Iraq, National Security, Iraq War, War in Iraq, Obama National Security, Obama Foreign Policy, Politics News

March 19th would mark nine years in Iraq -- had the president not drawn down our forces last year. This non-anniversary deserves a moment to recognize the importance of electing tough and smart civilian leaders.

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Obama's War on Journalism

Dan Kennedy | Posted 04.28.2012

Read More: John Ashcroft, Jay Carney, Espionage Act, George W. Bush, New York Times, Jake Tapper, ABC News, Bradley Manning, Wikileaks, Barack Obama, David Carr, National Security, Obama National Security, Media News

Kudos to David Carr of the New York Times for shining a light on an issue that doesn't attract nearly the attention that it should: the Obama administration's abuse of the Espionage Act, which in turn has led to a virtual war on journalism and free expression.

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Top Obama Adviser 'Not Sure' Romney Would Have Decided To Go After Bin Laden

HuffingtonPost.com | Dave Jamieson | Posted 01.09.2012

Read More: Obama Afghanistan, Video, Robert Gates, War in Afghanistan, 2012 Election, National Security, Mitt Romney 2012, David Axelrod, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Obama National Security, Bin Laden Killing, Barack Obama, Afghanistan War, Osama Bin Laden, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's top campaign strategist, David Axelrod, said Sunday that he doubts presidential candidate Mitt Romney would hav...

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Senior Officials Make Recommendation Over Obama Veto Threat

AP | DONNA CASSATA | Posted 02.13.2012

Read More: Detainee Policy, Obama Detainee Policy, Military Detention, Video, Military, National Defense Authorization Act, Ndaa, Obama National Security, Indefinite Detention, House Republicans, Barack Obama, Politics News

WASHINGTON — The House passed a massive $662 billion defense bill Wednesday night after last-minute changes placated the White House and ensured...

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Inside Obama's Decision To Shake Up His National Security Team

AP | By ROBERT BURNS | Posted 08.01.2011

Read More: Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Robert Gates, Martin Dempsey, National Security, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, Mike Mullen, Obama National Security Team, James Cartwright, Obama National Security, Barack Obama, Politics News

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY PLANE OVER THE PACIFIC (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the reshaping of much of President Barack Obama's natio...

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Power Failure: Adelman's Attack on Foreign Assistance

Michael Lieberman | Posted 07.09.2011

Read More: Foreign Aid, Obama National Security, Budget Cuts, National Security, Foreign Affairs, Politics News

Perhaps emboldened by his prescience in predicting Iraq as a "cakewalk" or rejecting calls for more troops post-invasion, Ken Adelman recently set his sights on a new target: American "smart power."

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Dissecting the Photo of Obama in the Situation Room

Danny Groner | Posted 07.05.2011

Read More: Photos, Photography, Osama Bin Laden Dead, Al-Qaeda, Scott Hall, Osama Bin Laden Death, Slate, Terrorism, The New York Times, John Brennan, Denis McDonough, Bin Laden, Obama, Osama Bin Laden Killed, Obama National Security, Barack Obama, Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, Dave Weigel, Newsweek, Robert Gates, National Security, David Brooks, Joel Achenbach, New York Times, Hillary Clinton, Jon Bernstein, Washington Post, Memes, Hank Stuever, The Situation Room, Newstatesman, Obama Situation Room Picture, Media News

While some have turned the photo into a meme, others have reflected on its significance, particularly Obama's and Hillary Clinton's expressions.

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The Senator and Libya

Don Kraus | Posted 06.01.2011

Read More: Libya, Senate, Obama National Security, Operation Odyssey Dawn, World News

The fact that effective international action is not always possible in every instance of major humanitarian catastrophe should never be an excuse for inaction where effective responses are possible.

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For Want of a Nail: Foreign Aid Cuts Will Harm U.S. Influence

Michael Lieberman | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: World War II, Foreign Aid, US Foreign Policy, Obama National Security, National Security, House Republicans, Politics News

As our enemies seek to put American influence in a coffin, they won't want for nails -- with Iraq, New START, gays in the military and now proposed foreign assistance cuts, the GOP is blithely handing them out.

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Why We Pay Attention to Piracy

Marcia DeSanctis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Energy, Obama Diplomacy, Africom, Somalia Pirates, National Security, Africa, Nigeria, Pirates, Obama National Security, Diplomacy, Gulf of Aden, Captain Phillips, US Navy, World News

There is no government in Somalia to speak of, and the pirates are self-governing anyway. It is dramatic, challenging, surprising and odd place for a test of America's strength in the post-Bush world.

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Obama: START Nuclear Treaty 'imperative' For National Security

AP | BEN FELLER | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: US Nuclear Treaty, US Russia Nuclear Treaty, Obama Nuclear, National Security, START National Security, Start Treaty, Obama National Security, Obama Start Treaty, Nuclear Treaty, New Start Treaty, World News

WASHINGTON — Insisting the nation's security could be in peril, President Barack Obama rallied former diplomatic and military chiefs from both p...

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Any Republican Senator Voting for START Should Get a Primary Challenger

Richard Grenell | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Start Treaty Vote, Start Treaty, Obama National Security, Start Treaty Russia, Start Treaty Senate, New Start Treaty, Gop Start Treaty, World News

Voting to implement the new START treaty in its current form is not only dangerous for Americans' security but will send a strong signal to President Obama that he can continue to dilute U.S. defense capabilities.

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The National Security State Cops a Feel: Taking Off the Gloves (and Then Everything Else)

Tom Engelhardt | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama National Security, Tsa, America's Wars, War in Afghanistan, National Security, War in Iraq, Security Checkpoints, TSA Security, Politics News

Americans have been remarkably quiet when it comes to the national security disasters being perpetuated in their name. We don't tend to connect what we're doing to others abroad and what we're doing to ourselves at home.

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A Way Forward for Nuclear Arms Control

Jonathan Pearl | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Nuclear Disarmament, Reagan, Russia, Congress, American Exceptionalism, ABM Treaty, Ronald Reagan, Trust-but-Verify, 2010 Elections, Disarmament, George W. Bush, Lame Duck Session, Obama Administration, U.S., Iran, Obama National Security, Nuclear, New Start Treaty, Russia Nuclear Arms, Nuclear War, Intelligence, Nuclear-Reductions, George H.W. Bush, National Security, North Korea Nuclear Program, Washington, Elections 2010, United States Foreign Policy, Start Treaty, Cheating, Verification, Nuclear Proliferation, Nuclear Arsenal, Rose Gottemoeller, Nuclear Arms, United States, Abm-Treaty, Arms Control, Barack Obama, Iran Nuclear Weapons, u.s. Foreign Policy, Bush Administration, Senate, Nuclear Weapons, Midterm Elections, Nuclear Arms Control, 2010 Midterm Elections, Moscow, North Korea, Politics News

Even if New START is ratified before the Democrats' Senate majority significantly shrinks, it will not help advance nonproliferation advocates' long-term goals unless a lost consensus on arms control fundamentals is rebuilt first.

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Obama's Mini-Me

Stephen Yates and Christian Whiton | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama National Security, Tom Donilon, Afghanistan, National Security, Jim Jones, Afghanistan War, Politics News

Tom Donilon's appointment to the National Security Advisor post signals that the bad White House instincts, processes and conceit that led to numerous disastrous policies will only be indulged further.

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Obama's National Security Carousel: Recurring Miscalculations

Michael Brenner | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Jim Jones, Barack Obama, National Security Adviser, Obama National Security, Politics News

The transition from Jim Jones to Thomas Donilon as National Security Advisor is unlikely to change anything of paramount importance. Donilon is not an ideas man at a time when a fresh strategic perspective is essential for breaking from our self destructive behavior in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine and in the pervasive 'war on terror' generally. So long as General David Petraeus is allowed to call the shots with his legend on the line, and other senior administration officials are off on their own ego trips, costly miscalculations, as we've seen of late, will recur.

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Tom Donilon To Be Obama's National Security Adviser

The Huffington Post | Nick Wing | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama National Security, Tom Donilon, Donilon, National Security, General James Jones, National Security Adviser James Jones, James Jones, James Jones National Security Adviser, National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Tom Donilon National Security Adviser, National Security Adviser, Politics News

The White House announced Friday that Gen. James Jones is resigning his post as National Security Adviser, making way for his top deputy, Tom Donilon....

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The President's National Security Strategy: Vision in Search of a Plan

James R. Locher III | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama National Security, National Security, Barack Obama, Politics News

Both supporters and critics of the Obama administration's new national security strategy raise valid points, but each side continues to miss the validity of the other side's argument.

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Up All Night With Obama's National Security Team

The Washington Post | Laura Blumenfeld | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama National Security Advisers, Obama National Security, Obama National Security Advisors, National Security, National Security Advisors, National Security Advisers, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Janet Napolitano, Politics News

With two wars, multiple crises abroad and growing terrorism activity at home, these national security officials do not sleep in peace. For them, the n...

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National Counterterrorism Planning: Who's Calling the Plays?

Jeffrey D. Ratner | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: National Counterterrorism Center, Obama National Security, National Security, Counterterrorism, Terrorism, Politics News

In the wake of the September 11th attacks, it was clear that significant gaps in U.S. counterterrorism structures had left us vulnerable to attack. But nine years later, many gaps still exist.

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Is Freedom a Universal Value? -- Maybe Not

Tom Alderman | Posted 11.17.2011

If you're J. Rufus Fears, you believe we've made major mistakes when we base our foreign policy on the belief that all people at all times want freedom and that freedom will grow naturally.

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Obama's National Security Strategy: The Sounds of Silence

Michael Brenner | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: US-National-Security-Strategy, National Security Strategy, Obama National Security, Obama, Barack Obama, President Obama, Politics News

Obama's security opus is a mix of the innocuous and the self-indulgent. It is not a serious strategic statement. It is too self-conscious in reiterating Obama's rhetoric since the campaign.

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Obama's National Security Strategy Turns Away From Bush Administration Goals

AP | ANNE GEARAN and ROBERT BURNS | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama, Barack Obama, National Security, Obama National Security, Obama Diplomacy, Obama Foreign Policy, Obama Bush, Obama Bush Doctrine, Obama Doctrine, Politics News

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is breaking with the go-it-alone Bush years in a new strategy for keeping the nation safe, counting more on ...

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