The proposed life extension program for the B61 nuclear gravity bomb – the most expensive warhead refurbishment in history – is in trouble. Big trouble.
On Iran, Two Steps Forward – And One Step Back?
Back in May, I wrote that Congress was kicking off a “long, hot, summer of new Iran sanctions.” Now, just over 2 months later, the sticky heat here in DC has broken a bit – and enthusiasm for revitalizing diplomacy with Iran is growing, although the House of Representatives, at least, seems bent on strengthening sanctions.
The Sequel’s Not Any Better: Why the US Should Be Wary of Pyongyang’s Shift in Rhetoric
Let’s start this post off with a pop culture confession: I didn’t like The Hangover. I realize that this probably puts me in the minority of the American movie-going public (the film earned nearly a half-billion dollars at the box office, making it the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all-time), but I found it to be a bit too crass and a bit too formulaic for my taste.
House floor action on the FY 2014 Defense Appropriations bill
The House of Representatives yesterday approved the FY 2014 Defense Appropriations bill (H.R. 2397) by a vote of 315-109. The big headliner was the debate and vote on an amendment to the bill offered by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) to curtail the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities. The amendment failed 205-217 in an extremely close vote that saw both parties split almost evenly and hold an unusually excellent debate.
The Changing Taliban
A recent New York Times article revealed that the Obama administration is considering withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan ahead of the planned 2014 withdrawal date, raising questions about what the country might look like after foreign forces exit – whenever that may be. The answer is critical, as the future of post-withdrawal Afghanistan has implications for the entire Asian continent.
