National Security | News-Opinion
TOP NEWS: Nat’l Security / Foreign Affairs: August 27th, 2012
- Merkel Vows to Help Greeks Stay in Euro Zone
- Syrian rebels shoot down military helicopter over Damascus
- NATO: Afghan Soldier Kills 2 Allies
- At Summit Meeting, Iran Has a Message for the World
- U.S. Arms Sales Dominate Global Market
Excerpts and more top stories
EUROZONE: Merkel Vows to Help Greeks Stay in Euro Zone - NYT
MELISSA EDDY: Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, pledged during a meeting with the Greek prime minister to support the new Greek government as it struggled to overhaul its economy.
EUROZONE: Europe Bank Weighs Bond Strategy – WSJ
ECB officials are considering informal, flexible yield objectives for shorter-maturity bond yields of Spain and other at-risk countries, according to a person familiar with the matter.
EUROZONE: In Euro Crisis, Fingers Can Point in All Directions- NYT
JACK EWING: While it is true that a series of Greek governments bears a large share of the guilt for the euro crisis, for mismanaging their economy and finances, there are plenty of other culprits.
*MORE EUROZONE NEWS & OPINION BELOW
SYRIA: Syrian rebels shoot down military helicopter over Damascus – WP
Video shows helicopter circling and crashing in a ball of fire as regime targets capital’s suburbs
SYRIA: Crackdown Toll Seen as Syrians Bury Hundreds – NYT
EMPLOYEE of THE NEW YORK TIMES in SYRIA, DAMIEN CAVE: The assault in the suburb of Daraya has begun to look like one of the deadliest short-term raids of the uprising in Syria.
SYRIA: Dozens of Bodies Are Found in Town Outside Damascus - NYT
DAMIEN CAVE, HWAIDA SAAD: Daraya, a suburb of Damsacus, has been the focus of what activists described as a scorched-earth campaign by Syrian troops to wipe out rebels.
SYRIA: Torrent of Syrian Refugees Strains Aid Effort and Region - NYT
RICK GLADSTONE, DAMIEN CAVE: Many refugees are housed in schools, which will soon open, and camps that are not prepared for winter.
SYRIA: Syrian refugees top 200,000 - WP
Stephanie Nebehay : The total reflects an increase of about 30,000 in the past week to Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.
SYRIA/TURKEY: Turkey blocks fleeing Syrians at key border crossings - WP
LIZ SLY: The growing crisis from the flood of refugees could prompt Turkey to ask the United Nations to create a haven in Syria.
SYRIA/WARFARE: Invade Another Muslim Country? Bad Idea – WP OP-ED
Henri Barkey: Why intruding on another Muslim country is ill-advised
AFGHANISTAN: NATO: Afghan Soldier Kills 2 Allies – WSJ
An Afghan soldier turned on international allies in eastern Afghanistan, killing two soldiers, the NATO military coalition said, while officials say Taliban insurgents have beheaded 17 civilians for taking part in a music event in the south.
AFGHANISTAN: Ragtag Revolts in Parts of Afghanistan Repel Taliban - NYT
ALISSA J. RUBIN, MATTHEW ROSENBERG: While distrusting the government, many villagers have also come to loathe the Taliban for their dictatorial cruelty and are fighting back.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban accused of Afghan beheadings - FT
Seventeen partygoers found dead, say authorities.
AFGHANISTAN: U.S. to Discipline Soldiers in Afghan Incidents - WSJ
The U.S. military will discipline nine service members in connection with two incidents that sparked outrage in Afghanistan, including the burning of the Quran.
IRAN: At Summit Meeting, Iran Has a Message for the World - NYT
THOMAS ERDBRINK: As Iran plays host to the Nonaligned Movement meeting, it wants to tell its side of the long standoff with the Western powers over its suspect nuclear program.
IRAN: SANCTIONS: Dollar Power – ECONOMIST
America is using the dollar to hurt Iran. Will it work?
ARMS SALES: U.S. Arms Sales Dominate Global Market - NYT
Weapons sales by the United States tripled to reach $66.3 billion in 2011 (NYT), driven in large part by sales to Persian Gulf nations fearful of a resurgent Iran, according to a new U.S. Congressional report.
MEXICO: 2 U.S. Employees Wounded in Ambush on Mexican Road - NYT
RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD: Two Americans were shot and wounded on Friday when the United States Embassy vehicle they were driving was ambushed by a caravan of cars that included Mexican police.
GERMANY/BANKING: Deutsche Bank turns screw on bonuses – FT
Previous employers’ awards threatened by German bank
POLICY/DRONE ATTACKS: How Drone Warfare Can Reinforce Inevitable Failure – TIME
CHUCK SPINNEY: Drone Warfare:how its imperfect feedback loops drive our perceptions of effectiveness, and thereby distort our decisions regarding the follow-on strike operations in the drone campaigns now underway in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere.
FOREIGN POLICY OBAMA: Would second term mean “Obama Unleashed” on world stage? – REUTERS, OP-ED
MATT SPETALNIK: Imagine it’s November 7, President Barack Obama has won a second term. Would the specter of “Obama Unleashed” that Republicans have conjured up during the presidential campaign become the new reality on the world stage? Not very likely.
AL-QAEDA: Al-Qaeda followers call for death of SEAL who wrote bin Laden book – WP
A Web site posted a photo and the name of the commando, who had written under a pseudonym
EGYPT: President Morsi and His Critics - - NYT EDITORIAL
By crushing dissent, Egypt’s new leader, Mohamed Morsi, is repeating the errors of his ousted predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.
EGYPT/SYRIA: Egyptian Leader Adds Rivals of West to Syria Plan - NYT
DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK: Staking out a new leadership role for Egypt, President Mohamed Morsi is reaching out to Iran and other regional powers in an initiative to halt the violence in Syria
CHINA/AFRICA: China’s arms flooding sub-Saharan Africa – WP
China has stood apart from other major arms exporters for its assertive challenge to U.N. authority, routinely refusing to cooperate with U.N. arms experts and flexing its diplomatic muscle to protect its allies.
CHINA: Bridge Collapse in China Raises Questions About Safety of Country’s Road – TIME
AUSTIN RAMZY: On Sunday, 47 people died in two traffic accidents, highlighting the danger of China’s overcrowded and poorly maintained roads.
RUSSIA: 2 Band Members in Russia Said to Flee to Avoid Arrest - NYT
ANDREW E. KRAMER: The conviction and jailing of three band members from the punk collective Pussy Riot earlier this month drew condemnation from many foreign governments and celebrities.
RUSSIA/ISLAM: Radical Islamic Attacks in a Moderate Region Unnerve the Kremlin - NYT
DAVID M. HERSZENHORN: The apparent rise of Islamic militancy could have far-ranging effects as the Kremlin looks for ways to promote moderate Islam and quash radical movements at home and abroad
RUSSIA: Putin Shows Some Openness to New Missile Reductions - NYT
DAVID M. HERSZENHORN: President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia would be willing to negotiate new reductions in nuclear arms if the United States first changed its plans for a missile defense system in Europe.
VENEZUELA: Fires Still Burning in Aftermath of Deadly Venezuela Blast- NYT
WILLIAM NEUMAN, MARÍA EUGENIA DÍAZ: Firefighters struggled to control blazes near the Amuay oil refinery where an explosion killed at least 39 people on Saturday.
ISRAEL: Israeli youths arrested in firebombing of Palestinian taxi – WP
The case renewed alarm about rising settler violence against Palestinians.
JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA: Japan To South Korea: Lay Off The Emperor – TIME
KIRK SPITZER: It’s not clear if South Korean President Lee Myung-bak intended to infuriate Japan, worsen a couple of territorial disputes and complicate U.S. security plans in Asia by picking on a kindly, 78-year-old emperor. -
ASIA: Asia Drug Lockups Too Cruel, Ineffective to Earn U.S. Aid – BLOOMBERG, EDITORIAL
The accounts call to mind 18th century insane asylums: patients confined against their will in dismal conditions, abused and subjected to experiments and unscientific treatments. Today’s inmates — at least 350,000 — are locked up, in China and Southeast Asia, just for using illegal drugs, or being suspected of it.
VIETNAM: A bad deal - WP EDITORIAL
Allen Weiner: Vietnam’s desire to promote economic development through expanded trade is understandable, and U.S. interest in supporting Vietnam’s economic advancement is commendable. But real progress in Vietnam will come only when political reform and respect for the rule of law accompany economic progress.
INDIA: After Violence in India, a Crackdown Online - NYT
GARDINER HARRIS: Officials blame texting and Internet rumors for setting off a wave of ethnic violence, but others call the claims ridiculous and simplistic.
SOUTH AFRICA: A wake up call for South Africa’s Armani elitists - FT
People are exhausted by the excuses given by leaders, writes Jay Naidoo.
CHILE: Volunteers Keep Watch on Protests in Chile- NYT
PASCALE BONNEFOY: Groups of observers take notes and help people who have been injured or abused during student protests, but for the most part they do not intervene.
*MORE EUROZONE STORIES:
EUROZONE:Merkel Cautions on Criticism of Greece- WSJ
Merkel warned senior officials in her ruling coalition to tone down their comments about Greece and the ECB or risk hurting efforts to contain the euro-zone debt crisis.
EUROZONE: French Leader Hails Greeks for ‘Painful Efforts’ in Crisis - NYT
STEVEN ERLANGER: President François Hollande of France expressed his commitment Saturday to keep Greece in the euro zone, but he urged its new prime minister, Antonis Samaras, to go all out to solve the economic crisis.
EUROZONE: Deutsche Bank To Claw Back Staff’s Stock From Former Employers - BLOOMBERG
Deutsche Bank AG (DBK), Europe’s biggest bank by assets, changed its rules on bonuses to allow the company to claw back stock awarded to its workers by former employers.
EUROZONE: Germany, France Reconnect In A Push For Crisis Solutions - BLOOMBERG
Germany and France agreed to drive ahead measures on closer European integration in a renewed show of unity by the region’s two biggest economies to fix the crisis in the euro zone.
EUROZONE: Dutch Premier Defends Austerity, Says No to More Greek Aid - BLOOMBERG
Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, seeking a return to power after Sept. 12 elections, said he would block a third aid package for Greece and defended austerity as the only way out of Europe’s debt crisis
EUROZONE/GREECE: How Is Samaras Doing? So Far, the Euro Zone Likes the New Greek Leader -TIME
JOANNA KAKISSIS: There is a lot of hardship ahead but so far Merkel and the Germans like what they hear from the Greek Prime Minister. Will the honeymoon last?
EUROZONE/GERMANY: German business sentiment slides further - FT
Climate index at lowest level in more than two years
EUROZONE: Has ‘Europe’ Failed? - NYT OP-ED
NICHOLAS SAMBANIS: The European debt crisis is not just an economic crisis: it is an escalating identity conflict — an ethnic conflict.
EUROZONE/FRANCE: Ayrault warns EU fiscal pact rebels - FT
Paris calls on dissidents to face up to responsibilities.
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