National Security | News-Opinion
TOP NEWS: Nat’l Security / Foreign Affairs: October 4th, 2012
- Turkey Approves Further Military Action Against Syria
- Violence & Protest in Iran as Currency Drops in Value
- Europe Officials to Weigh Further Budget Integration
- Rift Between Israeli Leaders Over Relations With U.S.
- Karzai: Western media waging ‘psychological warfare’
Excerpts and more top news and analysis
TURKEY/SYRIA: Turkey’s Parliament Approves Further Military Action Against Syria - NYT
The measure authorizes further military action against Syria, as Turkey began its second day of shelling targets within Syria in response to a mortar attack that killed five civilians.
TURKEY/SYRIA: Turkey Eases Path to Deploy Troops - NYT
Turkey’s parliament approved a measure proposed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, giving the government broad powers to send soldiers into “foreign countries” after Turkish armed forces and Syria traded fire.
TURKEY/SYRIA: Turkey retaliates against Syria - FT
Nato convenes after Turkish military fired mortars across the border in response to a shell from Syria that killed five of its civilians
SYRIA: Cajoling, Drugging and More as Rebels Try to Draw Defectors - NYT
Without defections, the Syrian rebels say the opposition cannot hope to grow, never mind prevail in its battle with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
IRAN: Violence and Protest in Iran as Currency Drops in Value – NYT
The first outbreak of public anger over Iran’s collapsing currency and other economic maladies jolted the heart of Tehran
IRAN: Iran Currency Woes Spark Strike - WSJ
Protests over the plunging Iranian currency erupted around Tehran’s main bazaar, the country’s commercial hub, as escalating economic woes become a rising political challenge.
IRAN: Is a Gang of 22 Destroying Iran’s Currency? – BLOOMBERG, OPINION
Life used to be so much simpler for an Iranian theocrat. Whenever trouble arose, you could blame it all on one villain: the “Great Satan” that is the U.S. Today, however, it appears that the devil has minions.
IRAN: Iranian Police Clash With Currency Protestors – AJE
Riot police in Iran clashed with protesters in Tehran on Thursday over the collapse of the rial, which has lost a third of its value against the dollar in a week. The fall of Iran’s currency has been largely blamed on Western sanctions imposed over the country’s nuclear program.
IRAN: Leader of Iranian Group Seeks Support - WSJ
Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq, facing skepticism in Washington over its sway inside the country, said her organization is seeking international recognition as the legitimate political opposition to the government in Tehran.
EUROZONE: Europe Officials to Weigh Further Budget Integration - WSJ
A draft report sets the stage for a far-reaching debate over how euro-zone governments might surrender more control over economic decisions in exchange for money from a common budget.
EUROZONE/GREECE: Greek Leader Wins Favor Abroad - WSJ
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is undergoing one of the biggest metamorphoses of his long political life: from shrill opponent of Europe’s rescue plan for Greece, to the man the Continent’s leaders now see as the best bet for keeping the country in the euro zone.
EUROZONE/GREECE: Greek Shipyard Workers Clash With Police - WSJ
Greek shipyard workers clashed with riot police after protesters stormed the country’s defense ministry in a dispute over unpaid wages.
EUROZONE/GREECE: Greece, Troika Remain Apart on Cuts - WSJ
Greece said a “fairly big” gap still separates the country from its lenders, while a fresh dispute emerged over proposed labor-market changes.
EUROZONE/PORTUGAL: Portugal to Raise Income Taxes -WSJ
Portugal plans new austerity measures to help narrow its budget gap, raising income taxes after a popular uproar prompted the government to back away from an earlier proposal to reconfigure payroll taxes.
EUROZONE/FRANCE: Hollande forced into awkward EU contortions - FT
The French president is in a political wrangle over his European policy – to a large extent a victim of his own rhetoric on the fiscal discipline pact, writes Hugh Carnegy
EU: Europe’s Nuclear Reactors Need Repair or Upgrades - NYT
The scale of the problems, as well as the size of the expected repair bill — 25 billion euros, or $32 billion — may amplify public concerns about the safety of nuclear power.
ISRAEL: Rift Grows Between Israeli Leaders Over Relations With U.S. - NYT
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak, are at odds as Mr. Barak tries to turn Mr. Netanyahu’s tension with Washington to his political advantage.
AFGHANISTAN: Karzai accuses the Western media of waging ‘psychological warfare’ - NBC
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday that the U.S.-led war on militancy would “not be successful”, accusing Western media of waging “psychological warfare” on his country.
AFGHANISTAN: Reports of Al Qaeda’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated – FP
The terrorist group may be headless, but its tentacles still pack a mean punch.
AFGHANISTAN: Doubt Cast on Afghan Mining – WSJ
Afghanistan’s hopes of transforming its $1 trillion in mineral deposits into an economic engine could be derailed by obstacles to the construction of a railway system needed to transport minerals out of the country, according to a draft report by the U.S. military.
RUSSIA: Might U.S. and Russia Play Nice in Pacific? – DIPLOMAT, OPINION
RICHARD WEITZ: With Russia intensifying its regional diplomacy and America ‘rebalancing’ to the Pacific, both nations have much to gain by working together.
LIBYA: Libyan armed Islamists driven underground – FT
Ansar al-Sharia associate predicts armed uprising against any government that veers too closely to west and calls for Islamic law to be imposed
LIBYA: U.S. to Libyan Perps: Don’t Hide, We’re Watching You - BLOOMBERG, OPINION
If your first priority was to catch a bad guy, would you want him to know you were tracking him and might shoot him dead using a drone?
PALESTINE: Rights Group Criticizes Hamas-Run Justice System in Gaza – NYT
The group says the system is rife with arbitrary arrests, torture and unfair trials, but Hamas officials challenged Human Rights Watch’s work.
PHILIPPINES: Philippines Ex-President Is Arrested in Hospital on New Charges - NYT
Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was arrested Thursday on corruption charges related to the suspected misuse of state lottery funds during her administration.
PHILIPPINES: Internet Law in Philippines Takes Effect, Raising Fears - NYT
Critics say the new law could lead to imprisonment for simple activities like sharing Facebook and Twitter posts.
MEXICO: Mexico’s Incoming Leader Seeks to Boost Energy Sector - WSJ
Mexico’s new government plans to pass energy-sector legislation early in the new year that should help boost the country’s petroleum production and fuel its growth prospects, Luis Videgaray, head of the president-elect’s transition team said Wednesday.
BAHRAIN: U.S. faults Bahrain decision on activists - WP
The U.S. voiced deep concern over a decision by Bahrain’s top court to uphold jail terms against nine health-care workers convicted for their role in last year’s pro-democracy uprising.
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