Out of time: How Biden decided against running in 2016 - AP
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Out of time: How Biden decided against running in 2016by By JOSH LEDERMAN and JULIE PACE
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Just before noon, Joe Biden's staff received a cryptic email: Come to the Rose Garden....
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Police: 2 Ohio firefighters being held hostage
USA TODAY AMHERST, Ohio — Police sources confirm two firefighters are being held hostage Wednesday evening. Amherst firefighters were called to a report of a brush fire near Quarry Road and Hornyak Street. Officials have shutdown both eastbound and westbound ... Ohio Turnpike closed in Lorain County due to police activity, multiple reports saycleveland.com Suspect in custody after holding 2 firefighters hostage in Lorain County; no ...fox8.com all 5 news articles » |
The United States, Britain, France, and Germany notified the United Nation's Iran sanctions committee of Tehran's recent ballistic missile test and demanded an investigation and "appropriate action" in response to the "serious violation."
A meeting between Russia, Kazakhstan, and OPEC members in Vienna October 21 did not produce an agreement to cut oil production to try to bolster sagging prices, officials said.
The United Nations said October 21 that over 1,600 cases of cholera have been confirmed in Iraq in the past month, worsening a humanitarian crisis that has left more than 8.6 million people in need of aid.
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will tell U.S. President Barack Obama this week that Islamabad will not accept limits on its use of small tactical nuclear weapons, Pakistani officials said on Wednesday.
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How will vice president's decision not to run for president impact the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and the GOP candidates? The 'On the Record' political panel takes a closer look.
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Democrats, Elections, Presidential Primaries, and Republicans on On The Record and Political Panel.
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Democrats, Elections, Presidential Primaries, and Republicans on On The Record and Political Panel.
Greta's 'Off the Record' comment to 'On the Record' viewers, 10/21/15: Pres. Obama must make a very public on-camera statement showing law enforcement how much we appreciate them. We must all be bigger than a bunch of vulgar vandals
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Crime and Homicide on Off The Record and On The Record.
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Crime and Homicide on Off The Record and On The Record.
Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Iowa Wednesday, and said Vice President Joe Biden 'did the smart thing' choosing not to run for president. He said Hillary Clinton was 'not worthy' of the title, either. (Oct. 21)
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AP’s commitment to independent, comprehensive journalism has deep roots. Founded in 1846, AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. AP is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information.
Today, AP employs the latest technology to collect and distribute content - we have daily uploads covering the latest and breaking news in the world of politics, sport and entertainment. Join us in a conversation about world events, the newsgathering process or whatever aspect of the news universe you find interesting or important. Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/AssociatedPress
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Barack Obama will veto a sweeping $612 billion defense policy bill, citing objections over how the measure is funded.
Obama will veto the bill Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office.
Obama also disapproves of provisions in the bill that would complicate his ...
It's the first time President Barack Obama has rejected the measure. Presidents have signed the bipartisan bill into law annually for more than 50 years.
Islamabad's growing nuclear weapons arsenal, its deepening relations with China and the prospect of a homegrown Pakistani drone war against extremists along the Afghan border will all be on the table when Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visits the White House on Thursday.
But President Obama's own shift on the ...
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WASHINGTON — In the winter of 2012, when the civil war in Syria had already consumed tens of thousands of lives, Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president, sounded dismissive of Syria’s beleaguered leader, Bashar al-Assad, and unconcerned about his future. Mr. Assad, he said, acidly, had spent more time courting leaders in European capitals than he ever had in Moscow.
“We are not that preoccupied with the fate of Assad’s regime,” Mr. Putin said then.
Three years later, the two presidents have bound themselves together in an alliance that reflects not only the urgent priority of salvaging the crumbling central government in Syria, but also each man’s eroded standing on the international stage.
Mr. Putin’s military has forcefully intervened to shore up Mr. Assad’s government in its struggle against an array of insurgents, but, even as Mr. Assad flew secretly to Moscow on Tuesday night for a meeting to assess the fighting in Syria, the chilly personal relationship between the two men has not changed, according to officials, diplomats and analysts.
By all accounts, the two leaders remain distant and wary of each other. The Kremlin in particular has been frustrated by what it sees as Mr. Assad’s arrogance and, at least until recently, his unwillingness to bend to Russia’s wishes, on issues like jump-starting peace talks in Moscow this year and freeing dissidents who might play a role in any political solution.
“It’s not personal, this whole thing,” Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, referring to Mr. Putin’s intervention. The highest priority of the Russians, he said, has been saving the central authority of the Syrian state as much as Mr. Assad himself in hopes of stemming the spread of chaos and, with it, the fertile ground in which the Islamic State can take root.
“To them, Assad is not a sacred cow,” Mr. Trenin added. “The issue to them is to save the Syrian state, to prevent it from unraveling the way Libya unraveled, Yemen unraveled.”
That has given hope to those who want to see a negotiated end to the war in Syria and hasten the departure of Mr. Assad himself — something Mr. Putin has signaled he is prepared to accept, even as Russia has continued to lend diplomatic and now direct military action to support Mr. Assad’s government.
Others, though, remain skeptical.
“Not being wedded to Assad does not mean that they’re prepared to negotiate a way for him to go,” said a senior administration official in Washington who, like other officials in this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity per government protocol.
Mr. Assad’s visit to Moscow — reportedly aboard a Russian military aircraft and unannounced until he returned to Damascus — underscored how deeply dependent he now is on the assistance he is receiving from Russia and Iran, help that is showing signs of shifting the momentum on some fronts inside Syria but is far from enough to bring the war to a decisive end.
It was Mr. Assad’s first trip outside Syria since the civil war began in 2011 and his first to Moscow since 2005, reflecting his embattled position and international isolation after a period in which he was courted as a would-be reformer after taking over after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000.
Russia — and the Soviet Union before it — had deep ties with the elder Assad’s government, dating to the Cold War, but the relationship waned in the 1990s as Russia struggled in the post-Soviet era. It continued to fade in the 2000s, when Mr. Putin and Mr. Assad rose to power almost simultaneously.
Both were unexpected successors — Mr. Putin emerged from his relative obscurity in Boris N. Yeltsin’s Kremlin and Mr. Assad because his brother, Bassel, had been their father’s presumed heir until his death in a car accident.
Despite such similarities, the two have strikingly different backgrounds and temperaments that have precluded a close bond, the officials and analysts said, even as the events in Syria and beyond have forced them together. Mr. Assad, the awkward son of an authoritarian leader, was an ophthalmologist practicing in London groomed to take over a regional power; Mr. Putin, a former intelligence officer, took over a weakened Russia and has since sought to restore its former power and prestige.
“There’s not much chemistry in the relationship,” said one long-serving Western diplomat in the region.
Mr. Trenin, of the Carnegie Center, described Mr. Putin’s relationship with Mr. Assad as based on coinciding interests as much as ideology or values. Until Tuesday night, Mr. Putin had not met his Syrian counterpart since his 2005 visit to Moscow, though Dmitri A. Medvedev, who temporarily succeeded Mr. Putin as president for four years, traveled to Damascus in 2010.
The secret planning for Russia’s military operations, the officials and analysts said, took place on the functional level between the militaries and intelligence agencies, which have maintained contacts throughout the war because of longstanding arms deals and the Russian naval presence at the Mediterranean port of Tartus.
What started as a popular uprising against the Syrian government four years ago has become a proto-world war with nearly a dozen countries embroiled in two overlapping conflicts.
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“It is now an alliance, and a fighting one,” Mr. Trenin said. “Still, it remains essentially transactional, rather than values-based or strategic.”
Mr. Putin’s primary goal in Syria, as he laid it out in remarks at the United Nations last month, has been to prevent the toppling of another sovereign state in the Middle East by what he considers foreign interference, led by the United States.
A secondary purpose, though, has been to reassert Russia’s re-emergence as a crucial player in the Middle East and beyond, forcing through military action an easing of the diplomatic isolation imposed on Mr. Putin after events in Ukraine. Whether he can do that with his embrace of another ostracized leader remains to be seen.
In brief remarks in Moscow, released on Wednesday after Mr. Assad’s departure, the two leaders promised to pursue “a long-term settlement, based on a political process that involves all political forces,” as Mr. Putin put it.
At the same time, they emphasized their united front against terrorists, which is how both characterize not just the Islamic State but all armed opponents of Mr. Assad’s government. And they said that a political solution was only possible after success on the battlefield, which neither defined, leaving the timing of any negotiations entirely unclear.
The question now is whether Mr. Putin can press Mr. Assad to accept a negotiated end to his rule. “Putin’s influence over Assad is like Obama’s over Netanyahu,” a diplomat based in Syria told a group of colleagues several months ago, before the Russian military intervention began, referring to the often truculent relationship between the American and Israeli leaders.
Mr. Assad has, in fact, proved at times to be a reluctant partner in Russia’s efforts to end the conflict. He has stood up on many occasions to the Kremlin, to the extent that diplomats and analysts say it has irritated Mr. Putin.
“I think they know how confused the Assad regime is, and they’re frustrated by it,” said Andrew J. Tabler, an expert on Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has followed the conflict closely, referring to the Russians.
He and others noted Russia’s efforts in January and April to broker talks in Moscow between Mr. Assad’s government and some of the armed groups rebelling against it. Those were coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and headed by Vitaly V. Naumkin, director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Mr. Assad’s representative, Bashar al-Jaafari, showed little flexibility in those talks, refusing to agree to confidence-building measures Moscow wanted, such as releasing political prisoners who might take part in a political solution.
The talks suggested the limits of Russia’s influence — even Mr. Putin’s. In 2012, Abdelaziz al-Khayer, a Syrian dissident, disappeared immediately upon returning to the country from China to participate in talks that were endorsed by Moscow. Diplomats and opposition figures have long said he was arrested by Mr. Assad’s security forces.
A Western diplomat recalled approaching his Russian counterpart to ask if Russia could pressure the Syrians to release him. “What do you think I’ve been doing?” the Russian diplomat responded.
Last year, another dissident, Louay Hussein, was arrested just before he was preparing to attend talks the Russians had organized in Moscow. He remained in prison for months, and came out declaring that he would no longer remain inside Syria trying to change the system from within. He had learned, he said, that Russia was unable, and Iran unwilling, to push Mr. Assad to any meaningful negotiations.
“From the first day I was arrested, the Russian ambassador was asking for my release,” Mr. Hussein said. It was to no avail; he said he believed it was Iran that ultimately succeeded in pressing for his release.
After the failure of those talks, Mr. Putin summoned Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, to Moscow in late June, for a meeting that was described as tense. It was then, evidently, that Mr. Putin began laying the groundwork for the military intervention. That appears to have given him far more leverage over Mr. Assad, something analysts said could weaken Mr. Assad’s standing at home by emphasizing his junior status to Mr. Putin.
Officials in Europe and the United States have warned that Russia’s intervention makes a political resolution even more remote. Whatever Mr. Putin’s personal feelings for the Syrian leader, he has made it clear that Russia’s immediate goal is shoring up the central government; he has yet to signal what might follow.
The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, declined on Wednesday to say whether the two leaders had discussed Mr. Assad’s political future.
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Assad Finds Chilly Embrace in Moscow Tripby STEVEN LEE MYERS and ANNE BARNARD
The Putin-Assad alliance reflects the urgent need to salvage the crumbling central government in Syria but also each man’s eroded international standing.
Correspondent Kevin Corke reports from the White House
Watch Kevin Corke talk about Foreign Policy and Middle East on Special Report.
Watch Kevin Corke talk about Foreign Policy and Middle East on Special Report.
Chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge reports from Washington
Watch Catherine Herridge talk about Apple News, Foreign Policy, and Middle East on Special Report.
Watch Catherine Herridge talk about Apple News, Foreign Policy, and Middle East on Special Report.
Published on Oct 21, 2015
Former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly goes 'On the Record' on the slaying officer Randolph Holder and the 'hardened, violent criminal' accused of killing him
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Apple News, Crime, Homicide, Northeast, and US Regions on On The Record.
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Apple News, Crime, Homicide, Northeast, and US Regions on On The Record.
Former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly goes 'On the Record' on the slaying officer Randolph Holder and the 'hardened, violent criminal' accused of killing him
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Apple News, Crime, Homicide, Northeast, and US Regions on On The Record.
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Apple News, Crime, Homicide, Northeast, and US Regions on On The Record.
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Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson goes 'On the Record' on the threat ISIS and other terrorist groups, the actions of Russia and Iran in Syria, the impact of the refugee crisis in Europe on America's security
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Apple News, Counter Terrorism, Defense, Executive Branch, Homeland Security, Terror, and Threats on Cant Miss and On The Record.
Watch Greta Van Susteren talk about Apple News, Counter Terrorism, Defense, Executive Branch, Homeland Security, Terror, and Threats on Cant Miss and On The Record.
Wednesday on the NewsHour, Vice President Joe Biden opts out of the 2016 race. Also: Paul Ryan’s conditions for a House speaker run, the constant wave of migrants as winter approaches in Europe, calls for fewer arrests for nonviolent offenders, Hillary Clinton prepares for a hearing on Benghazi, searching for the genetic keys to autism and Ellen Bryant Voigt talks about what inspires her poetry.
Biden Decides Against 2016 Presidential Runby webdesk@voanews.com (Jim Malone)
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will not run for president next year, ending months of speculation about whether he would make a third try for the White House. Biden’s announcement is seen as a boon for the current Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
Serious Threat Seen to Press Freedom in Turkeyby webdesk@voanews.com (Henry Ridgwell)
Freedom of the press in Turkey is under serious threat, according to a coalition of global media rights groups that have completed an urgent mission to the country ahead of next month's election. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.
White House Set to Sell New Fighter Jets to Pakistan in Bid to Bolster Partnershipby DAVID E. SANGER and MATTHEW ROSENBERG
A deal intended to boost the nation’s partnership with the Pakistanis in a time of strain, and of concern about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will not run for president next year, ending months of speculation about whether he would make a third try for the White House. Biden’s announcement is seen as a boon for the current Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/biden-decides-against-2016-presidential-run/3017546.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/biden-decides-against-2016-presidential-run/3017546.html
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Meeting to Disagree: Obama and Pakistan's Sharifby webdesk@voanews.com (Molly McKitterick)
The U.S. president and Pakistani prime minister will come to their meeting Thursday with different issues atop their agendas — and may be convening to disagree, both on regional threats and Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. On President Barack Obama’s mind is countering extremism in the region, particularly in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that he will make no compromise on his country’s “national interests” in the talks, which is likely to mean that he is...
The United Nations says over 1,600 cases of cholera have been confirmed in Iraq in the past month and the humanitarian situation in the country is worsening with more than 8.6 million people in need of assistance.
Today's Headlines and Commentaryby Elina Saxena, Quinta Jurecic
Vice President Joe Biden will not be running for president. Biden announced his decision this afternoon at the White House, ending months of speculation among over a possible campaign. TheNew York Times and the Washington Post report on Biden’s announcement, and Defense One’s Molly O’Toole reminds us of Biden’s influence in the Obama administration’s cautious approach to military force. Yet only yesterday, the Vice President appeared to recast his involvement in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, arguing that he had been far more in favor of the raid than was previously reported. Politico has that story.
In the latest Syria surprise, the Times writes that Syrian President Bashar al Assad has dropped in on the Kremlin in an unexpected visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s remarks suggested that he had called upon Assad to visit the Kremlin, as he added that Russia is “ready to make our contribution not only to the military operations and the fight against terrorism, but also to the political process.” For his part, Assad maintained that Russian action in Syria “had halted the spread of terrorism” and that a political transition should follow after the terrorist threat was addressed. This visit represents the first time that Assad has made a state visit abroad since the conflict began in 2011.
In response to the visit, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated that Assad should extend his stay in Russia to give the Syrian people “relief” and allow for a political transition. The AP has the story.
The United States and Russia have reached an agreement on the regulation of flights in Syrian airspace, the BBC reports. Officials stated that the two countries had established appropriate means of communication for deconfliction purposes, though they will not share intelligence on targets. The agreement will hopefully avoid further close calls between Russian and U.S. aircraft, such as two recent occasions in which planes from both countries came within 1,500 feet of each other. TheTimes has more.
The Times also highlights the notable effect of Russian help in the Syrian government’s push toward Aleppo. As the Syrian army advances on the rebel-held city, Russian airstrikes have not only provided critical support, but have also improved Syrian army morale whiling erecting a barrier to foreign military intervention on behalf of rebel fighters.
Meanwhile, Defense One takes a look at the civilian toll of Russian airstrikes. A report by the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, an anti-regime monitoring organization, finds that slightly more than a third of those killed in Russian strikes have been civilians.
These high rates of civilian casualties haven’t deterred Iraqi officials and Shiite militias in pushing for Russian strikes against ISIS in Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is weathering pressure from both within his government and the strategically important militias to formally request Russia’s help, Reuters writes--which puts Abadi in a difficult position, as such a request would endanger crucial U.S. assistance. On his first visit to the country as Joint Chiefs chairman, General Joseph Dunford said “that the United States won assurances from Iraq that it would not seek such strikes.”
Following the Pentagon’s October 11th ammunition drops to Syrian Arab fighters, the commanders of two leading Syrian Arab militias are now calling into question whether or not the airdrops reached their intended targets. McClatchy reports that the two commanders both denied having received supplies from the United States and expressed doubt that other Arab groups had.
While Canadian Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau has promised to pull his country’s fighter jets from the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, Canada will not be withdrawing entirely from the coalition effort. Despite reduced engagement, the Post tells us, Trudeau “has promised to send extra military trainers to help develop Iraqi security forces, another U.S. focus in the region.”
The Post also reports that the Islamic State is not alone in its destruction of Syrian archaeological sites. An anthropologist’s analysis of satellite images indicates that “looting may have been even more widespread in areas controlled by opposition forces” or the Kurdish YPG.
Over in Europe, the migrant and refugee crisis persists, with thousands stranded in the increasingly wintry Balkans. As Slovenia struggles to deal with the influx of displaced persons, the Slovenian parliament has granted the military more power to help guard the Slovenian-Croatian border, NBCreports. Over 20,000 refugees have entered the country since Saturday. Along the border, a refugee camp had to be evacuated after a fire broke out--likely resulting from one of the campfires lit for warmth, the AP writes.
The Times examines the “trickle” of Syrian refugees who have made their way to the United States.1,854 Syrians have been accepted into the country since the beginning of the conflict, though President Obama has pledged to grant legal status to another 10,000 refugees by the end of the year. Yet this is only a small fraction of the Syrians displaced by the ongoing war.
More details have come out regarding the controversial U.S. airstrike on an MSF hospital in Kunduz, the AP tells us. According to Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA), who says he has been in touch with whistleblowers within the military, the U.S. Army intelligence system meant to provide “battlefield awareness” was out of service during the airstrike. And the Times reports that the Afghan forces that had requested the strike may have been new to the area after being hastily transferred from another part of the country in response to the Taliban threat.
Though the brief seizure of Kunduz bolstered the legitimacy of the new Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, anti-Mansour commanders are reportedly meeting to choose a Taliban leader to rival Mansour. If true, Reuters writes, “a leadership battle within the Taliban could create space for militants loyal to Islamic State to expand their foothold in the region, and could discourage Mansour from resuming Pakistan-backed peace talks with the Afghan government.”
Afghan forces have successfully repelled the Taliban from a key area near the capital of Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, the AP reports. Their success marks a key strategic victory in the effort to prevent the Taliban from gaining control of Helmand’s capital.
Despite U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s exhortations to both Israelis and Palestinians to halt escalating conflict in Jerusalem and the West Bank, the violence gripping the area shows no signs of dissipating. During a surprise visit to Jerusalem, the Post writes, the Secretary General called for calm and stated that it is “not too late to avoid a broader crisis.”
As clashes and violent attacks continue, the Journal tells us that Israeli forces detained Hamas co-founder Hassan Yousef for inciting violence. The Post examines the growing amount of Palestinians taking up knives in stabbing attacks against Israelis, pointing to widespread confusion and dismay among both Israeli and Palestinian communities as to what exactly is driving the attackers. And theTimes studies a proposal before UNESCO by some Arab states to reclassify the Western Wall as part of the Al Aqsa Mosque, which Israel, many Jewish American groups, and the UNESCO director have all condemned.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with Secretary of State John Kerry in Berlin, the AP writes, where he will push Kerry to urge Mahmoud Abbas’ cooperation in ending the violence. But as Kerry heads to Germany “in a bid to defuse the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence and make headway on Syria's moribund peace process,” the AP also suggests that “he doesn't appear to have a clear plan for either.”
Netanyahu, however, is having political problems of his own. The Prime Minister is now facing heavy criticism from historians and politicians alike following his suggestion that Amin al-Husseini, once the grand mufti of Jerusalem, persuaded Adolf Hitler to begin the Holocaust. He has, however, clarified that “I had no intention to absolve Hitler of responsibility.” The Journal has more.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tepidly approved the nuclear deal, Reuters writes, but maintained that Tehran would delay reconfiguring the Arak reactor and exporting its stock of enriched uranium until questions of the past military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear program have been resolved. But the Post notes Khamenei’s statement that “any remarks saying the structure of sanctions will remain in place are considered a breach” of the nuclear agreement.
Here’s a pickle: the Post tells us that Libya currently has no internationally recognized government“after the mandate of one of two rival parliaments — the only one recognized by Western powers — lapsed before lawmakers could endorse a proposed unity government.” The delay in supporting the U.N. proposal for a unity government may lead to further chaos within the country, despite international efforts at stabilization.
With Chinese president Xi Jinping on a visit to the United Kingdom, China is set to announce plans to take a one-third stake in a French-led project to build a nuclear power station in southeastern England. The agreement will “represent China’s first substantial foray into nuclear energy in Europe, the Post tells us, and has faced opposition from those who feel the project will render the U.K. vulnerable to Chinese cyberattacks and diplomatic extortion over energy. Elsewhere in the Commonwealth, the Journal writes that Australia is expected to ratify a free trade agreement with China before the end of the year.
Two Chinese diplomats were killed and a third was wounded in a shooting in the Philippines, theTimes reports. Philippine police have identified the shooter, whose wife is a Chinese national, but have not yet determined a motive.
The Miami Herald brings us the latest on the ongoing 9/11 trial. The military court is now struggling to determine if one of the defendants, Walid Bin Attash, can represent himself in the case following Bin Attash’s request on Monday to exchange his defense team for self-representation. The question is how Bin Attash could conceivably defend himself within a court system that prevents defendants from seeing classified evidence against them--a formidable difficulty that the judge and attorneys are attempting to make clear to Bin Attash before he reaches a final decision.
The NDAA is on its way to the White House, the AP reports. Congress sent the bill to the president’s desk yesterday, though Obama has promised to veto the controversial legislation on the grounds that it fails to resolve budget disputes over defense spending. The bill also strengthens restrictions on transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay, against the administration’s wishes. Over at theJournal, none other than Defense Secretary Ashton Carter argues that Congress must resolve the problems of sequestration and pass a long-term budget for the good of the nation’s security.
Speaking of Congress, Foreign Policy updates us on the state of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which the Senate began debating yesterday. Though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stated that he hopes to have the measure passed by next week, CISA faces major hurdles in the form of opposition from civil liberties organizations and technology companies, who have argued that the bill’s proposed information-sharing between government and industry would come at an unacceptable cost to privacy. In response, senators have been negotiating a series of amendments to shore up privacy protections.
Apple has filed a briefing in a federal case over a Department of Justice order to compel decryption of a locked iPhone, claiming that it is incapable of decrypting information on the company’s newer phones. According to the BBC, Apple stated that it does not have the capacity to decrypt information on 90% of its devices running the operating system iOS 8 or higher. The phone at issue in the case (which Lawfare’s Francesca Procaccini discussed here) is an older model, but the company has so far refused to comply with the government's order.
Some good news for John Brennan: his AOL email account may have been hacked, but at least it doesn’t appear to have contained any classified information. So says the Times, which also tells us that the FBI has nevertheless opened an investigation into the young hacker’s claims. The Hill, however, indicates that Wikileaks intends to publish the contents of the CIA director’s alleged inbox.
In the Tank: At the Wilson Center, Daniel Sui, James Caverlee, and Dakota Rudesill have a newreport on “The Deep Web and the Darknet: A Look Inside the Internet’s Massive Black Box.” The report investigates the policy implications of the explosive growth of the web’s hidden corners, which has a surprising number of national security implications.
Parting shot: Who among us hasn’t wondered about sprucing up footage of a war zone with some techno music and color filters? A certain Alexander Pushin has been doing just that: recording and editing Russian aerial assaults over Syria as quasi-advertisements for his drone filming company.The Times has more, along with Pushin’s (somewhat unsettling) videos.
ICYMI: Yesterday, on Lawfare
Peter Margulies discussed the DOJ’s push to use “all tools” to counter non-state threats to cyber and national security.
Maj. Patrick Walsh asks if Russian action in Syria could threaten the “unwilling or unable” theory used by the U.S.- led coalition as the legal basis authorizing the use of force against ISIS in Syria.
Francesca Procaccini covered yesterday’s 9/11 trial proceedings at Guantanamo, examining the questions raised by Walid Bin Attash’s request to represent himself over the course of the trial.
Ben shared yesterday’s discussion at Brookings between John McCain (R-AZ) and Mac Thornberry (R-TX) concerning the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act.
Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us onTwitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.
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Elderly Pianist Turns Grief Into Therapy for Self, Othersby webdesk@voanews.com (Julie Taboh)
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