Iran
Top ten media failures in the Iran war debate
Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy – March 11, 2012
I’m sorry to say that most mainstream news organizations have let us down again. Although failures haven’t been as egregious as the New York Times and Washington Post’s wholesale swallowing of the Bush administration’s sales pitch for war in 2002, on the whole the high-end media coverage has been disappointing.
Iran sure no attack will go through Azerbaijan
Associated Press – March 12, 2012
Iran is confident that neighboring Azerbaijan would not allow attacking forces to pass through its territory, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday, according to the official IRNA news agency. On February 29, Israel signed a $1.6 billion deal to sell drones, anti-aircraft and missile defense systems to Azerbaijan, bringing Israeli technology to the border of archenemy Iran.
Israeli Plans For Iran Go Back Years
Associated Press – March 12, 2012
For more than a decade, Israel has systematically built up its military specifically for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. It has sent its air force on long-distance training missions, procured American-made “bunker-busting” bombs and bolstered its missile defenses.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan Massacre Makes Obama ‘More Determined’ To Leave Afghanistan
Caren Bohan and Ahmad Nadem, Reuters – March 12, 2012
President Barack Obama said on Monday the massacre of 16 villagers by a U.S. soldier increases his determination to get American troops out of Afghanistan, while a U.S. official said the accused staff sergeant previously had suffered traumatic brain injury.
America and Britain look to speed up Afghanistan withdrawal
Roland Watson, Michael Evans and Alexandra Frean, Australian Times – March 13, 2012
Thousands of British and American troops would return from Afghanistan early next year under plans to be discussed by David Cameron and President Obama. The leaders will lay the ground for a sharp drawdown of personnel as part of a strategy for the exit of combat forces by the end of 2014.
Other
Pakistan Tells White House to End Drone Attacks on Terrorists
Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, Bloomberg – March 12, 2012
Pakistan has told the White House it no longer will permit U.S. drones to use its airspace to attack militants and collect intelligence on al-Qaeda and other groups, according to officials involved in the talks.
Missile Defenses Offering Israel Calm in Conflict
Joshua Mitnick, Wall Street Journal – March 12, 2012
Facing the worst barrage of rockets from Palestinian militants since 2009, Israel is getting a boost from a new interceptor system that destroys missiles in midair before they fall on population centers.
